The release date for the latest in the long running franchise, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, is rapidly approaching. It is still slated for a Summer 2016 release. So Atlus has graced us with a trailer featuring many of the new features of the game. The biggest surprise for me, as someone who finished the first SMT IV game with two different playthroughs, is the difference in tone. The world had already fallen into disrepair, and you were trying to pick up the pieces and figure out what happened. You were now in a feudal society, so the discovery of the ruins of Tokyo was quite the shock. But the tone of this one is completely different, so this is no remix of the first game.

Game Summary

The story of Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is one of human pawns being shuffled across a chessboard by the higher deities. One lone Hunter, the game’s protagonist, meets an early demise and through a pact with a lesser god, is brought back to life in exchange for his pledge of servitude. From there, the protagonist allies with other Hunters in the ruins of post-apocalyptic Tokyo beginning a plot that crosses over with the events of the original Shin Megami Tensei IV.

Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse features:

• The Eternal Struggle Between Gods– The Shin Megami Tensei series, known for exploring the tenuous symbiosis between man and deity , reaches deeper than ever in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, as the band of main characters must decide which side of peace or anarchy they are on.
• Partner Up for Success – A new twist on the SMTIV combat formula allows players to bring one of seven partners to battle (in addition to the standard three demons), each with their own unique skills and AI. Plus, partners will fill up a meter that will interrupt the enemy, do massive damage, and give players an extra turn. Given the excruciating difficulty of battles in Shin Megami Tensei, the partner system will allow for new player strategies.
• Demons Aplenty – Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse has a series record 450+ demons to fight, fuse, or recruit to player parties. With demons from a wide selection of cultures and religions to choose from, players will be able to customize their party to their liking.
• Fuse For Affinities – Demon fusion, combining two or more demons to form a more powerful one, is one of the cornerstones of Shin Megami Tensei games, and now demons will have affinities for certain skills, giving players more decisions to make about which skills fusions will inherit.
• Press Turns and Smirking – The Press Turn system returns, which gives players (or enemies!) extra turns for exploiting weaknesses. The Smirk system returns as well, which gives huge offensive and defensive boosts to party members (or enemies) and now unlocks bonuses for certain skills, such as insta-kill attacks

E3 2016 Trailer