Devil Survivor: Overclocked Review
+ Solid voice acting
+ Masterful blend of SRPG and turn-based RPG
+ Most complete version of Devil Survivor
- Sparse use of 3D
Tagline: Get this game, even if it means making a deal with the devil
Score: 9.5
If it weren’t for my colleague Drew (FrustratedFury), I never would have known
about the Shin Megami Tensei series. After he convinced me to play through
Persona 3 on the PSP, I was instantly hooked. It stuns me that I am only just now
getting into the various MegaTen games (as they are affectionately known), and I
feel like I’ve been missing out on a series that has innovated on the often-stale turnbased RPG genre.
Devil Survivor Overclocked is a port of the DS’s Devil Survivor, but features
enhanced content along the lines of Atlus’s recent port of Persona 3 to the
Playstation Portable. If you’ve never played Devil Survivor, this is certainly the
version to get. If you have played it, though, you’ll need to determine if the
additional story content is enough to draw you back.
Each of the MegaTen series plays differently, but they all carry a common theme of
interacting and negotiating with demons. They share a nomenclature for magic that
can be a bit daunting when you are used to the base/-a/-aga naming used in Final
Fantasy. Strength and weakness information for allies and enemies is typically
readily available, and the game rewards you for exploiting the gaps in your
opponents’ defenses. The games usually focus on young people living in
contemporary Japan that are inadvertently thrust into peril and must, first and
foremost, save themselves.
At the outset of the game, the main character (MC) and his friends Yuzu and Atsuro
are given portable gaming systems called Communication Players (COMPs, for
short). These are no ordinary handhelds, though, as they have been modified to
communicate with and employ the services of demons.
The MC’s COMP also has one additional feature. It allows him to see a number above
the heads of anyone, indicating when they are going to die. Additionally, the heroes
receive emails that predict the future. Only by facing their fates, overcoming
countless enemies and unraveling the motivations of shadowy characters around
them will they prolong their lives long enough to prevent a catastrophe that will
take place one week from the outset of the story.
Devil Survivor Overclocked will feel natural to anyone who has played even one
MegaTen game, but the combat system is entirely unique, blending strategy-RPG
movement around the field with turn-based RPG combat. Each human character can
be assigned up to two demon partners. You can mix and match to create up to four
well-rounded teams. When the battle starts, you’ll place your teams in the starting
area, just like many other tactical RPGs. All of the action takes place on the lower
screen, leaving the top for information display. From there, you can cast spells, and
move your teams around the battlefield to engage enemy demon teams.
Once you do enter an engagement, the battle switches to a first person affair against
up to three enemies, a leader in the center flanked by up to two minions. Your best
bet is to take down the flankers first, because if the leader goes down, the remaining
foes only provide half of the normal XP and Macca (demon currency). Each
engagement only lasts one turn, unless a combatant earns an extra turn. These can
be awarded for high agility stats, scoring critical hits or inflicting damage against an
enemy’s weakness. Attacking against an enemy’s strength can lose an extra turn that
you’ve earned. Planning your attacks carefully and ensuring you have a good
balance of skills is the key to victory.
Early on in the game, bonuses will be introduced. You can earn extra Macca for
surviving a fight without taking damage, defeating multiple enemies at once or
scoring attacks against enemy weaknesses. That Macca is then translated into new
demons in the auction house. There, you’ll have a slate of demons to bid on. Each
time, there will be a purchase price if you would rather choose not to risk losing out.
If you do decide to enter a bidding war, three AI bidders will work to defeat you. At
the end of the limited bidding period, if there are multiple interested parties left,
you’ll have the opportunity to enter one final bid. The high bid walks away with the
demon… unless you decide not to pay. Yes. You can win an auction and choose not to
pony up the Macca. It isn’t advisable as successful, paid bids up your auction rating,
opening the door for a wider variety of demons to choose from.
Additionally, you can earn new demons by fusing existing stock. You can choose
which skills the resulting demon will inherit to create the best mix of active, passive
and racial abilities. Demons can also learn new skills from their human partners
with Magnetite, which is also earned from battles.
Speaking of learning new skills, another layer of strategy involves Skill Cracking. At
the start of the battle, you can pick a skill for each human to target. If that human’s
team defeats the enemy that knows the skill, the human learns it. This provides a
deep customization system that allows you to tune each of your human characters
to your preference.
With regard to the game’s visuals, the tactical battle screen is fairly rudimentary.
The character models are sprites, similar to other tactical RPGs including Final
Fantasy Tactics. The turn-based battle sequences are also very simple with minimal
animations. The simplicity works thanks to the rich color palette and the continuity
of the art style throughout the vastly different graphical representations of
contemporary Tokyo.
From an audio perspective, the game maintains the J-Pop stylings that permeate
most MegaTen games, while featuring solid voice acting and an enjoyable score
beneath the game’s dramatic moments. The sound effects are also competently
designed, though some of the sounds that demons make can become grating.
One thing I must note is that Devil Survivor Overclocked makes very sparing use of
the system’s 3D functionality. The opening movie, fusion sequences, and a few other
moments actively use the feature. Otherwise, the game is purely two-dimensional.
Depending on how you feel about 3D, this is could be a plus or a minus.
Somehow, despite the complexity, Devil Survivor Overclocked manages to remain
accessible throughout. That’s not to say that it isn’t challenging, because it most
certainly is. Rather, defeat never seems unfair. Both enemies and allies adhere to the
rules of the MegaTen universe to create a more level playing field than you find in
most RPGs. While you could certainly play Devil Survivor on the DS, if you do have a
3DS, this is the version to own. With additional 8th Day content that wraps up the
story, multiple difficulty levels, additional demons, full voice-acting and visuals that
take full advantage of the 3DS’s power, Atlus has another winning port on their
hands.