One of the most iconic elements of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne was the inclusion of Devil May Cry's protagonist Dante in the original English localization released in 2004. Fans were understandably upset when they heard that the iconic Capcom character would be absent in place of Atlus's own Raidou Kuzunoha, protagonist of the Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor series. As it turns out, that will no longer be the case, as Atlus has confirmed that Dante will be returning in Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne HD Remaster, but there's a catch.
When re-releasing the original Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne as Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Maniax in Japan, a director's cut which balanced the game's difficulty and added new content, the Atlus team decided that Dante from Capcom's then-new franchise Devil May Cry, would be a good fit for the demon-infested world of Nocturne. Atlus U.S.A. later released the game's localization based off the Maniax edition. However, when releasing Demon Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon, Atlus Japan re-released the game in the form of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Maniax Chronicle, which included all of the content from the original Maniax edition but replaced Dante with Raidou entirely and tied into the story of Devil Summoner 2.
Atlus released a brand new trailer for Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne HD Remaster with the caption "Breaking News," which later turned out to be the reveal that Dante will be added back into the game via paid DLC known as the "Maniax Pack." This DLC will sell for 980 yen (equivalent to around $10 USD,) and will release alongside the game in Japan on October 29th 2020. Players will have to choose between Dante and Raidou upon starting the game, as owners of the DLC will have the option to start the game with the "New Game -MANIAX-" mode from the game's main menu.
While many fans will surely be excited to see Dante return as a guest character to Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, it is disappointing to see that Atlus is only offering the character as paid DLC and that players will have to choose between Raidou and Dante. While Dante was part of the game's western release in 2004, the game's Maniax Chronicle Edition never actually saw a release outside of Japan, meaning that Raidou's content will be localized for the first time when the upcoming remaster releases west in 2021.
There has been no comment from Atlus U.S.A. on this announcement or details of the Dante DLC pack or whether it will include Dante's English voice actor Reuben Langdon. This remaster marks the first time Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne will receive full voice acting in both Japanese and English.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne HD Remaster releases in Japan on October 29th 2020 for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. The game is planned for a western release in Spring 2021.
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