So I just started this last night after searching for a JRPG that felt more unique. The into was pretty interesting...

So I just started this last night after searching for a JRPG that felt more unique. The into was pretty interesting, I'm very excited about experiencing the plot and all the info I've seen about the gameplay is interesting as well.
I do believe I've made a mistake in choosing to play through on hard my first play through, I typically do this with any game but I seem to be utterly at the mercy of RNG in these first couple of hallways with actual encounters. I've already experienced two game overs because I seem to be powerless beyond pressing attack and hoping for the best. Am I missing something or should I start over on normal for a more reasonable experience? Any tips from those of you experienced with the game?

Restart and choose Normal.

Also, use buffs and debuffs, they're vital in this game.

Yeah, from what I hear the opening hallways are pretty much RNG dependant. There's not much you can do at that point.
If you can get past the opening hallways you might have a decent time on Hard, but it also has inflated shop prices and a couple other bits of added tedium iirc. I'd just play on Normal, the game's challenging enough.

Much appreciated, I'll start up a new game on normal when I get home from work tonight. I knew the game was hard but I must have underestimated it drastically, which is great. I'm a bit spoiled by all of these more recent games highest difficulties being relatively easy. I'm really excited to get into the demon fusing system, it looks really cool.

Enjoy.

And remember to use buffs and debuffs, they'll save your life.

>the game's challenging enough
this
trust me op
don't forget to fuse lots

fuck I love this game, but the grind kinda burned me out on it, I know it's not necessary to grind alot but the battle system was really fun. I think I dropped it once I fought beelzebub and he had very low health then one shotted me. should I pick it up again? I feel like I woldnt be able to relearn the systems, magatama, weaknesses and story beats.

I'm nearing the end of my first playthrough on hard and i've had to take a lot of breaks because it kicked my ass. Definitely go with normal

>he didn't fuse best fiend

So far the story has already intrigued me, I watched a review on YouTube and it seems pretty nuts. When does Dante come along? Is it done well or does he feel shoehorned in? I remember this anime magazine my sister bought me when I was a kid that had a huge article about this game and it seemed kind the coolest shit, but my mother is fervently religious so I never got to play it.

Stick to hard. Its only hard at the start.

>I have encountered 2 game overs
Welcome to SMT. You are doing fine. Come back when you are at the 50th game over, then it would mean you need to restart.

Hah alright, I may just stick with it, but am I a huge faggot if I abuse save states to get through this first little section that's so RNG dependent?

Hard forces you to grind to get new equipment by increasing the price threefold. Just normal is hard enough

As far as I'm aware, Hard mode does nothing but increase enemy odds of crits/dodging and increasing price shops by an absolute fuck ton.

Got half way through the game on hard and got so tired of grinding, switched to normal and having a blast now.

nocturne is one of this games where you definitely should read official english manual, search for .pdf on the internerts, seriously it will save your time and nerves, only explanation sections ofcourse (something about first 100 pages), not walktrough
and fuse your pokemons all time, there is a PC program called Heretic Mansion, it can be realy helpfull after second half of the game

You must be doing something wrong.

The only time you need to grind is when you want to fuse better demons, but usually you can always make it through as long as your demons have a similar level to yours.

He doesn't take too long to show up, I think you'll first meet him after 2 hours in. But he only joins you until very late in the game.

His role in the game is pretty minimal, hence why he was so easily replaced by Raidou in a subsequent special edition of the game; and he fits quite naturally in this setting.
Also his moveset is incredibly faithful to his games. I was jizzing myself while Dante combo'd me to death in our first encounter.

He might have been playing on Hard, where shop prices get bumped the fuck up for no reason.

is there an english version of the game with raidou in it?
i really want to replay nocturne but i prefer having raidou around after having played his games

So can anyone explain the fusion system in detail? Seems interesting but somewhat complex.

No. There's not even fanmade patches either.

dude + dude = other dude
inherited skills are random, but can be manipulated by leaving the fuse menu and trying the combo again
monsters cannot inherit skills they physically cannot use
take breath skills for example, monsters without a mouth or something similar cannot use them

it's not as complex as it seems
a lot of it boils down to guy from family x plus guy from family y = new guy from family z

god that sucks

download the manual you won't regret it

Keep the pixie.

I feel like Sup Forums just overrates this game to be hipster. It's just a typical jrpg but with references to mythology and other shit. There's nothing special about it gameplay-wise and certainly not with its bland story and characters. Yes, you have to hit them with their weakness, just like every other turn-based jrpg, yes you have to watch your hp and heal, just like every other turn-based jrpg. The demon conversations just felt gimmicky and random instead of being something legitimately compelling. It's really stupid that some creatures would join you over such simple things, when they were being so aggressive before. The negotiation system lacks depth, and is just tacked on as a gimmick.

There's really nothing in the game that is interesting or entertaining, it's just BORING.

That doesn't sound too bad actually, and I'll definitely start looking for the manual online while I'm here at work. Thanks anons, it's nice having some decent video game discussion on this board for once.

I can't help but add my voice to what everyone already said: debuffs are your friends, and if you get to learn Fog Breath from one of the first Magatamas they give you, KEEP IT, and never overwrite it with another skill, it's good all the way to endgame.

Stay with hard. It's just the first area that's the problem. The game gets too easy on normal later on.

>SMT game
>plot
about that user...

I appreciate your alternative opinion user. Although I think I have to disagree at the moment as it seems- to me at least, to be rather unique within the genre. Most of the jrpgs I flipped through while I was searching around for something seemed all fairly similar in their settings and art styles and had typical JRPG stories, whereas this one stuck out to me as being particularly different. I also appreciate a sincere challenge and all sources pointed to this game as providing one.

Be sure to keep the pixie you recruit at the very start. You can fuse her into other shit, but don't sacrifice her or let her go. You need her for something far down the line.

This, admittedly, is my first foray into the series. So far it seems compelling enough, have you found the series to be lacking in that regard?

yeah
but the gameplay carries them trust me
there are fucking insane bosses in nocturne and the true fun is fusing demons that counter the bosses' abilities

They're usually not bad, just... minimalistic.

Nocturne is notorious for having almost no plot. And the endings sucks.

...

true demon ending and the shijima reason aren't that bad

Yeah, on hard it's a bit luck based before you get three demons. You might want to start with normal, especially if it's your first SMT game.

The trouble with the combat is that so much of it revolves around exploiting enemy weaknesses for extra turns, and making the enemy lose turns by having them hit you with stuff you're resistant to.

It's pretty intuitive in principle, but since it's purely trial and error when you first encounter a new enemy type, the game can fuck you pretty hard. It's a lot better for bosses, though, since you can plan very carefully around them after figuring out their weaknesses and movesets first time around. Don't be too pissed if the game fucks you on your first attempt at a boss, some of them are really unforgiving if you don't have the right resistances or skills. Like bosses that have an 80% chance to insta-kill you if you don't have resistance to that attack type.

It may seem like bullshit at first, but once you've got a solid roster of demons with a balanced range of abilities (incuding buffs and debuffs) and resitances, you'll probably find the press-turn system is pretty solid for what it is.

Soon youll learn SMT memes and join the suffering.

Yeah this is something I've actually heard a few times now, about how unforgiving things can be and how it's fairly trial and error. Luckily I tend to enjoy games like this, overcoming the frustrating and seemingly unfair is extremely rewarding to me. I'm dying to get home and dive into this game more, I really want to explore the different sorts of demons and see what all I can cook up with the fusion system. I saw in one review that the English version of the game is essentially the directors cut, and it includes a lot of extra plot and a challenge tower sort of thing with bosses you can defeat and even recruit, which sounds pretty fantastic to me.

I love the Megaten series mainly because I'm a mythologyfag. Also, if you end up really liking Nocturne you might want to check out SMT Strange Journey on the Nintendo DS or even the Digital Devil Saga games for the PS2. Maybe SMT IV on the 3dd if you have one.

Dang it with the old chart I was manikin child tier but now I'm casualry scum

Hah, can't wait to join the ranks user. That chubby little purple shit in the 2nd tier image is the thing that killed me twice last night I think, it absolutely wrecked my shit the second time, it somehow got another turn after it hit me and shit out a massive crit.

Remember this isn't pokemon. Fuse often and hold on to nothing unless its actually good.

I'm just another bitch ass messiah at 12 games.

Protip:If you keep entering and exiting the demon fusion result screen you can keep changing the result of the skills your demons get.

Double Protip:Get fog breath ASAP

I can't remember if these Preta faggots have Macca beam on Nocturne. I fucking cried like the bitch-ass Messiah I am when they hit me with it on Strange Journey.

Damn. I wish I could make it that far. I'm going to play all the megaten games, even ronde

Sounds like you're the one trying to be a hipster to me

I played Nocturne fir the first time recently and I am also not well versed in the series, but I liked the plot plenty. My only real issue was that I would have liked it if there was a full Law route. I just want to purge demons with my boy Metatron.

If you want more on the story side then you should definitely play Digital Devil Story 1-2 on PS2. They play almost exactly the same as Nocturne but without demons(because you are the demons John).

Because no one else on Sup Forums is insane enough to say this

While yes SMT III Nocturne is a better game in every way I highly suggest going back to play SMT I-II, as there is tons of little nods that just improve the experience when you finally get them

SMT III was the first real SMT I played outside of Persona and I feel I missed out because of that. I do feel that I would have loved III more if I played it after I-II.

Yeah, Yosuga was ersatz law and i found it kinda wanting in that regard. I hear SMTII has a cool law route and I believe Amane's route in DeSu is also nice.

I wish they remade SMTI & II with QoL improvements and shit. God, that'd be so good...

thank mr trumptr

They did

It's call the PS1 version

THE ONE THAT DIDN'T GET TRANSLATED INSTEAD BECAUSE GHIDEON ZHI IS A SHITTY HACK

The only time the game is legit hard on hard mode is before you get pixie.
After that you can literally grind the difficulty away.
SMT III is izipz as long as you aren't super dumb

Well, Atlus should get their ass in gear and deliver those two officially so America can finally have the whole story. Maybe some 3ds shit or something.

Strange Journey remake where

This is why smt series is much better than anything else.

remember that (de)buffs actually work and stack, then you'll be fine

if you're struggling with random encounter enemies then take heed that status effects work really, really well on enemies that aren't bosses
that dude that resists physical stuff and has no magical weaknesses? try inflicting status on him
some enemies are also weak to light/dark, which are instant-kill spells

smt games aren't like dragon quest or final fantasy in that regard, shit actually works and is useful as fuck

>inside out world
>demons you can argue with and persuade to join your party
>magatama
>numerous mythological creatures and concpets
>puzzles
>fusing
>wow how boring

yeah no, maybe you prefer Dragon Age or Mass Effect's "deep" choices. I'll stick to fun.

I also had trouble in the first fights, bust just because I didn't know I could press left/right to use the medicine.

I'm retarded.

Yeah anons key enforcing this concept and I really like it, sounds like there is a lot more depth to the combat than your typical JRPG and I love the idea of buffs/debuffs being extremely valuable.

Oh fuck. Don't feel bad I didn't know that either. That would have saved my ass last night before I got my first game over. Though the second one was completely unavoidable.