I own almost every Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) game on the PlayStation 2 (PS2) in near-mint condition (a feat that is probably as hard as anything Indiana Jones had to find) and Nocturne was my last scoop up, right before the original Devil Summoner in disc-only format. I had heard almost nothing but praise for Nocturne, and after loving every other SMT I got my hands on, I was pretty excited to check this out.

My immediate response wasn’t positive. The game didn’t have cutscenes or voice acting like most other SMTs on the PS2, and the interface in general was outdated. The plot progressed along very slowly. But, looking back at it, every SMT game is like that at first. Very quickly, I got nothing short of addicted to Nocturne and learned to love it as everyone else had.

The Shin Megami Tensei franchise is known for its frequently nihilistic plots and dark, brooding atmosphere. Out of any SMT I’ve played on the PS2, Nocturne was the best at really setting up an intriguing mood. The cel-shaded graphics (the only cel-shaded SMT on the PS2) look fantastic and blend together perfectly, often utilizing many pulsating neon color schemes to really put across that other-worldly feeling. Shoji Meguro’s soundtrack work is at his best here, his signature mix of hard rocking guitars and eerie synthesizer ambient pieces that fit the dungeons perfectly.

Nocturne doesn’t throw as much plot at you consistently as some other SMTs, but the dungeon and world are designed so well that they, in combination with the looming accompanying soundtrack work in conjunction with the lack of plot to really set up this air of intrigue and mystery that keeps you going from one dungeon to the next just so you can get slightly closer to finding out the mystery about the Conception, an apocalyptic event that almost destroyed Earth’s entire landscape and human population and filled it with demons.

A great story is necessary to keep someone attached to a turn-based RPG. The story is the real reward, not the levels or experience points, that keep someone going in a game like this. Nocturne does this incredibly well, but in a more subtle way than other RPGs. Like I said, actual cutscenes where you see things happening are few and far in–between, so seeing something new happen in the plot is even more exciting than most RPGs.

Nocturne‘s world intrigues you so much with its unique art direction that you can’t help but wonder what the significance and symbolism is behind it all that the game gets away with not revealing too much of its plot at a time. It’s the ultimate form of teasing plot revelations in a video game. But because the mystery is what makes playing the game so enthralling, the player never complains about being kept in the dark. It’s just a constant build to a completely unknown climax.

The gameplay is mostly similar to other mainline Shin Megami Tensei entries where you recruit demons on your side by talking to them in battle and doing them favors, or fusing two preexisting demons to make a new one. Unlike before, you yourself are also a demon and can learn moves each level up by selecting a Magatama at the right time (each one has a different set of skills it can teach you, based around a theme). This allows you to fully customize your player, in addition to being able to choose which stats you want to increase upon level up. It’s very rewarding.

Your other three party members are demons of your choice that you recruited. This functions similar to Pokémon, as each demon has their own skill set and strengths and weaknesses, so using them effectively is required. And I do mean required, because in Shin Megami Tensei games you have to use your intelligence to beat enemies, or you will lose. You can almost never just plow through enemies without thinking. You are heavily rewarded when you hit an enemy’s weaknesses, as it grants you a bonus action on your turn, and you are heavily punished when you hit an enemy’s strong element, as you will lose turns and the enemy’s round will come quicker for them to retaliate.

Likewise, this goes for the enemy, so covering your weaknesses and playing the defensive is often more effective than attacking first. In the same way, sometimes if you hesitate to finish off an enemy (most of which are quite competent and powerful) they may kill you first. If one of your demons dies, they can be revived later, but if the main character dies, the game is over immediately.

This can often be extremely frustrating, but it removes the possibility of being able to go all-out offensive on an enemy assuming that any of your characters that live can just revive the rest of the team. You need to keep your main character alive, and in effect the rest of the team in case the main character runs low on health and they need to aid them. In that regard, it’s better to view your party as aids to the main characters rather than equal party members.

This game has a rap for being incredibly difficult. It isn’t. Nocturne, like nearly all Shin Megami Tensei games, is notably challenging and will give anyone trouble on regular occasions, but like I said before, beating a Shin Megami Tensei game isn’t necessarily all about how high your level is as much as it is how to effectively use your attacks and know when to defend. Seriously people, it’s not that hard. If you’re fighting an enemy who likes to use lightning attacks, fuse a demon that blocks them so you use up more of their turns.

Also, make sure to use your “pass” option effectively. When you pass, it takes up a turn but by passing on an ally character who may not be able to harm the enemy, you can possibly give another turn to a party member who can hit the enemy’s weakness. Also remember to never pass when a turn icon is flashing, because the cost to use up a half-turn icon is the same no matter which action you take. On those turns, there is no benefit to passing in favor of doing a weak attack or healing a party member.

The dungeons can often be very long with no save points. This is probably the game’s biggest flaw. Sometimes it’s not about getting more tries to fuck up, maybe I just don’t feel like playing the fucking game anymore and want to take a break. There’s not even a quick save option, and that’s bullshit. I remember people describing this game as crawling through very long dungeons only to see a one-minute cutscene and move on to the next dungeon.

While that is a huge exaggeration (the plot isn’t as minimal as people often suggest), the game is a dungeon crawler, so naturally much of the game revolves around exploring specific dungeon areas to get to a new part of the map, the only thing breaking it up being the world map or exploring a town area. Some dungeons have very confusing and frustrating layouts, even provided you have an in-game map on you at all times.

The encounter rate is quite high, and it’s easy to run out of MP in huge dungeons from constant battles which essentially means you’re fucked, because with no MP it is almost impossible to get more turns from fighting enemies, meaning you’ll take more damage and be at a huge risk for death. Most of Nocturne‘s difficulty comes from running out of endurance in this manner. Optimizing the shortest routes from one area to another and keeping your party members’ MP meters equal and ready for tougher enemies is absolutely mandatory. You have to be efficient or you won’t have the resources to get through a dungeon.

It’s quite frustrating how dependent the game is on your main character having a good skill set. I was an SMT veteran when I played this one, so I knew my way around what skills are good and what aren’t, but a newbie would be totally in the dark and might make a weak main character. This is very unfriendly for people trying to get into the Shin Megami Tensei series, which sucks because this is still the most accessible of all the games.

There as an optional ending that lets you fight a “true” final boss, and in order to deal almost any significant damage to this final boss, you need to have a certain skill that only the main character and one other demon can have. If you choose not to learn a skill at level up or choose to write one of your eight skill slots over, you lose that skill for good and can never relearn it. So it’s possible a player would not have this skill and be doomed for this final boss, unless they fused almost an entirely new team of demons with the specific skill I’m referring to.

Phew. All in all, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is one of the most atmospheric JRPGs I’ve played, and I highly recommend it for anyone prepared for some challenge and a little frustration. It’s not as tough as most people say it is. I thought the Digital Devil Saga games were tougher, honestly. But I was less experienced then. Anyway, don’t be afraid to check Nocturne out. The combination of the gripping plot/atmosphere, memorable soundtrack, and distinctive art design/graphics further cemented this series as my pick for the best in the genre. I want to add that Nocturne is also one of the best JRPGs that displays a scaling threat, As you progress to the end of the game, the antagonists get bigger and the stakes keep getting higher, and this never lets up until the final dungeon which is humongous and puts you against many similarly-sized bosses. It’s epic!