Now Playing: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2

I'm currently playing Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2 for the PS2. While Atlus titles tend to be a niche market, the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series have become quite popular lately. Here's what I think so far.

First Impressions: Once you start playing you know right away you're playing an Atlus game. The game engine, character designs--even the names of the spells and items are the same throughout the Shin Megami Tensei(SMT) series. There is something comfortably familiar with it, yet you begin to wonder if they use the same assets out of a poor budget. Thankfully it's uniqueness is what sets it apart from other games in the series. The basic story surrounds a "devil summoner" who happens to be a detective in Tokyo, circa 1920. The setting alone is worthy of my attention.

Love at First Sight: You don't fight alone. You're able to summon "demons", up to two at a time, in order to win battles. What really stands out though is the manner in which you gain demons. Instead of battle, you have the option to "negotiate" with a demon. It'll ask you a series of questions, and depending on your answers, it'll either join your side or attack. What's great is if the negotiations are going poorly, a demon you already possess with chime in and attempt to sway the conversation in your favor. Sometimes it works, often times not. But this feature is definitely unique, and adds a charm to the game.

Warning signs: Objectives aren't always clear. If you're not sure where to go, you can spend most of your time traveling from one location to another only to have to turn around and go back from where you came. It's annoying and detracts from the overall experience. My time is valuable. I want to play a game, not wander around aimlessly.

Second Date? Absolutely. I'm currently 5 hours into it, and I'll definitely be coming back for more.

Till Death Do Us Part? SMT games are known for being extremely long. 80-90 hours of playtime is not unheard of. I've never actually finished an SMT game, so that might tell you something. I'm hoping this game will buck that trend though. Guess we'll see.