Shin Megami Tensei 5 headlines Nintendo’s Direct Mini
Last week, Nintendo hosted a “Direct Mini,” a smaller version of its Nintendo Direct live streams, this time focused on third-party games. While the event revealed a number of new games for the Switch, perhaps the biggest announcement of them all was a release window Shin Megami Tensei V.
The much-awaited fifth installment of the Shin Megami Tensei series is coming to Switch sometime in 2021.
Part of Atlus’ larger Megami Tensei franchise, which includes the Persona games, the Shin Megami Tensei has always focused on darker themes than its Persona brethren. Often taking place apocalyptic settings and dealing themes about demons, nuclear holocaust, the end of the world and the like.
Back in January of 2017, Atlus had revealed that the game was in development under the title Shin Megami Tensei: Brand New Title. They later confirmed that the game would be Shin Megami Tensei V in October of that year. Since then, Atlus hasn’t revealed much about the game, until now.
Alongside the 2021 release window, Atlus has also put out a new trailer for SMTV.
As with previous entries, SMTV looks to take place, once again, in a modern-day Tokyo that has been hit by some sort of apocalyptic event, leading the spawning of demons around the city.
SMTV will be the first of the series to be running on Unreal Engine 4—previous SMT games usually ran on proprietary engines.
It will not, however, be the first SMT game on Switch, that honor goes to its predecessor, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne.
Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne also coming to the Switch
Before players get to explore the latest SMT game, they will be able to experience one of the series’ classic titles. During the Direct Mini, Atlus also revealed that a Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne remaster would be coming to Switch as well.
When it was released on PlayStation 2 back in 2003, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne (or simply Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne as it was known back then) was the first new SMT game in almost a decade. After the previous SMT game, 1994’s Shin Megami Tensei If…, Atlus had focused mostly on the Persona side of the franchise.
SMTIII then represented many gamers’ first foray into the series. It received high ratings from critics and sold well enough to bring the SMT side of the series back.
SMTIII also featured a cameo appearance by Devil May Cry protagonist Dante. Whether the wisecracking, pizza and strawberry sundae loving demon hunter will return in this remaster is unknown.
No specific release date has been given for the SMTIII remaster; however, it has also been confirmed for PlayStation 4.
Other games revealed during the Direct Mini
While they may have grabbed most of the attention, Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei games weren’t the only things revealed during the Direct Mini.
For wrestling fans, THQ announced that the arcade-style brawler WWE 2k Battlegrounds would also be coming to the Switch. Battlegrounds is the only new WWE 2k game coming out this year—THQ has opted to take a year off from the main franchise, after the technical disaster that was WWE 2k20.
A Switch port of Rogue Company, the upcoming free-to-play third-person shooter from First Watch Games and Hi-Rez Studios, was also revealed during the stream. The game looks to be a third-person take on the popular hero shooter genre popularized by games such as Rainbow Six: Siege and Overwatch.
Finally, Nintendo also revealed that new DLC was coming to the musical Zelda game, Cadence of Hyrule. The content will be spread out over three $6 DLC packs.
The first of these packs is already available and adds five new characters, including Shadow Link and Impa. The second, called the Melody Pack, will add 39 songs. Meanwhile, the third will feature The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask’s Skull Kid on a new map. (Read: Super Mario 3D All-Stars coming to Switch, for a limited time only)
In addition, a new version of the game containing all three DLC packs will be released on October 23.
