Cybele
Since: Jan, 2001
05/05/2009 00:00:00
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He Can Leave His Hat On
...No, I'm not asking Raidou to do a striptease.(Give me a second to recover from the convulsions of laughter that mental image evoked...) He really does leave his hat on. Whaddya mean, "What do you mean?" Play the game, you'll understand.
Anyway, joking aside, play this game.
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...You probably need more than that, huh?
Well, as with many (if not all) Shin Megami Tensei titles, the characterization is realistic, round, and, above all, endearing. Even your Silent Protagonist (he's not so silent, actually, you'll see what I mean if you play) is a realistic, layered character in and of himself (try to catch all the hidden characterization in the window dressing, more later). Even the NP Cs have distinct personalities and problems, and their dialogue does a world of good for the setting (see characterization statement above).
Ah, the setting. Where to begin? Well, it takes place in the year Taisho 20 (even though it went up to only 15 in reality), which, by doing the math, sets it in 1931. The Jazz Age slang dialogue is charming and really serves to make the game stand out. (and it makes writing so much fun!)
The plot is a little slow to pick up, and it may seem silly at first, but I found that the harder I looked at it, the deeper it seemed. Some understanding of Shin Megami Tensei I is required to fully understand some of the plot points.
"Of course you like Raidou! Fangirls fall all over dudes in black! It's so cliche! And that stoicism thing? Fangirl bait! Sephiroth did that too, you know!"
Well... To look at Raidou, one might think he's your typical wannabe Anti Hero. He almost never flinches and wears all black, including a cloak. But at that cloak, the similarities end. The cloak is not at all a sleeveless Badass Longcoat. In fact, it cannot even conceal his primary weapon! And behind that unflappable stoicism? Every so often, you'll find little hints (more on troper page) that beneath the unflinching face and the mature demeanor, there is a showoffy, snarky, disrespectful, hormonal teenager. It's round, it's complex, and I love it. And all that from a Silent Protagonist!
I would say more, but I'm running out of room. Put simply, I found this game to be the most lovable Oddball In The Series I've played. I hope you like it, too.