Despite releasing numerous enhanced ports in the form of the likes ofPersona 5 RoyalandCatherine: Full Body, beloved JRPG developer and publisher Atlus has never released a pure remaster of any of its classic games. This is about to change with the upcoming release ofShin Megami Tensei: Nocturne HD Remasteron PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, which is slated to release on October 29th, 2020 in Japan and some time in spring 2021 in North America and Europe.
While westernShin Megami Tenseifans will have to wait a bit longer after the Japanese release to experience this remaster, here is a breakdown ofwhat to expect fromShin Megami Tensei: Nocturne HD Remaster.
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What is Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne?
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturneis the third main entry in Atlus’ long-runningShin Megami Tenseiseries, the series that spawned major spin-off titleslike thePersonaandDevil Survivorseries. While titles likeShin Megami Tensei 4are beloved by fans,Nocturneis generally believed to be the best of the mainlineShin Megami Tenseititles, as it introduced the iconic press-turn gameplay system and featured a unique art style that defined the visual style for the rest of the series. The game is also remembered for its infamously punishing difficulty.
The game takes place in a modern day post-apocalyptic Tokyo, in which the player’s silent protagonist is transformed into a Demi-fiend by a cult attempting to trigger a cataclysmic event known as “Conception,” which will recreate the world as the cult envisions it. As the player travels through the post-apocalyptic Tokyo they encounter and recruit demons to fight alongside them.
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AsShin Megami Tensei: Nocturnewas first released on the PlayStation 2 in 2003, the first major change the remaster will bring to the game is an increase in the game’s resolution, bringing it from its 480p output on the PS2 to a HD output on the Nintendo Switch, likely at 720p in handheld mode and 1080p while docked,with the PlayStation 4 Pro versioneven possibly outputting resolutions as high as 4K. Atlus has not yet commented on the game’s exact resolution outputs.
Secondly,Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne HD Remasterwill address the game’s much criticized difficulty, introducing a brand new “Merciful” difficulty mode, however this will only be available as a free day-1 DLC download. This difficulty mode is intended to bring newer fans into the series with more approachable balancing in the game’s combat.
Finally, the last major addition revealed for the remaster so far is the introduction of both Japanese and English voice acting toShin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. The original PlayStation 2 game featured little-to-no voice acting out of small noises made by demons when recruiting, the English dub was first previewed in the game’s reveal trailer, and the Japanese voice track has been previewed in multiple Japanese trailers. GivenAtlus’s commitment to dual-audio support followingPersona 5, it is expected that the remaster will ship with both voice track options in the west.
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Does It Feature Dante From The Devil May Cry Series?
Fans ofShin Megami Tensei: Nocturnewill already know that the game has been re-released multiple times since its initial Japanese launch in February 2003. The version that many fans are familiar with is not even the first release ofShin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. As the game’s first release outside of Japan was based on the 2004 director’s cut release,Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Maniax, it featured an extra dungeon and alsoDante from Capcom’sDevil May Cryfranchiseas an optional boss fight and recruitable party member.
Following the release of theManiaxedition, Atlus decided to re-releaseShin Megami Tensei: Nocturneonce again in 2008 asShin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Maniax Chronicle Edition.a part of the Japanese limited edition ofShin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon. This version replaced Dante with theDevil Summonerprotagonist Raidou Kuzunoha and was considered canon to the story of the game it was included with.
Atlus announced that theNocturne HD Remasterwould be based off theShin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Maniax Chronicle Edition, which was met with mixed reception amongst fans. While some fans were excited to see that the remaster would feature the previously un-localized Raidou Kuzunoha storyline, many were disappointed to see that Capcom’s Dante would not be returning. That is until Atlus announced that it will be releasing Danteas part of a paid DLC pack titled “Maniax Pack,”which will replace Raidou with Dante.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne HD Remasterreleases for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on October 29th 2020 in Japan, with a western release planned for Spring 2021.
