Demons and desolation in fifteen new Shin Megami Tensei IV screenshots

Looking at these images from Shin Megami Tensei IV, the upcoming Japanese 3DS RPG, I realized I know absolutely nothing about the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. It's developed by Atlus, which is terrifying in its own way, and it from what I can tell its themes and atmosphere may drive a man insane. That sounds like an instant buy to me.

I've got to say these screenshots, as far as I can tell, don't serve the game justice when compared to the Tokyo Games Show trailer that was released in 2012. From that, I believed Shin Megami Tensei IV may be one of the best looking 3DS games yet. These screenshots, however, don't seem as alive. They do, however, show a variety of settings and characters, which is promising in its own way.

Perhaps most intriguing is the mixture of fantasy settings with future technology, of desolate and crumbling buildings with clean and quite stylish clothes and furnishings. Also, this demon guy in particular is pretty awesome. 

Shin Megami Tensei IV is currently planned for release on the 3DS in 2013, for Japan. No North American release has currently been announced, but with the popularity of Atlus titles in recent years, from Persona to Strange Journey, we wouldn't expect that to be permanent.