10 Things We Wish We Knew Before Starting Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne returns with an HD Remaster. But new players and Persona fans might need these tips before playing.

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Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne originally hit Japan on the PS2 in 2003 while the North American launch wasn’t until 2004. It’s been almost two decades since this launch, so fans might be wondering what has changed for this remaster. The most obvious answer is that the visuals look much cleaner now in HD.

Atlus also added a new difficulty to help out players not as well accustomed to this series as much as Persona. That is to say, the main series has always been darker, more obscure, and more challenging. One other big addition was a revision of the original translation along with voiced dialogue for the first time in both English and Japanese. Besides these upgrades, what else should one know about this RPG experience before starting?

10 Get The DLC Before Starting

There is some day one DLC worth picking up. The first is the Merciful DLC which adds in an “easiest difficulty” because the standard and hard modes are very tough. That’s the staple of the series though.

The other free DLC is called Maniax and it changes the guest character in the game from Raidou Kuzunoha from Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon to Dante from Devil May Cry.

9 Your Character’s Canon Name

If one was curious if the main character has a name, he does: it’s Naoki Kashima. This was revealed in a drama CD that released after the game’s success. This practice is fairly common in Japan.

Of course, it isn’t necessary to name him that as it doesn’t really add anything to the game’s story. It’s just a bit of trivia for those who care and it’s nice that the developers included it.

8 The Differences Between Shin Megami Tensei And Persona

This is the first mainline Shin Megami Tensei game to hit consoles since Persona really took off in the West. Basically, this means post Persona 3 or Persona 4 Golden on PS Vita.

Both games share many similarities such as adding demons to one’s party. They’re also turn-based RPGs. This game, in particular, has a much darker tone and prioritizes gameplay first with story second. That is the opposite of how Persona games roll.

7 Your Party And Recruiting Monsters

On the subject of recruiting monsters, it should be noted that they are the only party members one gets through most of the game. It’s not specifically told in a tutorial, but on the main character’s select screen during battle, players can move right or left to bring up different menus.

One of those options is “Talk” which is how one gets a demon to join the party. At max, four team members can be in the field at once.

6 Have Backup Demons And Healers

If a demon falls in battle, it can be replaced just like in Pokemon. That’s another hidden option from the player’s side menus in battle. So it’s always a good idea to have backup demons waiting in the wings.

There should also always be a demon around that isn’t ready for battle, but is set up with treatment spells such as healing. It’s similar to having a Pokemon with lots of HMs hang out in a party.

5 Talk To Everyone

This is an old-school RPG in terms of difficulty and obtuseness. The game will not hold the player’s hand in terms of what to do next. There is no guiding light or quest marker in other words.

That’s why it’s important to talk to every NPC and to listen to what everyone has to say. It’ll make getting to the next story beat easier.

4 Candelabrums And The Optional Dungeon

There are optional bosses in the game called Fiends. Each Fiend holds a special candelabrum that the mysterious man in the wheelchair wants returned.

The first Fiend, Matador, isn’t optional, and defeating him unlocks the quest and optional dungeon of the Labyrinth of Amala. In order to get one of the better endings in the game, all candelabrums must be returned. If the in-game text pops up and says one is nearby, pay attention and start looking for it.

3 No Equipment But There Is Magatama

Unlike most RPGs, this game has no equipment of any kind. There is instead a system called Magatama which acts kind of like Materia in Final Fantasy VII or like a class.

Equipping one will change stats and will unlock new abilities as one levels up. If one sees a Magatama bead in a marketplace, always buy it no matter what.

2 Choose Your Skills During Fusion

Like the Persona series, this game also has fusing techniques. However, unlike those games that ask the player upfront which abilities to carry over, this game chooses automatically. At first glance, it may seem like that is the only option.

However, at the bottom of the screen is a list of button prompts and one of them resets all skills. This allows players to directly choose their desired features. Don’t miss out.

1 Be Careful About Demons Evolving Their Own Skills

On the subject of skills, when demons level up, they can sometimes ask players permission to change their skills. On the plus side of this, these changes can evolve standard spells into more powerful ones like Dia changing into Diarama.

On the bad side, they can change spells into completely random ones. For some players, it might be better to just always refuse them. If a demon wants to evolve itself, by all means, allow that process to continue though.

Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/shin-megami-tensei-iii-nocturne-hd-remaster-before-you-play/