There was no shortage of fantastic RPGs in 2024. Despite my preference for action-packed role-playing games, my Game of the Year was Metaphor: ReFantazio, but there were plenty of other games to choose from, like Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth and Dragon’s Dogma 2. You’d be forgiven for missing out on this incredible, dark RPG from ATLUS, but you have no excuse to avoid Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance now that it’s dropped to its cheapest price yet on Steam Deck.
With so many new games regularly making their way onto the best RPGs, you’d be forgiven for missing some of them. Despite Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance being the latest entry in a fairly popular series, it even went over my head. But after enjoying this lengthy, tantalizing role-playing game, it’s safe to say that it’s one of the best Steam Deck games you can buy.
While the original version of SMTV dropped exclusively as one of the best Switch games, Vengeance is the definitive version of the game, offering improvements over the current generation of consoles plus fresh content for newcomers and fans alike to enjoy. The best way to describe it for fans of JRPGs is that Vengeance is the Persona 5 Royal to the original version.
SMTV:V offers that signature ATLUS style, with turn-based combat that excels and tricks you into thinking you’re playing an incredibly stylish and fluid action game. However, where SMTV:V differs is the fact that it’s actually one of the best games like Pokémon – as you’ll be collecting, fusing, and upgrading various demons to use in battles against your foes.
Speaking of demons, the narrative of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is full of them. It’s a decidedly dark RPG that sees you playing as a high school student who is forced into the conflict between Angels and Demons. After Lucifer murders the Creator, there’s a power vacuum, and everyone who wants to recreate the world is trying to fill it.
In our Shin Megami Tensei V review, Nathan Ellingsworth called the game a “sinister, magnificent, and deeply satisfying new contender for the best RPG”, and while that was for the original version of the game on Switch, the praise remains the same. Even if you don’t own Valve’s handheld, this brilliant role-playing game works amazingly on the best Steam Deck alternatives, too.
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to grab a copy, there’s nothing better than the present. Right now, you can buy Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance for just $32.39 / £29.69 at Fanatical, the cheapest price the game has ever been on PC and a worthwhile price for one of 2024’s top role-playing games.
There’s nothing better than tucking into a lengthy RPG on the best handheld consoles, and for that reason, you shouldn’t pass on this Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance offer. If you’re looking to experience the game on a bigger screen, the best Steam Deck docks will certainly come in handy.