Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster Reviews

This game is absolutely amazing from an SMT fan perspective, that's it, if you haven't played an SMT game before don't touch this until you get at least a feel for how these games work. As someone who has played a bunch of these games on highest difficulty this was the first where I had to set the game to normal just to play, the game is extremely frustrating and unfair (like most SMT games) but delivers an amazing experience of the SMT formula. If you're on the edge about playing this be ready for 90% unfun 10% fun, or just sit this game out until Atlus remakes it. Overall 9.6/10

Really challenging tittle, more for the random encounters than anything else(expands the game time for no reason or grinding issues) it has a really interesting plot and lore. gameplay is fun but kinda fixated on the learned skills so, is not a must but a guide on learnable skills should help building your character since the beginning. Really nice rpg tough hard to recommend

My first experience with Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne was nothing short of mind-blowing. It was the first time I had ever played a game in this genre, and honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect going in. I had heard about the game's difficulty, its dark themes, and its unique turn-based combat system, but actually diving into the world was something else entirely. I still remember the opening, how the world is thrown into chaos, and how I, as the protagonist, was pulled into the midst of it all. The eerie atmosphere, the post-apocalyptic setting, and the deep philosophical questions about morality immediately hooked me. It was unlike anything I had ever played before. The demon fusion system felt incredibly fresh. I spent hours fusing demons, creating new combinations, and experimenting with different strategies. The difficulty was high, but that made every victory feel earned. The turn-based combat was methodical, but there was so much room for strategy, and I loved every second of it. The game's story, with its multiple paths and moral choices, really resonated with me. I felt like my decisions actually mattered, and they shaped the world around me. The characters I met, especially the demons I recruited, felt so real, each with their own motivations and backstories. And the music—oh man, the soundtrack is a masterpiece that perfectly complements the dark, somber tone of the game. I can't believe it was my first time trying a game like this, and I instantly fell in love with it. The challenge, the depth, and the story all combined to make Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne one of the most unforgettable gaming experiences I’ve ever had. I’m definitely going to be exploring more games like this in the future.

holy SHIT I love this game. I've always had a "I'll play a SMT game some time" thought in my head, and when this game came to switch, I thought about it but didn't end up picking it up. I got it from a steam sale and thought "what the heck" but I was not ready to get this involved. The monster fusion system is fun and dynamic, and requires a fair bit of critical thinking to make the best monsters into teammates. I wasn't in love with the recruit mechanic at first, but its so so SO fun now. I'm a few good hours in, sans about 5-6 hours for grinding, and I've been having an absolute blast, especially with limited Persona/Shin Megami knowledge. If you don't know where to start, start here. Strong 8.9/10. The only thing I don't care for is the labyrinthian dungeons. A lot of the time they become samey and confusing in areas, and I would get turned around when in a place where I didn't have a clear place to get to. Honestly, small price to pay to get encounters that'll be good for making my monsters stronger IMO

[h1]Pros[/h1] [list] [*]Player's personal philosophy will determine what reason/ending you will align yourself to [*]Game can be very forgiving or punishing based on difficulty chosen; players can curate a story or combat focused experience [*]Demi-fiend (Player) has lots of combat animations which encouraged me to keep swapping Magatamas [*]Additionally, some animations are so hilariously simple such as when you evade an attack your character just slides to the left [*]Buffing and debuffing are crucial in dragged out fights, the press turn system rewards players that take advantage of using actions on the correct party member [*][b]Dante {Featuring Devil May Cry is in the game}[/b] [/list] [h1]Cons[/h1] [list] [*]Beast Eye -> Buffs up x3 -> Instakill [*]Very little carries over between cycles (NG+), loss of levels, currency, magatama, and all items [*]No auto-save, no retries after defeat in combat [*]Dungeons have many empty rooms/dead space (Mixed con due to it adding to the trial and error process of exploration) [*]Puzzle Boy must be completed in one session to obtain the Magatama (If you quit without completing all 20 stages you must redo them all) [*]Audio quality is so bad that it sounds nostalgic, official OST for this title was not implemented into the game for some reason [*]Hoodie or Jacket option for the first 5 minutes of the game only to be once again shirtless in the next cycle (Rip fashion) [/list]

This game does a lot of things well and some things not so great. On one hand, you have aspects like a very well-crafted soundtrack and atmosphere for the themes and story that are being told here which makes for a standout RPG experience among the sea of them that now exist. Utilizing a dark and brooding atmosphere in tandem with some hard rock tunes is a combination I personally could never get tired of. On top of having a an elemental-esque combat system similar to Pokemon as well as being a monster catcher game as well, you're in for a good time with all that in mind. However, the game has a few flaws of note that hold it back from being a masterpiece which are mostly a result of either this HD remaster in specific being lackluster or the game itself becoming dated in some regards over time. While the combat is very intuitive, you are dealing with random encounters with no way to toggle them off though in game items and demon abilities can help mitigate it. Additionally, the demon negotiation system in this entry specifically is quite brutal as demon allies you try to recruit in battle can be very stubborn and the fact that demons can have or gain abilities to mitigate this is a silly band-aid solution. One other issue the game suffers from sometimes is how, if you don't pay attention carefully to certain NPCs or speak to the right ones, then you just can't progress the game and have to figure out what you need to do next if you glossed over some text. All three of the above issues weren't addressed seemingly at all in the HD remaster this game received with the few features added (being a 'Suspend' save feature and the ability to pick skills demons can inherit in demon fusion) barely doing anything to improve the base package. Despite the detailed paragraph above, I do like the game both in general and as an SMT game a lot and, thanks to this game being as flexible as it is on PC, modding to improve what's there is quite doable. I personally recommend installing an uncompressed music mod and 60FPS mod right away assuming your PC can handle that. Overall, I think this is a great JRPG worth any SMT/Persona fans time though because of the lack of QOL improvements and lack of new content from this remaster in general, I would recommend to wait for a sale to buy it.

Poorly made remaster that has DENUVO. Charging full price for a 2003 game with a retexture is vile. Emulating the original is far more easier and less demanding. Not worth the buy.

looks hella peak, but I can't play said peak because the game won't let me move the fucking character at times

[h1] PSA - Download the chronicle DLC pack before playing! (It's free and is basically the persona Royal/Golden version of SMT 3) [/h1] This game is old, and requires modding to feel playable in current year. Without mods the music sounds like it's one of those [url=https://youtu.be/BUdqgwxFxVo?si=DNpFpYKZFA-e3u1b] highly compressed meme songs [/url], and the framerate is capped at a brutal 30fps. So fix those yourself through mods. Also the minimap mod was very helpful I recommend that. There are great guides for getting these mods running on steam deck and pc. I'm a little upset I missed out on the Maniax/Chronicle whatever bonus, but as of getting the freedom ending I think this game deserves the reputation it has garnered over the years. It's tough as nails, but not impossible. Grinding for levels doesn't really solve problems like most other hard rpgs, instead you have to build a new team and rely on buffs and debuffs in battles since they don't time out after 3 turns like in the persona games. The storyline is wonderfully minimal and lets the atmosphere take the lead. There are a lot of interesting factions with nuanced motivations and the game makes committing to any of them a hard choice since everyone has good and bad motivations. There's no real "right" answer, but you have to pick one and stick with it. The characters are really interesting in how little they interact with you but how big of an effect they have on the world and inhabitants. Overall I prefer SMT IV for having a more detailed and personally involved story, but SMT 3 is equally as successful and effective at what it sets out to achieve. This game is absolutely worth playing but it's not "fun" in the traditional sense. Worthwhile but takes significant dedication to get through. Don't buy this at full price, especially since you have to mod it yourself manually to make it feel like a definitive release. Atlus really should have put more effort into this port, this game deserves more respect for the legacy it has. Took me 56 hours to get to the end on the non chronicle/maniax version (~47 save file time which subtracts game over play time loss). Good game. A work of art, but a tough sell for how (justifiably) difficult of an experience it is to actually sit down and play.

An absolute gem of a game! This is THE RPG game that has kept me coming back since the original release in 2003 on the PS2. And on PC, mods make it VERY fun!