Atlus, a renowned Japanese video game developer and publisher, has consistently captivated gamers worldwide with its captivating narratives, unique characters, and innovative gameplay. From the iconic Shin Megami Tensei series to the critically acclaimed Persona games, Atlus has carved a distinct niche in the industry, leaving an enduring mark on the gaming landscape.

Shin Megami Tensei: The Birth of a Genre

Shin Megami Tensei (SMT), first released in 1992, laid the foundation for Atlus’s success. This groundbreaking role-playing game (RPG) introduced a dark and mature storyline, challenging conventional RPG tropes. Players navigate a post-apocalyptic world, interacting with mythological creatures and making choices that shape the game’s narrative.

The SMT series has spawned numerous acclaimed sequels and spin-offs, including:

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Persona 3

Persona: From Spin-off to Phenomenon

Originally a spin-off of the SMT series, Persona has evolved into one of Atlus’s most beloved and recognizable franchises. These games offer a unique blend of traditional RPG elements with social simulation, allowing players to form meaningful relationships with characters and balance daily life with supernatural adventures.

Notable Persona games include:

Persona 3
Persona 4 Golden
Persona 5 Royal

Beyond SMT and Persona: A Diverse Portfolio

Atlus’s repertoire extends beyond SMT and Persona, encompassing a broad range of genres and styles. Some notable examples include:

Etrian Odyssey: Dungeon crawlers with highly customizable characters and intricate map-making mechanics.
Catherine: A thrilling puzzle-platformer with a psychological horror twist.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim: A science fiction strategy RPG that seamlessly blends real-time and turn-based gameplay.

Innovation and Storytelling: Atlus’s Defining Traits

Atlus games are renowned for their originality, pushing the boundaries of traditional gameplay. Key features that set Atlus games apart include:

Compelling Narratives: Atlus stories often explore complex themes of morality, identity, and societal issues.
Unique Gameplay: The studio is known for introducing innovative gameplay mechanics and challenging level designs.
Memorable Characters: Atlus characters are highly relatable and often leave a lasting impression on players.

FAQ

What is the most popular Atlus game?

Persona 5 Royal and Shin Megami Tensei V are among the studio’s most acclaimed and best-selling titles.

When is the next Atlus game coming out?

Atlus has not yet announced an official release date for their next major title.

Is Atlus working on a new Shin Megami Tensei game?

Rumors and speculations about a new SMT game have been circulating, but Atlus has not confirmed any official details.

Conclusion

Atlus video games have captivated gamers for decades, leaving an indelible mark on the gaming industry. Through innovative gameplay, compelling narratives, and unforgettable characters, Atlus continues to push creative boundaries and engage audiences worldwide.

References

Atlus website: https://www.atlus.co.jp/
Shin Megami Tensei Wiki: https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page
Persona Wiki: https://persona.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page

Atlus Persona

The Atlus Persona series is a role-playing game franchise developed by Atlus and published by Sega. The games follow the adventures of a group of high school students who awaken to the ability to summon and control Personas, manifestations of their inner selves. The series has been praised for its compelling stories, character development, and innovative combat system that combines traditional turn-based RPG elements with elements of social simulation.

Notable games in the series include:

Persona 3 (2006): Features a dark and introspective story that explores themes of death, loss, and redemption.
Persona 4 (2008): Takes place in a rural Japanese town and introduces a new cast of characters and expanded gameplay mechanics.
Persona 5 (2016): Set in modern-day Tokyo, the game follows a group of students who challenge a corrupt society using their Personas.

Atlus Megami Tensei

Atlus Megami Tensei is a role-playing video game franchise created by Atlus. The series is known for its dark and mature stories, often exploring themes of religion, philosophy, and psychology.

The games typically feature a protagonist who must navigate a world populated by demons and other supernatural beings. The player can recruit demons to fight alongside them, and can use them to cast spells or fuse them to create more powerful demons.

The Megami Tensei franchise has been praised for its engaging stories, challenging gameplay, and iconic characters. The series has spawned numerous spin-offs and sequels, including the popular Persona and Devil Summoner series.

Atlus Catherine

Atlus Catherine is a puzzle platformer video game developed and published by Atlus for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released in Japan in 2011 and worldwide in 2012.

Players control Vincent Brooks, a man who must climb a tower while avoiding traps and solving puzzles. The game features two main modes: Babel, a single-player mode in which players climb the tower to rescue Catherine, and Colosseum, a multiplayer mode in which players compete against each other.

Catherine received critical acclaim upon release, with praise for its story, characters, and gameplay. The game was a commercial success, selling over 500,000 copies worldwide.

Atlus Shin Megami Tensei

The Atlus Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) series is a role-playing game franchise developed and published by Atlus. It is a spin-off of the Megami Tensei series, and has its own distinct setting, characters, and gameplay. The games are typically set in a modern or futuristic world, and involve a group of teenagers who are given supernatural powers and must fight against demons. The series is known for its dark and challenging gameplay, and its complex and engrossing stories.

The first Shin Megami Tensei game was released in 1992 for the Super Famicom, and was followed by a number of sequels and spin-offs. The series has been ported to a variety of platforms, including the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Vita. The latest game in the series, Shin Megami Tensei V, was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2021.

The Shin Megami Tensei series has been critically acclaimed for its gameplay, story, and characters. The games have sold over 8 million copies worldwide, and have become a cult classic among JRPG fans.

Atlus Etrian Odyssey

The Etrian Odyssey series, developed by Atlus, is a dungeon-crawling role-playing game series, primarily released for Nintendo handheld game consoles. The defining feature of the series is its customizable party system, in which players create and manage their own group of adventurers, each with their own class and skills. The gameplay typically involves exploring labyrinthine dungeons, engaging in turn-based battles, and completing quests to progress the story.

The series is known for its challenging difficulty, strategic gameplay, and immersive dungeon exploration. Players must carefully manage their party’s resources, including items, abilities, and experience, to survive in the unforgiving dungeon environments. The series also features robust world-building and memorable characters, creating an engaging and immersive experience for players.

Atlus Demon’s Souls

Atlus Demon’s Souls is a role-playing game in which the player controls a customizable character through a dark fantasy world and battles various monsters and demons. The game’s combat system is based on real-time action, and it features a challenging difficulty level that requires strategic gameplay. Players must carefully manage their character’s stats and equipment, and they must also be aware of their surroundings and the enemies they face. Atlus Demon’s Souls is known for its immersive atmosphere, its challenging gameplay, and its innovative online features.

Soul Hackers

Soul Hackers is a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus. It was released in 1997 for the Sega Saturn and 2007 for the Nintendo DS. The game follows a group of hackers who are recruited by a demon summoner from the future to investigate a plot by a rogue demon summoner. Soul Hackers features a turn-based combat system that incorporates elements of strategy and negotiation, allowing players to capture and fuse demons to create powerful allies.

Atlus Radiant Historia

Atlus Radiant Historia is a role-playing game developed by Atlus and released for the Nintendo DS in 2010. Players take control of Stocke, a member of the Alistel royal guard, as he travels through time to alter history and save the world from a catastrophic war. The game features a unique time-travel mechanic that allows Stocke to revisit past events and make different choices, thereby branching the story into multiple endings. The game also includes a grid-based combat system that requires players to strategically position their units on a 3×3 grid to maximize their attacks and abilities.

Atlus Devil Survivor

Atlus Devil Survivor is a post-apocalyptic role-playing video game developed by Atlus for the Nintendo DS. The game follows the story of high school students who are transported to a parallel dimension and must fight for their survival against demons. They must summon and fuse demons to create powerful teams and explore a world filled with danger and treachery.

The game features a turn-based combat system and a deep demon fusion system, allowing players to create a variety of strategies to overcome their enemies. Players can also recruit characters to their team, providing them with additional abilities and support.

Devil Survivor is known for its challenging gameplay, engaging story, and memorable characters. It has received critical acclaim and spawned several sequels and spin-offs.

Atlus Trauma Center

Atlus Trauma Center is a series of action-adventure games developed by Atlus and published by Nintendo. The games have players take on the role of a surgeon who must perform surgeries using various medical tools and techniques. The series has been praised for its realistic graphics and gameplay, as well as its innovative use of medical techniques.

The first game in the series, Trauma Center: Under the Knife, was released for the Nintendo DS in 2005. The game was a critical and commercial success, and spawned several sequels and spin-offs. The latest game in the series, Trauma Center: New Blood, was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019.

The Trauma Center series has sold over 3 million copies worldwide, and is considered to be one of the best video game franchises based on medical simulations.

Atlus Project Re Fantasy

Atlus Project Re Fantasy is a mysterious and upcoming game that has been teased by the Japanese game developer, Atlus. Little is known about the game so far, but from the trailers and artwork, it seems to be a dark fantasy role-playing game. Players can expect:

Engage in fast-paced and action-packed battles.
Explore a vast and dangerous fantasy world.
Immerse themselves in intriguing quests and storylines.

The release year has yet to be released, but the game is highly anticipated by fans of the developer’s previous work, which includes popular titles such as "Persona" and "Shin Megami Tensei."

Atlus Shin Megami Tensei V

Atlus Shin Megami Tensei V is the latest installment in the popular Shin Megami Tensei RPG series. Set in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, the game follows the story of a high school student who becomes a Nahobino, a being capable of summoning and commanding demons.

Players explore a vast and desolate world, battling enemies and forming alliances with demons. The game features a turn-based battle system, with players utilizing a variety of skills and abilities to defeat their foes. Players can also fuse and recruit demons, creating a powerful party to aid them in their journey.

Atlus Persona 5 Royal

Atlus Persona 5 Royal is an enhanced and expanded version of the popular role-playing game Persona 5. The game features a new character, Kasumi Yoshizawa, who joins the Phantom Thieves and brings with her a new story arc and dungeon. The story of Persona 5 Royal has been expanded with new cutscenes and dialogue, and the game also includes new gameplay features such as a new grappling hook mechanic and a Persona compendium that allows players to fuse and strengthen their Personas more easily.

Persona 5 Royal has received critical acclaim, with many reviewers praising the game’s expanded story, new characters, and gameplay improvements. The game has been commercially successful, selling over 1.3 million copies worldwide.

Atlus Persona 5 Strikers

Atlus Persona 5 Strikers is a role-playing game developed by Omega Force and P-Studio and published by Atlus. It is a spin-off of the 2016 video game Persona 5 and follows the members of the Phantom Thieves as they travel across Japan to investigate a series of bizarre cases involving people being trapped inside virtual reality.

Gameplay is similar to previous Persona games, with players navigating dungeons and battling enemies in turn-based combat. However, Strikers also incorporates elements from Omega Force’s Dynasty Warriors series, such as the ability to engage in large-scale battles against hordes of enemies.

The game was released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows in 2020 to critical acclaim, with praise for its combat, story, and characters.

Soul Hackers 2

Summary:

Atlus’ Soul Hackers 2 is a cyberpunk role-playing game set in a near-future Tokyo. Players take on the role of Ringo, a half-human, half-demon agent of the Yatagarasu, an organization tasked with preventing the end of the world. Ringo and her companions must travel through the city’s labyrinthine dungeons, fighting demons and unraveling a conspiracy that threatens both humanity and the underworld.

The game features turn-based combat with a unique "Soul Matrix" system, where players can summon and fuse demons to customize their party’s abilities. It also boasts a customizable story with multiple endings, branching dialogue, and a cast of memorable characters with their own motivations and backstories. Soul Hackers 2 offers a captivating blend of cyberpunk aesthetics, demon summoning, and a gripping narrative about the nature of humanity and destiny.

Atlus Game Releases

Atlus Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer and publisher known for its role-playing games (RPGs), including the Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, and Etrian Odyssey series.

1980s: Atlus enters the gaming industry with releases such as Pengo and Planet Loop.
1990s: The company establishes itself as a leading RPG developer with games like Revelations: Persona and Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.
2000s: Atlus releases the critically acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne and the Persona series takes off with Persona 3 and Persona 4.
2010s: The company continues to innovate with games like Etrian Odyssey IV and Persona 5, which receive widespread praise and commercial success.
2020s: Atlus releases Shin Megami Tensei V, a highly anticipated entry in the long-running series, along with the recently-announced Persona 6.