There’s a very intentional beauty in the dynamic Atlus has crafted between its two biggest JRPG franchises, especially with how they relate to and build off of one another. WhereasPersonatakes macrocosmic ideas and grounds them in societal issues,Shin Megami Tenseihas always tackled a broader philosophical challenge. That couldn’t be more evident inShin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster, a formative game for Atlus that’s received an extremely faithful remaster, for better and worse.
Bringing with it some very welcome and extremely helpful changes in both form and function,Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remastermaintains the spirit of the original release, with sparse but key changes that make it worth the investment. Important gameplay enhancements add impactful quality of life improvements toNocturne, but those expecting any kind of above and beyond performance upgrades over the original may be disappointed. This isShin Megami Tensei 3Nocturneas fans remember, both literally and figuratively.
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Nocturne’s story begins with the “Conception,” a world-shattering cataclysmmuch like many other examples in theShin Megami Tenseigamesbefore it. Tokyo is collapsed unto itself, becoming a spherical entity known as the “Vortex World,” where nearly all humans have died and Demons roam the apocalyptic ruins of society. Players are infected with a parasite to become the Demi-Fiend, half-human and half-Demon, and are thrust into apocalyptic survival mode.
This is when players can immediately realizewhereShin Megami Tensei3 Nocturne’s cult-classic statusstems from: Learning to survive in the post-apocalyptic wastes, gathering Demons to fight alongside your Magatama-powered main character, all culminating in players' assuming the role of harbinger to the new world. Taking in a variety of “Reasons” to shape the new world, whether it’s from the player’s friends, their teacher, or the greedy others seeking to fill in a power vacuum; it’s the Demi-Fiend who can create (or destroy) this Vortex World in whatever manner they please, though not without a great deal of effort and time.
Exploring the labyrinthine world ofNocturnecan be a bit tedious and confusing, but it is worth noting that this deliberate design does speak to the game’s themes. Even if exploring endlessly similar corridors can occasionally be dull,Nocturne’s atmosphere is intentionally instilling a sense of isolation in players. This is only exacerbated by the game’s strange, horror-adjacent environments, though mileage may vary for players depending on their preferences.
The philosophical nuance inShin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturneis not lost in 2021, even 18 years removed from its original PS2 release date. Forcing morally ambiguous conundrums on the player with no objective “right” answeris what makesNocturne’s storytelling almost timeless. The addition of full English/Japanese voiceover inShin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remasteronly enhances the game’s atmosphere. JRPG fans looking for a philosophically troubling story, with branching endings and sufficient player agency to guide that story, shouldn’t skipShin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster.
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Fans of strategic turn-based combat will also come to loveShin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remasterspecifically, because the gameplay mechanic changes are most impactful here. Those who’venever played aShin Megami Tenseigame, or alternativelyPersonafanscurious about the series, will likely knowNocturnehas a reputation of being very difficult.
That much is still true in the latter half of the game, but pivotal changes to Demon fusion and skills, make build optimization and party composition a lot easier to manage. Players are able to recruit and fuse Demons to compose their party, but in the original release ofNocturne, skills acquired through fusion wereentirely randomized. Now, inShin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster, players can select skills inherited through fusion, making optimized Demon fusion so much more convenient. Additionally, auto-battle moves a lot faster, meaning grinding in certain areas/battles/etc. can be much more streamlined for players.
The beginning half ofShin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remasteris not obscenely hard, but the difficulty spike in the latter half of the game is where things really ramp up.Nocturne’s remaster also offers some accessibility features, including giving players the freedom of switching to the new “Merciful” difficulty at will.Nocturne HD Remasteralso has a Suspend Save feature that allows players to set a one-time-use save state anywhere in the game that’s deleted upon re-loading. It’s not abuseable, but it is ideal for those who need to exit the game quickly without a save point.
Foras much asShin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remastergets right, there are a few decisions on the technical side of this remaster that are almost baffling.Nocturne’s remaster does overhaul and up the resolution on all rendered 3D characters, environments, in-game cutscenes, and UI elements, but the upgrades peter off from there.
Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remasterstill runs at a locked 30 FPS, pre-rendered cutscenes and images are still in 4:3 aspect ratio, and there are a few minor visual oddities that occur with certain in-game interactions like opening chests or talking to NPCs. What’s most noticeable is the game’s soundtrack, which still features the compressed audio from the original PS2 release in 2003, despite the soundtrack itself being released separately at a higher sound quality.
None of these are game-breaking issues, but they are confusing choices that are undoubtedly intentional,especially so forNocturne’s remastered form.Nocturnedoes still maintain its incredible atmosphere in spite of these decisions, but these aspects are certainly jarring in comparison to the rest of the remaster’s improvements.
Returning tothis pivotal Atlus JRPG well over a decade afterits original release,Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remasterhas never been more accessible.Nocturneis unabashedly old-school, in both good ways and not-so-great ways. The gameplay adjustments and options allow for decent customization of the experience, but some of the omissions in this re-release are pretty glaring. It’s not perfect, but so long as players can adjust to its rustic edges, there is a fantastic old-school JRPG inNocturne’s remaster full of quality of life changes that make it worth playing in 2021.
Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remasterreleases on Jun 24, 2025, for PC, PS4, and Switch. Game Rant was provided a PC code for this review.
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