Fans of Atlus's Shin Megami Tensei franchise were stunned last week when not only was a trailer for the upcoming Shin Megami Tensei 5 finally released after almost 3 years of waiting, but a remaster of the PlayStation 2 classic Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster was also revealed for release in Japan this October, while western Atlus fans will have to wait until the more ambiguous "Spring 2021" to play this classic RPG.

It had been previously revealed that, alongside bringing the game to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 with remastered visuals, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster will allow newcomers to make use of a brand new "Merciful" difficulty mode. Like most games in the Shin Megami Tensei series, SMT 3: Nocturne is infamous for its brutal difficulty, with many of the game's early bosses capable of sending the player hurling towards the game over screen. The remaster will also introduce full English and Japanese voice acting and be based on Maniax Chronicle, a 2008  re-release of the game replacing Devil May Cry's Dante as an optional party member with Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner's Raidou Kuzunoha.

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To commemorate the remaster's announcement, Japanese gaming magazine Weekly Famitsu, issue 1652, has included a six-page feature on Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster. The six pages include an interview with the original game's director Kazuyuki Yamai in which the director comments on the original game's development and the intent behind the remaster. This feature also includes brand new screenshots of Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster, including comparisons between the PS2 original and the remaster, along with a look at Raidou Kuzunoha.

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Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne marks the main series' debut on both PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch ahead of the Nintendo Switch release of Shin Megami Tensei 5 in 2021. It follows "The Demi-fiend," the player's character, as he traverses an apocalyptic Tokyo, destroyed by a cult after a cataclysmic event called the "Conception." The game features the Shin Megami Tensei's series' traditional turn-based combat and introduced the "press-turn" combat system found in most later titles such as Persona 3 and Digital Devil Saga.

Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster will release in the west in spring 2021.

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Source: Persona Central