How is this game compared to Persona series?

[[rori] Nade]

I have never played a "Shin Megami Tensei" game even when they shared the same genre/personas.
So I would like to know how good is the story overall. I am interested because older/classic games have good/interesting stories/plots.

[The Professor]

Combat is better (and much more challenging) but the story, while interesting, has far less focus. There is very little cutscene time in this game, it's all about the dungeons and fusion and fighting.

[TGSMarcus]

You punch gods. Play it.

[Venom94]

I prefer SMT games then persona series. SMT always had very great story, demons, bosses. And the 3 path you can choose law, chaos and neutral. But in SMT 3 there are 6 endings for every path. Beat many times on ps2!

[Sejman22]

SMT (with few exceptions) its oposite to Persona 3-5. In ,,modern'' Persona games u have social links / dating sim elements, story is more anime cliche and focused on generic characters (anime archetypes example: bro, red haired waifu, husbandos and annoying mascot). Persona 3-5 is jrpg / dating sim hybrid when SMT is pure jrpg / dungeon crawling. Plot in Persona is much lighthearted compared to most SMT games, when SMT is about worldbuilding and dark / opressive atmosphere. Gameplay in Persona 3-5 is simplified version of SMT, Persona 3-5 have more casual friendly (but worse in my opinion) battle system - ONE MORE, most modern SMT (except of Raidou games and Strange Journey) have more enjoyable PRESS TURN battle system. SMT games are also WAY HARDER than Persona games on highest difficulty, especially Devil Survivor and original Strange Journey, Nocturne is in the middle. SMT games also have multiple endings and alignment system (LAW, NEUTRAL, CHAOS). In SMT demons are demons (u collect and fuse them like in Pokemon, SMT was first ,,monster collection'' game in gaming history), in Persona 3-5 they are called ,,shadows''.

Persona 1-2 and Devil Summoner games: DUNGEON CRAWLING 50%, DIALOGUES 50%
Persona 3-5: DUNGEON CRAWLING 30%, DATING SIM / SOCIAL ELEMENTS 70%
mainline SMT: DUNGEON CRAWLING 70%, DIALOGUES 30% (Nocturne is: DUNGEON CRAWLING 90%, DIALOGUES 10%)

[[rori] Nade]

Thank you for all your replies :).

[Nanarchiste]

Even if Persona is a spin-off of SMT, both are actually quite different.

-As it's been mentionned, SMT can be far more challenging than Persona (though still not really grindy, but you'll need to optimize everything, adapt your team...)

-Your character has his own stats, and demons you will recruit fight alongside through negociation. They make the damage, but they don't "boost" your character like in Persona

-The tone is more mature. It's far less focused on the characters & scenario, but more on the thematics (free-will, isolation, elitism...). The games have multiple endings though.

-There is no "life-sim", no time management, and very few NPCs. You will spend most of your time in dungeons.

[Riukkz]

No lolis and life sim, Is all of killing God or similiar high range demon, and eternal dungeons.

[OverKill]

Originally posted by Riukkz:

No lolis

How does this explain the existence of Moh Shuvuu and Alice?

[VB Driver]

Stop with this dating sim bulls**t. GTA 4 and GTA SA have better dating system than Persona and those games have it simple.

[crazy frogger]

well
in persona you use the power of friendship to battle demons
in SMT you team up with demons to kill your friends

[crazy frogger]

Originally posted by crazy frogger 42:

also best turn based combat ive seen was in smt 4 and pokemon and untdertale both were "heavily inspired" by this game series
well undertale we can say was heavily inspired by it and pokemon just really watered it down but didnt apply any of the innovations that came afterwards

is what i read somewhere before
never played undertale or pokemon so cant say how true it is but what i heard it should be many similarities

[Zeit Eis]

Simply put SMT series are much Darker/Grim, Harder and story heavy compare to Persona. Well maybe from P4 Onward imo p3 still have a SMT feel to it. They are also much longer and unforgiving. Beware of Weakness and especially Light and Dark instant death spells.

The Story from what i know for the first SMT series was based off a Novel and it was a great read. The Series like to deal with Ideology, Good VS Bad, God Killing, Biblical End of the World Event/Disaster as it theme.

For SMT 3 you mainly deal with Ideology as theme. Wont Explain too much as it will spoil the game. but i will say it keep me glued. It only unglued me for a few days when the damn monk cast mudo. It a experience you will nvr forget lol

[Zeit Eis]

Originally posted by Dr. Doctor:

there are no waifus here
except for pixie
if you aren't okay with that, then leave

nonono you forgot she evolve to high pixie and then to queen mab then to Titania

[Sejman22]

Originally posted by VB✠Project:

Stop with this dating sim bulls**t. GTA 4 and GTA SA have better dating system than Persona and those games have it simple.

Especially Persona 3-5 dating sim elements are just copied, simplified and much worse versions from Sakura Wars 1-5.

[crazy frogger]

smt's ideologies are all extremes
no middle ground