Last summer, Atlus and Sega gave the Persona series the legacy treatment when Persona 4 Golden was ported to PC, after spending years exclusive to PlayStation Vita. Soon after, Persona 4 Golden's PC release proved to be a great success for the publisher, hitting 500,000 players on Steam less than a month after release. Now, it seems Atlus and Sega are aiming for a repeat success with the storied Shin Megami Tensei series, starting with Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne.
Not only has Atlus confirmed the western release date for the already-announced Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster, but the enhanced edition will also be releasing on PC via Steam. Releasing day-and-date alongside the Nintendo Switch and PS4 versions, new and existing fans in the west will be able to finally check out the cult classic JRPG in just a few months.
Around seven months after the Japanese release of the remaster, Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster releases in the west on May 25, 2021. Eager fans who want to dive into the game as soon as possible are able to play Nocturne four days early if they pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition. Alongside early access to the full game, fans will also receive several additions to the base game.
The Maniax Pack includes a separate episode featuring Capcom's Dante from the Devil May Cry series, an episode many fans feared wouldn't make it into the game. Players will also receive the Chronicle Pack, an additional episode featuring Raidou Kuzunoha from another classic Atlus JRPG Devil Summoner.
The Mercy and Expectation Map Pack includes two additional locales for players to grind for experience items and items to redeem for Macca as well. Lastly, the Deluxe Edition also includes a Shin Megami Tensei BGM pack, full of music from older and newer titles in the Shin Megami Tensei series.
Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster also notably adds a "Merciful Difficulty," something to ease the tension on the notoriously difficult JRPG. Atlus game director Kazuyuki Yamai had noted that Nocturne initially received a reputation for difficulty as a product of the times back in 2003. However, with multiple endings, alongside many new features and fans playing the game for the first time, the decision to add an easier difficulty for the remaster is a welcome one.
Plus, alongside the many improvements in visual fidelity, performance, and the ability to save progress at any point, Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne may receive new life this May after spending years as a JRPG cult classic. Plenty of JRPG fans, and potentially Persona fans, may finally get a taste of one of the best entries in Atlus' seminal JRPG franchises.
Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne HD Remaster releases on May 25, 2021, for PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.
