Siliconera have posted up their hands-on preview of Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey which was just released in Japan a couple of weeks ago. Read on to find out the game's strengths and weaknesses and what they had to say.

While I claim to be a Shin Megami Tensei series fan, I have to admit, the only SMT games I have played thus far were the Persona series, and from my understanding those are actually an offshoot. The demons (or Personas) in the core series may be the same, but the story style and the general atmosphere of the games are much different. So when I had heard that Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey was created with the focus on the nostalgic fans of the old SMT original series in mind, I was skeptical about just how much I would enjoy this game.

Despite this thought, I found myself thoroughly enjoying Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. The first-person view in the top screen of the DS is odd at first, but you get used to it soon enough. There are several applications given to you that help you along the way, and you really need the help. At first, dungeons are straightforward, but then come unlocking doors, finding hidden doors, walking through pitch darkness where even the map on the bottom screen doesn’t show anything, teleportation, and falling through trap holes. Sometimes, just plain old twists and turns are used … in very, very copious amounts. Without the minimap on the bottom or any of the applications given to you for the Demonica Suit, you wouldn’t get anywhere.

McClubbin via siliconera.com »