Or: If you've only played Nocturne and not this one you're just a poser.
Eschewing the usual SMT setting of apocalyptic Japan, Strange Journey throws you into the Schwarzvelt, a demon infested alternate dimension that's slowly creeping its way across the planet, threatening to swallow it whole. What follows is an epic dungeon crawling adventure through the various realms of the Schwarzvelt, desperately crawling through as you try to escape back to Earth.
Strange Journey rocks so hard, and is a testament to when a well worn series decides to break free and try something bold and innovative. It's a game that milks every ounce of dread it can from its oppressive and dangerous environment, which is all the more impressive since its all crunched down into the teeny tiny DS screens. Walking down the twisted labyrinths in the Schwarzvelt is unabashedly retro to first person dungeon crawlers of the past like prior SMT games, modernized in a way without taking away the core fun of trekking your way through dense, twisting mazes filled with danger.
Combat in the game tosses out the famous Press Turn system from games like Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga, and I'd say that's for the better. Press Turn motivated a combat style of dishing out as much damage as you could, something that was perfected in SMTIV: Apocalypse, but Strange Journey flips the whole ordeal on its head. Instead of dealing out massive loads of damage, Strange Journey is about survival. The name of the game is surviving enemy counters, and protecting yourself from their attacks. Enemies when first encountered appear as nameless formless blobs, and you have to fight them multiple times to uncover their resistances. I see a lot of complaints about this but I love it to bits. Strange Journey is a very harsh, unforgiving game, and making every battle you face a life or death circumstance where you don't know what's coming next, even if you're a seasoned SMT veteran, is the kind of tension you just don't get in RPGs.
I love Strange Journey and so should you. There's a 3DS remake of the game called Strange Journey Redux that works a lot like other expanded releases of Atlus titles like Nocturne and Devil Survivor, with new story elements and gameplay. I... am not a fan, but I would really rather everyone play Strange Journey than lose out on the best SMT game out there.
Eschewing the usual SMT setting of apocalyptic Japan, Strange Journey throws you into the Schwarzvelt, a demon infested alternate dimension that's slowly creeping its way across the planet, threatening to swallow it whole. What follows is an epic dungeon crawling adventure through the various realms of the Schwarzvelt, desperately crawling through as you try to escape back to Earth.
Strange Journey rocks so hard, and is a testament to when a well worn series decides to break free and try something bold and innovative. It's a game that milks every ounce of dread it can from its oppressive and dangerous environment, which is all the more impressive since its all crunched down into the teeny tiny DS screens. Walking down the twisted labyrinths in the Schwarzvelt is unabashedly retro to first person dungeon crawlers of the past like prior SMT games, modernized in a way without taking away the core fun of trekking your way through dense, twisting mazes filled with danger.
Combat in the game tosses out the famous Press Turn system from games like Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga, and I'd say that's for the better. Press Turn motivated a combat style of dishing out as much damage as you could, something that was perfected in SMTIV: Apocalypse, but Strange Journey flips the whole ordeal on its head. Instead of dealing out massive loads of damage, Strange Journey is about survival. The name of the game is surviving enemy counters, and protecting yourself from their attacks. Enemies when first encountered appear as nameless formless blobs, and you have to fight them multiple times to uncover their resistances. I see a lot of complaints about this but I love it to bits. Strange Journey is a very harsh, unforgiving game, and making every battle you face a life or death circumstance where you don't know what's coming next, even if you're a seasoned SMT veteran, is the kind of tension you just don't get in RPGs.
I love Strange Journey and so should you. There's a 3DS remake of the game called Strange Journey Redux that works a lot like other expanded releases of Atlus titles like Nocturne and Devil Survivor, with new story elements and gameplay. I... am not a fan, but I would really rather everyone play Strange Journey than lose out on the best SMT game out there.