What RPG's were meant to be!"
----GRAPHICS----
One of the most interesting aspect of Nocturne, is the way they used cell-shading and various environments to create both a changing and mysterious game. The various environments reflect the feelings that emanate from that very emplacement. From Hospitals to Malls, and from luxurious Parks to dark and decrepit sewers, the constant evolution in the environments make for a very interesting and powerful aspect in the game where there is a reason for every emplacement to exist. Atlus managed to create many different environments and situations and where they succeeded the most was making them non-repetitive. Their is one downfall to the graphics though. Seldom, polygon shapes can be clearly distinguished in both the characters, enemies and environments. This, however, does not affect the gameplay and the overall enjoyment of the game.
-----Sound & Music-----
One of the strongest points of the game is in my opinion the music. An interesting blend of musical instruments truly enhance the mood of the game and the feelings that should transpire from every given situation. The sound effects in general are not anything extra-ordinary and the absence of speech although logical is sometimes cutting in the enjoyment of the game.
With the version i bought, the soundtrack came as a bonus cd, which i like to put on once in a while.
-----Gameplay------
At first, the gameplay might seem similar to Final Fantasy games - as are many other rpgs - but a closer look at the true purpose of the game demonstrated that Nocturne has nothing to envy to the other franchise. You can recruit monsters you fight in a way similar to Pokemon games. Later on you can fuse them at a Cathedral of Shadows, making them become another monster - which can be fused with another to create an even more powerful monster - as long as your character's level is high enough not to be overwhelmed by the monster that you plan to create - which the game will simply prevent you from doing - . Another nice feature is the visit of a character from another game which can be recruited in your party. (Spoilers ****** : he is from the Devil May Cry series *******)
The battle system - although it is turn based - is fast paced and even has an auto attack feature which enables our party to attack automatically. This can be useful against weak enemies. The never ending combinations of monsters makes for an impressive replay value and gives the game even more good points.
-----Storyline-----
This is the story of a young Protagonist. The interesting point is the speed at which the action starts leaving you time to gather the basics of movement and dialogue - which is short and straight to the point - which makes for less frustration during the main storyline. The plot is interesting, giving every moral standing decision to the user. The story is somewhat difficult to comprehend at first - as it truly is for the protagonist - but clues and dialogues between the main character and other both eccentric and original characters permits us to understand. Another great feature is the multiple endings that are affected by the course of your actions and reactions in dialogues and given situations. -----Conclusion -----
Nocturne is a game that RPG lovers should desire. It brings forth the true meaning of RPG essence and can be enjoyed again and again. I would not recommend it for younger gamers, since its vocabulary gathers some Japanese mythical terms and the story could be hard to understand for a child under 13 or so.