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Megami Tensei/Persona discussion: | P3: FES - 4/22 | Nocturne reprinted?
cj iwakura
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
According to this link at Play-Asia, either Nocturne has finally been reprinted, or China's had them stashed away for a rainy day.
It's still $45, but that's a steal considering how rare the game is nowadays.
It's also what used copies go for at EB stop.
Persona 4 [PS2] (7/10/08 JP)
Persona 3 FES [PS2] (4/22/08 US)
The complete version of the game, original and all.
Images and such, c/o Atlus:
Since the former thread again exceeded the heights of Monad, it was suggested that, since most of us Personers(?) are also into the Shin Megami Tensei(SMT) games, that the next thread should pertain to a little of everything.
Rather than ramble for paragraphs on end as per usual, I'll offer brief snippets on the primary SMT titles, at least the ones that made it stateside.
As for the rest, well, I've got stuff on those too that can be added later, if so desired.
Let's start with the core series, and naturally, the rarest gem of them all.
Shin Megami Tensei (III): Nocturne [PS2]
Nocturne is part of the 'primary' SMT series. Traditional RPG combat focused around a primary protagonist, whose personality, abilities, and goals are almost completely defined by the player.
There are no other 'supporting' playable characters besides Nocturne's main character, the Demi-Fiend.
He has to recruit them himself from the demons, angels, and assorted figures of lore that reside in the Vortex World(the result of the world as we know it coming to an end, which practically wipes out humanity in the process).
Also, he has to contend with this guy trying to kill him at every turn.
The version of Nocturne that was brought over is the 'Maniacs' version: a psuedo-Director's Cut that includes extra battles(with the Fiends, reaper-esque demons of nightmarish power), and a dungeon called the Amala Labyrinth that leads to an optional 'True Demon' ending.
Nocturne's quite out of print, but it's hardly impossible to find. Even pops up used at game stores from time to time.
Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner [PS2]
& 
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha VS The Soulless Army [PS2]
Persona [PS1]
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment [PS1]
Demi Kids/Devil Children [GBA]
& 
Revelations: The Demon Slayer [GBC]
Jack Bros. [Virtual Boy]
/ 
Last and not least, the most recent offering:
Persona 3
Persona: Trinity Soul
A recent anime, taking place ten years after Persona 3.
The first episode aired a while back, still showing on the regular, far as I know.
Don't hold your breath for a US release.
The future is bright in the East, at least; no shortage of cellphone games, the onging Persona anime, and the fifth game in the series(Persona 4) hitting the PS2 of all things.
I'm hoping the core series will be the one that brings SMT into next-gen, but I guess we'll see.
Most of the images are care of the HG101 article, which will tell you everything imaginable about SMT, especially the many, many games that never came out here.
It's still $45, but that's a steal considering how rare the game is nowadays.
It's also what used copies go for at EB stop.
Persona 4 [PS2] (7/10/08 JP)
Lightor216 wrote: »Persona 4 has been announced for the PS2!
- Trailer on DVD (magazine)
- July 10th release
- 85% Complete
- Looks like Persona 3 but better
- 180+ Personas
- Hashino is directing, Soejima is art director and character designer, Meguro is composing
- Takes place in the countryside, a more nostalgic environment
- The theme is murder mystery/suspense, it's a mystery thriller with twists and turns
- Multiple endings
- 1.5x the size of P3
- 60-70 hours
- There is a weather forecast system, and whenever there is a fog, a murder occurs
Credit goes to Waren_alkar for informing me.
Persona 3 FES [PS2] (4/22/08 US)
Atlus announces Persona 3 FES for PS2
Experience the definitive cut of 2007s award-winning Persona 3, which
garnered tons of critical acclaim and the adulation of a devoted fanbase.
Packaged together with a brand new episode, the set provides 120-plus hours
of gameplay at a suggested retail price of $29.99.
Lead a group of high school students with a dangerous extracurricular
activity: exploring the mysterious tower Tartarus and fighting the sinister
Shadows during the Dark Hour, a frozen span of time imperceptible to all but
a select few. And the end of their quest is no longer the end of the
story--witness for the first time the aftermath of the final battle and the
students struggle to find meaning in their new lives.
Available April 22, 2008.
The complete version of the game, original and all.
Images and such, c/o Atlus:
Since the former thread again exceeded the heights of Monad, it was suggested that, since most of us Personers(?) are also into the Shin Megami Tensei(SMT) games, that the next thread should pertain to a little of everything.
Rather than ramble for paragraphs on end as per usual, I'll offer brief snippets on the primary SMT titles, at least the ones that made it stateside.
As for the rest, well, I've got stuff on those too that can be added later, if so desired.
Let's start with the core series, and naturally, the rarest gem of them all.
Shin Megami Tensei (III): Nocturne [PS2]
Call it what you will: a revelation from god, or a curse of the demon king.
The fact remains that our world died.
A heretic called upon an unearthly light, and chaos ensued.
Demons crawled from the black depths.
Death upon death. Nothing but death in this barren land.
Who can we pray to?
There are only demons and fiends here.
A voice in the dark beguiles me,
'Truth is a mystery, unravelled by the candle's flames.'
Nocturne is part of the 'primary' SMT series. Traditional RPG combat focused around a primary protagonist, whose personality, abilities, and goals are almost completely defined by the player.
There are no other 'supporting' playable characters besides Nocturne's main character, the Demi-Fiend.
He has to recruit them himself from the demons, angels, and assorted figures of lore that reside in the Vortex World(the result of the world as we know it coming to an end, which practically wipes out humanity in the process).
Also, he has to contend with this guy trying to kill him at every turn.
The version of Nocturne that was brought over is the 'Maniacs' version: a psuedo-Director's Cut that includes extra battles(with the Fiends, reaper-esque demons of nightmarish power), and a dungeon called the Amala Labyrinth that leads to an optional 'True Demon' ending.
Nocturne's quite out of print, but it's hardly impossible to find. Even pops up used at game stores from time to time.
Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner [PS2]
& Not part of the core series, but still similar, in that its a traditional RPG.
Moreso than Nocturne, in the sense that DDS lets the player control a party of set characters.
Instead of having an army of demons to choose from, the six main characters in DDS have customizable skill sets, in addition to changing between human and demon forms; the latter of which thrives on devouring other beings to survive(and also to gain more experience).
Not as rare as Nocturne, but considering that the first came as a limited issue box with an OST, the first is probably the toughest SMT to find brand new.
The second is still fairly common.
DDS2 takes place in a different 'world' than the original. The cast returns, and the story continues right from where the original left off. They're so closely connected, that it's practically one game spread over two discs.
The gameplay is mostly the same, except the characters have access to 'Berserk' forms at certain intervals; they become far more powerful(and get tons of XP with Devour attempts), but their accuracy plummets, and they can die from a single hit.
Moreso than Nocturne, in the sense that DDS lets the player control a party of set characters.
Instead of having an army of demons to choose from, the six main characters in DDS have customizable skill sets, in addition to changing between human and demon forms; the latter of which thrives on devouring other beings to survive(and also to gain more experience).
Not as rare as Nocturne, but considering that the first came as a limited issue box with an OST, the first is probably the toughest SMT to find brand new.
The second is still fairly common.
DDS2 takes place in a different 'world' than the original. The cast returns, and the story continues right from where the original left off. They're so closely connected, that it's practically one game spread over two discs.
The gameplay is mostly the same, except the characters have access to 'Berserk' forms at certain intervals; they become far more powerful(and get tons of XP with Devour attempts), but their accuracy plummets, and they can die from a single hit.
Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha VS The Soulless Army [PS2]
Kind of a black sheep among localized SMT games. Didn't sell very well, not many people seem to have played it, etc.
Really Long Title, unlike other SMTs, is an Action-RPG.
Battles are still randomized, but when they occur, Raidou is freely controllable, and slashes/shoots/summons in real-time.
There's still a demonary, and convincing the numerous monsters to fight alongside Raidou is part of the appeal.
The game is short, and fairly easy compared to the competition, but there's still fun to be had.
And Rasputin is a scene-stealer.
On a side note, this is the third game in the series; the PS1 had the original Devil Summoner, followed by the reportedly amazing Soul Hackers.
Rumor has it that Atlus was going to localize Soul Hackers, but was turned down.
Really Long Title, unlike other SMTs, is an Action-RPG.
Battles are still randomized, but when they occur, Raidou is freely controllable, and slashes/shoots/summons in real-time.
There's still a demonary, and convincing the numerous monsters to fight alongside Raidou is part of the appeal.
The game is short, and fairly easy compared to the competition, but there's still fun to be had.
And Rasputin is a scene-stealer.
On a side note, this is the third game in the series; the PS1 had the original Devil Summoner, followed by the reportedly amazing Soul Hackers.
Rumor has it that Atlus was going to localize Soul Hackers, but was turned down.
Persona [PS1]
The one that started it all; Atlus' first attempt at bringing part of the SMT series stateside(under the attempted moniker of 'Revelations').
Persona is a side-story of the core series, like Devil Summoner and Digital Devil Saga, but it shares many similar themes, and plenty demons along the way.
On a down note, the first game hasn't aged well, at all.
The localization removed a number of aspects from the game, used some downright awful pop culture references, changed character portraits, etc.
Beyond all that, gameplay also focuses around mind-numbingly huge first person dungeons.
There's a good story to be found, but it requires a lot of time, effort, and pain to see through.
Persona is a side-story of the core series, like Devil Summoner and Digital Devil Saga, but it shares many similar themes, and plenty demons along the way.
On a down note, the first game hasn't aged well, at all.
The localization removed a number of aspects from the game, used some downright awful pop culture references, changed character portraits, etc.
Beyond all that, gameplay also focuses around mind-numbingly huge first person dungeons.
There's a good story to be found, but it requires a lot of time, effort, and pain to see through.
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment [PS1]
Another rarity, and with good reason. Not daunted by Sony's refusal to let Atlus localize Innocent Sin(the first half of Persona 2), they brought us the next best thing: the second half.
P2 uses isometric dungeons instead of first-person. Beyond that, it's more of the same goodness, with a comparatively stellar localization.
The difficulty is also a good four or five times harder than the first game's. This might be the title which kicked that tradition off.
Maybe I'll finish it one day.
P2 uses isometric dungeons instead of first-person. Beyond that, it's more of the same goodness, with a comparatively stellar localization.
The difficulty is also a good four or five times harder than the first game's. This might be the title which kicked that tradition off.
Maybe I'll finish it one day.
Demi Kids/Devil Children [GBA]
& If Devil Summoner is the black sheep of the series, then these are the abandoned children.
The Demi Kids games are more like Pokemon than any other SMT game around, probably because they were designed with a younger audience in mind.
Still, if you need a portable SMT fix, you could do worse. Everyone's favorite demon, Lucifer, makes an appearance as well.
It had a psuedo-sequel called Messiah Lyzers/Raiser(something like that) which probably won't make it here, unfortunately. Seems like more of a strategy game.
The Demi Kids games are more like Pokemon than any other SMT game around, probably because they were designed with a younger audience in mind.
Still, if you need a portable SMT fix, you could do worse. Everyone's favorite demon, Lucifer, makes an appearance as well.
It had a psuedo-sequel called Messiah Lyzers/Raiser(something like that) which probably won't make it here, unfortunately. Seems like more of a strategy game.
Revelations: The Demon Slayer [GBC]
I've never actually played this, but I think it came out around the time of Persona 1, so they also used the 'Revelations' header for it.
Demon Slayer's a localized version of one of the 'Last Bible' games.
Far as I can tell, care of the HG101 article, it's basically Shin Megami Tensei: Dragon Warrior.
Looks worth a try, if a copy can be gotten.
There were also a good two or three other games in the series that didn't make it here, like most SMT offshoots.
Demon Slayer's a localized version of one of the 'Last Bible' games.
Far as I can tell, care of the HG101 article, it's basically Shin Megami Tensei: Dragon Warrior.
Looks worth a try, if a copy can be gotten.
There were also a good two or three other games in the series that didn't make it here, like most SMT offshoots.
Jack Bros. [Virtual Boy]
/ Not really an SMT game at all, though it features the series' timeless mascots, Jack Frost and Pyro Jack.
More of a maze/puzzle/action kind of game than anything, I think.
More of a maze/puzzle/action kind of game than anything, I think.
Last and not least, the most recent offering:
Persona 3
The most recent SMT title brought over, and it seems to already be going out of print. 
I don't get it either.
P3 uses a traditional battle system, like the core SMT games and the earlier Personas, but instead of focusing on making friends with demons, the idea is to make friends with your peers.
Like always, it's to get something from them, but it beats trying to talk it over with the Pale Rider over a cup of tea.
There's also the task of keeping one's grades up,
contending with an almost endless tower that appears at nightfall, and fighting off the demonic hordes that inhabit it.
I don't get it either.
P3 uses a traditional battle system, like the core SMT games and the earlier Personas, but instead of focusing on making friends with demons, the idea is to make friends with your peers.
Like always, it's to get something from them, but it beats trying to talk it over with the Pale Rider over a cup of tea.
There's also the task of keeping one's grades up,
contending with an almost endless tower that appears at nightfall, and fighting off the demonic hordes that inhabit it.
Persona: Trinity Soul
A recent anime, taking place ten years after Persona 3.
The first episode aired a while back, still showing on the regular, far as I know.
Don't hold your breath for a US release.
The future is bright in the East, at least; no shortage of cellphone games, the onging Persona anime, and the fifth game in the series(Persona 4) hitting the PS2 of all things.
I'm hoping the core series will be the one that brings SMT into next-gen, but I guess we'll see.
Most of the images are care of the HG101 article, which will tell you everything imaginable about SMT, especially the many, many games that never came out here.
cj iwakura on
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I'd thought about trying out Persona 3 but just how much time does it take to really get the game going?
Persona 3 is a great ride all the way through, honestly.
On DDS2;
Also, Seraph was a cool idea, but damn did they fuck up his demon form.
On Nocturne;
Am I alone in thinking Persona 2 wasn't crazily difficult? I mean, it wasn't easy, but still. I managed to beat it with everyone's starter Persona (Maia Custom totally counts shut up.)
3DS: 1607-3034-6970
I played Nocturne last year and finished one playthrough and it's one of my favourite turn-based RPG's. I love the Compendium. The DDS games are in my backlog. I hope to eventually get Persona 3 but my backlog is just too long right now.
Great thread by the way.
Oh yeah... never did play that, regrettably. I'll work on adding it.
Also, I'm glad it wasn't lost to oblivion like the forum lapse suggested.
3DS: 1607-3034-6970
Not sure if you meant it has been released in PAL, but Grim Grimoire is definately available.
My local EB did have January as a release date for Odin Sphere, but both Persona 3 and Odin Spere have now been nixed from their computers, so I've no idea where its up to.
As for Persona 3, I'm going to take advantage of Aussie law and get me a modded PS2 and import all the PS2 stuff we missed out on. Persona 3 is at the head of that list.
I heard Persona 3's combat system was very fast-paced, much like Suikoden, so I was wondering if it's more accessible.
There's still a lot of room for plain bad luck, though; if one lucky hit kills the main character, it's instant game over.
I'm curious, since I'm trying to dodge spoilers till I get a hold of it, but how much can you accomplish in one play through? Can you pretty much get everything done or are there areas which you can only really complete one area with each play through (like the relationships thing for example.)
The combat is incredibly fast, and a lot of battles are over in one or two moves. Basically, if you use your resources (there's always an NPC watching that isn't involved with the fight who can analyze the enemies' weaknesses), you can exploit the extra turn system and take everyone out very quick.
It's very different than what I've seen before, and yet not difficult or arcane.
Currently working on my second full playthrough of Nocturne (on hold for The Witcher, though), where I'm going for True Demon. I got the ending fhe first time where...
Which was fairly satisfying.
Persona 2 is in my backlog.
DDS2:
Here's hoping for more SMT. Have we any confirmation that P4 will be on PS2? I'm still leaning towards buying a 360 instead of a PS3, and the longer I can delay the inner struggle of "More SMT" vs. "Everything Else" the better.
I think the Social Links is the only thing you can't see all of, since they press the fact that time is always moving, and you have to use it wisely.
It's possibly to max out everyone, I think, but it requires almost flawless time management; knowing who's available on what days, when to work on a stat, when to answer a girl's phone call, etc.
It's better to just work on the relationships you care about on the first run. I saw maybe two thirds of them through.
(And I had to spend every single day of the end-game with Mitsuru to pull that one off.)
I'm still skeptical, but it was reported that P4's in development for PS2.
I hate to say this, because I really don't want to need the console, but I bet they'll put the next (core) SMT title on the PS3.
If SMT's going next-gen, I think that's the console best suited for it. With FFXIII headed there, and Disgaea, seems like a safe bet that the hardcore RPG crowd will be backing the PS3(and they're probably right
I don't expect them to suddenly go across the pond and tell Bill Gates that they want to put all their games on the 360, and I also don't see SMT having any need for being on the Wii (thank god).
So yeah, you're probably right about that. I just hope they can squeeze one more PS2 game out as a swan song (and piss off all the gaming mags that called every PS2 release this year the "last great PS2 game").
As in, I still need to finish DDS1 and play DDS2 and don't even get me started on Devil Summoner.
I just noticed that there's apparently an easy difficulty setting, too, which is awesome. I'll definitely be getting it now. Thanks. I wish Nocturne and DDS also had that, though.
I haven't investigated, but here's the info he gave me:
Research time, folks.
Lanz and a few others are playing IMAGINE, and made a huge post detailing the game's finer details.
http://www.platformers.net/forum/index.php?topic=954.msg233317#msg233317
I'd love to play it, but eh, dial-up = not happening.
Oh, and you have to shell out real world cash to buy some of the more useful items like the potion that lets you freaking RESPEC YOUR CHARACTER SFKLFKLSJ.
Of course I don't speak Japanese, so I may very well have been missing some vital fun making option in the menu or something.
The Wiki is very helpful, if you can understand the translated version.
Prioritize working on social links with other students before you work on ones with people not from your school. You'll get plenty of time to work on the latter during holidays and before exams.
Steam Profile
3DS: 3454-0268-5595 Battle.net: SteelAngel#1772
It is possible--in my game, I did it by following the guide on GameFAQs. However, miss even ONE step, and it's all over--every single day is laid out for you. I can't even imagine how you could get it done in FES with the extra links there.
Anyways... Which should I play?
3ds friend code: 2981-6032-4118
No...
Will I really be that lost? I'm not huge on story as it is, and I've already bought the game.
3ds friend code: 2981-6032-4118