We’ve done four of Devil Survivor 2’s endings, and it has two more left: the one I mentioned that branches off one of the existing routes, and the Golden Ending. I’m just going to be covering the Golden Ending for this final update for the (original) game, as the two are almost exactly the same apart from the aspects that make it golden.
There are three requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to unlock the Golden Ending. The biggest, most vital one is that the entire cast, minus Al Saiduq, must be recruited back into the party during Day 7 and have have their Fate maxed out at Stage 5 by the end of the day. Like trying to do a perfect Social Link run in the Persona games this is a process that can really only be done by following a guide every step of the way. The second requirement is directly tied to the first: the only way to recruit everyone minus Al Saiduq into the party is to join up with Daichi at the decision point, since that’s the only route where both Ronaldo and Yamato survive the fighting.
7th Day - A Saturday Toward Coexistence
I’m not going to cover the day in depth again: I’m sure everyone’s tired of that by now, including myself. Now in order to unlock the ending we’re going for, the third requirement is that we must see two events by the end of the day. The first is “Concepts” where Hibiki, Daichi, and Fumi talked about how Yamato intended to rewrite the world and the existence of the Akashic Record. The event’s available no matter which route you’re on, but on Daichi’s watching it opens up another one called “Reversible Idea”. This one takes place in Fumi’s lab at the Tokyo JP’s branch where Daichi, Airi, and Hinako are trying to get some answers out of the irritated woman as to the nature of the Akashic Record. If the Record contains information on the entire world, past and present, shouldn’t they be able to use it to restore the world to how it was before the Septentrione invasion, Hinako asks, with the obvious implication of there being no brainwashing like on Ronaldo’s and Yamato’s routes. Fumi says maybe, but it would be like turning back a clock meaning that there’s the possibility that no one will remember anything and the invasion will simply happen all over again. We can have Hibiki say that he doesn’t think that has to happen, and Hinako speaks for him by insisting that they can find a way where that indeed doesn’t happen.
That’s about the only thing new on Day 7. Other than finally being able to recruit Yamato though, which he does because with his Fate sufficiently leveled he decides that he might as well since Hibiki’s already defied many of his expectations. Being the last possible character to recruit on this route he’s Lv. 61. When Tico shows up at the end of the day to do the daily summation they’ll also talk about the possibility of restoring the world, though they do echo what Fumi said about the possibility of everything happening all over again. In particular, the party’s data, along with everything else naturally, will be overwritten by the past, undoing the experiences had and lessons learned during the crisis. Even if we’re a “bad enough dude” in female Tico’s words to resist the overwrite, that’ll mean that there would be two sets of data, introducing the possibility of errors arising. In short, if the party wants to have Polaris reset the world and retain their memories without reality getting FUBAR’d, they’re going to need some very strong willpower.
Last Day - Sunday’s Fruition
The start of Day 8 here remains mostly the same as it was during our previous time here on Daichi’s route aside from a mention of what Tico said last night, but when we reach the part where it’s suggested that the party should kill Polaris they end up backing away from the idea. Not that that won’t be an option, it’s just being tabled for now. When we’re spat out onto the city map there’s now a second event scene aside from “Swallowed World” available called “Underlying Cause”. This one has Hibiki, Airi, Io, Jungo, and Hinako encounter Al Saiduq at the Akasaka Tunnel and start asking him questions on what to do. He reiterates that yes, retaining their memories and using them to make the world better will indeed be difficult, but he also believes that it is possible, as humans are beings of infinite possibility. This raises the group’s morale, and since you can only see one event before being forced into the “Shown Path” battle the important parts of this conversation get bolted onto that one if you don’t see this one. When we initiate that event Al Saiduq will ask Hibiki what they plan to do as per the will of the species as we’re given two options: either restore the world, or defeat Polaris. Well, we’ve already seen that defeating Polaris will most likely result in the drawn out extinction of humanity, so there’s really only one choice here (whatever you choose here will lock you into an ending). The entire cast expresses their confidence that they’ll come out of the rewrite okay and that the invasion will not happen again. And again Al Saiduq wants to test us with his demon cronies...
I’m skipping over this and the other two following battles because the following events are the same as they are on other routes, including us being forced to fight and kill Al Saiduq. No, unfortunately there is no secret way to recruit him on this final day, he’s only playable on his own route. When everything’s defeated and the cast is gathered around the Shinsekai Terminal Mk. II expressing their last bits of encouragement/anticipation/what have you Yamato’s comment is that he’s looking forward to seeing the world that Hibiki claims is superior to his ideals, and Io changes her comment to hope that she and Hibiki can meet again in the restored world. When we encounter Polaris Daichi says that while she might not understand their world they lived their lives to their fullest there and that they’ll use what they’ve learned during the past eight days to make it better. Polaris is rather skeptical that they can succeed, but when Yamato remarks that Hibiki’s power means that nothing’s impossible, she says that she’ll say no more and test our power to lead. Just one more battle with Polaris to go...
Daichi Mission 10: Dreamed Future
- Polaris must be defeated
- The whole party cannot die
The main attraction here is that during the second phase Polaris will tell the party to ask themselves if they will make the same mistakes that they did before and summons a group of shadowed doppelgangers to the field, one for each member of the cast save Hibiki, Al Saiduq, and I guess Dera-Deka. Each one expresses their original’s deep-seated misgivings surrounding their plan: doubts that they have the ability to change the world, existential fear at their selves “dying” when the rewrite occurs, scorn at the idea of the world even being capable of change, etc. In fact, I’m just going to call them Shadows, because all they’re missing are the golden eyes. And as such, we’re going to have to beat them all up.
Shadow Daichi (Lv. 67)
HP/MP
- ???/???
- Weak to Ice; Resists Physical, Elec, and Force; Absorbs Fire
- Mighty Hit - Deals a critical Physical hit to one target.
- Multi-Hit - Deals multiple Physical hits to one target; number of hits dependent on user’s Agility.
- Mow Down - Deals Physical damage to entire enemy party.
- Physical Boost - Physical attacks powered up by 20%.
- Avenge - High chance of countering Physical attacks.
- None
- Shadow Jungo, Shadow Hinako
Shadow Io (Lv. 70)
HP/MP
- ???/???
- Weak to Force; Resists Physical, Fire, and Ice; Reflects Elec; Nulls Curse
- Maziodyne - Deals heavy Elec damage to entire enemy party.
- Megido - Deals moderate Almighty damage to entire enemy party.
- Diarahan - Fully restores one party member’s HP.
- Elec Amp - Elec damage powered up by 50%.
- Mana Stream - MP increased by 50%.
- None
Shadow Makoto (Lv. 67)
HP/MP
- ???/???
- Weak to Fire; Resists Elec, Force, and Curse; Reflects Ice; Nulls Physical
- Bufudyne - Deals heavy Ice damage to one target.
- Tetrakarn - Protects each team member with a barrier that reflects the next Physical attack.
- Recarm - Revives one ally.
- Ice Amp - Ice attacks powered up by 50%.
- Retaliate - Moderate chance of countering Physical attacks.
- None
- Shadow Fumi, Shadow Otome
Shadow Keita (Lv. 70)
HP/MP
- ???/???
- Weak to Ice and Curse; Resists Elec and Force; Reflects Fire; Nulls Physical
- Deathbound - Deals several hits of heavy Physical damage to random targets; damage depends on user’s current HP.
- Brutal Hit - Deals heavy Physical damage to one target.
- Physical Amp - Physical attacks powered up by 50%.
- Physical Boost - Physical attacks powered up by 20%.
- Physical Up - Physical attacks powered up by 10%.
- None
Shadow Ronaldo (Lv. 67)
HP/MP
- ???/???
- Weak to Elec and Force; Resists Ice; Absorbs Physical; Nulls Fire and Curse
- Hassohappa - Deals heavy Physical damage to entire enemy party.
- Maragidyne - Deals heavy Fire damage to entire enemy party.
- Holy Dance - Deals multiple hits of Almighty damage to random targets.
- Physical Boost - Physical attacks powered up by 20%.
- Extra One - Guarantees the user an extra turn.
- Leader Soul - Chance of taking a hit for a weaker team member.
- None
- Shadow Joe, Shadow Airi
Shadow Yamato (Lv. 70)
HP/MP
- ???/???
- Resists Fire, Ice, Elec, and Force; Reflects Physical; Nulls Curse
- Drain - An Almighty-based attack that absorbs some HP and MP from one target.
- Petra Eyes - Attempts to petrify enemy party.
- Weak Kill - Deals Physical damage to one target, heavy if they’re suffering from an ailment.
- + Stone - Physical attacks may petrify enemies.
- Attack All - Normal Physical attacks hit the entire enemy party.
- Dual Shadow - 25% chance of repeating last action.
- None
This is a bit of a novelty. While the Shadows’ movesets do generally gravitate towards roles the originals are proficient in (Shadow Makoto remains a mixed attacker, Shadow Joe continues the “Multi-Strike + ailment” combo his original used on the “hard” versions of his Day 7 battle, Shadow Keita favors an all-out Physical assault and little else, etc.) their stats do not necessarily follow suit, as they’re mostly balanced like the majority of the bosses in these games. They all have a myriad of elemental affinities likely to discourage opening up on them with Dances, though you can just as easily get around that with copious amounts of Almighty. And of course, y’know, Lv. 99 demons. Still, it’s a nice change-up after all the escorting we’ve had to do in the previous versions of this phase, and the atmospheric “Will of the Species” fits really well here. I’d like to try taking the Shadows on at some point on more equal footing to see if they’ll provide more of a challenge then. Once they’re all defeated (mocking our futile ambitions even as they’re destroyed) we continue on to the third phase, the same version we’ve already seen on Ronaldo’s and Yamato’s paths.
When Polaris reappears this time she’s actually rather impressed by our resolve, saying to herself that this must be the possibility that Alcor believed in so strongly. However, she does warn us that even if the past is restored we must still change the future if we want to avert another catastrophe. Once Hibiki reaffirms that a return to the past is indeed what they all wish, Polaris says that it’s time to begin and the screen goes white once again.
When we fade back in Hibiki’s shown floating in a sea of stars, all of which are rapidly swirling into one point. The music track from the main menu, “Memories of the Firmament”, plays as one by one each of the party members drifts up to him, says one last little piece, and is then swept away. Daichi thanks Hibiki, saying that they couldn’t have done everything without him. Hinako and Airi promise to not forget him in the new world. Jungo offers one last cup of chawanmushi for the road. Keita says it’s been fun and invited Hibiki to look him up in the new world. Fumi says that she doesn’t really care too much about the world other than learning everything about it, but thanks to what Hibiki’s done she’ll gladly give her life to see what happens next. Otome gives him a little congratulatory pat on the head. Joe says he feels like he can take things a little more seriously now. Ronaldo says that he understands things now and believes that the new world will be much better than the old. Makoto says that she’s proud to have followed and fought with us. Yamato asks if we’re satisfied at what our ideals have wrought and claims that in the future he might once again seek to bring about a meritocracy. He and Hibiki seem to depart on much more friendly terms than that implies though, since the JP’s chief says that he’s still willing to stand down if the future does turn out better than before. Finally Io says that she feels a little funny since eight days ago she barely knew Hibiki and yet here they are now. She says that she wanted to talk a little more when they first met, and promises not to forget him. Once she’s gone the screen turns white again for the final time...
...
...
...
Down on the platform Daichi’s going on how difficult the mock exam was and his college prospects are, but after catching his friend spacing out changes tact, admitting that even though it’s hard he needs to stop complaining and start trying harder for the sake of his future. He starts to ask Hibiki about a new video game until he suddenly nudges him to point out a girl standing elsewhere on the platform who's wearing a gray uniform blazer like he is. He says that that's Io Nitta, a student from their grade, and it's quite clear that he pointed her out 'cause he's got the hots for her, given how he claims that they don't make smart, cute, and shy girls like her anymore. As Hibiki suggests they go talk to her she actually walks over to the two and hesitantly asks if they're in the same grade as her and if the mock exam is still being held. Daichi shoves Hibiki aside to eagerly let her know that she's in the clear. Io thanks him, then turns to Hibiki and, still hesitant, says that she’s seen him around school a few times and asks he he’s interested in hanging out with her. After a joke about Daichi being a third wheel, Io suggests that they all go somewhere, and the final illustration of the game is of the three students emerging from the subway station onto the Shibuya streets. It’s another peaceful, sunny late-autumn day in Tokyo.
“Beyond the Firmament” is once again the credit theme, but it’s a little different now that we’ve gotten everyone up to Fate Stage 5. Interspersed between is a "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue montage showing that despite the rewrite the rest of the cast has managed to live better or more productive lives in the new world, in some cases even managing to find one another again. Hinako’s shown putting on a street corner dance show at the Hibiya Park concert hall for a crowd while Airi plays a keyboard. In Nagoya’s Center Park Jungo and Keita are shown running a food truck together in celebration of Keita winning some sort of boxing competition (Jungo the cat is with them too), while over at Osaka’s Ebisu Bridge Otome and Koharu are shown passing by Joe who’s walking with a generic woman NPC who’s no doubt supposed to be his girlfriend, no longer invalid/dead. Yamato and Makoto are shown departing the Diet Building before a crowd of onlookers, implying that JP’s is no longer a shadow organization or is at least acknowledged by the public. Yamato himself still seems to be rather stand-offish, though Makoto is shown to stay behind to comfort a small child who trips in front of them and hurts himself. Elsewhere Ronaldo is shown leading a virtual army of cops in pursuit of some criminals, and if you saw Dera-Deka’s subplot through all the way to the end (I think you would have to completely ignore Al Saiduq’s events to do so on a max Fate run) he’ll be shown looking on from the sidelines. Then Fumi’s shown still typing away at her superhacking computer rig...but since her bit uses the Cartesian Garden map from the first game I guess it’s supposed to symbolize that she’s a little more personable now.
Finally, Hibiki, Io, and Daichi are once again shown emerging onto the Scramble Crossing, and as they head out we get the final Nicaea message. Normally it would be ambiguous as to whether the invasion would happen all over again (and some of the dialogue options that get you Fate points with Io and Joe on Day 1 are ones that imply familiarity or deja vu), but since all the humans’ Fates were maxed we instead get:
You don’t need these services anymore.
Good luck.
Completing this ending has the star Polaris light up on the save screen, while below the faint outlines of the Beppu Tower, Sapporo TV Tower, and the Hakata Port Tower of Fukuoka appear alongside their undestroyed brethren to complete the picture. At the end there were two more titles acquired:
- Restorer - Restored the world on Daichi’s ending path. (60p)
- Triumphant - All characters other than Al Saiduq achieved Fate Stage 5. (300p)
You can also get the Triumphant title on the Liberator ending, but well, I wouldn’t exactly call that one a “triumphant” ending...
That is the end of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2. It covers a lot of the classic Megami Tensei franchise elements in a different sort of paint than usual but I think it's because of that that I really enjoyed this game. Plus, craft a story around astronomy/astrology and poof, I'm there. It feels a little odd to spend what will turn out to be over a year on just two games after how quickly I blazed through the Megaman ones, but granted I do have a lot less free time now than I did then.
Devil Survivor 2 may be over, but the Updated Re-release in Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker is just around the corner. I'm going to play it on my own for a bit at first, but key an eye on this space for I fully intend to cover the new content as well in the coming weeks. So, as always, thanks for reading and I will see you all again next time!
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