Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
JRPG
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance adds an alternative campaign as well as substantial combat and exploration changes to the original game. Choose the canon you want to experience first, then protect quest decisions with manual saves. A single ending is not a complete compendium or trophy route, and loading cleared data begins another cycle rather than a post-ending world. Flexible demon builds matter more than keeping the same early party forever.
QUICK ANSWER
Can I free roam after the final boss?
Not by loading cleared data: that starts NG+. Keep a separate pre-final file for unfinished exploration, quests and route-specific fusion checks.
Compare games with New Game Plus →SPOILER-LIGHT PLANNING
Plan one canon now and the completion chain later
A first story run does not need to solve every ending. Full completion does need clear data and deliberate transfer between cycles.
Understand the opening route choice
Creation revisits the original story; Vengeance is the added storyline. Their later areas and outcomes differ, so use a checklist for your chosen canon.
Keep more than the clear file
Maintain a pre-final manual save for cleanup and a separate completed file for replay. They serve different purposes and are not interchangeable.
Track unlocks and actual fusions
Ending choices and quests unlock demons, but a compendium requirement may also need you to fuse or recruit them. Check before leaving a cycle.
Read Godborn requirements separately
The Godborn completion award concerns an unlocked replay mode, not a compulsory Hard combat run. Do not follow an outdated superboss prerequisite blindly.
Content reviewed 2026-11-07. Vengeance edition with both canons; original 2021-only routes are insufficient.
Buying Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance? Check the edition before ordering.
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QUICK ANSWERS
Before you start
PLAYTHROUGH PLAN
Before You Start checklist
Set up your save plan
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance supports manual saving. Check slot and location limits first, then preserve a milestone save where the game permits it; not every title supports rotating backups.
Protect the completion route
Missable content exists in Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. Recheck quests, collectibles or companion tasks before advancing major story milestones.
Know the last safe checkpoint
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance has a point of no return. Keep a separate save and clear priority side content when the game signals a final commitment.
Choose difficulty deliberately
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance's difficulty requirements vary by version or challenge. Check the exact list for your platform before committing.
Budget 100–120h six-ending / platinum route (estimate)
Use Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance's 100–120h six-ending / platinum route (estimate) estimate as a planning range, not a promise. Exploration, difficulty and optional goals can move the total substantially.
Spoiler-free warning
Canon choice and ending decisions change available quests and fusion unlocks. Keep a pre-final manual save: loading cleared data begins NG+ rather than free roam. Full completion tracks multiple endings through a continuing NG+ chain. Godborn is a replay mode, not the same as selecting Hard combat.
BEGINNER GUIDE
10 things I wish I knew before starting
The useful systems, early mistakes and easily missed details worth understanding before you commit dozens of hours.
Choose your canon deliberately
The opening choice selects Creation or Vengeance, not a cosmetic dialogue variant. Both are full routes, and they diverge in areas, quests and ending conditions.
Save from the field often
Vengeance allows manual field saving rather than restricting it to the original game's save points. Use separate milestone files before difficult fights and irreversible quest choices.
Protect the protagonist's weaknesses
Check the Nahobino's affinities before a boss and use essence options as they become available. Giving the enemy extra Press Turns can turn one weak defense into a party wipe.
Keep several damage types ready
Carry demons that cover different elements and update that coverage through fusion. A high-level roster with one shared attack type can stall against resistance or reflection.
Use buffs before a crisis
Attack, defense and accuracy effects are valuable in long battles. Build support into the roster before a boss instead of expecting healing alone to outlast its strongest sequence.
Watch enemy Magatsuhi preparation
When enemies signal a dangerous next turn, consider guarding and an appropriate defensive item. Read the encounter rather than spending every available action on damage.
Register useful demons before fusion
Update promising builds in the compendium before using them as ingredients. Registration preserves a summonable version; simply unlocking a fusion does not mean you have made that demon.
Keep quest-choice checkpoints
Some requests have opposing outcomes or unlock different demons. Save before choosing a side if compendium completion or a particular route reward matters to you.
Leave cleanup before the ending
Finish the current route's collectible and sidequest checks before the final boss. Clear data starts a new cycle; it is not an unrestricted post-ending exploration save.
Separate Godborn from combat difficulty
Godborn is an unlocked NG+ rule set with its own progression conditions. It can be paired with easier combat settings, so do not mistake its completion award for a mandatory Hard run.
- Status
- Verified
- Last verified
- 2026-11-07
- Official: ATLUS / Sega — Vengeance canons and included content
- Guide: PowerPyx — Vengeance trophy roadmap and save behavior
- Guide: PowerPyx — collectible and route differences
- Guide: Neoseeker — trophy and compendium requirements
- Guide: RPG Site — Godborn and corrected superboss caveat
- Guide: RPGamer — Vengeance saving and combat overview
COMMON QUESTIONS
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance FAQs
Do I need to finish the original SMT V first?
No. Vengeance includes the original story through Canon of Creation and offers its own Canon of Vengeance from the opening choice.
Can I manually save away from save points?
Yes. This edition adds field saving, with multiple manual slots. Use it before dangerous encounters and route-sensitive quest decisions.
Does one run unlock every demon and ending?
No. The two canons and their endings have exclusive unlocks. A complete trophy route uses repeated cycles on continuing clear data.
Is Godborn the same as Hard difficulty?
No. Godborn is an unlocked NG+ mode with distinct progression rules. Its completion requirement can be pursued with easier combat difficulty.
Should I follow a 2021 original-game guide?
Only for clearly shared information. Vengeance changes quests, demons and routes, and includes content that an original-only ending checklist does not cover.