- Publisher: Sega , Atlus
- Release Date: May 25, 2021
- Also On: PC, PlayStation 4
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May 18, 2021Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne was one of the first games I ever reviewed as a game critic, back on the PlayStation 2. I was mesmerised by it then, because I found it to be a deeply challenging, but also deeply rewarding JRPG, and its dark, genuinely adult theme wasn't so common for JRPGs back then. 18-odd years later, my interest in games has shifted slightly, and I'd like to think my capabilities and depth as a critic has matured. However, this game continues to compel me. It is thought-provoking, deeply creative, and a genuinely serious JRPG. Oddly enough, one of the qualities that drew me to the original has drawn me back to the remaster: we still don't get so many of those.
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May 24, 2021Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is a potent mixture of cosmic horror, religious horror, JRPG action, and pitch-black comedy. As long as you’re prepared to embrace your inner monster, it’ll be a hell of a time.
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May 18, 2021This is probably the best way to get into the series, and is great for fans of the original to re-experience this classic as we approach the release of Shin Megami Tensei V. I’ve been waiting for years for the next mainline entry, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m primed and ready now ATLUS, show me what you got.
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May 18, 2021There's nuance to every aspect of gameplay, from the Press Turn battle system to Demon fusion and recruitment. As true in 2021 as it was in 2003, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is nothing short of a must-play RPG.
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May 18, 2021Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a perfect way to live the tale of the Demifiend for the first time, with improved graphics, a dark story with an excellent translation and the chance to play anywhere you like while you meet Raidou or Dante.
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May 18, 2021Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is as great now as it ever was, but doesn't have much new for returning fans.
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Jun 4, 2021Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is a great way to experience one of the best JRPGs of the turn of the century. However, the remastering work leaves a lot to be desired.
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May 19, 2021As far as remasters of 18-year-old games go, it's hard to conjure up an example of a game that does it better than Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster. It was clearly an excellent game back in its day, and it remains so today, with crisp new assets, new voice acting, and a swathe of handy new features to smooth over the bumps of an aging experience. It can be repetitive and frustrating at times, and Sega's DLC offerings can leave a bit of a sour taste in your mouth, but if you're looking for a classic RPG to play, a place to jump into the SMT series, or just a chance to relive your childhood, it's hard to go wrong here. It's not a game you'll want to miss out on.
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May 19, 2021Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a re-release that really does the bare minimum to justify the arrival of such an important title on high-resolution screens. Atlus has decided not to invest further time to improve and modernize the experience, forcing us to recommend the game only to those who do not own it in its original incarnation.
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May 18, 2021SMT III Nocturne HD is one of the hardest games in the Shin Megami Tensei series, which is no small boast, considering how challenging the other entries can be. The remaster could have been improved with some extra QoL features to make the game less frustrating, but the core experience is still great on its own. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is difficult but rewarding, and its strategic combat system, legions of demon allies, engaging story, and its unique world make it worth coming back to after all of these years.
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May 18, 2021Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is an average port of an exceptional title. Despite being almost 20 years old, it's still one of the best JRPGs ever made, and it still stands up favorably to the games that came after it. It's still a PS2 game at heart, but it's a rare one that has aged quite well, so it's still worth playing for the first time even without the comforting glow of nostalgia. Unfortunately, the actual HD upgrade is perfunctory and bare-bones, so what you see is largely what you get. It's basically a way to play Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne on modern systems, and it's good for that. It just could have been more.
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May 18, 2021Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is a beloved game that stands as a core pillar of its franchise history. The wildly popular Persona franchise likely wouldn’t be what it is today without Nocturne’s influence, and as a fan of both series I’m incredibly excited to see this classic title be rediscovered by a new generation. I can’t help but feel let down by the poor audio compression for the soundtrack, but ultimately that was just as much of a problem in 2003 as it is now. This is the best way to play Nocturne, and I think any fan of classic JRPGs owes it to themself to do exactly that.
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May 18, 2021This is a case of Atlus counting on people missing SMT III Nocturne the first time around. It doesn’t do a terrible job of making it accessible and slightly modernizing things. SMT III Nocturne just doesn’t go to the same lengths as, say, SaGa Frontier Remastered. And that’s okay! It doesn’t have to! When one of the original selling points of a game was “featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series” back in the day, being capable and readily available might be enough. After all, it is still telling a haunting story, making you think both in and out of battle. SMT III Nocturne HD Remaster does what Atlus JRPGs do best, and that’s captivate an audience.
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May 18, 2021For fans of the series or those who are already in love with Nocturne, this won’t be a problem. But for newcomers looking to get into the series, I must warn you that there is a pretty high barrier to entry here. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne is still the best of the bunch, and if you’re willing to put in the time to learn its various mechanics, you’ll get a lot out of it. The problem is, that’s a pretty big if.
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May 18, 2021If you're looking for an RPG with deep combat systems and grueling dungeon designs, you'll want to look elsewhere. From a story perspective, though, it’s essential playing if you like RPGs at all. It might not be the most fun you’ll have with an RPG this year, but you’ll probably never forget your time with SMT 3 either.
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May 18, 2021While I wanted more to be added or changed when it comes to quality-of-life features and fixes for Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster, this release is definitely worth your time and it is one of the best RPGs available on Nintendo Switch.
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Nov 25, 2020Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is the welcome return of a PS2 classic. With the addition of voiced dialogue, characters feel better portrayed than in the original. While the high encounter rate and few save points feel inconvenient in 2020, the highly strategic turn-based battles are still as tense as ever.
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CD-ActionDec 7, 2021Storywise, this classic jRPG is more relevant today than it was in 2003, as its tale of global apocalypse turned out to be a quite fitting metaphor for what we have all experienced in the last 12 months. Nocturne’s age is obviously noticeable, but for a game this huge the quality of the remaster is acceptable, even if Atlus’ enormous work only managed to turn the clock back by a couple of years. [07/2021, p.36]
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Jun 8, 2021In contrast to the lighter, peppier Persona titles that Atlus has been putting out lately, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is a more hardcore experience delivering a tactical, in-depth RPG with a unique setting and a presentation that’s been brushed off around the edges for modern players.
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May 25, 2021For lack of a better term, this Nocturne port is a “hardcore” game. The gameplay is dense, repetitive, may be difficult for newcomers to engage in, but ultimately rewarding if time is dedicated to it. This is a smoothed out port of a fantastic PS2 game, but comes with all the troupes and technical limitation of days gone with limited effort to bring it into the modern era. If you are a Persona fan or a newer RPG gamer looking for an intro into the SMT series, you might want to wait until Shin Megami Tensei V. But if you want a dark, punishing, intricate experience and don’t mind the rough edges, pick this one up.
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May 18, 2021When you set aside the little performance issues and the lack of some quality-of-life additions, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is still an excellent dungeon crawler with tons of demons to experiment with and several different endings for hardcore players to find. The game feels like it’s dragging on sometimes by so heavily emphasizing gameplay over story, but when the gameplay is this solid and with the world renewed in HD, it’s not much of a complaint.
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May 18, 2021This is a good remaster that could have been even better. It’s definitely the best way to enjoy it today, particularly if you speak one of the new languages that the game has been localized to.
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May 18, 2021Unfortunately, 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.
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Jun 7, 2021A worth playing JRPG returns with much needed visual enhancements, however, it remains stuck in a bygone era.
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Jun 28, 2021Shin Megami Tensei is back on modern hardware and modern players will have their fair share of problems with it. I’d recommend this only to very patient, challenge-hungry JRPG veterans.
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Jun 17, 2021The same dark and demanding JRPG it was 16 years ago, Shin Megami Tensei III is still a pretty good first entry for newcomers to the license, despite a lazy remaster.
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May 18, 2021Shin Megami Tensei III HD Remaster is indisputably the best way to play this RPG classic, but it’s also rather clear that this nearly two-decade-old game is showing its age. An interesting story, enjoyable combat system, and engaging demon recruitment and fusion mechanics make Shin Megami Tensei III well worth your time, but the dated visuals, poor quality music, and occasionally unforgiving mechanics are hold it back from being excellent. We’d give this a recommendation to both longtime fans and newcomers, but with the caveat that you might want to wait for a sale before snapping this up.
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Ninty Fresh MagazineDec 3, 2021Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne is rereleased as a HD Remaster in all but name. It is still the same great-but- niche JRPG from the past, though. (Issue #4, p.60]
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May 29, 2021Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is an extremely important game that paved the way for the Persona series and other turn-based JRPGs. For that reason, it’s important that we give it credit where credit is due; without it and the SMT franchise as a whole, the genre would look mighty different. Though running around in circles and fighting battle after battle with samey demons can be more yawn than yay, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne is a classic that anyone who values the genre should check out, even if it’s merely to delve into the roots of this complicated, intriguing universe.
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May 28, 2021Adding HD resolution, voice acting and proper localization does not change the fact that Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a product of its time. Be prepared for outdated level design, high random encounter rates and grinding battles in a relentless fashion in an otherwise dark, grim and moody post-apocalyptic Tokyo filled with demons, that engulfs a “catch ’em all” premise of pokemons in need of exorcism and plays like your everyday turn-based jrpg in a dungeon crawling structure.
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May 25, 2021Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster has an intense, philosophical story with intriguing characters and fun combat. Unfortunately, the title definitely shows its age with outdated visuals and gameplay aspects.
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May 24, 2021As fascinatingly unique as it always was but this former PlayStation 2 game is showing its age and while it’s still one of the best JRPGs of its era, it pales when compared to more modern titles.
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May 18, 2021Completionist fans of the series might enjoy playing Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster, but it's an often frustrating and tedious experience due to clunky and repetitive gameplay.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 48 out of 62
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Mixed: 6 out of 62
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Negative: 8 out of 62
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May 28, 2021
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May 27, 2021
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Apr 12, 2022Great RPG but weak port. The game runs great in PS2 but it has a lot of lag in Switch. And it's expensive for a old game