Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga, known in Japan as Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner (デジタル・デビル・サーガ アバタール・チューナー, Dejitaru Debiru Sāga Abatāru Chūnā), is a spin-off of the Megami Tensei series for the PlayStation 2.

The game is something of an evolution for the series. While it uses the same graphics and game engine as Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, many of the gameplay elements have been changed to appeal to a broader audience without sacrificing quality. No longer do you talk to demons, or even recruit them — it's all about devouring your enemies. Outside Japan, the game was released with the Shin Megami Tensei brand, despite it not actually being a Shin Megami Tensei game.

Release Dates

 * Japan: July 15, 2004
 * North America: April 05, 2005
 * Japan: March 30, 2006 ("The Best" re-issue)
 * PAL: July 21, 2006

Gameplay
The character development system, known as the mantra system, is easier to manage as the player is not forced to choose skills to permanently discard as new ones are acquired, like in Nocturne. Each of your characters is customizable with this system, and development is less abstract than the demon creation/recruitment of the other Shin Megami Tensei games.

Battle is spent mainly in demon form, but human form happens from time to time due to various circumstances. While demons can use magic, humans have a few advantages of their own—they are equipped with weapons, which certain enemies are weak against, and are immune to Expel attacks. Special abilities known as Hunt skills will grant extra Atma Points which are used to learn Mantras, if you consume your enemy after weakening them. Additionally, there are combination powers that allow you combine various magic and weapon-based attacks.

Plot
In a land is known as The Junkyard several tribes are locked in constant war with each other. As Serph, the leader of the Embryon, you and your tribe are engaged in battle with the rival Vanguards, when you come across a mysterious egg-like artifact. During the conflict the artifact beings to undulate and glow as both sides try to convince the other to remove it. After a sudden explosion of light the tribes begin horrific transformations into that of demons. Soon after, Serph awakens to find many of his enemies eviscerated and a enigmatic girl sleeping in the crater left by the blast. Upon her discovery the ruling body of Junkyard, the Karma Temple, institutes a new law: whichever tribe brings the girl to them shall be allowed into Nirvana. Only by devouring the other tribes can you learn of the mystery surrounding your demonic transformations, the girl, and of the land known as Nirvana that will lead everyone to paradise.

Characters

 * Serph: Silent protagonist and leader of the Embryon.
 * Argilla: The most human and caring of the Embryon.
 * Heat: Serph's unofficial second-in-command of the Embryon.
 * Cielo: Light-hearted and care-free.
 * Gale: Embryon's strategist, capable quick computations and analysis.
 * Sera: Mysterious black haired girl.
 * See also: List of Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner Characters

Production
Digital Devil Saga is the third game developed by Atlus for the, it reused the 3D graphical engine of Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne and succeeds the Press Turn Battle system. Shoji Meguro returned as the main composer for his previous success with few additional tracks composed by Kenichi Tsuchiya. Other aspects of the game were outsourced: the artistic concept of the world was provided by ; was hired for the screenplay, renowned for his work of ; story was originally penned by novelist  but was shifted to inhouse Tadashi Satomi due to health issue. Godai later published few novels based on the world of the game, namely Dogdays and Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner.

The game was initially revealed in the Japanese version of Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne Maniacs, a special trailer is viewable when choosing between new game or load game. It was advertised as the "New Goddess" (新女神, shin megami) near the end of the trailer.