Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne

If you like your RPGs to come with a bit of post-apocalyptic drama, then you might just find that Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is up your street. This release by Atlus first arrived in 2004, though a high-definition remaster was released in 2020 and 2021 for consoles and PC. The game itself puts you in the role of a Japanese high school student in the midst of Tokyo. The student is turned into a Demi-Fiend as the world falls into what is known as the Conception: an apocalypse-level event.

With a deep plot and a unique recruitment system, is Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne a game that holds up well today?

Intriguing story, lacking modern polish

Even if you play the HD remaster of this, please don’t expect to be walking into a game with pristine polish. It’s lacking a lot of finishing touches that we now come to expect, and to be honest the game itself can feel pretty rough. If you can overlook that, though, you’ll be playing a key part of the Megami Tensei series; a game that really wears its heart on its sleeve.

With an engaging story and a unique plot that feels very easy to fall in love with, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne makes it easy to look beyond its basicness in some areas. Gameplay is built around enjoyable AI and combat, as well as going through its labyrinthian dungeons to find gear, build up your characters, and discover awesome content. The game itself offers a very specific challenge, ensuring that you can really feel like you are having to think on your feet. Like most turn-based RPGs from the era such as the Final Fantasy series, battles are all about making smart choices and really using the variety of skills that your party has to overcome the odds.

A unique plot wrapped up in a challenging, if dated, game

So long as you realise this game is a product of its time (even the remaster), you can have a lot of fun with Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. It’s a game that packs in a bizarre, engaging story with a plotline that definitely deviates from the generic and the dull. The battle system is quite polarising; some love the challenge, others find it to be simply to challenging for them to really have any meaningful fun with.

Pros:

• Great plot, very unique for its time
• Rewarding and engaging battle system
• Enterprising story and characters that feel unique

Cons:

• Lacks the polish of modern games – a product of the early 2000s in many ways
• Gameplay can be challenging with a particularly high difficulty curve throughout