Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II

About

Megami Tensei II is a 1990 role-playing game from Atlus set in a post-apocalyptic world where two friends fight demons after accidentally unleashing a chaotic force. You guide them through shelter-based survival, battling increasingly powerful enemies using turn-based combat and summoning demons via a mysterious program. The game leans into the series' signature blend of strategy and resource management, with progression tied to balancing stats and equipment in a world constantly under siege. The game's hook comes from its dark, apocalyptic setting and the central mystery of why demons are attacking humanity's last strongholds. While it lacks the novel tie-in of earlier entries, its 8-channel audio chip gives it punchier music and sound effects compared to its Famicom-era peers. Retro RPG fans often highlight its tense atmosphere and the way early-game choices can snowball into late-game challenges. It's a brisker experience than later entries in the franchise but still carries the weighty tone that defined the Megami Tensei brand.

Storyline

In the year 199X, the world was demolished with a bombardment of missiles, and the survivors of the cataclysm were forced to live in shelters. It's now the year 2036, and two friends are playing a video game called 'Devil Busters' in the Keihin shelter No. 3. Shortly after they beat the first boss, they unseal Pazuzu. The demon gives them the Demon Summoning Program in hopes of using it for the defeat of Bael along with a warning of a coming menace. Demons then begin to raid the shelter and the two friends must save the remains of humanity.