Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster Reviews
Altough this remastered version of Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne is a bit weak in terms of new additions, it's still one of the best in the genre. In my opinion, SMT3 is one of the most well balanced JRPGs in terms of mix of gameplay and story elements. It also offers a great challenge which makes it a bit tough for newcomers, but purists will simply love it.
Review in French | Read full review
When one of the original selling points of a game was “featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series” back in the day, being capable and readily available might be enough. After all, it is still telling a haunting story, making you think both in and out of battle. SMT III Nocturne HD Remaster does what Atlus JRPGs do best, and that’s captivate an audience.
Nocturne was, and still is, one of the best JRPGs coming from Atlus's vault, and surely one to be played by younger gamers. This remaster is not without little faults, but a series of QOL improvements make it palatable even for complete newcomers.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a good set-up for a game that was already good in its time but never reached a particularly wide audience. With HD graphics, and a good translation, he hopes to expand the Megaten market, but remember that this is not a remake, it is a remaster, and the graphics and animations remain what they are. In addition, it is still a difficult game and already at the time with generic-style dungeons. Still, it is a remarkable game, highly recommended for JRPG and dungeon crawler lovers.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Shin Megami Tensei III’s intriguing narrative and strategic combat are just as good as I remember, though it does feel a bit dated in other facets of its design. The visuals feel a little janky throughout for example, whilst the dungeon design is bland when compared to modern RPGs. It’s a bit overpriced too, especially since there haven’t been too many new features or refinements added to justify the price tag. Despite its flaws, there’s still a special RPG here that did, in many ways, feel ahead of its time. It might not be as gripping to play now as it was in 2003, but that doesn’t stop Shin Megami Tensei III from offering an entertaining RPG experience that just has some age-related missteps here and there.
Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is as great now as it ever was, but doesn't have much new for returning fans.
When you set aside the little performance issues on Nintendo Switch and the lack of some quality-of-life additions, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is still an excellent dungeon crawler with tons of demons to experiment with and several different endings for hardcore players to find. The game feels like it's dragging on sometimes by so heavily emphasizing gameplay over story, but when the gameplay is this solid and with the world renewed in HD, it's not much of a complaint. This is quite the appetizer from Atlus as the wait for Shin Megami Tensei V continues.
For me, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster is worth the premium, if only because I hope it encourages Sega and Atlus to remaster more of their catalogs (Panzer Dragoon Saga, please). However, players who think they’re going to find another Persona here will be disappointed. Nocturne is one of the great traditional JRPGs, but potential buyers should know what they’re getting into before they pull the trigger.
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is the return of one of the most interesting jRPG productions ever available on PlayStation 2. A good proposition for veterans, but also new players will find their place here. For fans of the genre, the proposition is mandatory. However, some things are missing.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Nocturne's PS2 origins are obvious, but players who can get past the intense difficulty curve and barebones plot will find a great RPG that rewards mastery of its combat systems.
Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is perfect for nostalgists looking for an old-school game with hard game mechanics. It has a cofusing story though and apart from the great combat system, there wasn't much to impress me.
Review in German | Read full review
Nocturne isn’t just a classic to be admired from afar; it is “required reading” for any RPG fan and a modern-day masterpiece. This was true before Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster existed, but this version makes it easier and smoother than ever to experience. The journey you undertake as the Demi-Fiend is one you don’t want to miss and certainly one you will never forget.
Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster looks more like a port than a remaster, but its strengths remain evident while considering a technical sector comparable to that of the original edition.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is a good restoration work, which is made stronger by its most solid premise: the starting game, the original Nocturne of 2004, was and remains a masterpiece in the J-RPG group to which many modern works are still inspired today.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If you can adapt to its ruthless approach, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is a retro JRPG that’s worth revisiting. However, the remastering doesn’t go far enough, leaving PS2 quirks intact.
Ultimately Shin Megami Tensei 3 HD Remaster is a perfectly acceptable port of a cult classic PS2 RPG. Playing this at the same time as Mass Effect Legendary Edition has definitely coloured my perception of what we should expect from a remaster, but despite the fact it doesn’t have AI upscaled textures and 4K60fps presentation, it’s still a masterful example of how to build atmosphere in a game while still keeping players engaged, instead of bored. It also features Dante from the Devil May Cry series, which always helps.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is a fantastic RPG, but its remaster does the bare minimum to get a passing grade compared to other modern remasters of classics.
SMT III remains a great game, but an inflated price tag combined with some dated mechanics might make it a harder sell for some.
Returning to this pivotal Atlus JRPG well over a decade after its original release, Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster has never been more accessible. Nocturne is 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 in Nocturne's remaster full of quality of life changes that make it worth playing in 2021.
SMT III Nocturne HD is one of the hardest games in the Shin Megami Tensei series, which is no small boast, considering how challenging the other entries can be. The remaster could have been improved with some extra QoL features to make the game less frustrating, but the core experience is still great on its own. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster is difficult but rewarding, and its strategic combat system, legions of demon allies, engaging story, and its unique world make it worth coming back to after all of these years.