Game

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

2024

0Score

Low Cash-Grab Risk

The sourced concerns are substantially offset by delivered value.

What counts as a cash grab?

Commercial extraction prioritized over meaningful consumer or creative value. Profit, popularity, adaptations, sequels, remakes, high budgets, and normal marketing do not count by themselves.

Why?

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance was released June 14, 2024 as an expanded, multiplatform edition that consolidates previously sold DLC and adds a new Canon of Vengeance storyline, new demons, gameplay adjustments, and quality of life changes. Atlus delisted the original Shin Megami Tensei V and its DLC from storefronts ahead of Vengeance and did not announce a paid upgrade path for original owners, which some consumers treated as a commercial extraction signal, while multiple reviews describe the release as a substantial, definitive expansion.

Atlus delisted the original SMT V and its DLC ahead of Vengeance’s launch, reducing purchase options for new buyers.
Vengeance packages prior paid DLC content into the base product while launching as a new full-priced SKU.
Independent reviews and the official site document extensive new story, demons, systems, and many quality-of-life improvements.

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Atlus did not announce a formal discounted upgrade path or full save compatibility for prior owners, limiting consumer-friendly continuity.

Score factors

Direction	Factor	Evidence	Impact
Against	Consolidation of prior DLC and substantive new content	Atlus and the publisher state Vengeance includes demons and quests that were sold as DLC for the original and adds a new storyline, new demons, and gameplay systems.[2][1]	-18
Against	Independent reviews note meaningful improvements	Multiple independent reviews describe Vengeance as an enhanced, definitive edition with meaningful improvements to performance, battle systems, and quality-of-life, and note that prior DLC is included in the package.[4][3]	-15
For	Delisting of original game and DLC	Atlus announced the original Shin Megami Tensei V and its DLC would be delisted from digital storefronts immediately before Vengeance's release date.[5]	+12
For	No announced upgrade path	Atlus said owners of the original release would retain access but provided no announced upgrade or discounted path to Vengeance.[7][6]	+12
For	Pricing and prior DLC listing	Vengeance launched as a full-priced new SKU while the original DLC bundle had previously been sold separately on platforms, for example a DLC All-in-One bundle listed at $14.99 on Nintendo's store.[9][8]	+10

Confidence: High · Multiple reputable outlets and official Atlus communications corroborate delisting, content consolidation, lack of an announced upgrade, and substantive new content, though internal pricing rationale from the publisher is not public. · Researched 2026-08-12

Sources reviewed

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