Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is the return of a top-class game for new generations and old-timers who want to reawaken their inner demons on newer platforms with some quality-of-life enhancements. It’s a revitalized masterwork full of decision-making in which the only right choice is giving it a chance. In addition, it’s a great starting point for those who want to dive into the Megami Tensei series, which will have new entries soon.

SMT 3 Nocturne HD Remaster is a trip down nostalgia lane, one new and returning players will sink hours into for the full experience. Whether you stick to the main story or chase down every side quest in pursuit of power, you won’t be disappointed.

The subtle mechanical changes make it a better game without fundamentally changing it — which is a great thing because Nocturne never needed to be changed.

The HD Remaster of Shin Migami Tensi III offers a lot of fun, probably paving the way for more games from the series to come to the new generation. That said, no matter how much we love revisiting this beautiful adventure, the pricing and the choice of content of this remaster is just outrageous.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is the definitive way to experience this PS2 classic. The updated visuals, voice acting, and quality-of-life changes make it a must-play for fans both new and returning. There are some heavy and impactful moments of storytelling telling here that have aged incredibly well, with the only downside being not having enough money to fuse demons for a Yaksini or Loki.

Despite being almost 20 years old, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne is still one of the best JRPGs. The deep story and challenging gameplay make a great foundation for this definitive version.

As a remaster, it's serviceable. As a game, it's still great. Some of the quality of life improvements in this remaster make this unique JRPG more accessible to the general audience without losing anything from its PS2 charm. If you want a different kind of JRPG (no heroes, no saving the world), this is your chance.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster brings back one of the most celebrated and beloved entries from the Megami Tensei franchise nearly 20 years after its original debut. The original Nocturne was a heck of a JRPG in its time, and Atlus has now upgraded it with higher-resolution widescreen visuals, richer vocal tracks, and some much-appreciated quality of life upgrades. Unfortunately, it also misses some areas of the game that equally needed touching up (such as the controls and camera), and it’s hard not to feel like the game deserved a full remake rather than just a remaster.

Quotation forthcoming.

Nocturne's PS2 origins are obvious, but players who can get past the intense difficulty curve and barebones plot will find a great RPG that rewards mastery of its combat systems.

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is an apocalyptic blast from the past that goes beyond what we could have hoped for in celebration of the cult classic. This isn’t your typical HD remaster, as Atlus has went back and recorded an astonishing amount of voice work, something that wasn’t even in the game to begin with. They also cleaned up some of the visuals, even though it still looks like something that’s nearly twenty years old. That’s on top of redoing the translation and ensuring we have both Dante and Radiou to choose from recruiting. There are aspects that don’t necessarily hold up today in its combat and exploration, especially considering the maps are linear, but if you’re in it for just the story, you’ll be in for a treat with the new Merciful difficulty. Whether you’re a hardcore fan or a curious observer, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a classic worthy of being in any RPG player’s collection.

The rating you find at the bottom of the article is the result of a balance between the incredible qualities of the original product and a remastered work that is not always in-depth. Is Nocturne: HD Remaster the best entry point for the Shin Megami Tensei saga? Surely. Is this the best result that could have been achieved? Probably not. But the desire for Shin Megami Tensei V has now become irrepressible.

Nocturne was, and still is, one of the best JRPGs coming from Atlus's vault, and surely one to be played by younger gamers. This remaster is not without little faults, but a series of QOL improvements make it palatable even for complete newcomers.

Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne remains a solid JRPG even today, but the remaster could have gone a bit further at this price point.

Nocturne HD Remaster is a great way to enter this incredible PlayStation 2 title: despite some minor improvements on the technical side and a camera that could be reworked better, this game still holds great charm, gameplay and a unique artstyle.

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is less about being a satisfactory remaster and more about just bringing this fantastic JRPG onto a new generation of consoles.

They say that some things never change, and in the case of SMT3: Nocturne, that statement applies 100%. For the most part, this is perfectly okay, the game is a product of its time, and for those looking to crack open the time capsule, either for the first time, or as a returning fan, they’re sure to find something that speaks to them, but given what we’ve seen in the remaster space lately, it’s also hard to not wonder what else might have been possible.

SMT3 Nocturne HD Remaster realises that the less time we can spend with the cobwebs of the past by opting into the new Merciful difficulty, the more time we can enjoy this world and its story anew.

An RPG classic makes its way back to the front lines. Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster has all the bells and whistles that came with the original fan favorite title. The minimal additions that come with this remaster do little to help or hurt the formula. Merciless difficulty drops the challenge too much to capture the game's magic, visuals only offer slight clean-up, and audio is still the same PS2 audio. While the game deserves better enhancements, getting Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne in a more contemporary accessible form is still worth the price of admission.

If you can adapt to its ruthless approach, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a retro JRPG that’s worth revisiting. However, the remastering doesn’t go far enough, leaving PS2 quirks intact.

Unfortunately, this HD Remaster version does not do justice to the original game with a technique that leaves much to be desired. If some additions make the experience more pleasant, such as the presence of a dub, we regret that this release does not take the opportunity to offer a more accessible experience to a new audience. Despite everything, 16 years later, SMT III retains its period charm and will keep Atlus fans waiting before the release of the fifth episode scheduled for this year.