Used to be thePersonaseries was a spin-off of the originalMegami TenseiRPG series. While the firstPersonagame was released in 1996, many of the base concepts and enemy types are based on the creations of Kazuma Kaneko, as far back as 1987. Many of the JRPG gameplay mechanics and dungeon crawling carry over fromShinMegami Tenseias well. Over time, each series distanced itself from each other, whilst keeping some of the foundational elements between each one.
Right around the time ofPersona 4’s popularity and initial success, Atlus seemed to make the internal decision to separate thePersonaseries from the overarchingShinMegami Tenseiseries as a result. Thanks toPersona 3defining the series' identity andPersona 4proving the games had its own legs to stand on as a franchise, subsequent games moving forward have been part of their ownPersonafranchise. Now both franchises exist in harmony with one another, withPersona 5 Royalfinding incredible success and the original franchise making a comeback withShin Megami Tensei 5.
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The Foundation of SMT and Persona
Everything started with theShin Megami Tenseiseries, or more accurately with the the first game in 1987:Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei. A lot of the base mechanics of bothPersonaandShin Megami Tenseistarted here, like the turn-based combat and even enemy negotiation, which still exists to this day inPersona 5. ThenShin Megami Tensei, released in 1992, was essentially a modernized remake that Atlus wanted to serve as the start of a new franchise. The most prominent mainstay fromShin Megami Tenseiwere the monster designs from the game, the “Demons” initially designed by Kazuma Kaneko. While many of these designs have been modified and adapted in the years since with 3D graphics, they all remain faithfully true to Kaneko’s initial designs.
Shin Megami TenseiandPersonadifferentiate themselves from each other pretty substantially now, but back during the early 90s, the differences weren’t as drastic.Personawas born out of what was initially just a spin-off gameof the main series:Shin Megami Tensei If…(1994). Based on inspirations from thatMegami Tenseigame,Revelations: Persona(otherwise known asShin Megami Tensei: Persona) was the progenitor for the franchise and also marked one of the first Atlus games to be published for western audiences. While many of the modernPersonamechanics were yet to come, all of theMegami TenseiJRPG mechanics were there. The main difference betweenRevelations: Personaand the main franchise was that characters adopted the Demons (or “Shadows”) as their titular “Personas,” physical manifestations of their will.
It wouldn’t be until the third entry in both thePersonaandMegami Tenseiseries where the two truly became their own franchises. All of the social simulator aspects anddifferent combat mechanics forPersonacame withPersona 3.Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturnedoubled down on the dark, demon-filled tone that initially made the series popular.
Individual Success For Both Series
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3is really when the series evolved into its own franchise. Thanks to the innovations made by Katsura Hashino, many of the mainstay elements toPersona’s social simulator and dungeon crawling duality persist to this day. Released in 2006,Persona 3was the first game to introduce the calendar-based tracking systemthat emulates the daily life of a student, whilst also mixing with the usual JRPG journey of its predecessors. Balancing both sides ofPersona 3was what made the game so unique, and has since become the identifying framework ofPersonaas a franchise.
WhileShin Megami Tensei: Nocturnedidn’t meet Atlus sales expectations upon release, the game did end up becoming a cult classic in the overarchingMegami Tenseiseries. ConsideringAtlus announced aNocturneremaster to great fanfare, it’s not an unfair assertion. The game takes place in its own self-contained story, and doesn’t require any context from previous releases. All of the best JRPG aspects from the original games were successfully transferred into a 3D sequel with multiple endings and plenty of systemic depth. The game is fantastic in its own right, but next to Atlus' newest hitPersona 3, it paled in comparison to what’s widely considered one of the best RPGs of all time.
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Why Separated Franchises is Better
This was largely why the two franchises split off officially withPersona 5and nowShin Megami Tensei 5, and frankly both franchises benefit from it. While each franchise shares a similar tone story-wise, the perspective is far different. Not only with the thematic difference in Demons and Shadows/Personas, butShin Megami Tenseiis far more apocalyptic and poetic compared toPersona’s light-hearted dynamic tone. The social simulator aspects and calendar-style progression inPersonaalso doesn’t realistically matchShin Megami Tensei’s apocalyptic design anymore.
Other than demons and shadows embodying the same creatures of myth in both franchises, it makes sense thatPersonaandShin Megami Tenseiare different games now. Even though many would figurePersonahas seen far more success compared to the mainline series, and to some extent that’s true, it doesn’t tell the whole story of how both franchises have seen their own respective success and even have their own dedicated fan bases now. Each deserves to stand on their own, even thoughMegami Tenseiwas the foundation for it all.
Shin Megami Tensei 5is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2021.
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