Featuring staff from the Megami Tensei franchise including artist Kazuma Kaneko and composer Shoji Meguro, development took approximately two years.

It changed a number of gameplay elements, introduced further cutscenes, adjusted the music, and added the third-person perspective in response to a common trend in Japan of first-person games causing motion sickness.

[2][5][6] Players navigate linear levels with the selected character, able to interact with certain environmental elements and jump over obstacles or onto higher platforms.

[6][7][8] The player can find several types of items within each level; these include various sizes of life capsules which replenish health, increase attack power for a limited time, and gain PSI points from defeated enemies.

[7] For the remake Maken Shao, gameplay remains mostly the same, but with several added mechanics and a shift to a third-person perspective focused behind the back of the character.

In the world of Maken X, the spirit is a scientifically proven concept referred to as PSI, which arises from a separate dimension and is the source of emotion and sensation.

[10][11] Amid rising tensions and flagging negotiations between the United States of America and the People's Republic of China, the European Union is collapsing due to growing misfortune across Europe.

[11] The central cast are staff at the Kazanawa Research Institute in Japan, which is secretly funded by the Blademasters from a base in China.

Given the default name "Deus Ex Machina", it was developed ostensibly as a means of treating mental illness, but is in fact a weapon for the Blademasters to defeat the Sangoki as it has the ability to destroy a person's Image.

[12][13] Supporting characters include Institute researchers Anne Miller and Peter Jones, Kay's childhood friend and love interest Kou Yamashiro; Blademaster leader Fu Shou Lee, who funds the Maken's creation; and Fei Chao Li, Kay's tutor and the intended wielder of the Maken due to possessing the Blademasters' D Gene.

[12][13] The game opens with the Maken's activation; Kay watches with her father as Fei prepares to wield the sword.

Despite brainjacking Andrey to pursue the Sangokai under Lee's orders, Kay remains tied to the Maken and is in danger of permanently losing her PSI.

During the Maken's journey across the world, it is revealed that the Sangokai—whose members include the current President of the United States—are being influenced by a god-like being of the PSI realm dubbed Geist.

Depending on brainjacking and dialogue choices made by the Maken through the game, several different narrative paths and endings are unlocked.

Another ending sees the Maken allowing Kay to die, taking control of the American President following Geist's defeat.

Another route sees the Maken refuse to follow the Blademasters' orders and instead side with the Sangokai, killing Lee and joining Geist in creating a "utopia" by controlling human thoughts.

The concept for Maken X arose while Atlus was part of the way through developing the Persona 2 duology (Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment) for the PlayStation.

[19] Okada later said that Atlus' main desire when creating Maken X was to develop something new after making role-playing games for most of the company's lifetime.

[19] The main narrative featured multiple references to Chinese mythology, while many of the player characters drew from historical and literary figures from each country the game visited.

A similar set of circumstances led to the wide use of stereophonic sound across the whole game when it was initially planned only for action sequences.

[18] Meguro worked on the soundtrack for around a year and a half, and composed most of the game's music, receiving some concepts for tunes and then being left to his own devices.

[29] While Atlus' earlier Megami Tensei titles were aimed fully at the Japanese market, Maken X had been designed from the outset to have an international appeal.

Due to what were described as "cultural points that could be harmful", the game's graphics were altered for the international release to avoid controversy.

[27] For its European release, DC Studios both converted Maken Shao to PAL region hardware, and localized the game into English.

[46] A novelization titled Maken X: After Strange Days, written by Akira Kabuki and published by ASCII Media Works, was released in April 2000.

[53] The remake Maken Shao received an identical score of 32/40 from Famitsu, which praised the overall gameplay and varied character choice.

"[62] GamePro, however, stated, "While this game doesn't fit neatly into any category – action, fighting, adventure, or role-playing – anyone who likes the idea of a pulse-pounding, arcade-style slasher with sweet graphics will enjoy hacking it up with Maken X.

"[65][d] Nerys Coward of Official Dreamcast Magazine praised the story, calling it "theatrical and intriguing",[1] while in contrast Gantayat felt the storytelling was "poor" and faulted Sega's translation for further effecting it.

[6] Mielke called the gameplay "pretty standard" aside from enemy variety and character options, and noted the light puzzle elements.

[8] Mielke gave particular praise to Kaneko's character designs, and like Coward noted the environments as being free of glitches and running smooth while maintaining quality.