Diabolical Pokemon


Sights like this abound in Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.

Last night I started playing the unusual PS2 RPG Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. I say unusual because Nocturne is just the latest in a series known for using religious lore and imagery as well as some disturbing themes of the apocalypse in its stories. Well, using angels and seeing the one god as the ultimate enemy is something the Japanese often do (as we saw in Shaider where the enemy often uses crosses and crucifixes as symbols). They're not satanists... they're just Japanese. Hmm.
Anyway, the story in Nocturne concerns the adventures of a student (whom you name) who is called to a mysterious hospital by his beautiful teacher. Once there, he witnesses some fairly unsettling things, including the End of the World as we know it. Yep, in the first ten minutes of the game, the world ends. What happens after though, is what Nocturne is all about. Soon after mankind goes bye-bye, you are injected with an insect by a mysterious child (shades of Matrix) and turned into a demon. Now equipped to survive in the new world, you go forth and seek your destiny.
Now, to aid you in your quest you will have to bring together a party. This isn't Final Fantasy, so you won't find martial artists in mini-skirts hanging around in bars waiting to join you. Nope, instead you can get semi-naked goddesses, floating spirits, wild goblins and pretty much any of the hundreds of mythological denizens of the new world to fight for you by good negotiation, talking and a bit of bribing. As you gather your minions, they level up with you and you can even create new demons by fusing two together. As I said, kinda like Pokemon since you are pretty much encouraged to 'catch them all!'.

Combat is turn-based, and there's a lot of running around in various stages, fighting random encounters and trying to make heads or tails of your new world. The story seems fairly complex and long, and I haven't gotten into a fourth of it, so it looks like I'm in for a long saga. Which is fine, since the game's pretty cool. In a demonic sort of way.

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is out now for the PS2. Recommended for mature players.