Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a game for the Nintendo DS console.
An enhanced port to the Nintendo 3DS, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux, was released on May 15, 2018. The game includes new artwork for the characters, voice acting, animation, new demons, and three new endings. 350 demons are fusable in-game.
==Plot==
A mysterious black hole has appeared on the region of the South Pole and is expanding day by day. Concerned about this event, the United Nations sent a collection of elites from around the world to investigate the area called Schwarzwelt (シュバルツバース, Shubarutsubāsu, Schwarz-verse). Inside, the U.N. Schwarzwelt Investigational Team finds that the area has been infested with supernatural beings known as demons that threaten to cross into the human world. As the team delves further into the Schwarzwelt, they find strange and repulsive callbacks to human society.
The player assumes control of an unnamed soldier from America (or Japan in the Japanese version), who will be working with three other crew members assigned by the Joint Project. The crew dons Demonica suits, which enables access to special abilities as well as regulating the player to the conditions within the Schwarzwelt.
==Characters==
thumb|From left to right: Zelenin, the protagonist, Commander Gore, Jimenez
The major characters of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey are:
*The protagonist - A USMC officer who underwent intense combat and command training between tours of duty. He was transferred to the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team by U.N. request. As a member of the Strike Team, his duties include off-ship missions and providing security for the expedition. He is on the crew roster for ship one, the Red Sprite.
*Commander Gore - The overall commander of the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team. He was originally a military officer serving a large country; the leadership abilities he displayed during his service earned him the top position on the team that now holds the fate of mankind. He commands the Red Sprite directly in addition to overseeing operations on the other three ships.
*Jimenez - Another member of the expedition with an American military background, Jimenez began his career as an enlisted man and is now a private contractor, attracted to the expedition by the promise of a financial gain. He serves on ship two, the Blue Jet, as a member of the Strike Team.
*Zelenin - A Russian scientist recognized for her research on the Schwarzwelt. Her position as the First Lieutenant of the Monitor Team was one of the first appointments made. Her chief duty is to research the Schwarzwelt's true nature along with her crewmates on ship three, the Elve.
*Arthur - The command unit for the Red Sprite, installed with an administrative pseudopersonality. From his vantage point tied into all the ship's systems, he extrapolates and proposes missions for the team. He is named after real life writer Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote the science fiction novel .
*Bugaboo - Deep inside the Schwarzwelt, the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team finds Bugaboo, a demon that has undergone torture at the hands of other demons. Scanning Bugaboo shows that it is only 75% demon.
*Mastema - A mysterious entity that appears before the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team, resembling an angel with black wings. He is skilled in mystical arts and has the power to break the demons' barriers, but his countenance is more sinister than divine. He claims to have come to the Schwarzwelt on God's orders. In the Japanese release, he was called Mansemat.
*Strange Girl - An enigmatic girl who speaks of demons and humans, but seems content to witness the proceedings rather than take an active hand. Her name is Louisa Ferre in the US version.
*Alex: A new character introduced in Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux. She is hunting down the protagonist for unspecified reasons.
==Gameplay==
Strange Journey returns to the original Shin Megami Tensei style of dungeon crawling with a first person perspective, and uses animated sprites instead of 3D models. Additionally, there is no world map; each major area is completely isolated and can only be accessed through a hub area.
===Apps===
:See also: List of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Apps and SubApps
The inclusion of the Demonica (DEMOuntable Next Integrated Capability Armor) allows the protagonist to upgrade his abilities through the use of "Apps". Apps include both combat and exploration abilities, such as the ability to unlock doors. The number of apps the player can have active is limited in the original Strange Journey, but not in the Redux rerelease.
Among other features, apps automate the effects of Estoma, Liftoma, and Riberama, so those skills are no longer present.
===Demon Analysis===
:See also: Demonica
Unlike in other games, demons initially hide their appearance when first encountered, appearing as a sprite that looks like white noise, and all statistics for the demon will be displayed as "??". Attempting to negotiate with an unknown demon results in unintelligible text, and though the player can respond, the effects of the negotiation are completely random.
After defeating a demon once, the Demonica will advance its analysis level to 1, revealing the demon's name and appearance for all future encounters. Defeating demons, using them in your party, and including them in Co-Op attacks will advance their analysis level further. At level 2, the demon's elemental affinities will be revealed, and at level 3, all information about the demon will be revealed. Fusing or recruiting a demon will also immediately upgrade its analysis to level 2.
===Co-Op Attacks===
:See also: Follow Up
The Co-Op system replaces the Press Turn system from the previous game. If the protagonist or any of the player's demons hit an elemental weakness, all allies of the same alignment (Law, Chaos, or Neutral) will perform a Co-Op attack. Co-Op attacks will only ever manifest as a single hit, but they will be stronger if more allies contribute to the attack. Co-Op attacks are non-elemental and cannot be resisted or negated. Additionally, Co-Op attacks significantly increase the analyze rate of the participating demons.
Unlike the Press Turn system, this mechanic is exclusive to the player, and enemies cannot benefit from Co-Op attacks.
===Demon Sources===
When an allied demon's analysis level is maxed out, it will grant the player a Demon Source or D-Source, which can be added to any fusion to grant fused demons additional skills. D-Sources contain up to three fixed skills, as well as a bonus skill randomly selected from the demon's own learned skills. The player can only hold one of each D-Source at a time, and may rarely regain D-Sources from their respective demons as level-up gifts.
===Forma===
In addition to Macca, purchasing items now also consumes a resource known as Forma. Forma is obtained from demons (either by defeat or negotiation), with every demon having its own Forma, and from the overworld, with every Sector having its own Forma. Items are crafted through recipes requiring specific Forma.
===Password System===
By using an up to 32 digit code in the Demon Compendium, players can trade passwords to unlock demons from each other. Certain demons can only be obtained in this way, and Atlus revealed certain passwords to give players access. It was decided that this system was easier to use than connecting through Wi-Fi, as passwords can be posted anywhere and used at anytime.
===Miscellaneous===
Additional mechanics include:
* Gun attacks have returned after their absence in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne.
* Gun weapons now provide up to three skills when equipped by the protagonist. Each gun has a unique skill list. These skills often cost MP and mimic the effect of offensive spells.
* Stats use the same scale as Digital Devil Saga: Stats go up to 99 and characters gain 3 stat points on level up.
* Unlike in previous games, the player does not choose how to allocate the protagonist's stat points on level up; instead, the protagonist has one of several stat growth patterns based on the player's answer to a personality questionnaire at the start of the game.
==Reception==
Strange Journey was well received by critics. IGN gave it 4 stars (8.5 on a scale of 10), saying that "though the game's turn-based combat system is standard stuff, fusing demons, launching co-op attacks, and exploring the environments keeps things interesting." It received a score of 36/40 from Famitsu, which was the highest score given by the Japanese magazine to an Atlus game at the time.
== Gallery==
StrangeJourney.png|Logo for the Japanese version of Strange Journey
SMT Strange Journey JPN.jpg|Cover of the Japanese version of Strange Journey
Strange Journey full cover art.jpg|Full sized cover art for Strange Journey
== Trivia==
*The American release was accompanied by a soundtrack CD as well as a collectible outer box with all launch copies of the game. Music is done by long-time composer Shoji Meguro.
*A poster was available with the pre-order of the game from GameStop. It is located behind the box art.
*In 2009, a forum thread claimed that the game was developed as Shin Megami Tensei IV according to an interview with Kazuma Kaneko, but since the game's setting does not take place in Tokyo, it is apparently not named as such.Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is technically SMT4, says producer GoNintendo. (RawmeatCowboy; September 30, 2009) However, a new interview with director Eiji Ishida contradicts this. Ishida says that Strange Journey was conceived as a spinoff from the very beginning, but the promotional staff and Kazuma Kaneko thought that its quality was high enough to be called Shin Megami Tensei IV. Ishida ultimately refused to market it as such. Ishida also makes no mention of its setting not being in Tokyo becoming a factor.Embarking on a Strange Journey, redux Retronauts (Parish, Jeremy; July 19, 2018) 
*To date, Strange Journey has the fewest playable characters out of any Shin Megami Tensei game excluding fusible demons.
*The vehicles used to explore the Schwarzwelt are based on the Landmasters from a post-apocalyptic science fiction movie called .
Damnation_Alley_Landmasters.png|Landmasters
==References==
==External links==
*Official Japanese Site
* Official North America Site
*(Atlus U.S.A. Forums) Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Forum
*(Atlus U.S.A. Forums) Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Demon Password Forum
*(Atlus U.S.A. Forums) PRODUCTION DIARY: "Use Your Allusion" by Lead Editor Nich Maragos
*(Atlus U.S.A. YouTube Account) English Trailer/Gameplay Trailer
Category:Games
Category:Shin Megami Tensei Series
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Category:Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux