Why SMT 5: Vengeance's Innate Demon Skills are Game-Changing (2024)

Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance's compendium is full of compelling demons, some favorites through their visual appearance, others for their combat prowess. The means for player strategy in Vengeance is made even greater than its source material through the use of innate skills, however, a feature that shouldn't be missed when fusing or recruiting demons. As Vengeance gives more weight to its party composition through its Periapts and talismans, the same holds true for how innate skills can turn the tides of battle, being especially important for players wishing to tackle the game's superbosses.

Innate demon skills in Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance work as their name suggests, giving demons an inherent ability separate from their malleable skill list. These innate skills can have reverberations in both combat and negotiation; some, like Idun's Demonic Mediation, allow for an additional pacification skill during negotiation should the Nahobino choose a wrong dialogue or action choice, making it easier to recruit more demons for the compendium. Others can play into support strategies for buffing and debuffing, or even have an effect on the press-turn system, a crucial aspect of Vengeance and its predecessors' combat.

How Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance's Innate Demon Skills Can Turn the Tides of Battle

Innate Skills Tying into Negotiation, Demon Lore, and Combat Prowess

In the case of Vengeance's endgame, innate demon skills can be the difference between victory and defeat, particularly for the game's superbosses. When the Nahobino gets to the point of fusing the most powerful demons offered in the compendium, from Norse gods to divine angels, there is more to consider than just level, stats, and spells. Often, demons with corresponding lore make for good party composition, like the Hare of Inaba being paired with Kunitsu demons such as Okuninushi to reduce MP cost for healing and support skills. This helps hone in on some of Vengeance's side quests as well, giving the player better insight into the folklore behind its demons.

Innate Skills Offer Even More Strategy for Party Composition

With the Nahobino's new essence arsenal, there are even more opportunities for party synergy. Metatron's innate skill Ceaseless Crucifixion, for example, increases the damage of his Almighty attacks based on how many hits are dealt by allies during the turn, making the Nahobino's Magatsuhi skill Omnipotent Succession, where the same attack is performed four times consecutively, a good pairing. Consider this with an attack like Paraselene Blur, which deals four Strength-based Light attacks, and the player can strike as many as sixteen times during the Nahobino's one action. Having another demon like Yosh*tsune with his eight-attack skill Hassou Tobi can increase the number of hits the party deals drastically, helping to buff Metatron's Almighty skills in the process.

Some innate skills can allow the player to make defensive plays as well, like the endgame deity Baal with his Hammer of Judgement. Shin Megami Tensei 5's superboss Shiva makes a return in Vengeance, and players will recognize Tandava as being one of his most decimating attacks, dealing severe Almighty damage while lowering defense to the minimum. Because Baal's Hammer of Judgement adds a press turn icon after receiving a debuff, he makes an excellent demon to bring into the Shiva fight, giving players up to two additional actions to both heal and wrack up the damage after being struck by the move. This is just one example of innate skills having merit in party formation aside from striking weaknesses, tying into the series' compelling combat.

Innate Skills Show How Strategic Shin Megami Tensei's Battle System Can Get

Though Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance offers a more accessible experience in terms of its difficulty, the title still has quite the challenges, making innate skills a game-changer for those seeking to complete all of its content. With previous Shin Megami Tensei 5 DLC like the Demi-Fiend fight being available in Vengeance, there's even more room for careful strategy in order to overcome the most daunting of adversaries. For players wishing to get the most out of its gameplay, innate demon skills show just how nuanced its battle system can get, helping to cement the Shin Megami Tensei series' combat as one of the most satisfying to master.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

Franchise

Shin Megami Tensei

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , Switch

Released

June 14, 2024

Developer(s)

Atlus

Publisher(s)

Atlus , SEGA

Genre(s)

JRPG

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence