Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster review

Our Verdict

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is mostly for the diehard Atlus and JRPG fans.

For

• Runs smoothly
• Campy sense of humor
• Preservation of an older game

Against

• Relentless difficulty (on Normal)
• Clunky interface
• Persona fans may exist disappointed

Tom's Guide Verdict

Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster is more often than not for the diehard Atlus and JRPG fans.

Pros

• +

  Runs smoothly

• +

  Campy sense of humor

• +

  Preservation of an older game

Cons

• -

  Relentless difficulty (on Normal)

• -

  Clunky interface

• -

  Persona fans may exist disappointed

I actually wanted to love Shin Megami Tensei Three: Nocturne HD Remaster: a re-release of the 2003 Japanese roleplaying game (JRPG) on the PS2. That said, I approached it as a fan of developer Atlus' more than modern games: Persona v and Persona iv: Golden. This is no Persona game, even though it shares some of the same Dna.

While Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster has some of the same plough-based, monster-fighting structure of the more recent Persona games, it's lacking a bit of Persona'due south amuse. That'due south non necessarily a bad thing. Every bit I'll explain in this Shin Megami Tensei Three: Nocturne Hard disk Remaster review, the bigger problem is that it'southward a punishing game (even on Normal difficulty), and does footling to assist the gamer. Consider information technology Persona 4 and 5's goth cousin — 1 that doesn't actually care if it'south the life of the party or not.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster review: Story

(Prototype credit: Atlus)

I didn't expect SMT III to be a lot like a Persona game, simply it did get out me longing for the streets of Inaba and Yongen-Jaya. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne begins with your character exploring a creepy hospital, and so the world seemingly falls autonomously. Tokyo goes full Inception, with the plates of the planet seemingly folding in on themselves. This is something called The Conception: an apocalyptic calamity triggered by a demonic cult holed up in the basement of an abandoned hospital. The game gets really dark and spooky quite rapidly.

While yous take friends at the starting time of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, they don't join your quest, which may exist confusing to Persona fans such every bit myself. Instead, you fight on your own, and later recruit monsters to fight alongside you. Gone is the party-based camaraderie, replaced with a weird and unique sense of sense of humor where monsters barely talk in English language, and mostly growl.

(Image credit: Atlus)

That said, I credit the translation and localization work that went into Shin Megami Tensei Iii: Nocturne HD Remaster. While the game seems weird at times, that never appears to be a mistake.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Hd Remaster review: Gameplay

SMT3 is hard. Near mercilessly so. I played enough of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster (on Normal) to realize that I'd probably want to go dorsum and gear up the game on Merciful if I wanted to finish information technology without wasting a lot of my time. I don't say "wasting" lightly. Even early on in the game, I constitute that battles only would not end, with new enemies constantly respawning until I died. Atlus has added an easier Merciful mode via free DLC, which is dainty to have.

(Image credit: Atlus)

Building up my political party of demons and monsters — an essential job, equally I could not last long with just i grapheme — was also tricky, equally the game doesn't really walk you through the agile recruitment procedure. If you lot don't realize that the Hero (and just the Hero) has a Talk command (buried in menus), you'll rely on monsters volunteering to join you, which is especially rare. Recruiting monsters can exist pretty annoying, equally they will often demand a lot of treasure, and still walk away once yous give it to them.

If you don't put some endeavour into figuring out what's going on, Shin Megami Tensei Iii: Nocturne HD Remaster will punish you accordingly. Heck, information technology volition fifty-fifty boot your butt for fun, such as when the Angel monster casts the Hama magic spell, on you. While this spell'south success rate isn't high, it's an insta-impale assault, which ever feels unfair. That's non a criticism of difficult games. The Dark Souls games are hard, but fair. SMT3:Northward, though, just seems like it's out for revenge.

(Image credit: Atlus)

The interface is a flake obtuse, and you'll need to talk to everyone to figure information technology all out. For example, you'll probably stare at the Kagutsuchi moon phase counter in the summit left corner for a while before you understand that it correlates to treasure, fusions and more.

Shin Megami Tensei Iii: Nocturne Hard disk Remaster review: Graphics and operation

The Shin Megami Tensei Iii: Nocturne Hard disk drive Remaster ran perfectly on the PS5, which it should, since information technology was a PS2 game originally. Its truly depression-fi visuals — the world map may remind y'all of the game of Life, moving a peg effectually a map — are a big reminder of how bones games had to look in the PS2 era. The underworld'southward visuals — a agglomeration of ruby-red dots flowing through the floor — don't tax the arrangement much at all. Still, information technology's squeamish to see older games kept alive.

(Image credit: Atlus)

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster review: Verdict

(Image credit: Atlus)

Later on dying a lot in the early on hours of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster, I can say with some confidence that it'southward a game or diehard Atlus and JRPG fans. The folks who loved Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal and need more than of Atlus' magic, even if it'south non equally polished, may as well enjoy information technology. The master takeaway from this Shin Megami Tensei Iii: Nocturne HD Remaster review should be that Atlus has done a expert thing here. Keeping its back catalogue in apportionment, without the demand for retro consoles and emulation, is a good thing. I simply wish the game weren't expressionless set on killing me.

Henry is a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past half-dozen-plus years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/shin-megami-tensei-iii-nocturne-hd-remaster

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