Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is a game in the RPG genre developed by Atlus, which was released on May 25 for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam). The following analysis has been carried out through a version of the PlayStation 4 game .
For a few years now, remastered games have become more and more established. The nostalgia of playing titles from our past again is more alive than ever in the industry. It is for this reason that both the words remaster and remake are being normalized.
Enter a post-apocalyptic world where demons rule
This adventure places us in the city of Tokyo, on a day when a small group of students go to a hospital to visit their teacher. However, their lives will change drastically when, in a matter of minutes, the city is plunged into absolute chaos. A group of demonic creatures have invaded the world to establish Conception , an apocalypse with which they seek to renew the world from scratch.
Fortunately, both our protagonist and a couple of friends, being in the place where it all begins, survive the event but the world as they knew it has disappeared. Our main character will be the most harmed since although he is alive he will discover that his appearance has changed and that now he has powers. In this way and without knowing why, he has become a semi- demon . This change will be of vital importance because it will allow you to restore order in the world. This is how our journey begins, with a rather dark and disturbing plot in which demons have taken control of the city and humans have become ghosts.
If you are a new player in this series, you may have tried Person 5 and you will find many similarities with this game. The relationship between the two sagas is due to the fact that the Persona games are a spin-off of Megami Tensei , also known as Megaten .
A vast universe full of dungeons
Shin Megami Tensei is an RPG and as a good game in this genre it will provide us with extensive hours of exploration. The world is big and we won’t be short of dungeons to discover or puzzles to solve. Although the latter are not too complicated, they will take us a while due to how long they can be and how extensive some of their sections are.
Although some dungeons are a bit bland due to the repetition of traced areas such as those of the first scenario with the hospital, each building has a distinct and well-marked aesthetic. There is a diversity of scenarios and the setting of each one is very successful, creating an atmosphere according to the situation.
Turn-based and random combat system
As for the combat system, in this Shin Megami Tensei we find ourselves before a classic JRPG with turn-based and random confrontations . We will have an indicator that will change color and that will indicate when the enemy approaches us to fight.
Avoiding repetitive confrontations that may result is not recommended. Although it is not an extremely difficult game and it has a difficulty selector, we must improve our protagonist and his team, since the demons are not going to be lenient with us and can put us in some trouble. In addition, no autosave system has been integrated, so a defeat in combat means returning to our last manual save point.
On the other hand, we must take into account the system of resistances and weaknesses of the enemies. Analyzing this information will be of vital importance to overcome the confrontations, since it does not always work to perform physical attacks no matter how high a level you have, as it happens with some other games of this genre.
Your worst enemy can be your best ally.
Our half-demon will not be able to restore order to the world and face these enemies alone. We will have to create our own team made up of demons. During the battle we will be able to talk to them and try to convince them to join us, a task that is not as simple as it seems.
The team of colleagues that we can get is very extensive and includes numerous creatives with different powers and abilities. In addition, we can combine different demons to create an even more powerful one. If you have played Person, you will find many familiar enemies like Angel, Frost or Nekomata to name a few.
It is important to control all these elements with some ease to advance in the adventure. If it’s the first game you’ve played in the series, take your time to learn all these mechanics because they’re really important. The game offers you too much freedom and although it guides you in some things, you really learn by playing and trying all the tools that are offered to you.
A complete but graphically disappointing remaster
Regarding the game as a remaster, we find an unremarkable improvement . While they’ve been changed and improved a bit with new filters, it doesn’t really shine or impress in this regard. 
Another of its innovations is the incorporation of Dante, from the Devil May Cry saga, into the game. We can replace it with the character of Raidou Kuzunoha , if we choose the Maniax mode, although we warn you that this content comes in a DLC and we will have to pay for it if we want to enjoy it.
On the other hand, we must highlight the work that has been done with the soundtrack. The work of Shoji Meguro, Kenichi Tsuchiya, and Toshiko Taaki is magnificent, providing us with a wealth of memorable themes with nice music.
Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a good reunion for fans who already knew the game and a good start for new players.
