Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 49
  3. Negative: 8 out of 49
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  1. guiletheguiles
    Aug 18, 2021
    8
    I have just finished Nocturne and now I'm looking at the TV, thinking... why the **** did I love this game?
    It's like the game was developed to make you suffer and feel miserable... yet... I just loved it!
    But still, the question lingers. Why did I love SMT3? There are so many bad things in its design! It's just filled with little to major flaws that prevents me from loving it even    I have just finished Nocturne and now I'm looking at the TV, thinking... why the **** did I love this game?
    It's like the game was developed to make you suffer and feel miserable... yet... I just loved it!

    But still, the question lingers. Why did I love SMT3?
    There are so many bad things in its design! It's just filled with little to major flaws that prevents me from loving it even more.

    For starters, the environments may seem pretty at first, but the repetition will get to you and it will feel dull. It's as if they made it on purpose. Claustrophobia is a thing in the Vortex World.
    Negotiating with demons is a pain the ass and the game doesn't even explain it to you. In fact, Nocturne wastes no time in explaining anything. The only reason I got through the game's mechanics without looking for a guide is because this is not my first SMT game.

    And what about the dungeon maps? They're terrible! Again, was it bad design or is the humdrum on purpose? Why not include a mini-map? Why is the encounter rate so goddamn high? Did the Labyrinth of Amala need to be THAT gigantic and confusing? Was it a necessity to make the final dungeon in the game so frustating and clueless? The puzzles are good, but did EVERY dungeon need one?

    And don't even get me started on the difficulty!
    Look, I get it, it's part of the experience and it's in the series' DNA. But SMT3's difficulty is just absurd. Even normal enemies are ruthless! Was it part of its design to make it extremely unbalanced and inaccessible? I see no necessity for it.
    And yes, there's that newly added Merciful difficult, but that just turns it into a joke. It makes Pokémon Let's Go Evee look difficult!

    But even after pointing out a few of SMT3's many flaws, why do I still love it so much? Why did I have so much fun with it?

    Maybe it was the character's design. Every single character, from demon to manikin, they're just VERY well done. Or maybe it's the press turn battle system that just refuses to be boring. Was it Nocturne's thought-provoking intricate writing and social/religious themes that kept me hooked? The minimalistic nature of the game's story and gameplay just hides away a mountain of depth, right?

    It was probably the addictive mechanic of collecting and fusing demons. Maybe the oppressive and lonely atmosphere just talked to me, you know? I mean, the story is immersive and every single ending seems solid enough. Or was it the boss fights that kept me pumped?
    And I didn't even mention how PERFECT the soundtrack is. I could spend days listening to SMT3's ost and I wouldn't get tired of it.

    In the end, I do not know why this game is so lovely. It is unnecessarily painful, but I just keep coming back to it.
    I wouldn't recommend it, though. Unless you really wanna do it...    … Expand
  2. Yazaa
    Jul 6, 2021
    10
    The following paragraph is a post I made for Reddit, so it isn't necessarily a review, but more so a list of things that might be a deciding factor for whether you buy this HD Remaster. in summary it covers topics such as SMT 3 HD vs the original PS2 release, the Dante as paid DLC controversy being not that big of a deal, the uncompressed OST mod for the Switch and PS4 versions, and theThe following paragraph is a post I made for Reddit, so it isn't necessarily a review, but more so a list of things that might be a deciding factor for whether you buy this HD Remaster. in summary it covers topics such as SMT 3 HD vs the original PS2 release, the Dante as paid DLC controversy being not that big of a deal, the uncompressed OST mod for the Switch and PS4 versions, and the Base $50 version vs the Deluxe $70 version . Without further ado, here is the post I made on Reddit:

    Since SMT 3 HD is a lot more expensive than the ps2 version, getting SMT 3 HD over SMT 3 PS2 really comes down to how much worth you value voice acting (that can be set to English, Japanese, or turned off), a suspend save feature, merciful (easy-mode) difficulty, and the optional manual skill inheritance. If you don't know what manual skill inheritance means, it is a quality of life feature exclusive to this HD Remaster that allows you to manually choose which skills a demon that resulted from fusion gets from the demons used as fusion materials. In the PS2 release of SMT 3 the skills were determined randomly with no input from the player. Another thing that may influence your decision to buy the HD Remaster is that they updated the localization for SMT 3 HD to be more accurate and readable in certain places; however, in very specific dialogue lines it adds questionable modern slang. Though, I need to stress that this questionable modern slang is very few and far between, and it may not be that big of a deal to you. Also, something worth noting is the PC and Switch versions of SMT 3 HD have a uncompressed soundtrack mod that is currently in development. You can find this uncompressed soundtrack mod here: https://gamebanana.com/wips/56149 (If the link doesn't work just go to https://gamebanana.com/games/10084 and search for the mod titled "HD Audio for HD Ears").

    Graphically speaking, not much has changed beside a few textures being more HD'er and lighting changes. One interesting thing that doesn't get enough attention is that if you were to play on PCSX2 with a 16:9 patch, the UI elements get stretched (so things like circles become ovals), whereas with SMT 3 HD they redid the UI for the 16:9 aspect ratio.

    If you decide to buy SMT 3 HD, don't buy the $70 deluxe version. The deluxe version is a complete rip-off. It adds 2 grind dungeons that are completely pointless since SMT 3 isn't even that much of a grindy game, and even if you do want to grind, you can just download the free easy-mode DLC and change to that since difficulty can be changed at any point. The deluxe version also adds 2 tracks from SMT 1, SMT 2, SMT 4, and SMT 4 Apocalypse, respectively. This is seriously not worth it if your playing SMT 3 for the first time. On top of that, it is only 2 tracks at a time. The only semi-worth it paid DLC that comes with the deluxe edition is the Dante from the Devil May Cry series DLC, but that doesn't even matter that much because he is replaced by Raidou from Devil Summoner (the protagonist from another game from the MegaTen franchise). Raidou and Dante move-set wise are identical; the only difference that they have is the cutscenes, which doesn't even matter since you can just look up online. It's also worth noting that you can't use both Raidou and Dante on the same save file, without making a NEW GAME. Also, you can just buy the Dante DLC separately if you really want him.

    One more thing, I need to talk about in regards to SMT 3 HD is the fact that the PC version, and only the PC version, allows you to play the original 2003 (previously Japan-exclusive) version of SMT 3 HD. You can view the changes made here. Note that the Maniax version was the version that was released outside of Japan, so basically everything added by the Maniax re-release, the vanilla version doesn't have. Maniax Chronicle was a late 2008 re-release that has all the inclusions of Maniax, but replaced Dante with Raidou. If you are playing on PC and you want all the inclusions that the Maniax Chronicles version has, (which is basically everything Maniax added, but with Raidou instead of Dante) you have to download the free Chronicles DLC, and choose NEW GAME: CHRONICLE when starting the game for the first time. If you don't do this you lose out on all of the Maniax additions and Raidou. Alternatively, you can buy the $10 Dante DLC, which adds the same Maniax additions, but with Dante instead of Raidou. Note that you don't have to do this if you buy the PS4 or Switch version. The Switch and PS4 version automatically has the free Chronicles DLC, and all you have to do is choose NEW GAME.

    Overall, I think SMT 3 HD is the better version, but it really isn't super worth it if you already played the PS2 version. Again, it comes down to how much you value voice acting and manual skill inheritance relative to the price you are paying for the HD Remaster.    … Expand
  3. Sejman22
    May 26, 2021
    10
    Amazing game. One of best RPG ever made. Much better than Persona 3-5. Game its like Pokemon, but u collect demons. Great story, characters multiple endings and very unique dark atmosphere. Music from Shoji Meguro is a masterpiece. If u like Persona, and dont like social / dating sim elements the game is for you !!! And one more thing for new players - play on normal, use only MercifullAmazing game. One of best RPG ever made. Much better than Persona 3-5. Game its like Pokemon, but u collect demons. Great story, characters multiple endings and very unique dark atmosphere. Music from Shoji Meguro is a masterpiece. If u like Persona, and dont like social / dating sim elements the game is for you !!! And one more thing for new players - play on normal, use only Mercifull for grinding. Price in my opinion is not that bad for 200 hours game (0,25 $ per hour game), and u can always buy game cheaper or just wait for sale.

    As for remaster, is not that bad like u think:

    PROS:

    + amazing english and japanese Voice Acting (u can change dubb in any moment in game)
    + manual skill selection in Demon Fusion
    + new difficulty for casuals - Mercifull (u can change difficulty in game in any moment)
    + better graphic and model tekstures
    + no FPS drops in PS4 version
    + better UI
    + Featuring Raidou Kuzunoha from Devil Summoner Series
    + official localization Maniax Chronicle + version in West
    + magic build is buffed
    + new subbs translation for 6 languagues (German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean)
    + suspend Save
    + better controls
    + removed Beast Eye spam in Mot :)

    COINS:

    - some battle tracks are still compressed
    - 3:4 cutscenes
    - no new content and higher difficulty for veterans
    - Dante in DLC (u must pay for license not ATLUS, that sucks)

    OVERALL:

    Game: 10/10
    Remaster: 8/10

    Buy game if u want more ATLUS games on PC and modern consoles.

    IGNORE REVIEW BOMBING FROM POOR BRASILIANS OR RUSSIANS WHO GAVE THE GAME LESS THAN 5/10.    … Expand
  4. trantorian
    May 27, 2021
    10
    Incredible! One of my favorite PS2 games and one of the best JRPG's of all time. Atlus never dissapoint us
  5. Goncalo17
    May 26, 2021
    10
    Review Shin megami tensei hd good skills Hard demons fights demi-fiend very good.
  6. Keiran_Howells
    May 28, 2021
    9
    Great game; its what I wanted. SMT Nocturne on PC. It works well; they didn't add a load of odd features or add parts to make the game really easy (Strange Journey Redux had some of them).

    Nocturne on PC; great game that I can enjoy once again. Hopefully this will pave way for Digital Devil Saga and other SMT games to return.
  7. grimreaper195
    May 29, 2021
    9
    Its more appropriate to say this is a hd port more then a full remake. The addition of voice acting is nice and alot of small tweaks to the battle system make it a much better experience. If you like dark, occult heavy atmosphere rpgs with a nice helping of masochism then this game for you.
  8. Dravenfact
    Jun 26, 2022
    8
    In terms of the actual game, it's amazing, basically the dark souls of rpgs with its many difficult bosses. But as a remaster it's a little disappointing especially with its price, but I still highly recommend checking it out as the story constantly keeps you guessing along with it's great characters and difficult gameplay, it truly is a game worth checking out.

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Best PS4 Game of 2021
29
#29 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 35
  3. Negative: 1 out of 35
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 16, 2022
    80
    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.
  2. GameMAG
    Jun 22, 2021
    70
    Shin Megami Tensei III is the best game in the series, but it deserves more than what this remastered version offers in technical department.
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  3. Cultured Vultures
    Jun 11, 2021
    40
    This game has such a rich history and I sincerely wish this remaster reaches people who appreciate it or who never had access to it before – after buying it on sale, of course.
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