Back before the Persona series took off and put Atlus on the map, they used to make rather grim and difficult JRPGs. Nocturne, the third numbered title in the Shin Megami Tensei series, has always had a lot of meme support from diehard fans. It’s been rereleased with a new coat of paint on modern platforms but is pretty much unchanged. I’ve been really looking forward to this one: Was Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne Worth It?
Table of Contents
Background
This game originally dropped back on the PS2 around 2003. It would get a couple updated versions that added more content. For example, this was the game that originally boasted this sticker:
Nocturne has been remastered in the Unity engine and rereleased with all the previous content. Important note regarding Dante – you can choose him or Raidou for your playthrough, but not both. They also released some paid grinding DLC for money and EXP, which can help if you’re having a hard time, but isn’t mandatory.
This game uses the Press Turn system, which also appears in both versions of SMTIV as well as the Digital Devil Saga titles. The central conceit is that by attacking an enemy’s weakness or striking a critical hit, you can gain additional turns. However, the defender can make you lose turns by nullifying your attacks through shields or resistances. You have to play safe with attacks, especially when fishing for weaknesses against enemies, as an unlucky spell could mean that your turn is over prematurely. It also means that enemies can reliably strike your weaknesses for extra turns.
Another hugely relevant caveat to this game is that it’s dated. Some remasters will change mechanics or update parts of the game to make it less frustrating. This isn’t the case with Nocturne. Sure, it’s been cleaned up, but it largely plays the same and everything from the original game is here, for better or worse. Yes, that even applies to features like Puzzle Boy.
What does it do well?
The atmosphere is great and the plot grips you from the get-go. This isn’t a game that takes a while to rev up, it plunges you into the thick of it right from jump street.
One change that they did implement that is a huge quality of life feature is being able to choose what skills your demon inherits during fusion. That change alone will greatly cut down on the frustration when you’re trying to build a demon crew to back up your demifiend.
What could it do better?
This is an awkward question to answer. I specified above that they didn’t change anything about the game when they remastered it. They’ve also made multiple successor games in the franchise that have improved some of the pain points of this game.
If I were to hammer on some of the more annoying parts of this game, it be the following:
- Optimal character builds are limited
- You can’t relearn magatama skills
- Some stats are underwhelming or useless
- Certain dungeons are frustrating as hell
I know that the game’s difficulty has long been a point of contention, but that had more to do with the game being different from standard JRPG fare at the time. Nowadays, Nocturne’s mechanics are thoroughly understood: concepts like buffing, debuffing, and demon fusion are much less foreign.
Is this a good entry point into the series?
If you want to get into the Shin Megami Tensei games, this is a good place to start. It will prepare you for some of the older titles like Digital Devil Saga, and newer titles like SMTIV or SMTIVA will seem downright refreshing in comparison. You can also check out the Persona titles. However, you should be aware that there is a stark contrast in tone between newer Persona titles, specifically 4 and 5, and this game.
Many of the demons tend to pop up repeatedly in the various games, so it doesn’t hurt to familiarize yourself with some of the series regulars.
Is it fun?
I enjoyed the game from the very start and was hyped for the remaster. However, I do acknowledge that there are parts of the game that can be annoying.
Value?
The game is certainly long enough, though if we’re being realistic, the encounter rate is probably a big part of that. The asking price for the remaster was $49.99, but I’ve already seen sales on it, and both the Switch and PS4 versions are already listed for 39.99 on Amazon. The original was available on the Playstation Store as a PS2 Classic, but that option won’t be available forever. Emulation is also an option, though I myself have no experience with emulating PS2 games.
Was Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne Worth It?
If you’re interested in this legacy title, there’s no better time to try it. I’m hopeful that other older titles like Digital Devil Saga will get the same treatment. I enjoyed the game, and I think Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne was worth it.
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