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Learn about the gameplay changes in Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse, including partner assists, the Smirk status, demon negotiation, and Skill Affinities. Your guide to Tokyo's apocalypse!

Alright, let's dive back into the world of *Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse*. This section is all about how things work differently this time around, so pay attention! ### Gameplay Changes First off, you've got a new partner system. Nanashi can team up with seven different characters, each with their own specialty. Keep an eye on that assist gauge at the bottom of the screen – it fills up as your partner acts. Sometimes, saying the right thing during a boss fight can even give you extra assist points! When that gauge is full (it takes eight bars), you'll interrupt the enemy's turn. Your partner will use any healing or buff skills they have, and then you'll unleash a powerful joint attack on everyone. After that, your party might get the [Smirk](https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Smirk "Smirk") status, and the gauge resets. Your partners will also bring their own demons into the fray to help out. Speaking of [Smirk](https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Smirk "Smirk"), it actually makes some skills way more potent. For instance, Light and Dark spells will mostly just do damage, but their instant-kill effect only kicks in when you're Smirking. Even special moves get a boost; like [King Frost](https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/King_Frost "King Frost")'s all-enemy ice attack, [King Bufula](https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/King_Bufula "King Bufula"), will also lower enemy defense when you're Smirking. The demon negotiation system got a bit of a tune-up too. If a demon bails on you mid-conversation, you can talk to them again later, and they'll pick up where you left off instead of making you start the whole thing over. That's a nice little quality-of-life improvement! Lastly, demons can have [Skill Affinity](https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Skill_Affinity "Skill Affinity") stats. These boost certain types of skills, so when a demon uses a skill they're specialized in, it'll be even more effective. Keep an eye on those affinities when you're building your team!