Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, also known as Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Maniax in Japan, is the first game in the series to be officially released in the Western market. It is an improved version of Shin Megami Tensei III, which was originally released in Japan as Shin Megami Tensei III. This version adds various features that were not available in the initial edition, which was exclusively available in Japanese.
A few new scenes and events have been added to the narrative. The majority of these have some sort of link to the “True Demon” path, which is one of the protagonist’s numerous branching options throughout the game. If the player chooses to take this route, the hero will have to contend with a number of new and formidable boss foes referred to as the Fiends. The first of these will appear in an additional fight that is required to be fought early in the game, while the rest will be optional unless the player intends to reach the new True Demon ending. The game now includes a massive new dungeon that’s been given the name Labyrinth of Amala. Exploration of this dungeon is also linked to the True Demon path, which features an additional final boss and may be accessed by selecting the True Demon path.
This expanded edition includes a playable role for Dante, the primary protagonist of the Devil May Cry series of video games. Early on in the game, he will appear as a boss foe, and if certain requirements are satisfied, he will be available for recruitment into the team. This edition also includes a supplemental introductory movie that focuses heavily on him.
The improved edition gives the player the option to choose between an Easy, Normal, or Hard difficulty level right from the start of the game. A few alterations have been made to the gameplay balance. For instance, there are fewer enemies ambushing the protagonist than there were in the first version of the game, and the likelihood that the protagonist would be killed instantly by an attack has been reduced.
Other changes to the gameplay include a transformation bonus for retaining the first party member recruited, the ability to fuse some of the boss enemies previously encountered and have them join the party, the capability to battle and later recruit the powerful demons Beelzebub and Metatron, and the addition of a new skill (Pierce).
