Megami Tensei:

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
$29.99
I did not finish this game, I gave it about 15 hours before I just could not stand it anymore.

Two things make or break a game for me, the controls and the story. The story for this game was incredibly inane, I did not care about the characters or the plot. I finally gave up even trying to follow it about 5 hours in and started skipping all the talking. Some of the talking scenes take longer than the battles. I cannot stress enough how this really turned me off to this game.

The battles themselves were okey, but unoriginal and uninspiring. Move one of your three groups, attack, let the computer do the same, rinse and repeat. I did not hate the combat system, but I can not say I liked it. I was annoyed that demons and characters may only arm three 'use' abilities each, this greatly restricted gameplay for me.

The one part that I did like was the fusing of demons, but this was a small part and got old quickly as well. The fusing could not carry the game by itself.

I was certainly not impressed and cannot in good conscience suggest this game to any of my friends.

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
$29.99
I read a lot of the reviews on amazon and I don't see why everyone says this game is so hard. Yes, it can get difficult at times but its not impossible. I wouldn't recommend this game for casual gamers or those who are new to RPGs. The fighting can get grueling, especially in some of the longer parts.

I think the main thing that makes this game harder is the fusions. Not having the right spell in this game can be your down fall, and if you fuse you only monster with a healing spell, you're screwed. I'm used to the fusions because of the Persona and Devil Summoner series. Granted, they aren't exactly the same when it comes to the monsters but the same principle is there.

Even for seasoned vets, I'd recommend you at least look at an online guide if you get stuck or frustrated. This game doesn't have many clues when it comes to what to do next at times. If you take a break from this game, prepare for a lot of wandering until you remember what you have to do next.

The pros to this game is the challege. You can depend on having to look for weakenesses when it comes to bosses. The story line is great. I'm about 20 hrs in. Basically you control the destiny of the world. Your actions will result in the various endings in this game.

The graphics aren't anything special but they were good for a early ps2 game. The music is pretty good, all of it is fitting for the game.

All in all, this is a solid game. If you've played anything else from the MagTen Series, I recommend you at least try this game. Be sure to get it when its cheap though, its not worth some of the outragious prices I've seen out there. I say don't pay anymore than $40 and that's only if its new. I paid $30 and it was new from amazon.

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne--The Official Strategy Guide
$169.95
A most invaluable guide, for one of the greatest RPG's ever! I picked up this game finally after 2 or 3 years of yearning for it! It was really hard to find in the area where I live! To my utter joy one of the game stores around here finally got in a used copy! I picked it up immediately (albeit with no instruction manual)! To my dismay, the world was so massive, the items, skills, Magatama, enemies, etc.! So I started searching for a game guide, to my dismay discontinued! Oh but Amazon had them, to my surprise, they were going for anywhere from $50 dollars used in so so condition, to a $100 plus brand new! I opted to go for an $86 slightly used copy, and I must say that it has come quite in handy! I love it! A must have guide for a must have game!

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
$34.99
A fresh sci-fi twist on the critically acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei series! A startlingly original entry in the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei universe, Strange Journey takes the heralded RPG franchise to exciting new sci-fi frontiers while bringing to mind the all-time classic Nocturne. With over 300 demons to bribe, coerce, and negotiate with to gain assistance in battle, Strange Journey is every bit the deep, rewarding RPG experience fans have come to expect from the SMT franchise. Shin Megami Tensei goes beyond! SMT: SJ¡Çs game mechanics represent a return to the proud tradition of the all-time dungeon-crawling classic SMT: Nocturne while its story takes players into the near future on a mission to save Earth and to understand humanity's position within the larger universe. A dark turn into science fiction! Who or what is causing the black hole that is engulfing the Earth? A mission to investigate the cause uncovers a whole world of demons that humans knew nothing about. Do they seek your destruction or will you seek theirs? Team up with demons! Demons may be friends or foes depending on your ability to negotiate, bribe, and coerce them to join you. With more than 300 types of demons, you'll have a huge variety of battlefield encounters and an equally large base of options on which to build your party.