Maybe it isn’t the best thing to admit in my first column for such an MMO-focused website, but it’s been a while since I played a MMO game. Well, unless you count the MMO I played this week, and the fairly obscure “Football Manager Live” that I played earlier this year. The last real MMO I played was “World of Warcraft” -- just to be different, of course. The last time that my level 62 blood elf mage saw the light of an Azeroth day was in October 2007. After a year of “World of Warcraft,” and a similar amount of time in “Everquest II,” I felt compelled to break free of the MMO genre. It wasn’t that I was addicted to “WoW” – I was still eating, sleeping, and even venturing outdoors on special occasions – but it was more that I’d stopped playing other video games, an issue not only for a would-be commentator on gaming but for a gamer in general.

In some way it’s the easier option to dedicate yourself to just one game, and MMO games try hardest of all to take up all of your time. So, right or wrong, weak or strong, eighteen months ago I said goodbye to “WoW” and the MMO genre, unsure of whether I would ever make my return.

Yet here I am writing a column all about MMOs. It may be directly thanks to the opportunity offered by MMO Life, but the reality is that I’ve missed MMOs; I’ve longed for the expanse, the freedom and the community that comes with a well-made MMO game. (Well, maybe not all of the community...) Still, in terms of the future, the MMO genre is gaming’s most exciting area of development. The console market remains untapped, the potential for diverse and new experiences is staggering, and even now the games on offer are so distinctive and exclusive, if not yet perfected. Also, I love playing as female characters and dressing them up in sexy gear. Maybe that’s another thing I shouldn’t admit so readily.

Those experienced with the “Shin Megami Tensei” series will be unsurprised to learn that, because I’ve been playing “SMT: Imagine Online” (aka “MegaTen”) this week, there’ll be more on sexily-clad girls later in this week’s column. First, though: why “MegaTen”? Well, the hope was that it would aid my transition back into MMOs, mainly because I’ve recently been playing Japanese RPGs including “Disgaea 3” and “Lost Odyssey,” the theory being that a Japanese MMORPG set in the universe of the J-RPG “Persona” series would act as a bridge to the genre. This actually proved to be quite an apt decision, even if it didn’t necessarily seem so at first.

'”Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online” is set in 202X, a future in which numbers are beginning to be replaced by letters. Somehow unsurprisingly, “MegaTen's” world is a post-apocalyptic one, where Earth has been overrun by demons. This was all explained during the introductory video, and when it ended I was thrown into the game’s tutorial. I was taking up the role of Trainee Demon Buster in the bleakness of this desolate world, with the long corridors of a dangerous concrete site known as Home II awaiting me. This, with the jarring complement of vibrant, animé characters on display, was making “MegaTen” feel like “Final Fantasy VII,” which was definitely a good thing. Sadly, the MMO's opening proved not to be quite as epic as “FFVII’s” was. While it attempted to throw me into the action instantly, and basic commands were explained fairly well, the drab, grey walls of the lifeless Home II, and the meagre exposition on offer, did nothing to create any immediate atmosphere. Let’s face it, MMOs are all about atmosphere and players wanting to be within a game world, so for me, “MegaTen” had not gotten off to the best start.

When the tutorial ended, I was plonked out of the lifeless grey of Home II and into the bright, sophisticated setting of Home III. Instantly it reminded me of a futuristic shopping centre, except Japanimated (which might mean the same thing). It turned out that Home III was my new, actual Home home. Fair enough, then. It wasn’t really explained why I was suddenly in Home III, but I was just happy to be out of the grey and into something vibrant and welcoming. Even better, I was led to a second, more elaborate combat tutorial that was presented in much better fashion. “MegaTen's” diverse attack system was introduced, with its chain attacks proving to be good fun to pull off. More interestingly, though, was that different enemies required different tactics right off the bat, something that even “World of Warcraft’s” infant hours can’t boast of. Even more fundamental to a MMORPG’s success than atmosphere is the depth of its combat, and the early indications suggested that in this department, “Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online” is wealthy enough to please.

Soon afterwards I was introduced to the demons, as implied by the Demon Buster shtick. What’s cool is that demons were creatures that I could not only defeat, but in some cases befriend and become allies with, similar to the pets Hunters can acquire in “WoW.” Having said that, someone you meet in Home III asks you to collect a compendium on all of these demons ... Does that remind anyone else of a certain catch-em-all pika-pika franchise? Not that that’s a bad thing, since I (and about a million others) have been screaming my lungs out for a “Pokémon” MMO. It appears “MegaTen” wants to fit this bill, given that players even have six slots for their demons. And there’s a Pikachu demon! (OK, there isn’t really one.)

As I wandered around Home III, I realized that my “Final Fantasy VII” comparison was only apt for the external post-apocalyptic world. The better comparison would be to the campus vibe of “Final Fantasy VIII,” and of course the “Persona” games. While the Demon Busters are more soldier-like than college student, the youthful atmosphere of “Final Fantasy VIII” is definitely there. Everyone is young, sexy and wandering around in trendy Japanese clothes, plus I even overheard (overread?) two players talking about upcoming Demon Buster exams. The shops stock expensive clothes that didn’t too much for my stats, but hey, they sure looked good on my character -- a female character, of course. I really don’t want to stare at some guy’s bum all day.

So, with elements from “Final Fantasy” games, the “Persona” games and “Pokémon,” it’s clear that the developers had the Japanese console market in mind for “MegaTen,” no doubt hoping to lure existing “SMT” fans. Even one of the early outfits you can purchase resembles a fashionable, feminine take on a certain Nintendo icon. Yes, very sexy indeed, but it’s not the first thing to give me confusing thoughts about a girl dressed up as Link. It’s okay for me to think that she looks hot dressed like that, right?

Overall, I’m happy to report that my preliminary time with “Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online” has been very enjoyable. I’ve captured a pixie, bought leather boots, and killed bucket loads of baddies. What more could a young boy want? Yes, as the MMO Hub summary states, there’s some clumsiness in the translation – “Why am I pressing Y to bring up the quest menu?” – it’s not the prettiest game, and it does start off slow. However, it’s done a great job of welcoming me back into the MMO genre thanks to its console-based elements. Whether it will hold my attention in the long-run is another matter.

Posted by Sinan Kubba
June 13, 2009

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