SMT Nocturne is the JRPG from Hell. At times it feels like the game is sentient and hates you. Once you accept this, however, it's surprisingly fun.

So yes, this game is difficult. But now that I've actually PLAYED it rather than just watched boss fights and consumed memes, I realize it's also surprisingly well-designed. Yes, you will die a lot. But save points are fairly frequent and reasonably-placed, as are heal points. I rarely lost enough progress from dying to be frustrated. Dungeons are also fairly short, so tend not to overstay their welcome. And it's not ALL dungeons, there some towns with NPCs to speak to, and said NPC dialogue is pretty good at giving gameplay tips to newcomers along with guidance on where to go next.

Speaking of newcomers, this was the first Shin Megami Tensei game to introduce the now-standard (and beloved) Press Turn system. Hitting an enemy weakness turns one of your turns into a half-turn, effectively granting you another action. (You can also "pass" your turn for the same effect) While hitting an immunity or missing an attack consumes 2 tuns. And in classic SMT fashion, mechanics work the exact same way for both sides. Minus Beast Eye and Dragon Eye, anything the enemy can do, you can do too.

If you haven't played a Shin Megami Tensei game before, you'll quickly find that buffs and debuffs are your friend. Status ailments are deadly, but they're also part of the element system, letting you punish the enemy for using them with the right Demon allies.

Aside from the customizable "Demi-Fiend" protagonist, you'll be making your party out of the Demons you battle, like a twisted version of Pokemon. Demons always have the same weaknesses and resistances on your side as they do as enemies, and this is... a little hit-or-miss in Nocturne. A surprising number of Demons, even early ones, have no weaknesses at all, forcing you to rely on physical critical hits to gain turn advantage. And then these same Demons, once recruited, essentially let you forget about enemies gaining turns off YOUR weaknesses, which kinda saps some of the fun. The Fiends are especially notable here. Optional bosses added in the "Maniax" version, they all lack weaknesses and nullify ailments (therefor robbing the enemy of turns for attempting them), AND tend to have overpowered skills, so can trivialize gameplay once you unlock them.

Most Demons are obtained via Fusion (which should be familiar to those who played Persona) or the dreaded negotiation. Some Demons can also evolve, Pokemon-style, though this is left as a fun "easter egg" to discover. I was surprised at how little I minded negotiation though. As long as you're not too stingy with money and items, you'll get the demons you want eventually through sheer persistence. There are skills that make it easier, but I was fine embracing the randomness most of the time. Once you unlock the Compendium you can re-summon any Demon you've had before, which helps.

Having played through the whole game, even the difficult optional dungeon, my main criticism is Evasion buffs and debuffs are actually pretty broken. As missing means you take no damage AND the enemy loses turns, Fog Breath on the foe and some Sukukajas on the party can make you practically invincible. Only late-game bosses carry buff/debuff cancel skills, and some don't even have both.

Being an older SMT game, Nocturne has its fair share of jank you'll have to live with. The protagonist learns skills from Magatamas (think equipped armour), but if you refuse a skill you never get a chance to re-learn it, and only the next skill a Magatama learns is visible, meaning it's easy to give up skills you later realize you need if you don't have a guide, or give up on a Magatama too soon.
Hard Mode is what the bosses are designed around (Normal is secretly an Easy mode, halving damage taken), but it also triples shop prices and prevents running from random encounters. If that sounds annoying to you, I'd recommend playing on Normal for exploration, and switching to Hard for bosses. (Difficulty can be changed from the menu at any time, at least in the remaster) The HD Remaster at least lets you select inherited skills in fusion (after a patch), while keeping the option of randomized inheritance if you prefer that.

I haven't even talked about the story yet. If you're playing Nocturne, you're likely doing it for the gameplay. It has less "story" and more "lore" and "atmosphere", but both are very good. You'll be exploring some of the most unique and creative-looking locations in any JPRG, with an excellent soundtrack by the legendary Shoji Meguro setting the mood. The difficult gameplay enhances the atmosphere, making you feel like you're struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where everything wants you dead. The characters are all varying degrees of unlikable, but that's kind of the point.

My only real criticism isn't to do with the plot itself, but how one of the Maniax additions impacts it. The original story had multiple endings, all shades of grey, but Maniax added a new ending with far more content that essentially invalidates all the others. As a result, you don't see the original 5 (yes, FIVE) endings discussed or considered much, which is a shame as they're all conceptually interesting.

Overall, do not go into Nocturne unless you have some experience with Shin Megami Tensei and/or Persona already and are looking for a challenge. But if you do, you'll find some of the best gameplay, boss fights and atmosphere in the JRPG genre.

Third GOTM finished for September 2023. Very fun, but will also absolutely rock your shit. Sprite work and graphics are very crisp, and the aiming and hitboxes felt good outside of melee attacks. Lots of tension in constantly dodging and switching between lasso and shooting. Felt really arcadey in some of the difficulty and bosses, and not necessarily in a good way, but while I don't generally enjoy those types of games I can respect that this one was still quite good. Would've been an absolute blast in co-op!

I'll start by stating that I've never played the original, but I can't imagine playing this one without the voice acting. While not always great, it was often quite enjoyable. Took the True Demon Ending, and while there were certainly some difficulty spikes the overall challenge felt good with the right amount of tension. The characters were pretty thin, which was a shame considering the overall story had more depth. The art style is incredible, and probably the biggest selling point of this game outside of the combat, and it suits the atmosphere of the game well. Punching everything to death was super fun, and the combat as a whole was enjoyable. Easily recommended.

Second GOTM finished for September 2023. Issues with the PC port aside (mods mostly fix that), I'm having a hard time grasping why this games seems to be enjoyed so much. It has a very Rockstar-vibe to the missions and collecting, and the characters are mostly fun, but the humor has not aged well and some of the gameplay loops just feel too tedious. Not having enough time to really do any missions before the AM class or between the AM and PM classes (without just running around avoiding law-enforcers while being constantly truant) also made it feel like the game took much longer than it should've. Glad to have gotten off the backlog finally, but not likely to come back to this one.

🕗 Total time played (approx.): 12h
🏆 Completion: 100% Base Game (27/27 Trophies), 80% Bloody Whisker DLC (2/3 Trophies)

REVIEW:

"Tails of Iron" is an absolute gem that took me by surprise and left me thoroughly impressed. As an avid gamer, I'm always on the lookout for new experiences that captivate and challenge me, and this game did just that.

From the moment I stepped into its beautifully crafted world, I was immediately drawn in by the stunning visuals and attention to detail. The art style is a perfect blend of dark fantasy and whimsical charm, creating an atmosphere that's both captivating and immersive. The level design is nothing short of fantastic, with each area offering a unique aesthetic and a sense of wonder as I explored its hidden corners and secrets. But what truly sets "Tails of Iron" apart is its combat system. It's easy to pick up and play, yet surprisingly deep and strategic. The combination of swordplay and various weapons, along with the skillful dodging and blocking mechanics, kept every battle engaging and exciting. The enemy variety is impressive, each requiring a slightly different approach, which kept me on my toes and prevented the combat from feeling repetitive.

The storytelling in "Tails of Iron" is another highlight. The narrative is cleverly woven, combining elements of tragedy and humor to create a memorable and emotional experience. The characters, including our rodent protagonist, are surprisingly well-developed and endearing. I found myself genuinely invested in their journey, eager to see how their story unfolded.

Furthermore, the RPG elements added depth to the gameplay. The progression system allowed me to tailor my character's abilities to my preferred playstyle, which added a layer of personalization that I greatly appreciated. The crafting system was also a pleasant surprise, as it encouraged me to explore every nook and cranny of the world in search of materials to enhance my gear. One aspect that truly stood out to me was the soundtrack. The music perfectly complemented the game's atmosphere, enhancing the emotional impact of key moments and making the world feel even more alive. Whether I was battling formidable foes or simply exploring, the soundtrack never failed to immerse me in the experience.

In conclusion, "Tails of Iron" for the PS5 is a delightful surprise that has left a lasting impression on me. Its captivating visuals, engaging combat, compelling storytelling, and well-implemented RPG mechanics make it a must-play for fans of action RPGs. This game proves that even in a sea of titles, there are still hidden gems waiting to be discovered, and "Tails of Iron" is undoubtedly one of them.

⭐ Rating: 4/5

Gorgeous gorgeus video game. Squall & Rinoa's love story is one of the best in the whole medium. The space sequence absolutely stands the test of time, breathtaking, romantic, beautiful.
In general the whole game looks fantastic, the pre-renderd cutscenes together with the visual world and city design make scenes like the Sorceress' parade amazing to witness for the first time even now, 24 years after release.
The story is held back by poor translations and pacing but the core of what is being told is classic top tier Final Fantasy, full of angst and heart and drama.
The junction system is completely unbalanced and I wouldnt have it any other way. One of the most unique systems Square has ever come up with, and a lot of fun to experiment with and find broken combinations by turning enemies into cards, cards into items, items into spells, and junction said spells.
Also Triple Triad.

I hope this game gets an FF7 style remake in the future, because the foundation is there for 8 to be maybe the best Final Fantasy of them all, it just needs a bit of polishing and restructuring.

Solid tactics game with a nice mix of ideas and a nice bit of difficulty with the limited turns. The armlets are a fun touch, as are story characters that come and go, and the skill stone system was fun to dig into. The graphics are nice, if a little cutesy, though the character models don't really match the characters themselves at times (why are her eyes open when she's sleeping!?). The music was also quite good in this game, especially the main theme. The story can drag quite a bit, and by the end of the game I'd felt I had played more than enough, but I'm still quite happy that I finally got around to playing this one.