Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a jRPG developed by Atlus and published by SEGA. It's a remastered edition of the third installment of the SMT franchise, where the player controls a nameless protagonist fighting against monsters using turn-based RPG mechanics. The HD Remaster retains many of the original's gameplay features, including the party-building system of negotiations and Press Turn combat system. Both the original and the remake were met with a positive critical reception.
Story
The game is set in modern-day Tokyo, which had become a wasteland after an event dubbed the Conception, which reduced the city to a wasteland locked within a sphere of dark energy, haunted by demons and godlike beings. The protagonist of the game, referred to as Demi-fiend, wakes up in this wasteland bestowed with powers granted to him by his friends. Together they embark on a journey to make sense of the events that unfolded before them and hopefully return the world to its rightful state.
Shin Megami Tensei 3 Gameplay
SMT III Nocturne is a turn-based role-playing game in which the player builds a party and explores leveled dungeons, encountering and defeating enemies along the way. Like in previous Shin Megami Tensei games, the player character doesn't deal damage themselves, sending in the monsters that have joined their side instead. The game features a level-up system, which rewards the player's victories with experience points. Acquiring enough of them raises the level of the character's party members. The player can customize the stats of the main character, distributing points to several categories.
Return of the Press Turn Battle System
SMT 3 Nocturne utilizes a unique combat system. Press Turn Battle allows the player to win additional turns during the confrontation by landing successful hits and exploiting enemy weaknesses. During these extra turns, the player can perform any action they can normally. However, there's a catch - should the player miss or their attack be blocked, the enemy party gains an extra turn, one of each misstep. This adds a new level of strategical planning to the already complex combat.
Demonic negotiations
An important aspect of Shin Negami Tensei III is a system of negotiations. During the combat, the player can talk to the enemy demons and convince them to join the player's party. There are few ways in which demons can be enticed to defect to the player's side - the player's combat skills will sway some, while others will ask questions to which answers will determine their decision. Choosing a wrong answer or having the negotiations interrupted results in an immediate failure to recruit the demon to the player's party.
Reception
The original Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne was met with positive reviews from the critics. Among others, the reviewers praised the game's story and setting, as well as the complex gameplay mechanics.
Key features
- Explore the post-apocalyptic Tokyo, overwhelmed by demons
- Embrace your powers and use them to stop the forces of evil
- Recruit your party and use their skills in turn-based combat
- Use the mechanics of the Press Turn battle system to gain the upper hand over the enemy
- Draw your opponents to your side using the Negotiations system
