Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

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Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Developer(s) Atlus
Publisher(s) Atlus, Ghostlight, Ubisoft
Release date(s) February 20, 2003 (JP)
January 29, 2004 (JP - Maniax version)
October 14, 2004 (NA)
July 1, 2005 (EU)
Genre(s) RPG
Mode(s) Single player
Rating(s) ESRB: Mature
PEGI: 12+
CERO: All Ages
Platform(s) PlayStation 2
Media 1 DVD

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne is a role-playing game for the PlayStation 2. It is the third main game in the Megami Tensei series. Shin Megami Tensei III was released many years after Shin Megami Tensei II, and was the first Megaten game in the series to be released into the United States. The player takes control of a half-human half-demon silent protagonist whom the player names. The protagonist is often referred to as Hitoshura (or occassionally "demi-feind" after the english version) among fans to avoid confusion. A director's cut version, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Maniax, was also released in Japan. This version has additional features such as the Labyrinth of Amala (an optional stage), a sixth ending, and Dante from the Devil May Cry series. This is the version that was translated and released in North America as Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. This version was also released in Europe in June 2005, with the addition of French and German language options, renamed to Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call due to trademark issues.

Contents

[edit] Changes from predecessors

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is the product of a long period of development between Shin Megaten games. Many other games like Persona, Majin Tensei, and Devil Summoner seem to have influenced Nocturne.

  1. No first-person viewpoint by default. Shin Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei II both used fixed first-person viewpoints in dungeons. In Shin Megami Tensei III the first-person viewpoint is only usable after completing the game once, and can be turned on or off as the player desires.
  2. Fewer humans. The games released inbetween SMTII and Nocturne all had more of an emphasis on human action rather than that of demons.
  3. A new battle system. Classic Megaten games had a simple turn-based system where characters attacked in one round based on their speed rating. Nocturne has a different turn-based system in place called the 'Press Turn' system. In this system, the player is assigned Press Turns equal to the size of his party (although a special event allows the player to gain an extra press turn) and can re-use some of them by scoring Critical Hits or exploiting elemental weaknesses. In contrast, if the attack is nullified or reflected, the player loses some or all of his press turns based on the severity of the defense. This also applies to the opposing side.
  4. A new alignment system. The previous Shin Megami Tensei games had two factions of Law and Chaos in opposition with the player choosing to ally one side of the conflict. The player could also follow the path of Neutrality.
    In Nocturne, the new alignment system allows the player to side with one of three Kotowari (Reasons) or with other factions, or none at all. The three Kotowari being Yosuga, Musubi, and Shijima.
  5. New setting. Shin Megami Tensei games have always centered on the power of gods waging war across Earth, with nuclear holocausts and religious oppression of demons. Nocturne does this differently by introducing the concept of a Vortex World, a world in a state of chaotic limbo that hasn't had its natural laws selected yet.
  6. Cel-shaded graphics. The graphics in Nocturne are fully 3D and cel-shaded.

[edit] Cultural differences

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne was rated "All Ages" by the CERO, rated M by the ESRB, and rated 12+ by PEGI and the USK. This is due to societal and cultural differences. Some American gamers consider the ESRB to be harsher than its foreign counterparts. However, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne is the only game that was rated "All Ages" by the CERO and rated M by the ESRB.

[edit] The Kotowari (Reasons)

  • Shijima was a Kotowari based on stillness, lacking in any emotion. Influenced by Buddhism, where the world is in perfect harmony. It is a world of oneness, but is also a world without individuality. There is no 'self' whatsoever.
  • Musubi was a Kotowari based on solitude and isolation, where every single person would live in his or her own little world, completely sealed from any other living being. Using one's mind, a person could shape his or her own world by will, in any possible ways, but the fact remains that the complete solitude is a dramatic feature of the Kotowari.
  • Yosuga was a Kotowari based on elitism, where only the strongest of all could stand proudly and survive, while the weaker would either die, or be dominated. This would be a world of endless and senseless violence, until only the strongest would remain --- in which the strongest within the strongest would stand in the end, perhaps until only one remains the victor in the end of it all. Yosuga is perhaps the closest to reasons of Law/Chaos used in the previous games, highly resembling the way Chaos is handled..

Once an ending based on one of the Kotowari is viewed, only a brief introduction to the new world based on it is seen --- nothing deep or really explained. It is thus left for the players' imaginations.

[edit] Awards & Recognition

  • G4TV "X-Play"'s Best Role Playing Game of 2004

[edit] External links

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