Take Her Hand Quest

The very first decision in Shin Megami Tensei V, the “Take Her Hand” choice, profoundly impacts the game’s narrative. This seemingly simple choice dictates the player’s journey through the game’s two distinct story paths: Canon of Creation (CoC) and Canon of Vengeance (CoV). Your decision directly affects which storyline unfolds, altering the characters you meet, the challenges you face, and the ultimate game experience. Understanding this crucial initial choice is vital to navigating the game’s multifaceted narrative and unlocking its secrets.

Canon of Creation Vs. Canon of Vengeance

The CoC path mirrors the original Shin Megami Tensei experience, providing a familiar narrative framework for players. It offers a core storyline and four distinct endings. In contrast, the CoV path introduces a new, unique narrative, with two additional endings, further enhancing the game’s replayability and offering a fresh perspective. While the CoC route is essential for a complete understanding of the game’s history, the CoV storyline is where the new content resides and offers a unique twist on the classic gameplay.

Unlock Superboss and Godborn

• The CoV path includes a formidable superboss encounter, a crucial element to unlocking Godborn mode.
• Interestingly, the path to this superboss isn’t straightforward. Generally, completing the CoC storyline first unlocks the critical elements required to face the superboss in CoV.
• A unique sub-quest, present only in the True Neutral ending within the CoC storyline, acts as a bridge. Completing this hidden quest in CoC is mandatory to unlock the Superboss in CoV.
• This hidden quest effectively serves as a key to unlocking the superboss fight in the Vengeance storyline.

How to Unlock CoV Superboss in One Run

A savvy workaround allows players to engage with the Vengeance superboss in a single playthrough of the CoV storyline, eliminating the need for a separate CoC playthrough. By strategically reloading a save point just prior to the final boss battle, players unlock a hidden quest that leads directly to the superboss encounter. This clever approach bypasses the conventional requirement of completing the True Neutral ending in CoC.

This method, while efficient, might present a challenge for players. Engage in several New Game Plus (NG+) playthroughs to improve your party’s stats, equipment, and skills. This crucial step might prove necessary for players to triumph against this formidable antagonist.

The key to unlocking the superboss in a single CoV run is carefully reloading before the final boss. This allows you to trigger the sub-quest leading to the superboss encounter. Be cautious, however, as under-preparation might result in a challenging fight.

After conquering the superboss, you unlock Godborn mode, and the secret quest within the True Neutral ending of CoC becomes accessible.