There's no ignoring the Grimalka in the room with this one: Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is an Atlus Remake. And with the original Shin Megami Tensei V only being three years old, folks have plenty of trepidation towards Vengeance. The good news is that if you haven't played the original Shin Megami Tensei V, this is pretty much the definitive take. And while people understandably don't want to encourage Atlus to keep trying for two bites at the apple, this one is worth it.

Let's get the basics out of the way: the base Shin Megami Tensei experience has, as you can imagine, been given enough of an upgrade to qualify as a significant change. You're still playing as a young man who becomes a Proto-Fiend, caught amid a battle between the lawful Angels and the chaotic Demons who duke it out over what remains of Tokyo. You still find yourself surrounded by humans whose natures are exacerbated by these supernatural forces, either zealously following the code of Law or surrendering to the Darwinistic nature of Chaos. You'll explore vast wastelands where you'll encounter demons (on the map, even—no random encounters here). You can either slaughter demons or negotiate with them to bring them over to your side and once they're in your ranks, you can fuse them to make stronger demons.

If you're wondering what's been improved, the sad news is that the graphics aren't necessarily among them. The original Shin Megami Tensei V pushed the Nintendo Switch to its limits; Vengeance doesn't exactly help the Nahobino's flowing blue locks move any more smoothly in any particularly drastic manner. That's what the other console ports of Vengeance are for. The improvements come in the form of new side-quests strewn around the world, many of which expand on some of the minor side-stories in the Netherworld. Demons also have new Inherent Skills, which can modify their abilities and add twists to party set-ups. For example, some Demons might improve the Potential of any demon using spells of a certain element that act after them. In contrast, others might improve the odds of status ailments affecting enemies. There are also new Unique Skills for certain demons (like Pyro Jack's new Jack Agilao) and a smattering of new Magatsuhi skills to make you sweat over when and how to use your Magatsuhi. Oh, and quite a few new demons are added to the game.

Outside combat, you can now use an overhead view of the immediate area to scope things out without resorting to the in-game map. There are new areas to explore in old maps. Your demon navigator can also help you find new Magatsuhi Lines that can transport you to them or serve as shortcuts to key locations. Finally, all of the original Shin Megami Tensei V's DLC has been incorporated into Vengeance from the get-go for free. So even if you're retracing the beaten path, this is pretty much the way to do it (not helped by the DLC for the original version of the game being shut down). There is also a new feature in the form of Demon Haunts, a rest area you can visit at Leylines that lets you interact with your demon partners, take photos of them, or improve your relationship with them by giving them items. This not only nets you useful items but also grants your demons a nifty stat boost. It's fun to probe your partners and see them reference their lore, both folkloric and Shin Megami Tensei-related.

And then there's the new story mode. Atlus added a bit of value to Vengeance by giving you the option to play the original Shin Megami Tensei V with the Vengeance versions quality-of-life improvements, dubbed the "Path of Creation." Upon beginning a game, you can choose to stay on this path... or the new "Path of Vengeance," the new story created for this version. In what I am interpreting as a tongue-in-cheek decision from Atlus, this decision hinges on whether or not you incorporate Vengeance's Atlus Remake Girl™, Yoko, into the story. The Path of Vengeance shakes things up a lot: there are plenty of changes at key story moments, along with new bosses to fight. Some story sequences pan out entirely differently from the Path of Creation, so you're not just going through the same events with Yoko in the background making pithy remarks. The presence of the Qadištu, a group of demons with their reasons to accumulate Knowledge, hangs over many of the new changes. You also go through far more sequences where the other human characters join your party as guests, granting you several new party members with more consistent stats and abilities than demons. They can also use items like your Nahobino to add a particular twist. Players disappointed with the original Path of Creation's somewhat aimless nature can rest assured that the Path of Vengeance rectifies that and then some.

The ultimate downside to Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is that it is an Atlus Remake, warts and all. On its face, it is a categorical upgrade to the original Shin Megami Tensei V in all ways except graphical (and even then, being freed from its exclusivity to the Nintendo Switch mostly rectifies that part). It offers the definitive Shin Megami Tensei V experience while adding a new story mode that fills in many of the original's blanks. Unfortunately, that still casts a shadow over Shin Megami Tense V: Vengeance—especially if you already bought the original Shin Megami Tensei V and, like many, find yourself wondering why the features and upgrades in Vengeance can't be retroactively offered to the original game in some fashion or another. To comment upon Atlus's intent with the original Shin Megami Tensei V or the intent with Vengeance (and the features it includes) would be beyond the purview of this review and yet, the optics will nevertheless paint the opinions of anyone faced with the prospect of buying Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. If you haven't played the original Shin Megami Tensei V, this is the version to get—provided there isn't much of a choice in the matter since the original Shin Megami Tensei V will be delisted following the release of Vengeance. And even if you've already played Shin Megami Tensei V, Vengeance offers enough updates, surprises, and even a new story mode that arguably merits a double-dip. Shin Megami Tensei V was already a good game, Vengeance makes it better. Now let's hope the next Shin Megami Tensei gets it right the first (and only) time.