Although Atlus USA did not initially know whether they would get to localize the game for the Western market, they still sent out a press release about the game's announcement in January 2017 an international release was announced in November 2017. By February 2018, he described the project as having entered "full-scale development", with more and more Atlus staff joining the production. At this point, Yamai described development as not even far enough for Atlus to be able to say "coming soon". At the time of the announcement, development had just started, and the game was presented as Shin Megami Tensei: Brand New Title the Shin Megami Tensei V title was announced in October of the same year, to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original Shin Megami Tensei, along with a new trailer showing a modern-day Tokyo train station and a post-apocalyptic city scene. The game was revealed in January 2017 as part of Nintendo's unveiling of the Nintendo Switch console, in the form of a teaser trailer featuring a destroyed office building and a number of demons. The higher hardware capabilities of the Nintendo Switch meant that the demons in the game took approximately three times as long to develop when compared to previous Shin Megami Tensei games. The decision to develop the game for the Nintendo Switch was made as Yamai liked its portability combined with its capability for high-definition graphics, although there were some challenges involved since Shin Megami Tensei V was Atlus's first time developing for the platform.
The game was developed using the game engine Unreal Engine 4, a first for Atlus according to Yamai, moving to Unreal Engine 4 changed the way they create games, as the ability to create something and immediately see it within the game allows them to spend more time on trial and error and coming up with ideas. The Nintendo Switch platform was chosen for its portability and its capability for high-definition graphics. The game is developed as a hybrid between the "profound charm" of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne and the demon-raising gameplay in Shin Megami Tensei IV. One of the development team's goals with the game is to depict and sympathize with modern issues, such as unemployment, unease about retirement, terrorism and nuclear weapons, and home problems. Shin Megami Tensei V is developed by Atlus, and is produced by Kazuyuki Yamai, who previously directed Shin Megami Tensei IV. As the Nahobino, the player will have to ascend to Godhood and claim his throne, while deciding what to save and what to sacrifice in a world without its creator. While the protagonist gets to keep his newfound powers as the Nahobino, his pair of friends get introduced to the Demon Summoning Program, a program which allows them to summon and battle using demons.Īs they return to their version of Tokyo, little time passes before the unthinkable happens: the demons from Da'At start invading their Tokyo, and the world they know is now under attack. Amidst this meeting, they agree with the group that, in return of returning them to the version of Tokyo they came from, they will cooperate in protecting their version of Tokyo from the war happening in Da'At. Together, they fuse into the Nahobino, a forbidden being that is neither human nor demon, but more like a deity.Īfter reuniting with his friends, they are found by angels, and sent to Bethel Japan, the Japanese branch of international agencies focused on keeping humanity out of the war between angels and demons. As he travels in the world, he shortly gets overrun by demons and is about to die, only to be saved by a being named Aogami.
When he awakens, he finds himself alone in Da'At an alternative apocalyptic version of Tokyo amidst an almighty battle between angels and demons. After entering said tunnel, a mysterious earthquake occurs, and the player falls unconscious. The player assumes control of a high-school student who is unexpectedly drawn into investigating rumors about demons appearing in a tunnel with a pair of his other high-school friends.
It features returning gameplay elements from previous Shin Megami Tensei games, such as the ability to fuse demons, along with new mechanics. Shin Megami Tensei V is a role-playing video game that is set in modern-day Tokyo and the Netherworld.