Going back to play games on previous consoles can be taxing at times. For years gamers have been saturated in lush graphics in fully-voice, robust worlds which cast a dark shadow on their predecessors. Some games, such as Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy IV, Golden Ax, Space Harrier and others, become ageless classics, standing up to the waves of time with glory and defiance. The Digital Devil Saga, as I remember it, seemed to be just at epic, but before I place it on a pedestal, I needed to give it at least one more play-through.
Digital Devil Saga, like the Persona series, is an spin-off series to the Shin Megami Tensei. DDS is a two part, self-contained series that runs on the same engine at Nocturne, but instead of recruiting demons, the characters transform into demons and consume their prey for strength. You play as Serph, leader of the Embryon tribe, and his allies Heat, Argilla, Gale and Cielo. As one of six tribes locked in a stalemate in a world known only as The Junkyard, you must defeat the other tribes in order to use the Karma Temple to ascend the gigantic tower to Nirvana. Every person in the Junkyard is fitted with a tag ring which allows access to certain areas, equipment and shops.
The game opens with Serph leading the Embryons against Harley, with his tribe the Vanguards, over a strange black pod which has fallen to the Junkyard. While the groups fight for control of the relic, a light blasts the pod from the sky, exploding it into hundreds of beams of light. The light penetrates every combatant on the battlefield, causing them to go berserk and transforming them into demons. Nearly everyone is slaughtered by the Serph and the Embryons, but Harley manages to escape. After the battle, the group discover they have each been branded with a unique tattoo, and they uncover a young girl inside the crater caused by the pod explosion with no tag ring.
After returning to their base in Muladhara, they find she has amnesia, but she remembers her name is Sera and she can help everyone. . .somehow. Still in a state of shock and confusing, Serph, Heat and Argilla go off to the Vanguard base looking for answers. What they find is a hysterical man, unable to control his own power and emotions. After cutting him down in what is pretty much an extended tutorial dungeon, the trio confirm what they feared to be true: the rules of the Junkyard have changed. Eat or be eaten, and you must literally consume to survive. Argilla, unable to accept this, refuses to eat but becomes incredibly weak, and she must be rushed back to Muladhara.
Upon your return, you find Gale going berserk from the lack of nourishment, but before things topple out of control, Sera awakes her hidden gift of song, soothing Gale and Argilla in an instant. Before there is even enough time for the Embryons to digest what they have just witnessed, Serph is summoned to the Karma Temple along with all of the other tribe leaders. There, they encounter Angel who promises that whoever can defeat the other tribes and bring Sera back to Nirvana will be rewarded with paradise, and it activates the Mantra system.
This skill system allows you con customize your move sets by assigning Mantras to each character. You gain Atma Points (AP) to charge each Mantra, allowing you to obtain the Mantra's skills upon completion. Mantras are divided into a flowchart, and as you work your way up each Mantra category (i.e. fire, healing, ice, hama, etc), you unlock better skills and abilities (agi > agilo, dia > media). I personally enjoyed this leveling system, as it was elegant enough to allow for easy access and customization of each character without really forcing you down any real path for a given ally. Like in most RPGs, you can customize your skill points whenever you level up, but party ally skill points are preset. So while characters have suggested paths, those molds are not absolute and can be changed and customized.
Right now, I've taken down the Maribels and their leader Jinana, even though my initial strategy of gaining them as a temporary ally pretty much failed the best possible way, much to the dismay of Argilla, and the Solids are next up on the block. I've taken my usual magic-focused approach to Serph skill set and points, with most of my focus on agility, magic and luck. His default element is water (ice), so that is now lvl. 2. I've also competed Demon Beast and Yaksa while currently training in Angel. I wish I had flopped the last two, as the Null Hama skill would have been incredibly useful during the Jinana battle. I stuck with Heat as my lancer, quickly getting his Demon Beast, Battle Demon and Fire Demon skills and currently training his Raksas skills. Argilla is my healer, with Fallen Hero, Earth Shrine and Demon Beast under her belt. Her current Mantra is Adamant.
Feeling pretty good so far. Every bit is just as good as I remember, and the dungeons and bosses do required the player to quickly analyze and adjust to a constantly evolving battlefield. Unlike in the other SMT titles, Analyze is not a free-action skill, and the data cannot be re-summoned unless the skill is preformed again. You must rely on your own working knowledge of defeated foes in order to survive. The hunting mechanic is neat and efficient, allowing you to harvest more Atma from weaker or frightened foes. The soundtrack is grim and perfect for the atmosphere, and characters are dynamic and evolving. There new power awakened more that just their demonic forms; it brought for an ego and emotions which they have never felt before. Each character struggle through this brand new world is just as integral and important to the game as the battle mechanic. Your decision not only effect certain elements in this game, but can change certain scenarios and encounters in part 2.
I'm just going to enjoy the ride right now, and should post more updates as time goes on.
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