Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance can be a brutal experience for beginners, especially for those who are not familiar with the mainline Megaten games. These titles are considerably harder than the Persona series and barely do much hand-holding.
You will primarily be on your own when the narrative starts, and apart from a few tutorial messages, there isn’t much help you are going to get.
However, all things considered, Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance is one of the easier entries. With the Magatushi system and the new quality-of-life improvements like the Magatsuhi Rails, you will have a much simpler time with progression.
But, if you are still struggling and often find yourself getting destroyed by a group of Pretas, below are a few tips and tricks that are guaranteed to help you out in the JRPG.
16 Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance tips and tricks for beginners
1) Abuse the save feature
One of the best quality-of-life features that Vengeance got over the base Shin Megami Tensei 5 is the addition of the “save anywhere” feature. Previously, you were made to visit a Leyline Fount to enter a Save Data, however, in Vengeance you can save anywhere by just pressing the Left D-Pad arrow.
This will let you save scum before every encounter and you will not lose out on progression. So if you are struggling in the early game, make sure to abuse this feature.
Save as frequently as you want till you get more familiar with certain in-game mechanics like the Press Turn system.
2) Stock up on Spy Glass
One of the best uses of Macca in the early game is to purchase Spy Glass. These items will let you know about the weaknesses and the affinities of the demon you are up against.
Once you use Spy Glass on a demon or recruit them, their stats will permanently be displayed to you. For example, when you encounter a Preta for the very first time its weaknesses and resistances will have a question mark next to them.
Once you use a Spy Glass, you will know that they are weak to Fire, Force, and Light, but resist Dark. So to beat a group of Pretas you will need to spam Agi, Zan, and Hama skills.
You will be able to purchase Spy Glass from Gustave in Cadaver’s Hollow. You can access the shop from any Leyline Font.
3) Recruit and fuse every demon
One of the best ways to have an easier time in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance will be to get your hands on every single demon that you come across. You can either fuse them or recruit them from the semi-open world.
Having a vast compendium will make it much easier to fuze the more powerful demons later on in the game. It will also open up Special Fusion, so make sure you are getting your hands on all of them.
Additionally, you will be able to make your team more versatile. By filling up your compendium, different fusions will let certain demons gain skills that they won’t normally have access to.
More demons will also mean that you will gain Essences that have similar abilities. This will help you make the most of the Apotheosis system in the World of Shadows.
4) Don’t forget to register demons in the Compendium
In the World of Shadows, you will gain access to the Demon Compendium. When you recruit a demon through conversation or fusion, their current stats get automatically registered in the Compendium.
However, once you use them in the active party and level them up, their stats change and will unlock new abilities. Make sure that you re-register them in the Compendium with the new stats. This will override the older one.
If you do not re-register and fuze the demon out, you will not be able to get the upgraded version again from the Compendium.
5) Fuze the best early game demons that complement each other
A well-rounded party is key to getting ahead in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance. Hence, you will need to keep demons who are not just powerful but also complement each other.
If you have a line-up of demons who are all weak to Agi or have Zio as the only source of damage, then you are going to struggle.
Your active party as well as the reserve needs to fill in on each other’s weaknesses while boasting all the damage types and defensive skills. This will help you tackle any situation that you get into.
6) Do not ignore the Miman
Gustave’s side quest tasks you with collecting all the Miman for him. These are small red devil-like creatures that you will find in the semi-open world of Da’at.
While some Mimans are hiding in plain sight, others are tucked away in the various nooks and crannies of ruined buildings. So make sure you are exploring every part of a new area you enter to get these Miman.
Once you interact with a Miman you will get a small amount of Glory. Glory is the currency that you need to unlock Miracles for the Nahobino.
Miracles like increasing demon slots in the reserve, or unlocking additional skill slots for the Nahobino will not be possible without Glory.
Additionally, for every 5 Miman that you collect, Gustave will reward you. These rewards range from Gems to Incences, to Balms. They are incredibly valuable items that you should not be sleeping on.
7) Locate all the Aogami Husks
As you explore the world, you will be coming across Aogami Husks. These are marked by a red icon on the map.
When you interact with the Husks you will get an Aogami-Type Essence. These essences carry incredibly powerful abilities. While some of the skills are “Nahobino-only”, the rest can be inherited by other demons through Essence Fusion.
Moreover, the Husks replenish after some time has passed. So if you have used up an Essence Type, but want the skills that it offers for another demon, you will just need to make your way back to the Husk that has it.
If enough time has passed then you will be able to collect it again. Do keep in mind though, that you will not be able to carry two essences of the same demon at any given time. This fact is true for the Proto-Fiend as well.
8) Don’t waste your Glory
With every Abscess that you take down, you will unlock more Miracles for the Nahobino in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance. However, Glory is very limited in the early game, and you will not have much to spend.
You will need to be selective about the Miracles that you purchase. So make sure you unlock the ones that you actually need and the ones that fit your playstyle.
But as a rule of thumb, you should always look to invest in the following Miracles as soon as they are available:
- Divine Garrison
- Divine Proficiency
- Deathly Aura
- Art of Essences
- Masteries (will depend on your build)
- Almighty
- Physical
- Fire
- Electric
- Dark
- Force
- Light
- Ice
9) Complete every side quest you come across
Not all demons are out there to get the Nahobino. Some will be looking for help and once you complete their request they will reward you for your efforts.
Rounding outside quests will often net a ton of XP, Macca, and other valuable items like Incense and Amrita Soda. Some side missions will grant Talismans as well, giving you more options with your Magatsuhi skills (only if you meet the conditions).
However, missions that will ask you to defeat a particular enemy, will come with a level recommendation. Make sure you check the Side Mission Quest tab from the main menu to learn more about the quest and when you should be looking to tackle it.
10) Avoid world bosses in the early game
The early game area which is Da’at Minato is filled with world bosses like Jatayu and Baihu. They have many levels over you and you should not be looking to tackle them in the early game.
Baihu for example is around level 40, so it’s much later into the game that you should come back and take out the world bosses in Minato.
So don’t waste your time trying to take them out. You are just going to get one-shotted.
11) Hunt down the Mitamas
Mitamas are the demons you will find in the open world who look like a teardrop with facial expressions drawn on them. They come in four types and each drops something different that is incredibly valuable.
Saki Mitama (Yellow/Gold)
- Cloth Mask: sold for 800 Macca
- Simple Undershirt: sold for 2500 Macca
- Mouse Mummy: sold for 4000 Macca
Nigi Mitama (Blue)
- Small Glory Crystal: Raises Glory by 10
Ara Mitama (Red)
- Grimoire: Gives enough EXP to a demon in your party to reach the next level.
Kushi Mitama (Grey/Black)
- Gospel: Gives enough EXP to the Nahobino to reach the next level.
To beat Mitamas you will need to use the Spy Glass to determine their weakness. With every encounter, irrespective of the Mitama you are up against, their weaknesses will be random. You will need to stock up on Spy Glass to be able to farm them.
Mitamas also give a lot of overall EXP when defeated. So they will help your party level up quickly.
12) Interact with every Quest Navigator point of interest
You will get to recruit a lot of Quest Navigators like Amanozako in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance. When exploring the world, they will mark out points of interest, and interacting with them can often lead to finding a valuable item, an ambush, or an encounter with a Mitama.
Sometimes they will also help you unlock a new Magatsuhi Rail point. These can often act as a shortcut to a nearby Leyline Font or take you to a secret location.
Make sure to save before interacting with these points, as there will be moments when you get ambushed by powerful demons. You do not want your curiosity to get the better of you and force you to lose your progression.
13) Collect and sell Old World Relics
While exploring you will find broken-down vending machines and interacting with them you will get relics from the old world. Items like Soda, Video Game Console, and Soup Cans are some of the various relics you will come across.
You will also get relics by interacting with the points of interest that your Quest Navigator takes you to. Relics are also obtained by beating Saki Mitama.
Selling Relics is one of the best ways of acquiring Macca in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance. Once you have collected a good amount, just go to Gustave in Cadaver’s Hollow and sell all of the relics that you have acquired so far.
14) -kaja and -nda skills are extremely important
Filling your entire team with damage is not wise. Sometimes -kaja and -nda skills are what save your team from getting completely wiped out in a difficult encounter. Spells like Sukunda, Rakunda, and Tarunda (along with their “Ma” versions) will help debuff your enemy by lowering their attack, accuracy, and defense.
The -kajas, on the other hand, like Rakukaja, Sukukaja, and Tarukaja (along with their “Ma” versions) will buff your team increasing your overall attack, defense, and evasion.
By constantly using buffs and debuffs in every round, you will be able to make some of the harder boss encounters significantly more manageable.
So try to balance DPS and utility when fusing your demons in Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance.
15) Always have elemental dampeners
Once you made some progress, Gustave will start selling magic dampeners for Ice, Fire, Force, Lightning, Light, and Dark. You will be able to carry a maximum of three of these at any given time, and they are used to block the incoming damage of a particular element type.
When facing off against certain difficult bosses, they will notice the enemy gathering Magatsuhi and then opting for the Omagatoki: Critical in the following round. When the skill is active, every enemy attack will be a crit.
For example, Nuwa will always use Sacrifice of Clay once she activates Omagatoki: Critical. It is a heavy Force attack on all foes and is a skill that is unique to her. The best way to counter this is by using a Force Dampener before her round starts.
It will block all Force-based damage for all allies, and upon a block, it will eat all of her press turns. If you don’t block it, your party will get instantly wiped out. Even guarding against this attack will take away a chunk of your HP.
16) Don’t sit on your Magatsuhi Gauge
With Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance, you will gain access to a variety of new Magatsuhi Skills. As long as you have the Talismans, Pariapts, and the party requirement to activate them. You will gain access to more skills than just the Omagatoki: Critical.
So make proper use of the gauge and don’t just sit on the bar if you are up against a difficult foe.
