Shin Megami Tensei II
Fifty years have passed since the hero of Shin Megami Tensei followed the neutral path, defeated the leaders of Law and Chaos, and founded a state where the followers of both ideologies could live freely. But his reign of freedom does not last long. The messianic faith gains power and expands the cathedral into a new, closed environment called Tokyo Millennium. The Gaians rise up, but their rebellion is suppressed by the Messians' elite warrior class, the Knights Templar. People flock to the encapsulated city and submit to the strict hierarchy of the Messianic Center, where only the privileged of the center district are safe from demonic attack. A few years later, retired arena fighter Okamoto rescues a man named Hawk who was fighting for his life against a demon. He trains him to fight in the Valhalla District arena, hoping he will win the tournament, which will earn them both citizenship in the Central District. When Hawk is successful, he is brought before a messianic bishop and learns the shocking truth about his own origins and the role he is to play in the grand scheme of events. A new struggle for a better future begins. Shin Megami Tensei II retains all the gameplay features of the previous game. The player can summon demons, fuse them into even more powerful demons, let them participate in battles, talk to random enemies and get information from them, etc. Combat is turn-based and the player explores the complex, maze-like dungeons from a first-person perspective. As in the first game, the Law, Chaos and Neutral alignments play an important role: in the course of the game, the player must make decisions that affect the protagonist's alignment and steer the plot in different directions. New features include a "magic succession system" that allows demons to take over their original spells when they are merged into new ones, some additional spells and abilities, and the possibility to play in the casino and win unique items.
Story
199X: "The Great Tokyo Cataclysm" - Thorman presses the button and fires ICBMs equipped with nuclear warheads at Tokyo. A global nuclear holocaust follows. 203X: "The Great Tokyo Flood" - After the rebuilding of Tokyo, a huge tectonic plate shift causes the sea to invade Tokyo and decimate the area around the city. Even after the water receded, the suburbs of Tokyo remained flooded. Establishment of a "communal cooperative" - After the destruction of the basilica, a free society and government is established that warmly welcomes everyone, whether Messianic or Gaean. 204X: "Rise of the Messianic Church" - Through political maneuvering, the Messianic Church takes over the government and transforms it into a theocracy. Gaean Uprising - Enraged by the Messianic takeover, several groups of Gaeans instigate numerous uprisings, which are quickly quelled by the Knights Templar. 205X: "Completion of the Center" - A massive building called the "Center" is built on the former site of the basilica with a huge amount of funding. The plan to establish a city government called "Millennium" is also announced. Development of Demonoids - Artificial life forms called "Demonoids" are developed to ensure the supply of labor. 206X: "Millennium Nearly Completed" - Facilities for human housing such as Valhalla and the Factory (a manufacturing/industrial area) are designed and nearly completed. Entertainment facilities such as casinos are also being built. Pollution" - Due to global warming, radioactive contamination and the destruction of the ozone layer, most of the world outside Tokyo Millennium becomes uninhabitable. Many people from all over the world flock to Millennium because the environment is completely self-contained. The Knights Templar become a special police force - After quelling several Gaean demonstrations and riots, the Knights Templar are evaluated by the Center and elevated to elite status. They are declared the official police force of the city. Their increase in power further tightens the Center's control over the rest of the city. 20XX: "Present, present" - The megalopolis that was once called Tokyo... has taken many names and forms over the course of its long history... but it has survived. And even today it lives on... as "Tokyo Millennium"; the city of faith in the Messiah. The faith that has taken under its wing the hearts and minds of millions of people crying out for the coming of the Messiah. In the beginning, it was built to make the dream of the Millennial Kingdom a reality, but neither God nor the Messiah appeared within its walls. And then time passed. And soon some of its citizens became much more equal than others... At the top of the Millennium is the governing authority known as the Center. Directly subordinate to the Center are the Knights Templar, an elite military force that also functions as a police force. The elite of Millennium are the citizens of the first rank who have the right to live freely in the Center. There are those who are allowed to own an arm terminal. These are referred to as second-tier citizens. And finally, there are those who are merely recognized as residents of Tokyo Millennium. They are referred to as ordinary-rank citizens. One of the particularly wealthy districts of Millenium is the Valhalla area, known for the cruel sport of arena fighting, which is still practiced there today. Men fight each other and risk their lives to thrill the bloodthirsty crowd. Recently, a new fighter called "Hawk" appeared like a comet: The audience marvels at his skill, the crowd goes wild over his uninterrupted winning streak, but no one knows who he is or where he comes from ... not even Hawk himself.