Shin Megami Tensei NINE

Shin Megami Tensei NINE is a game set in the world of the main Shin Megami Tensei series. The "NINE" in the title refers to the nine alignments in the game. It was released for the Microsoft Xbox in Japan. Although the game was intended to lead into an Atlus-developed MMORPG, the network pack was canceled after NINE was released, which is in part due to how unpopular the Xbox was in Japan. While it generally aligns with the first Shin Megami Tensei game, there are some details that imply this may actually be an alternate timeline without the protagonist or Cathedral.

Plot
The following synopsis was written for if the female character is selected. If male is selected, then Sumire and Baraki switch roles, as do Mubiora and Miranda. The character Seri will change gender to match the protagonist as well but all other events remain the same.

The game begins in 202X, after Ambassador Thorman had launched the nukes in 199X. Since then, the remainder of humanity lives in underground bunkers, occasionally passing the time with a virtual world known as Idea Space meant to replicate Tokyo before the war. While hair and clothing can be changed in Idea Space, changing one's name or face is illegal. Each person in Idea Space has a "Navi" that uses Magnetite to wander around with and explore areas for them as well as help navigate. However, bugs known as "Noise" begin to show up and attack people. Someone attacked in Idea Space is at risk of becoming a "doll" To combat the Noise, the Central Administration that runs Idea Space dispatches "Debuggers" who use multiple Navi in order to destroy or capture the Noise.

Kei Azuma and Sumire go to a concert for the idol Urahime in Idea Space, but while there are attacked by Noise. They are suddenly thrust into the role of Debuggers once the Debugger Seri is injured in the battle. Kei and Sumire are then pressured into joining the Central Administration as Debuggers, initially being given simple jobs like patrol. During these standard missions Kei also meets a young Baraki, who is friends with Kei's younger sister Emi. At home, Kei's mother questions if she should be working as a Debugger, worrying that she'll end up lost like their dad, but ultimately doesn't stop her.

In this organization, the protagonist meets Tsuzumi, the director for the Central Administration, Mubiora, who is Seri's partner, and Miranda. Mubiora gets assigned with Kei while waiting for Seri to recover, however this does not take long, making Mubiora seem a bit sad to no longer be Kei's partner. While continuing to work as Debuggers, the missions turn towards trying to learn more information about the Ring of Gaea, said to be kidnapping children. During the process of this investigation, Mubiora is kidnapped. To try to infiltrate the cult, Sumire, Kei and Seri bring a young Baraki under the guise of offering him as a sacrifice.

In the Ring of Gaea Headquarters, a separate underground area, Seri reveals that she had tricked them and was the one to kidnap Mubiora, already getting ready to send him to the Expanse as a sacrifice. He also reveals the truth that the Navis and Noise are both demons, with the Ring of Gaea intentionally sending uncontrolled demons into Idea Space to try to overwhelm the Central Administration. Miranda breaks in, having trailed them, and after defeating Seri, Kei and Miranda attempt to save Mubiora, and end up falling into the Expanse, which they mistakenly believe is a virtual world created by the Ring of Gaea. There they confront Moloch, to who the children had been sacrificed and Mubiora was about the be sacrificed. After getting through the expanse they come across a giant wall of ice. There, a man calling himself Shiki claims to be an angel that had helped seal Lucifer behind the wall of ice. He then leads the group to a portal to lead them back to Idea Space.

Upon returning to Idea Space they find that they cannot return to the real world through the terminal. While walking Kei is also approached by a girl from the flower shop, handing her the Seed of Sophia, saying it will help her one day. Going to the Central Administration building they see the president of the Central Administration, Ferris, carrying out the crucifixion of Sumire for bringing chaos to Idea Space. The group moves in to rescue her, Ferris having them be attacked by the "replacement for the debuggers" known as Idea Angels. They fight them off and rescue Sumire, who mentions that she hasn't seen them in 10 years, and they can't leave because their bodies are currently in cold storage. She releases them from cold storage and explains that during their time in the Expanse there was a flood that killed a significant portion of the population, though they were protected in the Ring of Gaea headquarters. Also surviving in there are a now adult Baraki, a man named Naitou, and Stephen who appeared through the terminal after the flood.

Baraki wants to go into Idea Space as he had seen his parents go into a strange club. There are also numerous rumors of "Life Ghosts" in Idea Space as they explore, supposedly the data of people who were in Idea Space but are now dead in the real world, meaning they have no real life counterparts. Entering the club, Baraki finds his parents engaging in various kinds of hedonism. Baraki tries to get them to recognize him, but they claim their child died years ago, believing him to perhaps be a life ghost. They then try to make moves on Baraki and Kei who break away and run into the demon Incubus, talking about how Idea Space is filled with lustful desires.

After returning, Sumire invites Kei to discuss with Naitou and try to convince him to join the Ring of Gaea, explaining they found a land called "True Tokyo" on the surface, but are worried that the Administration is hiding something. Regardless of the choice to help or not, Baraki questions if the Ring of Gaea is truly behind the outbreak of Noise. He then confirms with Stephen that the demons are actually attracted to human desires within Idea Space. This makes Mubiora want to investigate further, going into Idea Space to question people but immediately the people they talk to are suspicious of them, believing them to be from the Central Administration. After dealing with them, Shiki appears, giving Mubiora a disc that had been exchanged between Gaians.

Hacking the disc, they learn about an "Information Store" in Roppongi. After an expedition to the Akiba Arena which causes Susano-o to appear from the accumulation of desires for fighting, Mubiora explains that the Life Ghosts are to play a role in diverting human greed to avoid any issues in the real world. Then on the news they learn about the Messian day of worship where the goddess Maria will become reality. Visiting the Cathedral, a hologram of Maria appears. Sudddenly she begins crying a dark liquid and people begin to disappear. In "True Tokyo" people fall over, suddenly dying and decaying into skeletons before disappearing. Tsuzumi appears, declaring that Kei's group are the only remaining humans in the world, and their deaths will bring about the thousand year kingdom.

Naitou appears to help, but after defeating Tsuzumi, it's revealed Tsuzumi himself is an android, so they take the head back to their base to hack into. After hacking, they find some Hebrew letters that were also in the Cathedral where Maria appeared. Mubiora explains that the Hebrew letters spell Miryam, the Hebrew version for the name Maria. But before they can do anything, Ferris finds the base, launching missiles at the underground base and destroying it, with the group only surviving thanks to a makeshift shelter made by Stephen. Stephen then shows them True Tokyo, suddenly populated by people again.

Going to the Cathedral to investigate, they find a Ring of Gaea member attacking a Messian bishop. The group questions how they can be alive, having seen them die, but the two don't know what they're talking about. They also find Emi, still as a young child and not grown like Baraki. Another Tsuzumi android appears to attack, but Mubiora helps them escape through a hidden passage in the Cathedral, promising to come back for Emi. Meanwhile Sumire broadcasts a rogue signal to Idea Space, showing the Android Tsuzumi trying to get the people of Idea Space to question the Administration, but the broadcast is soon cut off.

From here Kei has the choice to follow Sumire to discuss with Naitou more, or investigate with Mubiora. No matter the choice, one of the desire discs is destroyed, making Abaddon appear. Miranda then invites Kei to a facility where they see several humans in pods with black liquid being extracted from them. Then, in a room full of monitors Emi is with Ferris and Miranda, who explain what is going on. The flood 10 years ago had killed all humanity except the few in the Ring of Gaea's base when it happened, meaning that Mubiora, Miranda, Baraki, Sumire, Kei and Stephen are the only humans left (It is implied that Ferris herself is also an android). And everything happening now was devised by a radical sect of the Messians known as the NeoMessians.

The NeoMessians had managed to predict the coming flood, and having felt abandoned by YHVH and no longer willing to wait for the messiah, they decide to set a different plan in motion. They create Idea Space and set the androids and Maria in charge. After the flood, the Life Ghosts are used to extract Idea Energy. This energy is then used along with genomes taken from the people of Tokyo to clone new members to fill True Tokyo. These people and Idea Ghosts are then reset every year on the day of Worship in order to maintain peace where people are not alive long enough to create strife and humanity will functionally live forever. This is their Millenium Kingdom, and the death of the remaining humans outside their system is needed to complete it.

Emi is distraught upon learning what she is. Kei can choose to either end her suffering by killing her, or refuse to do so. Regardless she will disintegrate as she is reset. Miranda then attacks in order to end the protagonist's life to bring about this kingdom, resulting in her death. From here on, alignment effects the choices the protagonist is given, but the following base events will happen no matter what.

The second desire disc is destroyed, Naitou claiming that destroying all the desire discs will free them from the Administration. However, Shiki appears to dispute this. It is revealed that Shiki is actually the fallen angel Sariel, who wants to use the last Desire Disc to free Lucifer from the wall of ice. Naitou meanwhile was the archangel Raguel, sent in order to destroy all the desire discs and as a result finish off the surviving human race and True Tokyo, as the artificial resurrection of humanity is seen as a grave sin. Baraki and Sumire want to free Lucifer and destroy Maria, but Mubiora wants peace at any cost, even if it means this artificial Millenium Kingdom. Baraki and Mubiora will also confess love to Kei. No matter the route both Miranda and Sumire will be killed either by the protagonist or an opposing faction.

In the Chaos ending, Maria is destroyed. The final Desire Disc is used to free Lucifer, who sends Kei and Baraki to fight Yaldabaoth, the form of YHVH having deteriorated and lost power as humanity stops believing in him. After defeating him, Lucifer declares that humanity can now take its steps in a free world not controlled by the Administration. Baraki states that Kei and him are no longer bound by anyone, free to do what they want, then asking where Kei would like to go. The fate of the rest of humanity is not stated.

In the Law ending a demonic Sumire is fought as she attempts to stop the protagonist. Maria is then the one to send Kei and Mubiora to defeat Yaldabaoth and separate humanity from him. Kei and Mubiora then voluntarily enter the artificial Millenium Kingdom under Maria, living there forever being reset.

In the neutral ending, if the protagonist initially chose to follow Sumire and free Lucifer, but then refuses their help, Lucifer and Sumire will be fought. In every neutral route, Maria is also fought and destroyed. In the Dark and Light Neutral routes, the flower shop girl from earlier helps as a human. In the Neutral Neutral route she then reveals herself to be the goddess Sophia, having been cursed to reincarnate as a human for the sin of birthing Yaldabaoth. With Kei being the only true human left, Sophia sends her to destroy Yaldabaoth. After, Sophia tells Kei to spread the knowledge of the Gnostic Savior, as once all of the humans are dead, the universe will cease to exist and humanity will have escaped the material world to rejoin the Pleroma.

Characters

 * Kei Azuma: The protagonist whose name and gender the player selects. The protagonist has a younger sister, named Emi, and they live together in slums with their mother Mieko.
 * Baraki and Sumire: Depending on the Hero's gender, their roles will be swapped. If the player is male, Baraki will be the friend he grew up with and Sumire will be a young girl and Emi's classmate.
 * Mubiora and Miranda: Debuggers working for the Central Administration Bureau in Idea Space.
 * Ferris: Secretary General of the Central Administration Bureau, who controls not Idea Space.
 * Tsuzumi: Chief of the Central Administration Bureau in charge of coordinating and deploying the Debuggers.
 * Shiki: An angel who's lost his power. He seems to be guiding the Hero to something, but his goals are unknown. He's really the fallen angel Sariel.
 * Seri: A debugger from the Central Administration Bureau who is the same gender as the protagonist.
 * Naitou: A preacher who seeks to revive the Ring of Gaea.
 * STEVEN: A peculiar man in a wheelchair.
 * Cute Girl: A cute girl who runs the flower shop in Idea Space's Shinjuku. Her true form is the Gnostic deity Sophia
 * Maria: An artificial goddess who rules over the Idea Space.

Battle System
NINE uses a fully automatic real time system. The player designates tactics for allies to use, and they fight automatically and in real time. The player can also manually give a specific order to be performed one turn before the ally resumes its actions based on its preset tactics. The player can also call on his partner and their team of demons to provide support.

RTS
At certain points in the story, the player will need to try his or her hand at hacking. This is done through an RTS minigame. The icon used to mark the hero is the traditional world map icon from the series.

Jewels
The player will not gain experience. Instead, the protagonist's level is determined by the jewel he or she has equipped. Jewels also have a carrying capacity, determining the number of allies and pieces of equipment the player can wear.

Alignment
The Alignment system is split along two lines; Light-Neutral-Dark, and Law-Neutral-Chaos. Law, Neutral, and Chaos determine the ending, which Light, Neutral, and Dark influence gameplay elements of the RTS mini-games. All of them also have some battle effects and effects on dialogue options.

Staff
As a departure from normal Shin Megami Tensei games, character designs are handled by Yasuomi Umetsu. Demon designs are still handled by Kazuma Kaneko.

Special editions
A limited edition version of the game called Shin Megami Tensei NINE Deluxe Pack was released. The standard and Xbox Collection versions are the same, but of course the Xbox Collection was released at a lower price point. However it's suspected that at that time the standard and even the Deluxe Pack were selling used for quite a small figure. The Deluxe Pack includes the following additional content:


 * Maria figurine
 * C.B.A.S. binder with pages
 * Key holder watch
 * C.B.A.S. ID card

Trivia

 * Shin Megami Tensei NINE has had an English script produced by Alexander Hollins and edited by ggnosis on 31st October, 2018.