Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei series
started out as an obscure series of dungeon-crawlers, and while they were
popular in their native Japan, they didn’t initially catch on overseas, with
only a couple of shoddily-translated spin-off titles making it over here. That
all changed with the 2003 release of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, the third
entry in the “main” SMT series. This is the game that, for lack of a better
phrase, started it all, a high-quality RPG that would set the stage for Digital
Devil Saga/Personas 3 and 4, and would establish Shin Megami Tensei as a
shining beacon among its contemporaries. The question is, does it still hold up
today?
STORY
The MegaTen games are known for
their dark and twisted storylines, that tackle mature themes most other gaming
franchises shy away from. Nocturne is no exception, and it provides one of the
most unique narratives in gaming. Your character is a Japanese student who is
off visiting a sick teacher. Along the way, he hears rumors of the Conception,
an apocalyptic event that will somehow usher in a new world. Shockingly, these
rumors turn out to be true- within minutes of his arrival at the hospital, the
Conception reverts the world to a primordial state- a ‘Vortex World’ inhabited
by demons. The main character survives the Conception and discovers that he has
gained demonic powers, as well as the ability to recruit demons to fight with
him. What follows is a war for Creation, because whoever triumphs in the Vortex
World will have their desired philosophy, known as ‘Reason’, create the
foundation for the new world. The Demi-fiend will play an integral role in
deciding how the new world will take shape, but there are many forces who seek
to use his power to their own ends… including a mysterious old man in a
wheelchair, who may know the truth behind it all.
As evidenced by the preceding
paragraph, Nocturne tells a story steeped in religious and philosophical
themes. The idea of choosing the philosophical direction of the new world after
the old one is destroyed is very intellectual stuff, and it provides a very
unique focus for the story. The actual ‘plot’ (i.e., events that take place in
the story) is somewhat lacking for the early parts of the game, and fans of
more recent entries in the series (particularly Persona 3 and 4) may be put off
by the lesser focus on character interaction in the story. However, Nocturne
more than makes up for it later on, where the various philosophical points of
each Reason begin to come to a head, and it is up to the player to decide
which, if any, is worth siding with. There is also a lengthy sidequest,
revolving around a semi-optional dungeon known as the Labyrinth of Amala, where
further plot information (including the identity of the wheelchair-bound man
and the truth behind the Vortex world) can be found, as well as a path to a
sixth “true” ending.
GAMEPLAY
The basic gameplay of SMT: Nocturne
is, of course, that of a console JRPG, with turn-based combat and an overworld
to explore. The player will traverse the overworld via a small icon, and upon
entering a new location, the game will switch to a third-person view (a first
for the main series of Shin Megami Tensei, which up until then had been
first-person dungeon crawlers). Even in most towns, random encounters can still
occur, so the player has to keep on their toes. The game definitely places an
emphasis on dungeon crawling and exploration, which is both a positive and
negative trait, as sometimes it can be difficult knowing where to go.
Nocturne has gained something of a
notorious reputation for its difficulty. A large part of this, I feel, stems
from our collective unfamiliarity with the series at the time of this game’s
release- not knowing what to expect from the MegaTen series, Nocturne would
have come across as more difficult when fans of other RPG series gave it a
whirl. That’s not to say the game is actually easy, because it most definitely
isn’t. Like the other games in the
series, Nocturne requires a good deal of patience and some trial-and-error in
order to see the game through to the end. It’s not “Demon’s Souls” levels of
hard, but the game is still quite strict.
This game did give the player a
very powerful tool to help them on their way, however, by introducing a
mechanic that would come to be a staple in the series- the Press Turn battle
system. Like in many other RPGs, most enemies have weaknesses to different
types of attacks. Nocturne rewards players for hitting these weaknesses by
giving them an extra turn to attack. If an attack is absorbed or actually heals
an enemy, then turns are lost. The trick is that enemies can use the same
tactics on you, so it’s important to have a party that is best suited you each
given area or boss fight. This where trial-and-error lends itself to combat, as
most bosses will wipe the floor with unprepared players, requiring them to step
back and figure out how to best take down the boss. Of course, there are
alternatives to combat, as nearly every normal enemy can be negotiated with, in
order to get them to join the party.
Another unique element in Nocturne
is the character progression system. Both the main character and his demons
level up and learn new skills, but what skills the main character learns are
determined by what Magatama he has equipped. Magatama are insect-like creatures
that serve as the catalyst for the Demi-fiend’s demonic power. By ingesting
different Magatama, new elemental immunities and weaknesses are obtained
(making Magatama instrumental in different boss fights), and different skills
can be learned when leveling up, offering the player a good deal of
customization when it comes to their character’s skillset. Of course, Demon
Fusion returns as well, enabling the player to combine new demons into more
powerful ones. Depending on the phase of the moon (an in-game timer) and what
Magatama is equipped, the fused demons will be able to inherit different skills
or more power, making timeliness something to consider when fusing demons. It
is much more important to use this system properly than it is in games like
Persona, since some bosses will require a very specific party in order to
defeat them.
PRESENTATION
Nocturne is one of those PS2 games
that have aged remarkably well. It utilizes the same engine as Digital Devil
Saga and P3/P4, resulting in a crisp and clean looking game. Some of the areas
and dungeons may suffer from some rather simple geometry, but the unique art
style and design of everything is more than enough to give Nocturne some visual
flair. Of course, Shoji Meguro’s soundtrack is excellent, giving a good sense
of MegaTen’s trademark punk-rock vibe. There is no voice acting in this game
outside of small voice clips in battle.
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| Does he look familiar? Capcom's Dante makes a surprisingly suitable appearance in this game |
CONCLUSION
Nocturne might not be the
prettiest, most accessible, or most story driven RPG ever made. What it is,
however, is a game that wears its M rating on its sleeve, delving into mature
topics and delivering Atlus’ unmatched storytelling panache in a unique
fashion. All this is backed by solid gameplay systems and a rocking soundtrack.
All of this makes Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne a fantastic game, and while I
wouldn’t recommend it to series newcomers, for those who cut their teeth on
Persona and are looking to try the other games in the series, Nocturne is an
excellent choice.
SCORE- B+ (Great)
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