New Combat Interface
The amount of mechanics you can use in combat has grown quite a lot, so the game has moved to a list-based menu, similar to the one found in Shin Megami Tensei 5.
Weakness Seeking
Weakness searching has been built into the new UI by default, and works on enemy inspection.
- When you are using or inspecting an ally unit, a notification will appear on skills that can hit an enemy weakness.
- When you are inspecting an enemy, a notification will appear on skills that can hit an ally weakness.
Guarding
Units can now use their turn to Guard for 1 Crystal, until the start of your team's next round.
While Guarding, all damage taken is reduced by half, and you have no weaknesses. If you use a Skill, you stop Guarding. Enemies can also Guard.
Pandemonium Mode
A new Malice modifier called Pandemonium has been added.
While active, enemies can spend their turn gathering Magatsuhi Demonic Energy. When their next round starts, Pandemonium begins. During Pandemonium, all damage against allies counts as a Weakness, and all Skills used by enemies are Efficient (meaning they always refund Crystals).
The music will change when enemies gather Demonic Power, and again when Pandemonium begins.
Elite Unit Essences
Enemies in Elite & Boss battles now have Essences on them by default, giving them new skills. This means each boss fight now comes in a large variety of different flavors depending on how Essences get rolled.
Mechanical Changes
Fading Crystals (Press Turn)
When you hit a weakness or use an Efficient skill, you will now always turn any available full Crystals into Fading Crystals, before spending any existing Fading Crystals.
This means it now works the same as mainline Shin Megami Tensei titles, whereas previously it worked the way it does in Shin Megami Tensei: Dx2 (the gacha game).
Passing always worked this way, meaning you no longer need to remember 2 different rules for 1 mechanic, as they are now the same.
Combat Summoning
Previously, only the protagonist could use their turn to spend 1 Crystal swapping party members. Now, all allies can do this, allowing much more freedom to do unit-swap combos. It still costs a full Crystal, not half.