Do I need to play Persona before Shin Megami Tensei?
No. Persona is a spin-off that began after Shin Megami Tensei if.... It is not the prologue to SMT V, Nocturne, or SMT IV. This page does not order the Persona games.
All series / Shin Megami Tensei
Megami Tensei · 1992–2024
Shin Megami Tensei
A mainline of apocalypses that mostly do not share a save file. Persona is a related series, not a prerequisite.
At a glance
- Version to play
- Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
- Number of games
- 10
Which version should I play today?
Start with Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance if you want the newest mainline game. It includes the original SMT V story path and a second one. You do not need Persona, and you do not need the Super Famicom games, before it.
The pairs that share a world are SMT I then SMT II, and SMT IV then SMT IV: Apocalypse. Nocturne, Strange Journey, and V are separate worlds. SMT II, if..., and Nine do not have a confirmed official English release.
- Buy SMT V: Vengeance, not the 2021 Switch-only SMT V, unless you already own V.
- Nocturne: the HD Remaster on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC.
- SMT IV, Apocalypse, and Strange Journey Redux are Nintendo 3DS games.
- SMT I's English release is the mobile port. SMT II was not confirmed in English.
- Persona, Devil Summoner, and the Devil Survivor games are not on this list.
Release order
Mainline releases in the order Atlus shipped them. if... and Nine are included because they are mainline side stories, and they are labeled as such. Persona begins elsewhere.
- 01 SMT I continuity Shin Megami Tensei
- 02 Shin Megami Tensei II
Sequel to SMT I. No official English release confirmed.
- 03 Side story Shin Megami Tensei if...
Tied to the first game's setting. Not required before SMT II. No official English release confirmed.
- 04
- 05
- 06 Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Play Strange Journey Redux.
- 07 SMT IV continuity Shin Megami Tensei IV
- 08 Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Play after SMT IV.
- 09
- 10 Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
The version of SMT V to buy.
Story timeline
There is no master calendar. The blocks below are the only orders that matter. Vengeance is not a sequel to V. It is the expanded release of that game.
The first game's world
SMT II is a sequel set later in that ruined world. if... is a side story, not the next chapter, and not a required stop before Persona.
- 01
- 02
- 03 Shin Megami Tensei if...
Optional side story.
SMT IV
Play IV first. Apocalypse, called Final in Japan, revisits that Tokyo from another point of view.
- 01
- 02
Standalone mainline games
- 01 Shin Megami Tensei: Nine
Japan-only, and skippable.
- 02
- 03
- 04 Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
Play this instead of the original SMT V.
Platforms and where to buy
Years are the first release. The play-today column is the version to look for now. Store listings change, so treat the Amazon link as a search, not a stock promise.
Affiliate disclosure. Where to buy opens an Amazon search. The affiliate tag in the site config is empty, so these are ordinary search links and do not pay a commission yet. Full disclosure.
| Game | Year | First platforms | Play today | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shin Megami Tensei The first Shin Megami Tensei. SMT II continues its world. | 1992 | Super Famicom | The English mobile port (iOS in 2014, with an Android release as well). Store availability can change. | Where to buy |
| Shin Megami Tensei II A sequel to the first game, set later in that same ruined world. | 1994 | Super Famicom | No official English release confirmed. Japanese Super Famicom, PlayStation, and mobile ports exist. | Where to buy |
| Shin Megami Tensei if... A side story in the first game's setting. Persona grew out of its ideas, but Persona is a separate series. | 1994 | Super Famicom | No official English release confirmed. It is a side story, not a required chapter. | Where to buy |
| Shin Megami Tensei: Nine A Japan-only Xbox mainline game. Safe to skip for an English-language playthrough. | 2002 | Xbox | Original Japanese Xbox release. No official English release confirmed. | Where to buy |
| Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne A standalone apocalypse. The HD Remaster is the version to play. Europe first knew the PlayStation 2 game as Lucifer's Call. | 2003 | PlayStation 2 | Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC (worldwide May 25, 2021). | Where to buy |
| Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey A first-person mainline game set in its own world. Redux is the expanded 3DS version. | 2009 | Nintendo DS | Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux on Nintendo 3DS. | Where to buy |
| Shin Megami Tensei IV The first half of the SMT IV pair, and still a 3DS game. | 2013 | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS. Play it before Apocalypse. | Where to buy |
| Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse A companion story to SMT IV. Play IV first. | 2016 | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo 3DS. Japan title: Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final. | Where to buy |
| Shin Megami Tensei V The 2021 Switch game. Vengeance is the expanded edition of this story, not a sequel. | 2021 | Nintendo Switch | The original Switch release. A new player should buy Vengeance instead. | Where to buy |
| Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance The expanded SMT V, with the original story path and a new one. This is the version to play. | 2024 | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox, PC | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC. North America: June 21, 2024. Parts of Asia: June 14, 2024. | Where to buy |
FAQ
Are the mainline games one timeline?
No. SMT II continues SMT I. Apocalypse continues the world of SMT IV. Nocturne, Strange Journey, and V are separate stories. Nine is a Japan-only Xbox game off to the side.
Should I play SMT V or Vengeance?
Vengeance. It is the 2024 expanded release, on more platforms, and it still contains the original Canon of Creation path. Buy the 2021 Switch version only if you already own it and do not want the new route.
What is stuck on the Nintendo 3DS?
Shin Megami Tensei IV, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, and Strange Journey Redux. No current non-3DS version of those three was confirmed for this guide.
Is Shin Megami Tensei II in English?
No official English release was confirmed. The same is true of if... and Nine. SMT I did receive an English mobile port in 2014.
Sources
Last verified: October 29, 2026
- List of Megami Tensei video games (Wikipedia) — Mainline release dates and which games stayed in Japan.
- SMT V: Vengeance official site — June 14, 2024 date and the multiplatform list.
- Atlus press note for Vengeance — North American June 21, 2024 launch platforms.
- Nocturne HD Remaster announcement — Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam as the remaster platforms.