Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne

[w07]

What drove me to make this review is that i noticed that most of the discussions in the game discussion area is about square-enix games such as FF series and kingdom hearts but there were no topics about other RPG's (except for the thread made by Raidodol about persona) any way today im gonna review a great RPG game that is Unique from other RPG's well lets start alredy:
Graphics: 9/10
Shin Megami Tensei doesn't offer a lot by way of animation, but the art direction and solid cel-shaded style more than make up for it. There are some truly cool looking designs in here.

Gameplay: 8.5/10
turn-based and pretty straightforward when it comes to selecting your commands, running away from battle, and performing special attacks. Where the strategy comes in, however, is two fold: using what's called 'press turns' and what your character does besides fight. Press Turns are pretty simple -- every round, you get one attack for every character in your party. But if you perform certain kinds of attacks, you can get extra turns. It's not revolutionary, but it adds some nice tactical fun to the pacing.

A key theme in SMT: Nocturne is that of demon conversation/negotiation. Since the Demi-Fiend can only (normally) have one press turn by himself, he must gain allies to fight alongside him and have a better chance of survival. Demon negotiation is a unique system in which the speaker (usually, but not always, the Demi-Fiend) tries to persuade an enemy demon to join their party. There are two restrictions on negotiation:
1. There must be at least one open space in the party stock.
2. There cannot be a demon of the same clan in the party (i.e. You cannot recruit a Power if you already have one in your party).
Requirements for recruiting demons vary by their race, gender, and affiliation. For example, some demons (such as Incubi or Succubi) can be bribed with money or items, while others (such as Angels or Archangels) may only ask a philosophical question ("Do you envy how plants live?"). Some can be seduced by a beautiful speaker, some can be flattered, and some will even join you without a moment's hesitation. However, some may refuse to join you, based on opposing ideals, higher levels, because they don't feel like it, or because they simply can't understand you.

As your team of monsters continues to develop and earn experience, they can also eventually change their form and abilities too. One of the earliest such examples of this is your Fairy ally from the first dungeon known as Pixie. Once she's been pumped up to level 8 or 9 or so, she'll evolve into her next form -- a darker form -- and inherit the powers and benefits that go along with it. Almost all of the creatures you can recruit have this ability to evolve too, and it adds an addictive Monster Rancher-like quality to the experience. A little later on, you can even fuse together two different creatures to create an all-new one: and it's by this method how you can attain the most powerful demon helpers,there are still more things to say about the gameplay but i dont want to bore u.

Sound: 8/10
Great soundtraks and solid sound effects there's no voice cting though..

Storyline: 9/10
The protagonist(whom u name and he doesnt speak) is an average high school student who becomes involved in the Conception when visiting his teacher, Yuko Takao. His journey in the Vortex World begins once he has been granted demonic power from a Magatama given by Lucifer. He is referred to as the "Demi-Fiend" by many, having the body of a demon and the heart of a human,this is dark themed game all the character's and even the protagonist are demons .
Playability: 9/10
There are 6 different endings, three main ideologies to choose from, and several bonus dungeons, characters, and goodies to uncover.

Rating: Mature 18+ - Blood, Intense Violence, Language, Sexual Themes
Media Size: 1 DVD


Overall: Critic Score: 8.5/10 - My Score 9/10
Similar Games: Digital Devil Saga 1&2

I forgot to mention that this game is really hard so if ur not up for the challenge and ur easly frustrated dont even think of playing this game.

here's some vids for the game:
the game intro: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

here's my favorite boss fight

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]