Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux

Strange Journey Redux is an expanded release of the original Nintendo DS game, placing the player in the crew of the submarine Red Sprite sent to investigate the mysterious, rapidly spreading anomaly Schwarzwelt discovered beneath Antarctica. The game retains the faithful first-person exploration of vast labyrinths full of demons and the chilling, isolated atmosphere of a scientific expedition that quickly turns into a fight for survival against entities that ordinary physics and logic cannot explain. Growing paranoia among the crew members and radio reports from the surface add an oppressive atmosphere the series rarely offers elsewhere, and exploring the individual floors of Schwarzwelt becomes an increasingly dangerous and chilling experience as the depth increases.

The Redux version adds an entirely new faction, Womb of Grief, with its own storyline of quests and an alternate ending that changes the interpretation of the whole story, along with improved graphics and interface, a new playable character, Alex, accompanying the player through the dungeons, and a number of balance and difficulty adjustments compared to the original. Collecting, negotiating with, and fusing demons remain the core of the gameplay just as in the original, but the new content gives even a seasoned player who knows the original game by heart a reason to play through it again and discover a differently resolved ending to the expedition beneath the ice, including the fate of the companion character Alex, whom the original on Nintendo DS never featured at all.

Why play it: Strange Journey Redux is for players who enjoy dark first-person dungeons with demanding tactics and want the complete version of the story, including the new faction and ending missing from the original. Thanks to the expanded content and improvements, it makes far more sense to reach for the Redux version on 3DS than the original Nintendo DS release, even for players just discovering the Shin Megami Tensei series who want to start with one of its most isolated and darkest entries.