Persona is one of the most beloved RPG series these days, but its parent franchise deserves just as much attention. Shin Megami Tensei began on the Super Famicom, although there were two Megami Tensei games on the Famicom based on the novel Digital Devil Story, from which the entire franchise derived. The series remained Japan only for a while but starting with Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, the main series began to see western releases. While Shin Megami Tensei I has received a localized mobile port for iOS in recent years, Shin Megami Tensei III remains a point where many came on board with the series.
Shin Megami Tensei is a turn based RPG with monster collecting mechanics, but with the monster collecting being done by making pacts with demons ( gee, I can’t imagine why the series was not released in the west when it first came out). Shin Megami Tensei III actually handles the demon pacts slightly differently, since you are playing as a half demon in this game, so it is not exactly indicative of the rest of the series. Shin Megami Tensei III is also bit different in general from the rest of the series and that actually makes it easier for newcomers to get involved.
The story of Shin Megami Tensei III involves an after the end scenario where an apocalyptic event known as the Conception has happened and numerous figures are now trying to influence what will happen in the world to be. I will not give spoilers on the story, but there are multiple routes you can take narrative-wise and multiple endings you can get. The story is one of the best parts of a Shin Megami Tensei game and I do not wish to spoil it here for anyone, as it should be experienced in full.
The games in the series are along the lines of dungeon crawler JRPGs, and as mentioned, your party will grow via making deals with demons. Your character, the Dem-fiend, will have to negotiate smartly with the demons to get them on your side, but be aware of the cycle of the Kagutsuchi’s power. This functions like a phase of the moon and has different effects at different times. At full power, demons cannot be negotiated with and must be fought. Some demons will also transform ( yep, they evolve) as they grow in power and you can fuse demons as well to get new ones. At full Kagutsuchi, you can even sacrifice a demon for a more powerful fusion, but that can also result in a different demon altogether and there is more you can do also.
While the rest of the mainline games will have the human protagonist use weapons while the demons use magic, Shin Megami Tensei III does something else. Magatama are objects that will grant the Demi-fiend different skill sets, as well as new strengths and weaknesses. These are key to making it far in the game, and you will want to explore as many different Magatama as you possibly can. Some abilities can only be obtained via certain Magatama and these skills are essential for fighting bosses.
This is not a simple attack and be done with it RPG either. Soon into playing, you will encounter bosses that require a lot of strategy and you will learn to rely on buffing your party and de-buffing your enemy. Relying solely on attacking and healing will only result in you getting killed very quickly and a game over resulting. Take the time to learn the game and the mechanics though, and you will do just fine. If the game is too hard though ( and Shin Megami Tensei games are well known for their difficulty), then you can try the “Mercy” difficulty that will act as an easy mode. You will get more XP in this mode after battles, and do way more damage and this mode can be toggled on or off at will when you play. Of course, Hard Mode is available for those wanting even more of a challenge.
Everything from the previous releases of the game is here, and while Raidou is the default guest character, Dante from Devil May Cry is available as well as optional DLC for those who want him back instead. Otherwise, there are a number of smaller quality of life improvement as well, including full English and Japanese voice acting ( and yes, they work around the player chosen names). Other QoL changes are the previously mentioned ability to change difficulty at any time, a “Quick Resume” function, where you can quit the game and then resume right where you left off. The ability to choose skills during fusion and simplifying random skill selection as well, were added in a patch. Dante has complete skill parity with Raidou and there is now new dlc for EXP and macca grinding as well as SMT I, II, IV, and IV:A music tracks added as DLC.
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocture HD Remaster is a fantastic package of a classic game and is a great way to experience the game again or for the first time. If you have played a Persona game and want to see that series’ parent franchise, or have played the latter Shin Megami Tensei games on 3DS and want more, this is a perfect game for you. With all the tweaks and additional dlc, this HD remaster is the definitive version of the game and has everything you could want. The gameplay is intense but fun for JRPG fans, and there is a great narrative as well. The game can be frustrating sometimes with figuring out what you are supposed to do, but very rewarding when you do figure things out.
In conclusion: I fully recommend checking out Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster as it is a fantastic experience no matter the system you play it on and you will have many hours of enjoyment from playing this and even more if you choose to get all of the game’s dlc.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided