Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse on 3DS, direct sequel to SMT IV with Nanashi as new hero. Alternative story where gods fight over Tokyo. Enriched combat system and multiple endings. Essential complement to IV.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player16+
Description
Nanashi, a young demon hunter killed in battle, is brought back to life by the demon Dagda to complete a mission that will determine humanity's fate. Published by Atlus, released in Europe in February 2016. Turn-based battles with demons, renewed Smirk system, new demon galleries, multiple endings. Multilingual version.
Shin Megami Tensei IV - Apocalypse review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
The city is buried under a ceiling of rock, and the whole artwork follows from it. Survivor camps settle into neon-lit metro stations, skyscrapers read from below like pillars, natural light no longer exists and distances are measured in levels rather than streets. That forced verticality gives a familiar urban setting the look of an inhabited cave.
The liturgical organ and the saturated guitar fight over the same piece. The battle themes lay sustained, almost churchly voices over an electric rhythm section that contradicts them, and that friction says exactly what the story is about: ancient deities handled with contemporary means. The exploration zones, by contrast, fall back on low pads that leave all the room to footsteps.
The hero begins by dying, then accepts a bargain. Brought back by an entity that makes no secret of the price, he becomes the instrument of a creditor rather than the chosen one of a prophecy, and every service rendered tightens a debt he did not choose. The final act forces a choice between powers that all, without exception, regard humanity as livestock to be managed.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Pushing the weakness system to its limit, bargaining for and fusing demons and stringing together battles where every turn counts refines the formula, making it more accessible and brisk. Building the perfect party endlessly rekindles the experimenting. The setting is reused, yet this tactical tension and the demon collecting keep a formidable grip.
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Brought back to life by a demon for a decisive mission, you roam a devastated Tokyo in a JRPG of great density. The ample main quest, demon fusion and diverging endings feed long hours of strategy. That richness of system, Atlus's own, offers a lifespan dear to Shin Megami Tensei fans.
Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse PAL is one of the quieter European Atlus localisations in terms of print, distributed by Deep Silver in a very limited run. High collector value: the only Apocalypse boxed release in Europe, with the cartridge thinning out quickly after production ended, following the typical PAL SMT trajectory.
Is Shin Megami Tensei IV - Apocalypse still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2016 on 3DS and known in Japan as Shin Megami Tensei IV - Final, Atlus' project is a parallel sequel to Shin Megami Tensei IV, reusing its underground Tokyo ravaged by demons but following a new hero bound to a god of death. The Press Turn turn based combat, more accessible and refined, and a system of demonic partners with combined attacks deepen the strategy. The story, more direct and centred on friendship, gains readability. The repetitive structure of some dungeons weighs. An excellent dark Japanese RPG, recommended for fans of the genre and of tactical combat.
