Atlus is a company that many gamers should be thanking. Without their effort, many foreign games may not have made it to the West. Now, Atlus is bringing Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne to the Playstation 2. While offshoots of the series have made it to North America before (Demi Kids, Persona), the main Tensei series has never made it over before (Soul Hackers, a Playstation game in the series was in the works, but shot down by Sony). Now, Atlus has gotten Nocturne approved, and is readying it for release.
Nocturne is actually the third game in the series, and originally appeared on the Super Nintendo in Japan (it was also remade for Playstation and GBA in Japan), but North American gamers are getting the Playstation 2 port, which brings the game into the next generation. Unfortunately a European release has not been confirmed yet.
Although many gamers will argue that if the story in an RPG is good, that graphics don’t matter, Nocturne has nothing to worry about. The game looks gorgeous, with a dark cel-shaded aesthetic to it, and looks just as good in motion. Based on the trailer at E3 2004, it seems as though the soundtrack will have a mix of orchestral and techno music, which will fit the visuals perfectly.
On the battle front, fights look as though they will be turn based. However, Nocturne introduces a few new twists to this system. First, there is the Persuasion system. This will allow you to persuade an enemy to become your ally, and join your party. The game looks to include over 100 unique demons that you will be able to bring over to your side, as well as demons that may evolve or fuse together to form new, more powerful allies. Not only that, but you will be able to customize your other characters with Magatama, living parasites that will grant demonic powers to its host. These twists look to add a lot to the game.
The basic storyline in Nocturne is this; you’re in post-apocalyptic Tokyo, and nearly the entire population of the world has been destroyed by a catastrophe known as the Conception. Now, it’s up to you as one boy to battle demonic forces and shape the new world, or choose to destroy it. SMT: Nocturne will feature over 50 hours of gameplay, and depending on the choices you make, the fate of the world will be changed. This means there will be multiple paths through the game, and this will encourage replayablity.
As if this weren’t enough, Nocturne will also feature a guest appearance by Dante from Devil May Cry, and the decisions you make will determine whether he becomes a trusted ally or deadly enemy.
SMT: Nocturne looks to be an amazing RPG, and an experience that shouldn’t be missed by any fan of the genre. If you’re even somewhat interested in the genre, check out the game when it is released. CD
