Alter-World

The Alter-World is a gameplay mode in Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2.

Overview

The Alter-World is the continuation of the events of Chapter 7 Alternate, though it is unlocked as soon as the player completes Chapter 3. The Alter-World is comprised of three gamemodes: Quest, Tokyo Abyss and Battle Tower.

Quest contains the main story of the Alter-World. It is divided into seven areas, each with 5 parts and one extra battle, and each corresponding to one Attribute: Devastated Yotsuya, Scorched Akihabara, Flooded Shinagawa, Blasted Ueno, Thunderous Azabu, Blazing Yoyogi and Vengeful Sugamo. It also contains the Demonite Mine.

In all Alter-World gamemodes, the protagonist is a playable party member alongside three of their demons; they can be equipped with Armaments to modify their characteristics, switch between six styles to change their base stats, and always moves first in the party. No Dx2 abilities are available, including the protagonist's. Additionally, the player will lose the battle if the protagonist dies.

Battle in the Alter-World Quests functions under the Break System. The enemy party starts with a barrier that reduces all incoming damage until it is broken, at which point they take full damage from their weakness. The barrier is broken via the Overbreak Gauge, which starts at 0% and increases or decreases according to certain actions. Once it reaches 100%, the party recovers 10 MP and the enemy turn instantly ends if it was their turn. The gauge will remain full for a number of actions, where each living unit in the player's party contributes 2 actions. Once that many actions have been taken, the gauge will partially deplete and the barrier will reform. The capacity of the Overbreak Gauge (that being how many points are required to fill it to 100%) is higher on later Quest stages. Some skills function differently under the Break System; notably, Pierce nullification effects do not work.

The Overbreak Gauge fills with the following actions:

Inflicting damage to enemies: fills by the amount of damage dealt.
Resisting incoming damage: fills proportionally to the amount of damage reduced.
Nullifying incoming damage: fills by 500, once per attack.
Enemy attack causes Press Turn loss: fills by 250 per Press Turn lost.

The Overbreak Gauge depletes with the following actions:

Party member dies.
Weakness to incoming damage.
Exhausted all Overbreak actions: depletes to 50%.

Additionally, Quest enemies have unique characteristics. All of the active skills in an enemy party are of the same Attribute, and every enemy has the corresponding "Affinity Shift" Passive, granting them a weakness to their own Attribute and resistance to all other damage. Every enemy also has Karn Break and an "Overdrive" Passive, which changes their basic attack to target all enemies and inflict damage of their Attribute.