Part of me likes how DS2 tried to do something different with the Septentriones and Triangulum. I liked the idea of using stars, but I think the choice of how to adapt them was kind of weak in retrospect. And this design idea, heavily based on the angels from Evangelion, didn't appeal to me at all.
I agree that DS2's scenario was a blast of fresh air. But it's one Atlus probably wouldn't risk these days given they've seemingly moved on from spin-off series and games that are mostly 2D in presentation. It's a shame because the game is still fun, even if the script is a bit repetitive and cliched. The best hope for something similar is if a future SMT were to use an astrological/heavenly bodies theme around planets and their namesake deities (Jupiter/Marduk, Mercury, etc.) and constellations. But this wouldn't leave too much space for the same tired Lucifer/Law conflict that pays the non-Persona bills, so it has little chance of happening. This is why it's such a shame we're losing out on the super low budget spinoffs; what they sometimes lacked in looks, they made up for in creativity.
And I actually kind of like the Star designs, they're appropriately alien, even if they are a bit silly at times.
They really set Devil Survivor 2 apart. Credit to Mohiro Kitoh!
A lot of these from the Triangulum arc I don't think I've ever seen before. Which tracks, considering I never played it. Oh gosh, I think I have a hankering to watch Evangelion all of a sudden. I haven't watched it since 1999, when a high school friend let me borrow his recording of the entire first series on a single extended play VHS tape (I don't recall how this was possible, but it couldn't have been on more than two tapes). To be fair though, I lived in the anime culture epicenter of Otakon during its nascent days in Baltimore, so my friend could have had connections to the fan sub culture/tape sharing of the time. Perhaps someone out there of similar greying age to me could confirm the plausibility of the legendary single Evangelion EP VHS tape. I had a similar experience watching a low quality EP recording of the DBZ Cell saga. I gotta say, I didn't really appreciate either at the time, but in retrospect it's a pretty cool memory, even for a Japanophile like me who rarely watches anime.
