This was my first Megaten game, so i wasn't really sure what to expect. The unique setting and atmosphere that originally helped make SMT stand out against a sea of its contemporary JRPGs still feels novel today. Post-apocalyptic settings have been done to death, but SMT's absurd, biblical apocalypse really hooked me. The demon recruitment and fusion mechanics are also solid and require you to frequently switch up your party and rethink your strategy throughout the game. Where the game loses me though is in its exploration and dungeon crawling, which feel deliberately designed to be as monotonous and tedious as possible. Frequent random encounters and complex maze-like layouts make the corridor dungeons quickly become a headache to navigate. I ended up having to following a guide for most of my playtime in order to not lose my mind. Combine that with the fact that the lengthy middle section of the game was kind of aimless plot-wise and SMT becomes a slog to get through. Still though, I did feel compelled to complete it, which counts for something.

Overall, a solid foundation for the of the series that stands out from other JRPGs of the time due to its unique mechanics and setting. The outdated and tedious design however, makes it hard to recommend to most people. I'm glad I completed it, but I would be lying if I said that I actually "enjoyed" myself for most of my playtime. Despite that, I am excited to see how future games in the series build upon it.