The original Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne earned its reputation as one of the most stylish and unique JRPGs ever made when it released for PlayStation 2 in 2003. Not only did Nocturne introduce to the franchise a third-person perspective and new mechanics that would be maintained for future SMT and Persona titles, but it also tells a dark, gripping story about the end and creation of a new world.
Now, Atlus is finally bringing one of its most important games to modern hardware, with Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster making the Demi-fiend’s story more accessible to old and new fans alike. Following its launch late last year in Japan, the remaster is releasing worldwide this month, and after our preview and additional time playing the game in-full, we can say that this is Nocturne as long-time fans remember it — and that’s for better and for worse.
JRPGs are famous for telling stories about heroes joining forces to prevent larger-than-life villains from bringing about the end of the world, using the power of friendship to overcome the odds and see to it that good triumphs over evil. In sharp contrast to that, Nocturne is a dark, lonely game. It starts out in a fairly normal version of Tokyo, though that quickly changes. Early on, the world is destroyed in an event called the Conception, which turns the city into the Vortex World, a wasteland that the few remaining survivors must navigate as the world nears re-birth.
Because of this, the protagonist (known as the Demi-fiend for being a combination of demon and human) spends most of the game alone. Like in the Maniax version, he is also able to team up with Raidou or, with the DLC, Dante from the Devil May Cry series, though outside of these optional characters, the Demi-fiend only has the demons he recruits to fight alongside him to keep him company. Along the way, he encounters the spirits of the many killed in the Conception, as well as a handful of important NPCs. Using the demonic powers of Magatama, the Demi-fiend must fight to survive while encountering followers of different Reasons who have their own visions of what the reborn world should look like. This results in various endings depending on which Reason they align with or reject.
Nocturne‘s story is just as intriguing as it was 18 years ago, setting itself apart from other JRPGs by telling a story not of good and evil or chaos and order, but of complex ideologies that have their roots in real-world philosophies. Unsurprisingly for a game with such a dark premise, there’s no “correct” answer here. Each Reason has its compelling points and flaws, just like the people who propose them.
As for the remaster itself, Atlus clearly prioritized faithfulness to the original over all else, updating the game’s 3D models and backgrounds enough to make Nocturne appear like what fans may remember the game looking like rather than what it was. In that goal, the developers were clearly successful. However, it’s hard to say that Nocturne: HD Remaster has truly been brought up to speed with modern gaming. After all, a polished PS2 game will still play like a PS2 game rather than a new release.
That’s not inherently a bad thing — the many, many gamers who love retro titles or who were vocally concerned about game preservation when Sony announced plans to close some of its digital marketplaces (plans it later walked back) are a testament to this. In that sense, remasters like this are great because they bring the authentic, old-school experience to more accessible hardware, preventing them from being lost to time. Still, it’s hard to not look at Nocturne‘s price tag — which is just $10 cheaper than a new AAA game on Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4 — and not feel like there should be more.
After all, Nocturne is releasing just a week after Mass Effect Legendary Edition, another remaster, though one that includes far more significant changes to gameplay and graphics. While we often talk about the difference between a remaster and a remake, we often overlook the range within each of those labels.
While there are a handful of quality of life changes, like being able to select specific skills while fusing demons and a Merciful difficulty that makes this famously challenging game much easier, the majority of the game’s systems have remained intact. Nocturne is not a game that reminds you where to go next or gives you clear hints for navigating its labyrinthian dungeons, which could be good or bad depending on how individual players feel about waypoints and objective markers. Still, players should expect to deal with some cumbersome mechanics and menus that, for instance, force you to visit different pages to swap out party members and see their images and stats. Modern games have largely simplified these kinds of things, so seeing them here is as authentic to the original as it is frustrating to players used to things being more convenient.
Ultimately, Nocturne‘s remaster provides a great way to play an iconic PS2 title that fans of edgier JRPGs and more recent Persona games should absolutely experience if only for its historical significance to its franchise and genre. While it’s understandable why gamers may look at the game’s $49.99 price point and expect more from this fairly bare-bones package, what’s present is, at least in itself, worth playing.
Developed by Atlus and published by Sega, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster will release on Steam, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on May 25. It will release early for those who preorder the Digital Deluxe edition on May 21. A review copy was provided by the publisher.
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