Playstation King Abaddon vs. Raidou Kuzunoha: Devil Summoner 2

[r3v3rs3]

Action Based RPG game with random battles. Recruiting of demons and negotiations are back from nocturne and so is fusion. Can't think of much to say for now so just gonna post some reviews.

Game Rankings Page
NeoGaf Thread

RPG Fan: 8.8

Sequels typically either make only slight improvements or worsen the series, but Atlus went the extra mile to make a major overhaul, and ultimately succeeded on improving the series. It may lack technical advancements and overall challenge, but it does deliver on having a good story and just being plain fun. Those who never played the first game can easily enjoy this installment, and those who played Soulless Army should play this and see just how superior King Abaddon is.

1up: A

While virtually identical to its predecessor, the total revamp of the battle system makes Devil Summoner 2 more than "more of the same." And the story, while lacking in voiced dialogue, is still filled with twists and turns; Raidou once again ends up battling another enemy that seems too big for his britches. It's still a unique way to present an RPG, and still comes highly recommended.

Thunderbolt: 8

Atlus seem to be masters of creating brilliant sequels without changing more than a few textures and a new script. Persona 4 was an example of this, and Devil Summoner 2 seems to continue that tradition. The changes that did make it into the game are universally excellent, improving the playability and tightening the controls. There are a few other perks: Raidou moves faster, the game is longer, and there are more sidequests. Raidou vs. King Abbadon feels like the product of a company that listens to its customers - as if Atlus had been there when every person had said “Man, this game is great, but…” and taken careful notes. In typical Atlus fashion, the game comes at a reduced price point with a collectible goody - in this case, a plush Jack Frost mascot wearing Raidou’s iconic outfit. If a better game, a low price, and an adorable doll aren’t enough to sway you, it might be time to find a therapist.

 

[Chandoo]

hell yes, glad to see i'm not the only one looking forward to this, i've been downloading this since yesterday, only 3 more parts left, the ps2's still got it in it to get me excited for a game.

will post impressions when i get to play the game, which could be a while since the exams are starting

 

[r3v3rs3]

Well the fusion aspect is little worrying for me as I am not used to it. The in-game explanations also tend to be rather flimsy. Is it a good idea to fuse frequently or only a few times through out the game?

Also, I think this is quite likely the last A/A- (depending on POV) grade game for ps2 so certainly there is alot to be excited about. I will be looking forward to impressions as I will be playing it a little late.

As for Atlus's game design I thought the following description from Thunderbolt is probably the best I have seen. Quoting the text again:

Raidou vs. King Abbadon feels like the product of a company that listens to its customers - as if Atlus had been there when every person had said “Man, this game is great, but…” and taken careful notes.

 

[Chandoo]

i'm just hoping atlus takes shin megami tensei next gen (preferably on the 360 ) after this. This is probably the first ps2 game i've started playing since i got my 360, and damn it looks bad.

 

[r3v3rs3]

I think the next Atlus game will be current gen. Didn't they already state their intentions in Famitsu earlier this year? There should have been some concrete news by now.

 

[r3v3rs3]

I played it for an hour or so and my initial reaction is very positive. Deep down, I was expecting to be underwhelmed, even if slightly so. However, I am glad I didn't set it aside without trying it. It is definitely up to my expectations.

Firstly, the graphics are ok as far as I am concerned. The animations can be sloppy at times, but this is true for the entire series. I am certain that the developers sacrificed some polygons to increase frames per second. This is fine by me though as the game runs quite smooth. Honestly, from what I played, I find the graphics aesthetically pleasing. This is partly due to the game setting.

The constant tone of humour in the dialogue is thorougly enjoyable. The choice of words seems peculiar at times. I think this is partly done to reflect the era this game is set in (early 1900's). Between, I really like the game world. The setting of a city in early 1900 brings it closer to a believable world. Sure there are elements of fiction thrown in, but still it feels less fantastical than most RPGs.

Can't say much about battle right now, although I am not a fan of computer controlled characters. The controls are responsive though. It would be nice if you if you had to use evade extensively in the game. Somehow, I doubt it (which is bit of a let down). I am expecting more emphasis on demons and exploiting weaknesses.

 

[r3v3rs3]

Adding a few more basic observations. Given the percentage of own posts in this thread though, maybe I should stop ~_~. I will post again if I have something interesting to add, or when I am near completion.

- There is no collision detection for the player with other characters (atleast in the towns). Not even a basic collision detection system is in place. One possible reason is that devs. wanted to make it easier to explore busy towns?

- There is a lot of tricky stuff going on. Characters that are walking through different areas of town don't appear or disappear from the screen smoothly. It seems the draw distance is also fairly short. That is, when you move away from someone and then comeback, the other person disappears and then re-appears abruptly.

- The environments are pre-rendered (i.e. static camera), something like the earlier RE games. This means that the level of detail in the environments is surprisingly good (not the same with characters). However, often there is distinct lack of (any) activity or motion in the environment. But if the ps2 can't handle a moderate draw distance, I doubt it would be able to handle more activity in the environments.

 

[Chandoo]

I really need to give this at least one run through

i opted to play persona 4 again last month instead lol

 

[r3v3rs3]

OK finished the fourth chapter. Yeah I know I am REAL slow. I reckon it would be a good time to spill some thoughts.

- I am not getting fusion, would rather prefer simple skill trees. Admittedly it's partly because I don't understand it properly. The one fusion I did didn't seem to be very successful.

- There is one area that the game could have definitely improved (without changing other things much). That would be to make blocking a little weaker. Most of the attacks can be blocked for minimal damage. This makes evasion button nearly useless. I feel atleast some of the projectile attacks should be able to go through blocking. Blocking should be generally be applicable to instantaneous/unavoidable attacks.

- Haven't done much case files. I feel they could have really made these more interesting, possibly by making them similar to real world cases. Also, I don't get why I have to go and collect cases. Shouldn't cases arrive by themselves at the detective agency?

- Dungeons are relatively short.

- There are fiend riders that appear at different points in the game when your luck goes down. These guys are a real Abuses will lead to ban. They are optional though.

- The enviornments in the game are beautiful to explore. I wish the game world was more extensive.

- The graphics are pretty good. I could quibble about the environement being static, but it's not like even God of War has really dynamic environments either. However, it is rough around the corners, possibly due to lack of budget. For example, the battle graphics are a step down from the normal in-game graphics.

- I have read about the music being a re-used from the previous game. I don't know about that, but it is quite good. Curiously though, the normal battle theme is the most forgetable one.

Overall a good game that can be improved alot further. Some of the deficiencies are due to lack of budget while others are just due to lack of realization. This game does show what kind of potentail a current gen SMT game could have. But I am getting increasingly pessimistic about the possibility though. It seems like Atlus just don't have enough budget for that kind of endeavour.

 

[r3v3rs3]

Finished it. Apart from what I mentioned in previous post, few more comments:

- Random battles do get to start repetitive once you get used. I mean, come on, give the normal enemies some more threatening or unpredictable attack combinations.

- Sometimes hints on how to progress in the game are rather vague.

- The story had more potential imo. It starts out as pretty good, but does get a little cliched near the end.

In any case, I had alot of fun with this. Didn't get bored at any point of the game. After the normal game, King's Mode opens up. According to my conjecture, even if the process of re-playing the game occurs, it will be sometime later. Case Closed ~_~