Today, I finished Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. I got the True Demon Ending. It was an amazing game. As usual, I'll write a review and post it in the 52 Games Challenge topic, but I wanted to share some quick thoughts. Very minor spoiler below.
As expected, the game was brutally difficult. I played on Normal difficulty, so I can only imagine how much trouble I would have been in if I played on Hard. Even if you come prepared with the right magatama, demons and enough healing items, you always need to be on your toes. Risk vs. reward has no place in Nocturne; it's always important to play it safe. Just when you think you found an effective team for battling enemies, new demons will appear that will make you switch things up. Luckily, you never have to worry about permanently saying goodbye to your favorite demons because you can always re-summon them for battle or fusion.
I really liked how empty yet full the game felt. The MC is literally all alone in a post-apocalyptic world but there are tons of spirits and demons you can talk to that make world feel realized. The denizens have plenty to say and their lines alter depending on where you are in the story. The choices you make as the MC are really interesting and not only effect the ending you'll get but the level of access you have to certain areas.
Finally, getting the True Demon Ending is not for the unprepared. I will admit that I looked at a guide when I realized that by *minor spoiler* finishing the Fifth Kalpa I irrevocably set myself up for the TDE. After reading about what the boss entailed, I looked up how to find the last magatama I was missing in order to gain access to the bonus dungeon. Which, by the way, was a blast. Just a word of warning for those that decide to go for the TDE: set aside plenty of time and make sure the MC has Pierce.
Some final, random thoughts:
* The MC makes me want to replay Digital Devil Saga since he's an optional boss in it
* I frequently altered my party, but the Black Horse Rider was always in as soon as I got him due to his amazing abilities - I highly recommend getting one
* I'm the furthest thing from a Devil May Cry fan, but Dante really came into his own in Nocturne. Plus, he was insanely useful
* I made the mistake of getting rid of Focus on my MC. I was still fine, but having Focus would have been useful
* As soon as you have the option to do so, try to get Pierce and Freikugel on the MC
* Other useful abilities that you should always have: Fog Breath, Dekaja, Debilitate, Dekunda
* The Press Turn System was fun in Digital Devil Saga so it's no surprise that it was fun here
I'm really excited to write this review. I'm thrilled that Nocturne was my first completed RPG of 2017.
