 "Got worried for nothing" | 2009-11-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: ABGOSSUNSBI9H |
I read a lot of the reviews on amazon and I don't see why everyone says this game is so hard. Yes, it can get difficult at times but its not impossible. I wouldn't recommend this game for casual gamers or those who are new to RPGs. The fighting can get grueling, especially in some of the longer parts.
I think the main thing that makes this game harder is the fusions. Not having the right spell in this game can be your down fall, and if you fuse you only monster with a healing spell, you're screwed. I'm used to the fusions because of the Persona and Devil Summoner series. Granted, they aren't exactly the same when it comes to the monsters but the same principle is there.
Even for seasoned vets, I'd recommend you at least look at an online guide if you get stuck or frustrated. This game doesn't have many clues when it comes to what to do next at times. If you take a break from this game, prepare for a lot of wandering until you remember what you have to do next.
The pros to this game is the challege. You can depend on having to look for weakenesses when it comes to bosses. The story line is great. I'm about 20 hrs in. Basically you control the destiny of the world. Your actions will result in the various endings in this game.
The graphics aren't anything special but they were good for a early ps2 game. The music is pretty good, all of it is fitting for the game.
All in all, this is a solid game. If you've played anything else from the MagTen Series, I recommend you at least try this game. Be sure to get it when its cheap though, its not worth some of the outragious prices I've seen out there. I say don't pay anymore than $40 and that's only if its new. I paid $30 and it was new from amazon. |
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 "More of a college course than a video game" | 2009-08-19 |
| - Reviewed By theghostofdeanthompson |
SMT: Nocturne is one of a very rare breed of RPGs that makes some very different assumptions about what you might consider 'fun'. To play with any real competence requires a deep understanding of the game engine, and Nocturne rarely bothers to tell you how that game engine actually works or even the existence of many features. Players new to SMT (especially Western players) will immediately be bombarded with the alien: skills with strange, foreign names, a host of bizarre demons, and a plot-line with nothing of the familiar. Even graphically, Nocturne is alien: although minimalistic, the odd use of color at times is reminiscent of Tron (if you can imagine.) Certainly Nocturne will require that RPG'ers forget a lot of the standard conventions (there are no weapons or armor in the game, no princess to save, and it is hard to say if you are even the 'good guy'), but the sacrifice is worth it because the new conventions you'll need to learn are deeply rewarding.
If you are up for the challenge, you probably won't want to come to the game unarmed. For other games, reading an FAQ might be considered cheating, but if only to grasp all the ins and outs, you will need to read. And you'll need to think. I'm glad there aren't many games like this (thinking too hard can be a lot of work!), but I think we're blessed to have a few. Nocturne at first is deceptive: turn-based dungeons crawlers can't be that hard, right? You've probably forgotten your Wizardry, but even then, Nocturne flips all those conventions on their head; such that we're using a stone-age interface to do rocket science. You can get away with blundering through the game, treating it like a standard dungeon crawler up to a point, but by the time you get to the first FIEND (Matador), you'll realize you've made some terrible mistake. Then you'll start reading outside sources and for the first time get a glimpse of just how deep the game goes.
Obviously, Nocturne like most SMT games is about demon fusion, and that alone will require some well-planned decisions on your part. The amount of freedom allowed through this is unparalleled in other RPGs and is part of the reason SMT games are highly revered. In general, you are limited by your own creativity and your own lack of knowledge. Armed with the latter, you might, for instance fuse a demon who can continue to replenish their magic just by walking, then share it with the rest of the party (makatara), or you might cleverly infuse a demon with the ability to resist many types of magic (a sort of walking tank.) The main character can similarly be customized, though through a different process. In this way, the idea of 'class' has become obsolete. You can make your main character and demons into whatever sort of class you want, or your own unique hybrid (currently I'm working on a 'paladin' sort of main character who casts spells to protect the party and occasionally does damage.)
In a sense, Nocturne brings us full circle in the life-cycle of RPGs, where once again you'll need a notebook (though thank the heavens, no graph paper!) You'll need to track the many attributes of your party and plan wisely. Holes in your defense WILL be found and exploited by the enemy. I do wish they could have implemented the same 'analyze' system (allows you to see enemy strengths and weaknesses) we see in Persona and Devil Summoner, but one could argue that's just a crutch. You see, the reason I keep returning to this game is that it belongs to a very rare breed of games. Not a lot of people are willing to 'play' like this anymore, where every battle must be thought out, notes consulted, etc. The closest comparison (outside of SMT) would be Wizardry 6/7, where that series jumped way beyond just the standard dungeon crawler and started exploring new territory, even perverting the game engine they themselves had created. And of course, SMT has its roots deeply sunk into what Sir-Tech had started. For a few people anyway, Nocturne is a very special sort of thing that doesn't come around that often. |
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| "Fun, but Difficult" | 2009-05-29 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1C9MQKERJEBOP |
| This RPG is definitely one of the most difficult games I've played, but is also one of the best. The storyline will definitely appeal to people who like horror games and the customization feature (which is the most obvious, prominent feature in the game) is VERY addictive. The player will need to do a lot of strategizing though to get the most out of this game, but otherwise is very enjoyable. Highly recommended! |
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| "Great! But feels quiet..." | 2009-05-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: A25GLPI978PHB3 |
| I am a newcomer to the SMT games and started out with P3FES like a lot of people have. I have to admit that that game completely blew me away and so did Persona 4. Because I had so much fun with the mentioned titles, I was craving more action from the SMT Universe. So I came across Nocturne and heard nothing but praises. Nocturne is just as addictive as Persona 3 and 4 and battles is where I had the most fun, not to mention recruiting demons. There are times though where the difficulty seems way high, but there is definitely a rewarding experience towards the end when you get to recruit the most powerful demons in the game. The only issue that I have with this game would be the story. It is a great tale, but I couldn't help but feel like more could have been said about the characters, not to mention having them more fleshed out. The world in the game feels really empty and sometimes I wondered what exactly kept driving the main character to move forward. Other than that, this is definitely a great game and anyone that really enjoyed Persona 3 and 4 would love this game too! |
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| "An Awesome game especially for an SMT fan!!" | 2009-02-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: ACJTTNVKWOKK7 |
| I'm a Shin Megami Tensei fan, I've played Devil Summoner, Persona 3, and Persona 3 FES and I can say that these games have their faults but they are very good quality RPG's! I only played a little of Nocturne but I still enjoyed it very much I'm currently playing Persona 4 and enjoying it very much!! If you like playing RPG's give Nocturne a chance or try Persona 4 which is the latest SMT game! |
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| "SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI NOCTURNE" | 2009-01-15 |
| - Reviewed By User: A37T29L5YE2MKC |
| I purchased this game for my 19 year old son. He owned it before but it went missing. He loves this game.....He looked everywhere locally to purchase it but could not find a copy. He was thrilled when I ordered it online for him as a surprise. |
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