In Nocturne this Q&A portion appears to be randomised. Instead of wearing creatures down and snatching them at their most vulnerable, a la Pokémon press-ganging, you sweeten devils with bribes before opening a dialogue where you convince them that your motivations align. It’s not just the demonic entities that give Shin Megami Tensei infernal energy it’s the whole process of ensnaring them. Pikachu was just a diversion! Well played, The Devil, well played. Powerful Operation Yewtree energy.Īll the while Shin Megami Tensei was doing its thing in Japan, actively encouraging you to negotiate with a snake with the head of a dog in order to secure your rule in post-apocalyptic hellscapes. When, as we all know, the only Pokémon you need to watch your kids around is Mr Mime.
Back then parents fretted that Pikachu was secretly conscripting children into Satan’s army, what with the paranormal tinge of its bestiary and the presence of ‘undead’ Ghost types. My favourite description of the Shin Megami Tensei games is that they’re everything the religious right accused Pokémon of being in the late 90s. Monster-wooing dungeon crawler is a neat bit of JRPG history that struggles to hide its age.
Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster
