Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is out now
Sega's latest PC offering
What better way to start your week than to become a high school student who experiences an apocalyptic event that turns Tokyo into a demon world? Today, Atlus released the Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster (which I will refer to as SMT3, because good lord that's a long title), inviting PC players to try out the series that spawned Persona for the first time (alright fine, other Megami Tensei games have been on PC, but this is the first from the main series).
SMT3 is a turn-based RPG where you play as a "Demi-fiend" who'll need to recruit some demons and fight others in a scary place called a Vortex World. The remaster comes with improved 3D models and backgrounds, the ability to save the game whenever you want, the choice to have Japanese or English voice over, and a new "Merciful" difficulty setting for those who find it all a bit tough.
Matthew Castle seemed to enjoyed the game in his Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster review, but reckons it's a little underwhelming compared to Sega's other PC ports, like Yakuza 0 and Persona 4 Golden:
"After Sega’s amazing PC run, this feels like wanton gouging, and for a game that is more interesting than essential," he writes. "This monster-wooing dungeon crawler is a neat bit of JRPG history that struggles to hide its age."
SMT3 originally came out on the PlayStation 2 in 2003, with the HD remaster releasing in parts of Asia last October. The Persona series is a spin-off from Megami Tensei, so it might be worth trying out if you like to know where it all started.
This could be one of the last times we see a staggered global launch like this with Atlus's games too, because Sega recently said they want the developer to release their games at the same time around the world (thanks to the success of Yakuza: Like A Dragon's simultaneous worldwide launch).
The SMT3 remaster is out now on Steam, and it'll cost you £45/€50/$50. It's also available on Nintendo Switch and PS4.