SMT V Difficulty Settings Explained

Shin Megami Tensei V is out now for Nintendo Switch, and it comes with a variety of difficulty settings to help players get into the game however they need to. There are four different difficulty settings in SMT V. Two of these are easier settings meant for series and genre newcomers, while the other two are harder settings meant for practiced RPG or SMT players.

SMT V is the first major worldwide simultaneous release for an Atlus title. Many players both familiar and new to the SMT series will be trying their hand at SMT V at the same time. Players will get to experience Shin Megami Tensei V’s star voice cast, the all-new setting of Da’at, and its unique gameplay.

As a classic JRPG franchise, the Shin Megami Tensei series is notorious for being particularly challenging. Thankfully, SMT V offers four different difficulty settings for players to choose between. Even better, players can switch between these settings as they’d like. If a newcomer finds Casual Mode too easy, for example, they can bump it up to Normal Mode. Meanwhile, someone who may want to finish the game faster due to external obligations can drop the difficulty from Normal Mode to Casual Mode as they play. Players who really want a challenge can try their hand at Hard Mode, although they have to be willing to stick with it the entire way through because players can’t increase the difficulty to Hard Mode once they’ve started the game.

Safety Mode Difficulty In SMT V

Shin Megami Tensei V features day one DLC, including the free addition of Safety Mode. This difficulty setting is described as helpful for RPG beginners to get them through the game’s story “safely and comfortably.” This mode may allow players to not lose their progress even when their party has been defeated, similar to other “safety”-oriented modes in past Atlus games, like the Etrian Odyssey series’ Picnic Mode.

Casual Mode Difficulty In SMT V

Casual Mode is included in SMT V without needing to download anything. Battles are easier than in Normal Mode, but still offer more challenge than in Safety Mode. This is another good difficulty setting for beginners who want to get used to the gameplay mechanics of Shin Megami Tensei V.

Normal Mode Difficulty In SMT V

Normal Mode in SMT V is described as fairly challenging while still being the game’s default difficulty setting. Shin Megami Tensei games are known for being harder than the average RPG, so Normal Mode will be a good choice for RPG veterans to try. Players also have the option to switch between difficulty settings as they play, so there’s no harm in trying Normal Mode first, and then altering the difficulty as needed to progress.

Hard Mode Difficulty In SMT V

Shin Megami Tensei V’s Hard Mode difficulty setting is described as having changes to features both in and out of combat to make the game even harder than in the default Normal Mode. This mode is best for people who are not only seasoned RPG fans but returning Shin Megami Tensei players. But as a trade-off, players can’t choose to bump the difficulty up to Hard Mode once they’ve started the game, even if they started off on that difficulty.

About The Author