Digital Devil Saga has one of the best stories a game has ever told. Exciting and fresh gameplay, make it stand out.
The setting for the game is so unique as is the concept of the 6 tribes I've never seen so much as that done in a game. Also the concept behind the tribes really makes you stop and think, sure the Embryon are the playble characters but you ask yourself are the other tribes truly evil, No they just want to get to Nirvana as well, unlike most RPG's where its clear who is the good guy and the bad guys in here your kind of all bad guys. Though people like Bat you really hate. It is also interesting cause each character goes through a personality change. Heat, has an uncontrolable rage. Argilla is overcome by sadness and cries (on a side note the scar on her eye makes her look total badace). and Ceilo is overcome by happiness. Gale is my least favorite, hearing the words "I do not comprehend" every sentence drives me nuts. The demons brand them with a mark and each character has theres in a unquie place. Let us not forget one Demon (Argilla's form) had two mouths on her brests, talking breasts will crack you up at least they did me.
The battle system is turn-based but does enough to change the normal turn-based we've come so used to. It once again implies the element of strategy know for the Shin Megami Tensei games, such as exploiting your enemies weakness. Exploiting your enemies weakness does you some benefits you can stun your enemies, by freezing them or using lighting and sending the into a shock like state, these are the only two i've discovered do it. there is also one where the enemies turn blue and have sparkles over there heads, which in turn can be devoured to gain extra Atma for that character in battle. Atma will be explained later in the review. You can also devour them when they are low on health to get he same effect. The nice thing about battle is there is no limit as to what magic your charcters can use, unlike some games that have preset skills, or not all characters can learn the same skill they can in this game.
You level up level by level each increased level increases stats, but you have to learn magic as the game goes along and your completely in charge of what they learn. Serph is your character you can craft him as you want, weather to excell in magic or strength is up to you. Heat is ment for phyiscal but that doens't mean you cant use magic to exploit enemies weakness. Argilla is all about magic, but there will come times where you rely on physical strenght with her. All characters are able to learn every magic and ability in the game. This is done through what is called Mantra by accessing it at a terminal you can download that to your character for a fee, once you have downloaded you can select another and come back to that one to learn you only have to pay for it once. Mantra is leveled up throug Atma, which is earned from defeating enemies in battle. A word of advice is to make sure each character learns Devour before you leave the first area, it will help tremenously in leveling up Mantra.
With such a unique premisise, amazing story and strategic gameplay it is no wonder this game had such a following if you have not played this game before you should, especially if you are an RPG player. Digital Devil Saga stands as a game proving that the Japanese can me a very mature plot with there games. The characters are cool to, though Heat and Gale get annoying. Ceilo makes me laugh and Argilla is awesome too, her sadness adds depths of emotion to the game, that make you actually feel sorry for others. If Digital Devil Saga has done one thing for me its turned me into a Shin Megami Tensei fan. Atlus has recruited me to there games. 9.5/10