Atlus is back with an expanded version of its acclaimed RPG. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance retains the detailed anime aesthetic and post-apocalyptic environments of the original, but adds a new story route. The Unreal Engine 4 continues to be responsible for bringing this devastated Tokyo to life, with particle effects and demonic creatures filling the screen.
Unreal Engine 4: the skeleton of demonic chaos 💀
The use of Unreal Engine 4 allows developers to maintain dynamic lighting in the vast, barren landscapes. Demons and characters, modeled in Maya, show fluid animation even in battles with multiple units. The post-processing work in Photoshop defines the textures of the terrifying designs by Kaneko and Doi. Performance on consoles remains stable, although open areas with many enemies can push the engine to certain loading hitches.
The drama of rendering a fallen angel with anime hair ✨
Atlus developers surely spent more time adjusting the protagonists' hair than programming enemy AI. Because nothing says demonic apocalypse like a fringe that physically responds to the wind while an angel of death hurls a lightning bolt at you. Sure, the particle effects are so pretty you almost forget you're about to die for the umpteenth time. Almost.