‘Shin Megami Tensei V’ producer reveals why they chose the Switch

“Shin Megami Tensei V” was recently announced for the Nintendo Switch following a short teaser two days ago. While the clip didn’t really show any gameplay or plot details, Atlus revealed that it would be a Nintendo Switch exclusive. That said, new details have begun surfacing online. The game’s producer revealed why they chose to go with the Switch and he also explained several important key factors in the gameplay and plot.

New details

According to Siliconera, “Shin Megami Tensei V” producer Kazuyuki Yamai recently sat down for an interview for this week’s Famitsu magazine. Sharing some of his thoughts about the game, he started off stating that the first “SMT” game released 25 years ago. Atlus wanted to let fans know that the franchise would still continue. Hence the decision to announce a new game.

Their goal for the game is to “sympathize” with the modern times and troubles. There are a lot of problems around the world that people can relate to, be it trying to find a decent job, growing old, and terrorist/nuclear attacks.

“SMT V” is being made to reflect these problems nowadays and will be their biggest challenge yet. He also brought up the keywords “Shekinah Glory” which was featured in the trailer. This directly translates to “God’s Miracle” and he wants fans to think about this before playing the game.

As for development, this is the first time Atlus will be creating a game using Unreal Engine 4. Yamai claimed that this should speed up some of their processes as they can see their changes directly on the game’s screen. In line with this, classic core mechanics, like demon fusion, will still be returning to the game. However, they are also testing out some other elements that fit in with the gameplay.

Why the Switch?

As for why they chose the Nintendo Switch, Yamai mentioned that it can deliver high-quality games alongside its portability. He wants fans to enjoy the same experience on-the-go as they would playing on the TV. Since it’s on the Switch, he wants to combine elements found in both “SMT IV and Nocturne.” That said, he still cannot give a release date at this point in development.

The “Shin Megami Tensei” franchise is one of Atlus’ classic franchises. While “Persona” might be their most popular series, everything stemmed from “SMT.” Each game tackles a different theme in the series, but the main theme has always been the battle between Chaos and Justice.