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Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga

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Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
Developer(s)Atlus
Publisher(s)Atlus
Ghostlight
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Genre(s)Console role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga (Digital Devil Saga アバタール・チューナー, Dejitaru Debiru Sāga Abatūru Chūnā, "Digital Devil Saga - Avatar Tuner") is a PlayStation 2 role-playing game. It is a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei series of video games; the main difference between Digital Devil Saga and the main series is the focus on specific characters rather than summoning demons to fight alongside your party. The story to Digital Devil Saga is continued with its direct sequel Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2.

Notable features of the game include the ability to shapeshift between demon and human forms in battle, and a return of the "press turn" battle system from Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. A large difference between Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga is the ability to change equipped skills at will, instead of at level up. Unlike in Nocturne, unlearned skills are not lost forever, which allows for much greater character customization. The game features a mantra system where Macca gained after battle can be used to "download" new mantras at a saving terminal. Atma, gained by devouring enemies in battle, then allows the characters to Master these mantras, imparting new abilities.

Digital Devil Saga was released in 2004 in Japan, 2005 in North America, and 2006 in Europe. The band Etro Anime provided "Danger", the introductory song for the U.S. version of the game, and Houko Kuwashima provided "Pray", the introductory song for the Japanese and European version of the game.

Description

(Synopsis taken from official Ghostlight website)

"Rend!
Slaughter!
Devour your enemies!
There is no other way to survive.
You cannot escape your hunger, Warriors of Purgatory"

In the Junkyard, rival Tribes fight an endless war; vying for supremacy and the right to ascend to Nirvana. Everything begins to change when a blinding light interrupts a skirmish between two Tribes. Serph, leader of the Embryon, awakens after the flash to find that his opponents have been violently slain. In a crater left behind lies a young girl with black hair.

The people of the Junkyard soon discover the effects of the mysterious light; Tribe members transform into demons, and feed an insatiable hunger by devouring their enemies. Along with this new "Atma" comes another strange power: emotion.

Soon after, the Karma Temple issues a new law: "Devour the other Tribes and bring the black-haired girl to Nirvana." Hostility only grows, as the Tribes renew their efforts with increased hatred and zeal.

The Embryon struggle to defeat the opposition and protect Sera, the young girl, who may just hold the key to everything...

Characters

The Embryon

Based in the Muladhara region of the Junkyard, the player controls this Tribe under the guidance of their leader, Serph. Although small, this Tribe has established their turf, and are recognized by the other Tribes. They are in direct competition with the Vanguards. Their Tribe color is orange.

Serph

Serph is the leader of the Embryon, a silent protagonist and the main character of the game. The "Water Crown" Atma on Serph’s cheek allows him to transform into Varna. Despite the Embryon’s small number, Serph’s calm and measured leadership decisions have allowed them to join the top 6 Tribes. His comrades tend to wonder at his lack of expression.

As a human, he uses a handgun as his weapon of choice. As Varna, he is strong against ice attacks but weak against fire attacks. The player is allowed to customize his stats as they wish, leading to a well-balanced character.

Heat

Heat is Serph's unofficial second in command. His right arm is emblazoned with the "Fireball" Atma, which allows him to transform into Agni. Before the awakening, Heat would dutifully carry out any order, but once the Atma appeared he found it hard to control violent feelings of anger. He watches Sera closely, and is at times bothered by his feelings toward her.

In battle he uses a grenade launcher. As Agni, he is strong against fire attacks but weak against ice attacks. His statistics emphasize Strength and Vitality, with a significant weakness in Magic.

Argilla

Argilla is the Embryon’s master sniper and can change into Prithivi, as shown by the "Seismic Wave" Atma on her chest. As Prithivi, she is strong against earth attacks but weak against force attacks. She has superior Magic power at the cost of Strength and Vitality. She immediately rejects the idea of devouring others, but realizes it’s a necessary evil if she’s to protect Sera and return to normal.

Kind and caring, she has a friendly nature toward others. She creates a friendship with the leader of the Maribel tribe, Jinana and has a sister-like bond with Sera. Argilla was present during the fight between the Embryon and the Vanguards at Ground Zero.

Gale

Gale's computer-like calculations and analysis serve him well as the strategist for the Embryon. He’s also a skilled warrior, proficent in leg attacks. The "Twister" Atma on his leg signifies his metamorphosis into Vayu. Gale has a recurring vision after the awakening, but labels it illogical and continues on as normal.

He uses an assault rifle when in human form. As Vayu, he is strong against force attacks but weak against electric attacks. He is a well-balanced character with an emphasis on Strength and Magic.

Cielo

Cielo is another key member of the Embryon. Cielo’s "Rainbow Arch" Atma distinguishes his transformation into Dyaus. He’s very cheerful, though tends to act foolish, which eases tensions among the group. Cielo is grateful to Sera for saving his life when Gale lost control and went on a rampage. As such, he wishes to protect her.

In battle, he uses a sub-machine gun as a human. As Dyaus, he is strong against electric attacks but weak against ailment attacks. He has superior Agility at the cost of Strength and Vitality.

Sera

The Embryon find Sera in a crater at Ground Zero, but her name is all that she remembers. She stands out from other citizens of the Junkyard because of her black hair and eyes, her lack of a tag ring, and her strange singing. The Karma Temple’s decree states that to reach Nirvana, one must bring Sera. Her song has the power to suppress the demonic instincts of the Junkyard inhabitants.

The Vanguards

This Tribe is in direct competition with the Embryon. In fact, Harley and the Vanguards were locked in battle with Serph’s Tribe when shafts of light erupted from an unidentified object on the battlefield. They occupy the region of Svadhisthana, and their tribe's color is green. In the Japanese version this tribe was called the "Assignments".

Harley

The leader of the Vanguards, who retreats to Svadhisthana after the events at Ground Zero. He uses a crossbow in battle as a human. His "Burning Stake" Atma lets him transform into Hayagriva. In the Japanese version he was named "Harly Q" and it's still visible on some scenes in the game where his name is shown.

The Brutes

The Brutes are currently the strongest Tribe in the Junkyard. They violently protect the Ajna sector, and act with the swift precision and discipline of a military force. They are in direct competition with the Wolves tribe, and their color is blue. In the Japanese version they were called the "Brutish".

Varin Omega

The leader of the Brutes. A strong and somewhat cruel military man, he seems to know Serph and Sera, blaming them for some apparent misdeeds in his past. Varin was the first to awaken to the truth; he seems to know every member of the Embryon except for Gale. His "Turbulence" Atma gives him the power to transform into Ravana. In the Japanese version he was named "Varon Omega".

The Solids

The burly Mick leads this Tribe, which is the third strongest. The region of Anahata, surrounded by a fortress wall, is often referred to as the Solids’ Citadel. The wall is impregnable, and is the reason for the Tribe’s longevity. They are in competition with the Maribel, and their color is yellow.

Mick the Slug

The leader of the Solids. Mick is a cruel man who seems to enjoy devouring others as part of his newfound demonic power. He has no qualms with devouring his own Tribe members after they have gone out of control. He bears the "Solar Eclipse" Atma and transforms into Rahu. In the Japanese version, he was also named "Mick The Nick".

The Maribel

The Maribel are led by a strong female warrior named Jinana. Despite constantly being under attack, they have managed to hold Manipura against the Solids. They dress much more provocatively than the other tribes, with a distinct punk theme. Their tribe color is red. In the Japanese version they were named the "Merrybell".

Jinana

The leader of the Maribel, and regarded as an extremely strong warrior. She holds the "Aurora" Atma, and her demon form is Usas.

When the Embryon approach Jinana with a proposal to form an alliance against the Solids, she strikes up a rapport with Argilla over their shared sentiments of battle. Though Jinana was once regarded as a fearless warrior and the main source of the Maribel's strength, after she receives her Atma she begins to develop pacifistic beliefs. She agrees to the union, and joins the Embryon on an attack on the Solids' citadel.

During the conflict, she engages in a battle with the leader of the Solids, Mick. However, due to her reluctance to kill un-necessarily, she had not devoured a single person since receiving her Atma, leaving her extremely weak. She is beaten to near-death by Mick, and then her hunger takes over, transforming her into a mindless demon. The Embryon kill her out of mercy, and in her final moments she finally acknowledges Argilla's sentiment of being her "comrade".

Bat

Jinana's second-in-command. Unlike Jinana, he fully accepts the new laws of the Junkyard, believing those who lose in battle have no right to live, and deserve to be devoured by the victor. Bat gains an obsession for wanting to kill Argilla and in the end tries to convince her that she is just like him. Bat is a reoccurring boss that betrays Jinana to join Mick then betrays him to join Varin. Bat met his end on the "ruins" of and old ship that appeared to have been an oil tanker. His Atma is "Sonic Wave" and his demon form is Camazotz.

The Wolves

They occupy the Vishuddha sector of the Junkyard, and are locked in a fierce battle with the Brutes for the title of the strongest Tribe. Unlike the Brutes, they believe heavily in honor, and will spare the lives of those who surrender. Their tribe color is white. In the Japanese version they were called the "Hounds".

Lupa

A strong, proud warrior, and leader of the Wolves. It can be said that next to Varin, Lupa was the one that opened up the Embryons' eyes to the truth about being programs. He believes in honor and cares for his tribe members to the point that he would gladly sacrifice himself to save their lives. In the end it was Lupa's death that sparked Gale to gain a personality. His "Lava Flow" Atma lets him transform into Cerberus. In the original Japanese version he was named "Loopa".

The Karma Temple

Located in the center region of Sahasrara, the Karma Temple oversees the war between the tribes of the Junkyard. They distribute training programs called Mantra and observe every battle in the Junkyard, awarding Macca for efficient actions in combat. The Karma Temple is also a neutral area, and fighting is absolutely forbidden. According to the laws of the Junkyard, the last surviving Tribe is allowed to ascend the main tower of the Karma Temple to Nirvana.

Angel

The administrator of the Karma Temple, who appears before the tribes as an eye floating within a spiked ring. She is the one that declares that the tribes must use their new demonic powers to devour their enemies and ascend to Nirvana. She also adds the rule that the surviving tribe must bring Sera to Nirvana.

Story

Prologue

The game begins with two people having a conversation via text messaging. The words of their conversation flash on screen and one of them says he’ll/she’ll release the power of the demons inside of people, much to the shock of the other.

The Awakening

In in the midst of a rubble-strewn field, two tribes are engaged in combat. In this scene, the five main characters--Serph, leader of the Embryon, and his lieutenants Heat, Argilla, Gale and Cielo--are shown engaging the Vanguards, their bitter rival. In the middle of this field lies a seed-like pod, contents unknown. In the middle of their fight, Gale transmits a message to the Vanguards to remove the unidentified item or it will be taken as an act of war. To add to the confusion Harley of the vanguards sends a message to the Embryon to remove the object or have its occupancy taken as an act of war. Suddenly, the pod opens and sends streaks of light shooting everyone and causing a tattoo of some sort (their atma, as it’s called) to form on them. Immediately, everyone begins transforming into demons, going into a berserk rampage. The words “Om mani padme hum”(the pearl of the lotus) flash on screen as this is happening. The game shows Serph’s demon eating demon flesh and then it shows a clear blue sky briefly.

After the sky is shown, Serph wakes up revealing he was dreaming of the sky. He sees that the pod is gone and that a crater was left in its wake. Inside, an unconscious, naked girl is surrounded by white light. With the battle seemingly over, the Embryon take the mysterious girl and return to headquarters.

Newfound Powers

Unaware of what truly happened after the pod's opening, the Embryon decide to question Harley and his Vanguards about what transpired. Serph, Argilla, and Heat travel to the Vanguards' base, finding a deeply shaken Harley. The disturbed man claims that the Embryon devoured his men and flees in terror when the Embryon once more transform into demons. Serph becomes Varna, Heat becomes Agni, and Argilla becomes Prithivi.

They defeat Harley’s men (who transform into demons as well) and Serph and Heat eat their remains. Argilla is disgusted by this but Heat reminds her that they need to feed on demons to survive and that it’s “eat or be eaten.” They chase Harley through his base finally cornering him. He seems to know nothing about their transformation or Sera. Harley soon transforms himself into Hayagriva and battles the three of them. The Embryon defeat and kill Harley, gaining his tribe's land for their own as per the law of the Junkyard--to the winner, the spoils.

Back at the Embryon base, Cielo is being chased by a demon, (Vayu) whom the dreadlock-sporting says is Gale. The Embryon don’t know what to do, but Sera comes in (dressed in an Embryon uniform) and sings, soothing Gale and allowing him to turn back into a human. Gale soon questions her about her power but she says that she doesn’t know who she is or where she came from. All she knows is she came to help everyone with their newfound power.

Devour Your Enemies

The leaders of each tribe are ordered to the Karma Temple in order to receive instructions. The Temple is neutral ground where tribes are forbidden to fight each other. Each of the five remaining tribe leaders (including Serph) meet at the center of the Temple. A floating glowing purple 2D eyeball comes down and presents itself as Angel.

Angel talks with a female voice and orders the tribes to defeat one another and ascend from the Junkyard to Nirvana. Only the last tribe standing is permitted to leave the Junkyard. The leaders point out that this is nothing they haven’t heard before. Angel then tells them that they must also take the black haired girl with them to Nirvana (presumably Sera). She is unique in the Junkyard as no one else has black hair. As well, she has no demon form and can quell other demons with her singing, curing their hunger for other demons (for a short period of time). When Angel notices Serph, she goes ballistic and appears to know Serph from the past. Angel then leaves, reminding the leaders of their goal.

Back at the Embryon base, Gale suggests allying with one of the weaker tribes in order to ensure that neither one is defeated by a larger tribe. He then points out the rivalries that exist between the six tribes. The Embryon and Vanguards were until recently, rivals. The Maribel and the Solids are rivals. The Wolves and the Brutes (the two strongest tribes) are rivals as well. Even after gaining the Vanguards troops, the Embryon are still the weakest tribe in the Junkyard.

Gale suggest allying themselves with the Maribel against their rival, the Solids. Serph, Argilla and Heat once again go together to the Maribel base. They meet with their leader, Jinana. Jinana says that if they can survive getting through their base alive, then they will consider an alliance with the Embryon.

An Ill-Fated Alliance

The Embryon get to the center of the base and meet up with the Maribel’s second in command, Bat. Bat transforms into Camazotz and battles the three of them. He loses and Heat attempts to eat him. Before he can do this, Serph stops him. Jinana is confused as to why they are not devouring Bat. Argilla says that there is no need for needless fighting and bloodshed between them (essentially). Jinana seems to gain respect for the Embryon’s pacifist ways and agrees to the alliance, much to the anger of Bat.

The two groups invade the Solids base from the back. Serph, Argilla and Heat are still together at this point. They proceed inside ahead of the Maribel. Far into the base, the Solids reveal that Bat betrayed his tribe and tipped off the Solids about the surprise attack on their base. The Embryon arrive at the other side of the base to find that a bloody battle between the Maribel and the Solids has taken place with the Solids as the apparent victors.

The Solids leader Mick is beating up Jinana. Jinana is weak from refusing to devour other demons and is losing control of herself. Mick promptly leaves to devour other demons, leaving the Embryon to fight Jinana in her demon form, Usas (more commonly spelled, Ushas). Jinana is defeated and dies an emotional death in the arms of Argilla. After the scene, the camera pans up to reveal Bat watching his leader's death.

The three Embryon member arrive back at the Maribel base to find it under attack by the Solids. Gale is there with other Embryon members to help the Maribel (who are now under control of the Embryon). Gale joins the three of them and proceeds into the Maribel base once more. They find Bat inside and battle him again.

He reveals that the attack was a diversion to allow Mick to kidnap Sera for the Solids. The Embyon soon fall back and arrive back at their base. A beaten up Cielo is found inside and he tells them that the Solids have taken Sera to Point 136. He is told to stay behind at recover from his wounds.

The Two Princes

The four Embryon members arrive at Coordinate 136, which resembles a tourist attraction. A story is told as they ascend the attraction (which resembles a large mansion) in the style of a fairy tale. It grows more twisted as they reach higher levels.

They find Sera, Mick and Bat at the top of the base. Bat stabs Heat and encourages him to betray the Embryon and kill Serph as he will have Sera all to himself (it’s implied throughout that Heat is in love with Sera). Heat fights Serph but it appears to be a fake fight, which Serph loses on purpose. Heat tries to take Sera back from Mick, but Mick holds Sera near the edge of the tower, forcing Heat to back down.

Unable to watch any more, Sera commands Mick to drop her, in a voice that reverberates through everyone present. Bat catches her in his demon form, but reveals that he plans to betray Mick as well and join the Brutes, the strongest tribe in the Junkyard. Before he can make his escape, a bolt of energy severs his wing and he falls into the moat. Cielo arrives in his flying demon form (Dyaus) to catch Sera. Mick quietly tries to make his exit but is stopped by the Embryon. They battle Mick in his demon form (Rahu) and kill him.

Deception

The five Embryon members and Sera come up with a new plan to ensure Sera’s safety and to take out as many members of the Brutes as possible. They arrive at an abandoned cruise ship and set their plan into action. Heat is to escort Sera to a new base for the Embryon that no other tribe knows about. Argilla is to pose as Sera on the ship in order to draw the attention of the Brutes and Bat so that they will be lured in. Serph, Gale and Cielo are to set bombs throughout the ship that will detonate with several Brutes inside.

Sure enough, Bat is tricked into thinking that Argilla is Sera (as he has to look at her from a distance). The leader of the Brutes is there as well, Varin Omega. When Bat address’ him by that name, he chokes Bat and tells to call him by his proper name, Colonel Beck. A flashback then take place showing Angel talking to Varin at the Temple. Varin claims to know who Angel really is and who he really is. Angel is intrigued but reminds him that the same rules apply to him as they do to everyone else. Varin says he’s not falling for promises of Nirvana. Angel says that Sera is very important and that she’ll release him from the Junkyard if he can bring Sera with him. She gives Varin some sort of power (off camera) and he walks away somewhat satisfied.

The flashback ends and Varin tells Bat not to fail him or else. Serph and the others set bombs throughout the ship successfully. Meanwhile, Argilla battles Bat inside the ship after being tricked into thinking she’s Sera. Argilla is angry over how he betrayed his comrades but Bat seems indifferent to this. Bat manages to get the upper hand and defeat Argilla. Before he can devour her, Serph and the others arrive. They battle Bat and leave him unconscious on the ship. He wakes up just in time to feel the explosion that destroys the ship, the Brutes inside and himself.

Law To Chaos

At the new base it becomes apparent that, even though it was faked, Heat was ready to battle Serph at Point 136 so that he could prove to Sera that he’s stronger than Serph. He tries to convince Sera that he can protect her better than Serph but Sera says that strength isn’t everything. Heat forces a kiss on Sera, which causes her to run away from him.

The rest of the Embryon arrive and learn that the Brutes have forced the remaining members of the Solids to join them. They start to point out that the rules that they followed even without thinking in the past are breaking down since acquiring the atma. The Brutes shouldn’t be able to force the Solids to join them because they did not defeat their leader. Bat shouldn’t have been able to betray the Maribel, either. Finally, when questioned about what he would do if Serph was killed, Heat replies that he would take over the Embryon instead of allowing them to join another tribe.

Gale believes that it has something to do with the tribes feeling emotions when they previously felt nothing. During their conversation, they're interrupted by a member of their tribe. He says that the leader of the Wolves has shown up from the sewers of the former Vanguards base and is surrendering.

Dreams

The five main Embryon member and Sera arrive at the Vanguards base. The leader of the Wolves, Lupa, is accompanied by only a few men. He says that this is what’s left of his tribe and he asks the Embryon to take care of him. Lupa also says that he will lead the Embryon through the sewers to the heart of the Brutes base to defeat Varin. Varin has become so powerful that he manage to take down all of the Wolves by himself.

As they follow them, he tells stories of a dream he had where he had a small human who called him “father” and that he called the human his “son.” Gale remembers how he had similar flashbacks of a woman who was crying (he’s been having these flashback throughout the game). Lupa says he’ll go up ahead and clear away the Brutes in the sewer.

At first appears that Lupa is purposely leaving them alive as the Embryon catch up to him. However, their deaths become more gruesome as they progress, suggesting that he’s losing control of his demon form. The Embryon arrive at the sewer ladder that leads to the Brutes base. Before they can leave, Lupa comes in his demonic form (Cerberus), out of control and they battle him.

He’s left mortally wounded and Sera tells him that "you can’t resist eating other demons forever or else you’ll lose yourself". Lupa tells Gale and the others to devour him. Gale asks what he should tell his son if he should meet him. Lupa tells him to tell his son to grow up to be a man of honour. He then says that he’ll be carrying an olive branch. As Lupa dies, Gale feels emotion for the first time, cursing the being who gave them this demonic power.

Colonel Beck

They arrive at the center of the Brutes base, a mansion. The player (but not the Embryon) can hear a cassette inside that plays a recorded journal of Serph, Argilla, Heat and Cielo when they were at the beach together. What this means is solved in Digital Devil Saga 2.

The Embryon proceed through the mansion and find Varin inside. He begins to fight them (as Ravana) and says that he can’t believe that they would follow Serph after what he did to them. What he did is unknown. Varin fights them and uses a power that causes the Embryon to lose themselves in hunger (presumably, this is how he managed to kill all of the Wolves). Sera is able to cure them of this, however. They defeat Varin and he is angry that they won’t call him Colonel Beck. Varin says that they are all reincarnations of people who have died and what lies beyond the Junkyard is not Nirvana, but the real world. He then mutters that Sera is the devil and that she will kill them all.

He dies and the war in the Junkyard ends. Sera quietly slips away and it is presumed that she is heading for the Karma Temple (they are supposed to ascend the Karma Temple with Sera after defeating the other Tribes). The rain that has been falling since the start of the game suddenly stops as well.

Ascension

A scene of Sera arriving at the Karma Temple earlier is shown. She’s able to control the Temple guards and control the demons inside. The Embryon arrive at the Karma Temple and make their way up it. Along the way, Sera leaves traps and demon behind. They approach one demon who plays a message saying that Sera has regained her memories and that she thanks them all for helping her. They defeat the demon and continue their ascent to the top of the tower.

As they walk along the last set of stairs, Sera calls is shown at the top calling out to Angel. She also has a demon beside her that she’s controlling. Angel comes in a flash of light. She appears to be the women that Gale saw in his flashbacks. Sera says she’ll go back with Angel if the Junkyard is left alone and threatens to have the demon kill her if it is not done.

Angel is impressed at her ability to control demons but then summons a glowing green sphere that is able to disseminate the demon into data. She then proceeds to the same to the Junkyard. Slowly but surely, the Junkyard is being eaten, disseminated into data and disappearing altogether. The five main Embryon members are the only ones at the Temple. Everyone else in the Junkyard is being deleted. Sera begs Angel not to delete the Junkyard and that she’ll go with her quietly.

The five Embryon members arrive at the top of the tower and Gale recognizes Angel as the women he saw in his flashbacks. Angel says that she was planning on taking them with her, but plans have changed. They proceed to rush Angel, but Sera freezes them at Angel’s command (in mid running). Sera says goodbye to them and proceeds to an altar with a glowing light that presumably leads to the real world.

Serph and Heat break through the freezing implemented on them. Sera tries to alter gravity and suck them to the ground now. Serph is able to break free of this and transforms into his demonic form. Sera loses control and Serph attack Angel. She transforms into her demonic form (Harihara) and the final fight begins. Angel transforms throughout the fight. She appears to be a normal demon, until she grows to monstrous proportions.

Regardless, the Embryon defeat her. Angel is shocked and Serph attacks her once more. She summons the glowing sphere to defend herself, but Serph shatters it, sending him flying to the other side of the tower. Angel says that the Junkyard is all going to be deleted now and that nothing will stop it. They Embryon proceed to the alter and Gale helps Angel to the altar as well. Angel recognizes Gale and takes his hand.

The Embryon are waiting for Serph to get to the light, but the tower disinigrates before he can get to the altar. Sera screams and the entire tower explodes before any of them can reach the light. The seven of them are left floating in a void of light. Serph tries to reach Sera, but he can’t quite make it. Sera says she’ll find Serph and he nods in response. They are separated from each other and are enveloped in white light, leading to the game’s credits.

Nirvana

After the credits, Sera is seen naked with several cords attached to her. It looks like she has been spit out of a pod that resembles the lant seen at the start of the game. This time though, she’s in a factory and the pod is a machine in the shape of an egg. Serph is seen wearing a cloak, entering a city. The sky pans up to reveal a black sun. Text from the start of the game flashes once more. This time it reads “Are you ready for the real world?” before shutting down, ending the game.

Gameplay

Magic system

Digital Devil Saga mostly follows the magic system used in previous Megami Tensei games (with the notable absence of the "Aques" or water series of spells). Nine magic attributes are present in the game as follows:

Elemental Magic

  • Fire (Agi)
  • Ice (Bufu)— Chance of causing "freeze" status, which causes paralysis for one round and makes all physical attacks critical. Frozen enemies cannot repel any kind of attack.
  • Earth (Tera)
  • Force\Wind (Zan)
  • Lightning (Zio) — Chance of causing "stun" status, which also renders the target unable to move for one round and susceptible to critical physical attacks

Expel and Death Magic

  • Expel\Holy (Hama) — Usually reduces the current HP of the target by a certain fraction
  • Death (Mudo) — Chance of inflicting Death or Curse status on the target

Non-Elemental Magic

  • Almighty (Megido) — The player almost never encounters an enemy resistant or immune to this attribute. Most of the strongest magic spells in the game have this attribute, which is useful when fighting enemies with no weaknesses or lots of resistances.

Status Magic (positive or negative)

Other attributes present in the game are physical and "Devour" attacks, which are not classified under magic.

Combos

Combos are special attacks which can be used if the right skills are equipped. Combos allow access to special effects and attacks that are only accessible to the higher level mantras.

Skills

Skills fall into one of four categories: Physical, Magic, Shield and Auto. At first you can equip four skills. When a character reaches level 10, they can equip six. At level 20 you can equip 8 skills (this is the maximum number of skill slots.)

Allusions to Shin Megami Tensei

Digital Devil Saga has several references to the previous installments of the Shin Megami Tensei series, and the series itself.

Development

Digital Devil Saga was created in part to make the Megami Tensei series accessible to a broader audience "while staying true to its roots."[1] Thus, special care was taken to have high production values and to make the battle mechanics more forgiving (such as unlearning skills in Nocturne being permanent).

Voice Cast

Japanese

English

Boasting well known and experienced voice actors, the English voice cast was very well received and added to the popularity amongst many English speaking fans.

Music

The soundtrack was mainly composed by Shoji Meguro with 5 compositions by Kenichi Tsuchiya and the US version's opening song by Etro Anime. An incomplete 1 disc soundtrack was released on September 24, 2004 by Frontier Works. This CD was also released with copies of the US version of the game.

The complete soundtrack was released as discs 1&2 of the 4-disc set DIGITAL DEVIL SAGA ~Avatar Tuner~ 1 & 2 Original Sound Track: Integral on December 22, 2005 by Five Records.

Opening Song

Awards and recognition

  • G4TV "X-Play"'s Best Role Playing Game of 2005 (awarded to both Digital Devil Saga and Digital Devil Saga 2)
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