We knew that Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster was coming, and now we know exactly when we can explore the game that originally launched on PlayStation 2. That fateful day for the big remaster is May 25, 2021, and the game is coming to PlayStation 4, Switch, and Steam. Yep, Shin Megami Tensei PC fans rejoice! With Shin Megami Tensei V also expected to launch this year, it’s shaping up to be good times for demon collectors.
That’s right, for the uninitiated, the Shin Megami Tensei titles are about expanding a roster of demons, fusing them, and using them in combat. Shin Megami Tensei is, in fact, the parent franchise that gave birth to the Persona series, which eventually outshadowed its progenitor in terms of mainstream popularity. While there are many similarities between the two IPs, including many of the same demonic visages and bizarre deities making appearances, the Shin Megami Tensei series is less about story and relationship building and more about dungeon crawling and system exploitation.
Shin Megami Tensei games force the player to coerce demons to join the team via systems that are more elaborate and odd than merely tossing a Pokeball, including having conversations where the correct dialogue prompts must be entered, bribery, and knowledge of a particular demon’s likes and dislikes. Woo the correct entourage, fuse them together into more dangerous entities, and take on dungeon after dungeon of particularly dangerous fare. In comparison to many other JRPGs, the Shin Megami Tensei titles are often tuned to be on the more difficult end, so prepare to either grind substantially or create blissfully broken demons to fuel your endless attacks. In Shin Megami Tensei games (and Persona!) it’s all about exploiting enemy weaknesses in order to survive.
This time around, the Remaster includes a new difficulty level that’s more appropriate for those that don’t want to deal with the original tuning, allowing players to select the experience that’s right for their level of engagement. Also included is voiced audio, save suspends for convenient play, and of course, remastered 3D models and backgrounds. If you’ve never played a SMT game and you’re a fan of Persona, this might be the perfect opportunity.
