it can last u a few months of gameplay.but in the end the lack of maps and quests to do as well as the need to farm money all the time and endless grinding in same area which cost money to enter will make u want to retire from the game.
the pvp is unbalance as well with some of the classes having overall advantage.also u need to repair your gears after the durability drops from pvp battles with other players which in turn cost a lot.last i heard mages is only class that can rule pve and pvp.
on the other hand the demons and quests is nicely done while it last.so u will enjoy the time spend there.just take note not to spend too much money inside,aeria does not have a good reputation for handling games and does have a ban first check later policy(happen to a friend) and have a tendency not to listen to players.they are also slow in giving out prizes u win at events(happen to me,waited over 1 month+ for a simple prize i wont in event contest)^^
i played around 4 months in smt and i did enjoy it though.but once u hit near end lvl around lvl 90 it pretty much went downhill.the updates for real content takes forever and all they do every week is update new items or recycle old package of items and lottery in the cash mail.and the quests end around lvl 30-40 so basically u have to help other ppl do their quests to earn fast and fun exp...but even that ended around lvl 60-70 as grinding will get u even better xp then helping other do quest aka as acts in game.they only have limited dungeon instances to grind as well and its not possible to grind much in open area at all due to limited xp and numbers from spawn.
also note those that spend real money can overpower any player who did not spend due to the fact they sell weapons/items in cash mail.u can buy some of those items from other players but if they got the items using fake credit,there is a high chance aeria will ban u as well for buying it in game with game money.it happens before to a lot of players(heard from my clan after i retired) ^^
but if u are looking to spend 1-2 months playing and do not intend to spend much money at all then its actually a good game.even tot i spend around 350 usd which i regret,i never regret testing the game out.but dont think of staying long term in this game.^^
Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine An MMO With Potential
This week we decided to check out Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine. Will this MMO be like its offline cousins in with its innovation and creativity, or is this just another classic game to MMO port gone wrong?
Ever since I made the transition from offline RPGs to online MMORPGs, about ten years back, I've often found it difficult to make that journey back again into the console RPG world. Honestly speaking, there are very few offline RPG franchises that can get my heart racing every time they announce a new sequel, and when I do plunk down on my bean bag to partake in the few console morsels I purchase, I typically find myself wanting to take the game online and "MMORPGize" it.
One game that has always shined brightly has been the Shin Megami Tensei series (shortened to 'Megaten'). For a while now, I've been fairly infatuated with the possibilities and the uniqueness of the Megaten series (in particular, the "Persona" spinoff, but I'll speak of that later), and the possibility of an MMO centered on this kind of universe has always made me dream of finding my perfect MMO. In this way, you may be able to imagine just how bright my eyes got when I realized that an MMO had already been made for my beloved 'Megaten' series - it was just a matter of looking it up.
For those of you who don't know, Shin Megami Tensei is a unique franchise that's been built and cultivated by that anime-esque RPG genius, Atlus. In particular, the Shin Megami Tensei series has been typified by the fact that their games usually take place in modern or near-future Japan, and, instead of focusing upon your standard sword and sorcery fantasy concepts, Atlus chose to involve more occult themes and centered much of the combat around forging contracts with multiple demons, to have them fight by your side. If you think about it, since the first Shin Megami Tensei game was released in 1992, and Pokemon wouldn't see the light of day until 1996, the Megaten franchise was the original Pokemon style game. Megaten games are also typified by the choices they offer players, which, in turn, affect the storyline of the game. In short, the Shin Megami Tensei brand had a lot of potential to transform itself into an equally fantastic MMORPG.
Enter Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine, an MMORPG developed by first-timers Cave (Computer Art Visual Entertainment), the creators of the cult-hit maniac shooter series "Do-Don-Pachi," and published in Japan by Atlus, the original creators of the Megaten series. The MMO was originally released in 2007, but Aeria games only recently licensed the game for North America. The North American Shin Megami Tensei MMO is only eight months old.
Upon eagerly patching up my Shin Megami Tensei game, however, I have to say that the game looked much older than an MMO that was launched in 2007. While I'm not a huge stickler for graphics of any sort, it was fairly disappointing to see that even with my settings turned to the absolute maximum, the game still looked fairly bland. Character creation consisted of a choice between the basic five faces, eight different haircuts and three variations of height. While most of the other recent Megaten games employ the same 'style' of graphics (anime style polygons with little to no detail), the landscapes and models just felt very dull in comparison to something like Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, which was released in the same year on the PS2, as an offline RPG.
On the other hand, staying on par with the quality of other Shin Megami Tensei RPGs, the Megaten MMO does offer a very satisfying form of combat that employs timing, movement and strategic skill choice. While the controls felt a little slow and outdated, after getting over the initial clunkiness of the combat system, I was happy to say that combat does not disappoint. Players can either choose to combo their regular attacks (by simply tapping 1-1-1), or they can charge up a 'Rush' attack that deals more damage, but makes your character glow distinctively when you're charging. In addition to this, there are various defensive manoeuvres that one can employ if you 'guess' the style of the enemy's attack right. In a sense, it's like a complex game of rock, paper, scissors, as guarding, dodging and counterattacking all defend against specific types of attacks, and if you guess your opponent's attack wrong, you may take extra damage. While the game isn't exactly the speediest reflex-based game I've ever seen, I was still pleasantly surprised by just how little time I spent sitting there spamming a single button.
In addition to this satisfying combat system, in true Shin Megami Tensei fashion, the game allows you to tame over 200 demons to fight by your side, and you can level them up and control their growth like your own character. Players can also choose to 'combine' their demons to form stronger ones, or even 'crystallize' their demon friends to create enchanting material that can strengthen their weapons. Players can have multiple pets stored, but only one pet may be out at a time. It is fun, however, to find a pet that compliments your play style, as it is fairly easy to manage both your character and your pet at the same time.
The game also offers a great deal of character growth. Instead of forcing players to choose an archetype to stick with, in Shin Megami Tensei Online, the player can choose where to distribute his or her bonus stat points (we need more of this!) and can also choose what to level up as his or her 'expertise.' As you perform an action more and more, the game rewards your character with expertise in that field, allowing you to progress further along and learn more abilities. There is a hard cap so you can't max out on everything.
All in all, if I were to grade Shin Megami Tensei Online as an MMORPG, I would definitely suggest it to players who want a fun game with some great combat elements that I have yet to find anywhere else. Unfortunately, I must note that although the Shin Megami Tensei franchise is often considered to be one of the most unique offline RPG brands around, to me, it definitely feels as though there's a lot of missing potential for this game. While the level cap is stuck at 90, many veterans of the MMO will note that the storyline (and, by extension storyline quests) tends to dwindle around level 30, and players literally find themselves forced to grind dungeons endlessly if they want to get anywhere. If you combine this bleak endgame outlook with what I feel to be a very bleak environment and graphic system, it's quite sad to see such a fun combat system go to waste.
In the end, however, I will say that the game holds a unique attraction for me, and I do think I'll be playing with my snowman demon for a little while longer. I just happen to find it amazing that, even though this game is quite solid for an MMORPG, this is one of the very few times where I can literally see potential spinning out in every direction. If a big name developer was to take this franchise (perhaps the "Persona" offshoot series that featured high school students and karaoke in addition to fighting monsters in the middle of the night?) and re-develop it with better graphics and a deeper social system, I honestly think that Atlus would finally be able to translate their offline RPG prowess into the MMO market.
Christopher "Pwyff" Tom
Editor
ZAM.com