Shin Megami Tensei III / V - Battle Theme Medley | Reacting To Video Game Music!

[@doteianima6370]

WE SHIN MEGAMI FANS ARE EATING GOOD HOLY

[@sals6]

Tensei. Don't be Journalist please.

[@manbearpigsereal]

@@sals6 persona without the heart

[@darkpyro786]

We just say SMT, three frauds above smh 🧐

[@dolgorukysvyatoslav]

​@@darkpyro786 nah, that's obviously sheen megoomi tansei

[@IfritFGC]

Ryota Kozuka was in charge for pretty much all of Vengeance's soundtrack. He also stated in an interview that Battle - Quadistu was his favorite one to compose!

[@lyzder7298]

Qadistu is such a perfect balance between bewitching and threatening, I love it

[@arieldominguez2905]

2:05 SMT III Nocturne - Fiend 7:50 SMTV - Battle Fiends 14:02 SMTV: Battle - Da'at 21:41 SMTV:V - Battle - Qadistu

[@SwiftGuyver.]

Anyone else find Jesse's voice and general aura extremely relaxing and comforting? Almost like unintentional ASMR!

[@azuredeath]

Best part about Battle - Da’at is that the song doesn’t start until you make the first action in battle.

[@rosemclean2519]

To answer your question at the end of the video, when I first heard “battle -qadištu-“ in the game, it was instantly a banger. Though that may be in part because I’m used to the series’s style of music so I wasn’t as confused as someone with no experience.

[@giovanniprovost]

So hype you are exploring SMTVV!! My favorite track from it is daat kabukicho, hope you get to hear it soon

[@alejandrotti10]

So, quick SMT setup. Yes, everything in SMT has some roots in world's mythology, psychology, folklore, fairy tales, urban legends, and so on. They also have a lot of fun reinterpreting those myths and legends in favour of the plot, without being too inconsistent or too shy with nearly anything (at some point even the abrahamic God is on the hook). As a fast example, the Qadištu are heavily related to babylonian lore.

[@HollowGolem]

24:00 Interestingly, in most SMT games, the barrier between "enemy" and "party member" is usually a boss fight, some demon fusion, or a conversation. It's like Pokemon for people way into post-apocalyptic sci-fi and comparative religion.

[@kl0764]

Also make sure when you play SMTV to play the vengeance route when it asks at the start of the game. It’s a remade version of the story which is unanimously better than the base game

[@lyzder7298]

While I do think canon of vengeance is the better overlall story, you do miss a lot of context if you don't play canon of creation

[@kl0764]

@@lyzder7298 definitely agree as I played SMTV at launch, but is context worth a 60+ hour play through to get to the good stuff if you haven’t yet

[@HayatoEvoker]

nope, you gotta play Creation first, it's not the same without that as prior context

[@kl0764]

@@HayatoEvoker you don’t “have to play anything first” but if you want to get sold on SMT playing through the worst story atlus has ever produced would be an interesting choice

[@heeho8929]

@@kl0764 i wasn't aware we were telling him to play tokyo mirage sessions

[@RadiantMantra]

Thanks for checking all of these out, I hope you like SMT V

[@bluemori2822]

the first “beautiful” SMT song you’ll hear is the shop theme about 20 mins into vengeance. it’s fantastic

[@trevorBbracket]

smt 3 is another great pick for a soundtrack that starts amazing and stays amazing, honestly. large map real universe has stuck with me forever despite being in 1% of the game lmaooo

[@reginald7522]

@@bluemori2822 I think the track that plays when you’re picking your name in the classroom is the first beautiful track, although I agree the shop theme is peak

[@muthesquirrel]

"I have no idea who's an enemy or who's a party member." Yes.

[@ninjafox1344]

Battle Da’at sounds so cool. Never played the game but definitely willing to try it out eventually. So mysterious.

[@Laurcus]

How did I feel when I first heard these themes? Fiend theme - "Haha, I'm in danger." Qadištu theme "Haha, I'm scaroused." I vibed hard with both immediately. The Da'at battle theme is more forgettable to me, but that's only because SMT5V has so many good songs. It's not bad, but there's probably 10-15 other songs I like more. One piece of advice, at the start of the game when asked to make a choice, make sure to pick Vengeance, not Creation. Creation is original SMT5, and while it's good in its own way, Vengeance is the superior story in most ways that matter. Vengeance is also a lot more interesting right out the gate imo. And lastly, the words aren't actually made up! The first known use of the word Qadištu is from nameless liturgical texts from ~2100 BCE, the Third Dynasty of Ur of ancient Sumeria. Da'at is from Kabala. Both SMT and Persona are real big on Gnosticism and Kabala for their influences. It's where Square got the name Sephiroth from. The Sefirot is the Tree of Life, which is a very complex multilayered idea about how to conceptualize God and reality.

[@felipebisi4145]

After playing both endings for like 5 times I prefer CoC a lot more it makes sense until the final map then it derrails at the end while CoV is mostly the Quaditsu being a Team Rocket with Plot Armor to have insteresting end if you do the law end But the Quaditsu battles are indeed better than the normal boss battles you would get

[@edwinpritom6336]

Let's not forgot what happens at the end of the Vengeance arc, and the two amazing soundtracks.

[@hisdudeness1835]

"confused headbanging" Yeah this sums up SMT music quite well

[@stoogie375]

Oh my gosh you're going through the SMT series music!!1 yaay

[@kevinnguyen4711]

I'm going to refrain from saying too much, seeing as you're about to play the demo, but to sum up my first reactions to listening to an SMT track (in Nocturne): "It's like my ears are on one epic acid trip, and I want more of whatever the composers are smoking."

[@edwinpritom6336]

You gotta listen to the Demi-fiend theme from Shin Megami Tensei V or V Vengeance.

[@PhoenixDecim]

I was immediately drawn to it. As someone who listens to a lot of prog metal, including bands like Vildhjarta, AAL, and even artists like Tigran, nothing about this sounded too bizarre to me. If anything, I discovered a VGM composer I truly enjoy. Anything Ryota-san creates is right up my alley. Listening to these tracks in the context of the game makes it even better. Since it’s turn-based, I could actually enjoy the full-length tracks without interruption XD As others have mentioned, I’d recommend choosing the Vengeance route (taking the girl’s hand at the beginning). You can always explore the Creation route later. While there are plenty of heavy, intense battle themes, there are also some experimental ones that stand out, like Battle Destruction and Eon. The Vengeance tracks are especially synth-heavy, and in addition to the ones you’ve already heard, Battle Hypocrisy, M’s Revelation, Vengeance for Reclamation, and the bee dude's theme are definite highlights. The over-world themes are also captivating. They really pull you into the world of the game and add so much to the immersion. One of my personal favourites is Infernal Tokyo from Shin Megami Tensei IV. It brings such a melancholic feeling, and it honestly made me tear up, the first time I heard it in-game. I have such vivid memories of the game's atmosphere, due to the soundtrack.

[@kl0764]

Shoji Meguro, Kenichi Tsuchiya and others worked on SMT 3. SMT 4 and onward is 90 percent Kozuka, with some help from Konishi who composed other atlus titles like P5 Tactica

[@nr2676]

Toshiko Tasaki (SMT Devil Summoner, SMT Devil Summoner Soul Hackers, Persona 2 Duology) also worked on SMT III Nocturne OST (she composed Recovery Spring, Checkmate & Show Time/ Raidou Theme, Dante Theme, Apocalypse). Trully dream team.

[@kl0764]

@@nr2676 Yeah I knew I was forgetting someone. Tasaki was a huge part of early 2000s atlus music

[@dou5397]

i believe the other track that that type of electric guitar in smt that you reacted was battle-Nuwa from SMT V

[@dou5397]

also hearing smt music for the first time was kinda a Eck!, because its really challenging to hear? idk how to explain it, but the more you hear a track the more you can discern the idea behind it and follow it better, wich is why some tracks at first hearing arent as good as others.

[@Greekanese31]

I remember I had a unique experience when discovering SMT music. A VGM recommendation channel I used to follow posted the song "Reason Boss Battle" from SMT3: Nocturne, but I was listening off shitty laptop speakers at the time, so I actually missed a major element of the song; the song begins with a simple repeated bass note pattern, but it was so low in the sound (and this was 2006 KZbin so you can only imagine the poor compression) that I didn't notice it at all until many listens later with headphones. So to me, hearing only the drums in the intro, I thought the song had a very distinct 'tribal' sound that I had never heard in a game at the time that attracted a lot of interest, until the rest of the song happens and truly ensnared my heart. That song still remains my favorite SMT song both because of its quality and that unique experience with it!

[@trevorBbracket]

the only other song I feel like I can compare to reason boss battle for the ps2 era is like, gatekeeper from jade cocoon 2 or some obscure junk like that. smt has a way of consistently being unique that I've always adored

[@Keyouuu]

Hi jesse. The voices in the songs are part of the atmosphere of the game. In most SMTs you are in a hostile enviorement surrounded by demons that speak either with an unholy voice or a holy one. Thats why you can hear deep voices that makes no sense or chorus of angelical tones. In-game when you approach demonds they usually make sounds similar to the ones you hear on the songs. I love SMTs soundtrack because it adds so much to the sensation of opening your path through a sea of demons that are constantly surrounding you or watching you. And as a side note. Listen to Shiva and Beelzebub theme in SMT V. Both are amazing.

[@Lorekeeperhaos]

The Fiend theme is pretty much a SMT staple and shows up in a lot of the games in one form or another. Nocturne's version is probably the most well known. Has a unique variant in a few games tied to one character, but iirc that's only two games in the series.

[@trevorBbracket]

I can count 9 games off the top of my head that use the fiend theme directly? they're a popular crew, some more than others of course.

[@Lorekeeperhaos]

@trevorBbracket More so mean the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alice version for two games. I know if and Imagine have it, but not sure if others do.

[@lyzder7298]

"The musical direction is so bizarre in this game" DUDE FOR REAL. Ngl, this game's ost was more of an acquired taste for me, but once I started vibing with it, I kept vibing all the way to the end. Battle Qadistu has a very... Seducting and bewitching energy to it, and that's by design

[@isaiahhellems7901]

You know now that I'm listening to all of the music from this series I'm surprised that no one suggested any no more heroes 3 songs cuz those are some bangers as well

[@masstrash4609]

Both fiend tracks were done by Kenichi Tsuchiya Ryota Kozuka composed battle Daat and battle Qaditsu

[@Ayzikiel]

I think he'll like the SMTV Demifiend battle theme

[@Chichirumiru]

Quadistu theme is epic. When I first heard it I just said there till it looped once before I started fighting.

[@garmrimakoo5511]

Oh man if you do end up playing SMT I hope you enjoy it! The gameplay is a lot more methodical, rewarding planning and strategy a ton especially as it's a turn based rpg so you have all the time in the world to decide your actions. SMT also has a bit of a reputation in the community for being pretty unfair to newer players as the learning curve can be pretty steep but it's very rewarding to learn and defeat those difficult bosses and even just normal encounters. As for the music oh man there are so many tracks in the game that play once for a specific boss the whole OST ends up being incredibly varied and unique it's honestly so good. So many myths/legends/gods to create music for you end up with so many memorable flavors the first time you get a new boss theme it sticks forever

[@deadstrawberry2120]

One thing i love about the battle themes is they don't get all the instrumentals until you make a move in battle then it ramps up

[@trevorBbracket]

also, while im here, shoutouts to the person(s) behind Megaten Music. theyre ungodly dedicated. some of the early 90s music from the franchise is amazing and its all there for the most part! the megaten fusion disc is a fav if anyone is interested in that older generation sound, its super fun

[@MegamanStarforce2010]

26:40 the context completely enhances the type of characters this is played with, like it entrances into the characters themselves and makes them innately feel 'wrong'

[@julianturner7244]

My feelings when first hearing these themes were "man they are nailing the themes and settings of where we are" and I think you'll feel the same when you see where they play in-game

[@MegamanStarforce2010]

someone chose an absolute banger selection order wow

[@Juicifrost]

Holy shit, I didn't expect to hear my own name in here this morning

[@MegamanStarforce2010]

12:10 SO RIGHT ON THE RANDOM THEME. i fucking LOVE the random battle theme for SMT Vengeance i literally still listen to it seperately from the game

[@ClvrBstrd]

If you haven't already, I recommend listening to the Ikebukuro track from Nocturne as well It's a vibe

[@nekro_nemesis]

Christmas came early lets goooooo

[@hovdeep]

A third of the music i listen to on the regular is just the smt 3, 4/4a, and 5/5v soundtracks. great working and driving music

[@zeldahyrule3127]

I'm glad you like the battle themes! They slap.

[@harmlessanimeposter3379]

Reason (Kotowari) Battle Theme off of SMT: Noctune is just straight-up classic progressive metal, and something you might be into. I'd say SMT IV has the most groundbreaking soundtrack though, featuring a lot of Lo-Fi beats before the internet really popularized the style.

[@dooroofoo6512]

If you don’t totally vibe with V Vengeance I would try Nocturne instead because V has a little more of that high school vibe where Nocturne is a little more classic smt

[@dooroofoo6512]

When I first heard smt music I immediately was like oh fuck yeah lmao I liked how weird and different it was

[@rosemclean2519]

Qadištu is pronounced “ka-dish-too” btw.

[@DecoyBlackMage]

Why yes, "Qadistu" is a real word, not sure I wish to post what it means though since spoilers, but yes it is real. SMT actually uses a lot of real terms and meanings that most people do not even know about their own religions these days, the heavy importance of mythology in the series tends to inspire people to learn about the various cultures, myths and religions the games use.

[@bakedroyal_727]

To me SMTV music sounds like a cross between Kirby and Xenoblade

[@bluemori2822]

Xenoblade I can see for sure. Not so sure about Kirby lmfao

[@jazzerjaw]

@@bluemori2822 Kirby has some really insane metal tracks on occasion, so I get the comparison if they're talking about things like the Galacta Knight track, or some remixes of old songs in the series. But with Kirby as a whole? Nah. I'd say The Last Remnant would be closer.

[@dou5397]

@@bluemori2822 opposite for me i can see where they got Kirby vibes, but Xenoblade i cant hear at all

[@cross9687]

Funny, earlier today i was looking if he already had reacted to battle da'at

[@nachot6592]

Persona: Saving the world from apocalypse. SMT: Surviving a world after apocalypse happened. The music fits IMO. BTW... I, too, play games based on how good the music is beforehand except for some franchises I'm already a fan of.

[@Nitram4392]

Ah yes, SMT - "Fiend" Aka: "Use debuffs/buffs idiot!"

[@muthesquirrel]

My first Megaten game was SMTIII on the PS2, and the music, setting, gameplay, and story telling were a bit jarring. I don't think the modern HD remaster really catches how unsettling the game felt back then, cos oddly NOT having voice acting made it all-the-more eerie. It got me into Atlus games pretty fast though, and we were eating good back then with Devil Summoner, Digital Devil Saga, and Persona 3 all giving unique tastes... the palette feels way more limited these days...

[@vintoplad]

Quick heads-up when you start the game, you have the option to play the original story first, and I recommend it since the new story assumes you played the original and skips over certain story beats (it is lighter on story, but it's existent enough that the new story comes off a bit awkwardly without original story context). The demo lets you try out both if you're curious enough, though the differences aren't huge at the start of the game. The music put me off the first time I played, and it didn't help that I wasn't liking the game on Switch. Now when I got the game on PC, and could use a mod to get the camera outta my behind, I was much more into the game, and eventually got really into the soundtrack. It got to the point where Metaphor's smaller soundtrack had me disappointed during certain late game bosses.

[@prod.b4bnik]

i’m so proud of bro

[@privman8426]

I'll be looking forward to the stream 😖. The game is quite difficult, but I hope you'll still like it

[@Naavasama]

Gameplay is King!

[@Zephhi]

Oh hell yeah

[@火災のアイスクリーム]

let's goooooooooooo

[@TrueWarriorJak]

Da'at and Qadistu are not made up words reminder SMT pulls from dozens of Religions and Mythologies to make up its world in SMT all religions and myth exist in some form. Da'at comes from a branch of Jewish mysticism known as the Kabbalah and it means Knowledge. As for Qadistu its a ancient Mesopotamian word and refers to a class of women from that society, in SMT 5 it basically used as a title/organization for the 4 women antagonists of the game.

[@blooming1312]

sheeeeesh

[@platformingames2967]

Please take the vengeance route

[@SyLuX636]

Yeah every boss fight will feel like your fighting for your life and are extremely ruthless. Be smart and find exploits quickly or your will have your ass kicked.

[@TTHHJJ123]

26:46 ryota kozuka's music (smt 4 and especially 5) is such a hit and miss for me. i had to mute the game once or twice during my SMT 5 playthrough. i still like the OST and most of the songs are good but the worst ones are just awful, ear grating noise. shoji meguro is a much safer choice (smt 3 and persona 3,4,5) if you aren't digging ryota's experimental style.

[@masstrash4609]

Hm, I'm curious on what tracks u consider to be bad?

[@TTHHJJ123]

@@masstrash4609 watch?v=XvAifAnai6s the start of the song was fine until 2:26. the bells are WAY too loud and they drown out almost everything else. i can't say i like the notes being played either. to me it sounds like someone's just hitting the bells randomly hoping to create a melody of some sort. i don't remember other one(s) off the top of my head which is probably a good thing. maybe i'll listen to the OST again one of these days and let you know about the ones i don't like.

[@masstrash4609]

@@TTHHJJ123 Lmao that's like my favourite track in the entire game. I personally don't see an issue with the bells and I quite like how they add an old folklore type of vibe to the song, especially the end bit where it gets insanely trippy. At least it's not as annoying as Kozuka's GROOVY in P5D, where 'Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There' straight up ruined the song.

[@TTHHJJ123]

@@masstrash4609 hah! quite the track selection there. but to each their own. no point arguing about music tastes. i listened to groovy and that "wake up" part. to me it wasn't the singing and the effect used there but the drumming in my opinion went a bit too crazy for a persona song. overall it's not too bad. might listen to the OST some day.

[@Revenant343]

Can you react to smt v vengeance Satan's theme its pretty good

[@felipebisi4145]

I bought last month and beaten V, V times on Hard. And yep most boss fights are out for your blood. The first you play smt is mostly brutal The story is ignorable as almost every smt but we come for the fight And you miss a lot of context if you pick Canon of Vengeance over Canon of Creation in your first run.

[@Kasuta_Ikite]

Doing a wrong decision there with SMT V, ngl Jesse. As a first Atlus game, Metaphor or Persona would be way better choices. I DO hope you enjoy SMT V tho