Following the cutting J-Pop atmosphere brings an indulging paranormal apocalypse into modern-day Tokyo.
The game itself is divided into three key gameplay elements; decision, customization, battle. The deciding element comes in the form of the "world map" of Tokyo and its numerous provinces, which become gradually explorable as the heroes team progresses through the ever deepening story. The decisions themselves are effectively scaled, with some very minor activity such as deciding which friend to stop and have a chat with, to the more major creating entirely new sub-plot tracks to follow through. As the districts are researched and their benefits harvested players will inevitably re-trace their steps for story purpose, however any locations not key to the development of the plot remain on the list despite being entirely without content- disregarding a few generic NPC comments. All the same, following the route of the story attentively and taking advantage of "random battle" points and limited event opportunities does open up a broad spectrum of possibility. This creates a rich replay value that will likely prompt players into taking an entirely different moral path, favouring the safety of one player associate over another, or even deciding just how worthy the apocolypse is of your attention. Customization is primarily concerned with the 'demons' who are emerging across the city, and at times from your characters games console. The initial demons are not selectable, however a more varied range becomes available with the opening of "auctions" and "fusion"- fans of games such as Monster Rancher and Jewel Master will be right at home by this point, with a chance to harbour, develop and combine your creatures to your whim and the specifications of the human team leader. The selection of demon workers you can employ increases as you combat monsters in the field, and the fusion process is partnered to a specific index of outcomes that while giving assurance removes the element of experimentation and 'random' beneficial outcome that can make the fusing (or breeding) process of many games so enjoyable, if somewhat trial-and-error. Once an appropriate team has been assembled however the skills obtained are them applicable to the human characters and exchangable, giving the player room to optimise their combat style and create combinations prime for maximising the efficiency of battle; an efficiency that is greatly rewarded by the currency system. Combat is rather familiar to the Final Fantasy: Tactics games, and other grid-based RPG titles. There are no items or environmental influences over battle, however the skills allocated and magic played during the movement and execution stages can play a key strategic role, while giving indication to the flow of turns allowing for players to prioritise their movements. Initiated combat is very relative to the Dragon Quest first person perspective, which while depriving the artistry of the fighters does make for a simple and quick mode of confrontation that is decided based on wiping out the middle or 'team leader'- this can be exploited to great advantage, but does make the effectiveness of the horde enemy feel somewhat undermined by making the key monster so vulnerable to the battle success. The availability of enemy strengths and weaknesses also makes the combat feel rather more simplified than it could have been, with monster profiles in many other games relying on having defeated or sometimes captured the creature before being accessed. The frequency and variety of combat does help to overcome these slight hinderences, giving mission objectives such as guardianship and specified targets within a set limit to press the strategic thought into gear- so expect to be benefitting greatly from stocked healing spells, reserved demons and pre-emptive combat skills. The basis of Devil Survivor is that of choices. How you prep your arsenal and how you react to the plot, both of which will steer you down different paths and give a rather different experience for a game that is at its heart quite simple. Once all the options of selection are unlocked the possibilities become one of the games most appealing factors, and with the thought provoking plotlines so heavily draped in imagination and Japanese pop culture there is little else an RPG title can offer in terms of sheer playability- a definite choice for the portable gamer in search of a compelling tale.