Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online (MegaTen)

Overview

“Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine”, also known as Megaten, is a 3D Sci-Fi MMORPG based in the popular Shin Megami Tensei anime universe.

Features

• Multiple types of attacks make for involved combat
• Unique setting
• Skill based character development
• Plenty of backstory and dialogue

Review

After the tutorial, three pillars appear in the Tokyo area. The pillars bring the re-summoned demon presence. From your new base (Shinjuku Babel) you fight trying to retake and restore Tokyo from the demons.

The game plays pretty much like every other MMORPG on the market with both WASD movement, and also the click the ground movement. Some controls take a little time to get the hang of it. Thankfully, the game'€™s Wiki provides a keyboard map jpeg which helps learning the controls much faster.

Character development is level-based for attributes, but everything else is skill-based, meaning the more you use a skill the better you get at it. So technically, you could have very high level weapons skill at a lower character level. It makes for some interesting character builds.

Another interesting thing about ''MegaTen' is the fact that anyone can handle pets. To do this you negotiate with demons and befriend them. Once you get friendly with a demon, they will fight with you. If you're successful, you gain control of them through your data pad on your character's wrist and can call them when ever needed.

During combat I found it hard to keep the camera on the action if the demon moved a lot. It was especially hard when fighting group mobs while using your pet as crowd control. Once again that could be just part of the learning curve, but it seemed quite difficult sometimes.

Learning shouldn't be too hard, though, because ''MegaTen'€ has an active community, and the community is more than willing to help with just about anything. The starter area had many people so finding some at you level range is very easy.

Sadly, the overall graphical quality of the game is quite dated. The max resolution is 1280x1024; it reminds me of older ''Persona 3'€ made for the ''PlayStation 2' system. There is a lack graphics option and settings in-game. The plus is the game should run well at max or near max settings on a lower range machine.

Character animations themselves are rough. The models themselves are nicely done and look great in game. The model textures make up for some of the lack of smooth animations.

Music is very repetitive and quite boring. There a couple tracks that run all the time in the background except in combat, when it switches to some faster paced music. I found myself wanting to turn it off within a couple hours of playing. I found not turning the music off but turning it down from the options menu was the way to go.

Sounds are about the same as the music. The same sounds for magic and melee are quite repetitive. This is something that most MMO games are guilty of today. Being a skill- based game that is a problem, however, because you will want to use the same skill a lot. For a reward, you get to hear the same sound a lot, too!

Camera control and the lack of graphics options are the top of the list of issues found in-game. Other than that for the most part ''Mega Ten'€ is a solid game. The issues that I've come up with can be over looked. Game play is fun, even with dated graphics, and the community is great, they are more than happy to help the new demon busters.