Which SMT game should i play?

ihavenolife123

ihavenolife123

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Let's pretend I just got the following

Nocturne
DDS1
DDS2
Persona 3 FES

Which order should i play them? Or do you think it would be most enjoyable?

Ive been over the atlus boards, and there is major hate for anyone jumping on the SMT bandwagon right after persona 3 came out...
 
each game is like Square's Ivalice, the world that started in Final Fantasy Tactics. you got FFT and War of the Lions (PSP), FFTA and A2, FFXII and Revenant Wings, along with Vagrant Story. the games aren't directly related, but some elements do carry over. you don't have to play them in any order (unless they're direct sequels) to understand how the worlds work.

any of the games will give you a good understanding of the SMT world without requiring you to understand what happened in other games. order won't really matter, except of course with DDS1 and DDS2. i'd play them in the order you listed just for the sake of quality. by no means is the production value of Nocturne bad or anything, but the games started to get better voiceovers (there's none in Nocturne) and cutscenes.
 
[quote name='ihavenolife123']Ive been over the atlus boards, and there is major hate for anyone jumping on the SMT bandwagon right after persona 3 came out...[/quote]

It's not so much hate for jumping on the SMT bandwagon as for not being on the Atlus forums for the past few years. I try to stay away from there as much as possible as it's one of the forums I find worse than gamefaqs.

Anyway, I would say that DDS 1 & 2 would be the easiest jump-in point. The games will give you a feel of how dark the series is, but are similar to FFX in terms of the ability system.

From there, Nocturne is a very mature look - akin to DDS and FES is more like the anime Metropolis where it's a very dark, sinister plot dressed up to look like Astro Boy.
 
Don't start with Nocturne, it's the hardest of the 4 and if you've never played a SMT game you may want to start with something else. The DDS series is a good start, esp. since most people consider Nocturne to be a better game and it kind of sucks sometimes going from better to worse.

Not saying DDS is bad, but overall it's a better starting point. P3 is the easiest of the 4 though, but it also has the best production value, so it may be like taking a step back if you start it first.
 
I agree with lonepig. DDS 1&2, Nocturne, than p3.

...also, avoid the atlus forums if at all possible. It's a sad headache over there.
 
[quote name='ihavenolife123']
Ive been over the atlus boards, and there is major hate for anyone jumping on the SMT bandwagon right after persona 3 came out...[/quote]

That's because they have no lives and only way they can feel special is by playing some obscure JRPGs. More peolpe = less special they are. :D
 
My opinion pretty much mirrors the above - Persona 3 is easier and realistically due to being able to carry a bunch of Personas and swap through them, it really gives you a lot of options which is a big reason why it is pretty easy. One problem with Nocturne speaks to how old it is - unless you read a walkthrough or some online guide, it could be very easy to screw up what abilities you learn from Magatama since once you forget something, its gone permanently (my only tip : NEVER GET RID OF FOCUS EVER). I don't know how die hard you are about avoiding walkthroughs and the like, I really try to avoid using them for any game I play because part of the fun is the experimentation, and all of the games unlike many RPGs do reward experimentation.

Personally, I found DDS, both of them, a good compromise. I found the stories and characters a lot more enjoyable/interesting than Persona 3, while still being consistantly challenging, and being able to at least swap abilities out of battle prevents you from potentially screwing yourself like you could in Nocturne.
Nocturne however has a really great setting I found, the world feels really empty but even just the random souls you run into actually add flavor to it. I liked all the dungeons in all 3 games, whereas Tartarus got tiresome after a while in Persona 3.

All are good for different reasons, all are flawed for different reasons.
 
Nocturne is really the only game thats a true SMT as in Japan it is Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. The other games are just side game that Atlus USA put the SMT in the title to help it sell better
 
[quote name='62t']Nocturne is really the only game thats a true SMT as in Japan it is Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. The other games are just side game that Atlus USA put the SMT in the title to help it sell better[/QUOTE]

Thats fine and all, but that wouldnt really tackle the point im trying to make here.

[quote name='thelonepig']
Anyway, I would say that DDS 1 & 2 would be the easiest jump-in point. The games will give you a feel of how dark the series is, but are similar to FFX in terms of the ability system.
[/QUOTE]

That would matter if only ive played through FFX. It is in my shelf currently and cant decide when to play it either. So if you mean the sphere grid system, never had a chance to figure it out yet.

In all honesty, I got my first PS2 when amazon was selling the ceramix for $99.
After that, i got a bunch of clearance games from here and there, including the Xeno trilogy, and Final Fantasy 10 and 12 (among others that need no mention).

Since im about to start my summer, i wanted to start with a real nice RPG, and i came here for suggestions on the SMT series.

So i know the following
Nocturne: hardest, oldest, low production values.
DDS: medium difficulty, high production values, middle child.
Persona: easiest, highest production values, newest

Its really hard to decide when i think about it. DDS sounds so well-rounded its perfect. then Nocturne sounds so archaic that i will find something wrong with it by virtue of the fact that the sequels are better.
If i start with nocturne, through, everything else will just seem easy, is that right?

Gosh darned pickles. I still cant decide
 
um you really cant say DDS is better than nocturne. It is just that DDS is more like a traditional RPG and it is a lot more forgiving. Even if you did play nocturne it doenst mean DDS is an easy game either.
 
[quote name='62t']um you really cant say DDS is better than nocturne. It is just that DDS is more like a traditional RPG and it is a lot more forgiving. Even if you did play nocturne it doenst mean DDS is an easy game either.[/QUOTE]

I meant to say that the sequels were better in regards to production values.
I guess this is me just making small talk for the anticipation of the games coming to me.

also, since i was so curious about kazuma kaneko art, i googled it and i came accross this 1up article interviewing him. Did i just ruin nocturne for myself by...

reading that the old man in the wheel chair is lucifer? heres the link
http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3134745
Am i boned?

Thanks for the help guys
 
If anything Nocturne has the highest production value. It has Dante as a secret character.

As for the spolier, you are not suppose to know that until you finish most of the game. However the PAL version is called Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call
 
[quote name='62t']If anything Nocturne has the highest production value. It has Dante as a secret character.

As for the spolier, you are not suppose to know that until you finish most of the game. However the PAL version is called Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call[/QUOTE]

Well, its not like im defending my knowing what im talking about. considering that ive never played any games, i stand corrected.

Darn, i hope the spoiler doesnt ruin the drama
 
I'd start with Persona 3: Fes since its the newest and a budget title; its good to be on the same page of the rest of the gaming world every now and then. I believe that, chronologically, Nocture is supposed to take place before DDS1 and DDS2, although I don't think the plots are actually tied together.
 
[quote name='ihavenolife123']ill start with fes only for the mara persona[/quote]

Mara isn't new to fes. You'll see him in Nocturne, too.
 
Its a tough call but basically pick anyone.

I'd probably so go with DDS or FES because it will make playing Nocturne a little easier. The enemies are mostly the same in each game and jack frost in Nocturne has the same weaknesses as Jack Frost in Persona 3 for the most part. In Nocturne where taking advantage of weaknesses is crucial this will be a big help
 
yea FES is a good place to start due to the price. then you can look for nocture as the price dropped after the rerpint. And make sure you play DDS1 before 2.
 
Actually its just a matter of time before i get nocturne
DDS 2 is brand new for $20 and some of my stores nearby
DDS1 is coming to me from ebstop, hoping to end up with a complete copy. If not i can only kiss the digi devil saga goodbye.
 
[quote name='ihavenolife123']
Ive been over the atlus boards, and there is major hate for anyone jumping on the SMT bandwagon right after persona 3 came out...[/quote]

Gaming elitists make me so sad... Just play your games, have fun, discuss why they're fun, and leave it with that. There's way too much negativity on the internet...

In fact, you would think mainstream popularity would be a good thing... no way FES would have had a North American release if P3 had tanked. That and I know personally I like finding out I have the same interests as other people so I can talk their ears off. Guess they like their awkward antisocial silences.
 
[quote name='MegaKungFuRadio']Guess they like their awkward antisocial silences.[/QUOTE]
I know i dont. Its a little frustrating having interest in things others dont. And the internet is pretty much the only way to reach others that do.
When it comes to games, locally, its all about sports games and shooters and explosions.
So i ask, "wanna play persona 3 with me?" They ask "what? im busy with madden"
dang

How exactly do you play rpgs with another person?
 
[quote name='ihavenolife123']How exactly do you play rpgs with another person?[/quote]

I don't know, I have had my boyfriend or my brothers watch me play RPG's for a while, or I have watched them. I have done the boss-rushes and general grinding for my friends in G.U. You can play RPG's with others.. sort of.

Atlus forum posters are a special kind of jerk. I'd be pretty let down being an Atlus employee and seeing that sort of thing. They don't seem to enjoy anything.
 
playing rpg with others? i usually just watch my friend play and enjoy the fighting scenes because fighting is really big for me in rpg.

talking about the games:
i played persona 3 first, stopped then i played nocturne.
i haven't played DDS.

persona 3 is easy to play. u control the main character, and u can switch persona (similar to materia in FF VII because each persona gives a set of skills, but they are demons or something like that) during the game. so u can change ur weaknesses, magic, etc. i found it fun. the dating sim style gave new meanings to developing relationship in a game because it will affect the levels of the personas u fuse later. the dungeon is just tartarus, a school building that turns into a 'dungeon' of 200+ floors i think.

i then started nocturne, and i am still in the first run through. to add challenge (and frustration), i chose hard mode. sometimes i want to kill myself for doing that. battles that take 10 mins end up costing me 1 hour because i keep on dying. but i enjoy nocturne. the story is almost non-existent, dungeons get big and confusing with almost no safe points in the needed places sometimes, but fighting and exploring the dungeons are fun. the battle system is very tactical. i like it.

then i played persona 3 for a bit, and i get mixed up in the battle system.

overall, after playing them both for a bit, they are both good games, with each unique qualities. but i want to suggest nocturne 1st just because it is more classy and persona is more modern. after u play nocturne, you will be able to appreciate the easiness in persona. and u might even wanna play nocturne again to get the challenge of playing an rpg.

i hope i didn't go off topic too much.
 
[quote name='dragilores']

persona 3 is easy to play. u control the main character, and u can switch persona (similar to materia in FF VII because each persona gives a set of skills, but they are demons or something like that) during the game.

i hope i didn't go off topic too much.[/QUOTE]

Not at all, very nice to hear.

[quote name='dragilores']

persona 3 is easy to play. u control the main character, and u can switch persona (similar to materia in FF VII because each persona gives a set of skills, but they are demons or something like that) during the game.
[/QUOTE]

I really wouldnt know about materia. The only FF i ever played was 6, I knew about the rest, but quality wouldnt be appreciated by someone of my age and ethnicity. (now that i live in the US, and im a consumer whore, thats different :))


I dont know, ever since my RPG-playing friends went to study abroad (To japan no less, how typical) I got no one to enjoy a good videogame with. My gf says she has played through some Final Fantasies. So i thought "best Girlfriend ever!"
Turns out shes too busy with this "pre-med" crap she keeps talking about.

As birdman would say : "Sigh..."

see my reason to not play nocturne first is ...who knows when i will finish it. and FES will just get older. and fad will dwindle. As opposed to nocturne, thats already old and "classic" kinda.
So what was the point of preordering fes, i ask myself.


In hindsight...I preordered fes before i knew about the play-asia sale...i definiely dont want to play them at the same time. or do i?
 
I bought DDS 1 and 2, and nocturne, and I started off on Nocturne because from my understanding it was the first chronologically in the story of the series.

is this right?
 
[quote name='Thomas96']I bought DDS 1 and 2, and nocturne, and I started off on Nocturne because from my understanding it was the first chronologically in the story of the series.

is this right?[/quote]

No.

Here's your breakdown:

Shin Megami Tensei Series: I, II, and III (Nocturne)
Persona Series: 1, 2a, 2b, 3, 3:FES
Devil Summoner Series: several, one in particular with a large name
Avatar Tuner Series: DDS1 & 2

I don't have everything listed as that was just off the top of my head, but you're basically looking at several different series/universes that share similar themes, spell names, etc. but that aren't necessarily part of the same storyline. In fact, DDS1 & 2 (and the Persona 2 games, to some degree) are the only ones that need to be played in order to get the full storyline. The others are fairly well stand alone.
 
[quote name='thelonepig']In fact, DDS1 & 2 (and the Persona 2 games, to some degree) are the only ones that need to be played in order to get the full storyline. The others are fairly well stand alone.[/QUOTE]

I like that. Maybe i can stuff shadow of the colossus and the final fantasies somewhere in there (or gods of war)
 
Also if you really want to play Shin Megami Tensei 1 or 2, there is a fan translated version some where.
 
[quote name='62t']Also if you really want to play Shin Megami Tensei 1 or 2, there is a fan translated version some where.[/QUOTE]

do i need to be a haxxor and emulate it as if it were the ROMZORZ?

I could search for it for 5 minutes, 10 minutes tops
 
Picture the Persona more along the lines of Espers in FF6. Except you don't actually learn the skills the Persona give you and they each have strength and weaknesses. Plus you can swap em in battle.
 
I would suggest Persona 3 first. Then DDS1 and 2. Nocturne I would suggest only after you beat the first 2 fan translated games. It helps with getting the full picture of the series and why you fight the final boss. People at the atlus forums are pretty bad.
 
[quote name='Brian9824']Picture the Persona more along the lines of Espers in FF6. [/QUOTE]

SOLD!

[quote name='62t']Also if you really want to play Shin Megami Tensei 1 or 2, there is a fan translated version some where.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='cindersphere']I would suggest Persona 3 first. Then DDS1 and 2. Nocturne I would suggest only after you beat the first 2 fan translated games. It helps with getting the full picture of the series and why you fight the final boss. People at the atlus forums are pretty bad.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Chacrana']SMT 1 and 2 are such dog shit...[/QUOTE]

Does not compute!?
 
Er, the first SMT is arguably one of the best RPGs in that generation. The second one was good too (I didn't end up finishing it though). The storyline was unique, dungeon design was cool, demons out the wazoo, and 2 was a repeat basically set 30 years later. I recommend to anyone they get an emulator and find those translations, they are excellent.

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is probably my favorite in the Persona series because of the storyline. I haven't been able to play Innocent Sin but I liked the storyline idea between the 2. The first Persona on the PS1 I couldn't get through it. The translation is utterly brutal, and the only thing I remember was it was painfully slow in combat.
 
[quote name='Nakilos']Er, the first SMT is arguably one of the best RPGs in that generation. The second one was good too (I didn't end up finishing it though). The storyline was unique, dungeon design was cool, demons out the wazoo, and 2 was a repeat basically set 30 years later. I recommend to anyone they get an emulator and find those translations, they are excellent.

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is probably my favorite in the Persona series because of the storyline. I haven't been able to play Innocent Sin but I liked the storyline idea between the 2. The first Persona on the PS1 I couldn't get through it. The translation is utterly brutal, and the only thing I remember was it was painfully slow in combat.[/QUOTE]

Ive beet trying to make the translations work with the game...no dice...
i get this glitch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq2kJ5KRk2E
 
I might as well ask this but how does Persona 1 & 2 play into all of this? I heard those two were hard as shit but considering I never got too far into any of the SMT games (10 hours into Nocturne, 5 into DDS and that's it), I wouldn't know but they all sound like JRPGs for the hardcore crowd.
 
[quote name='willardhaven']I have Persona 2 and it's much less accessible than the newer titles.[/QUOTE]

yea one of the few games where you will die on the first boss.
 
[quote name='62t']yea one of the few games where you will die on the first boss.[/QUOTE]
f_Ninja20Gaidm_d2fe1a3.jpg


ps: Ive been thinking way too much. The school year seems so short, and the game ends pretty much when school ends, im assuming. If so..then i might just have enough time to finish all of my social links...
Did you guys discover all of your social links on the first go?
If so...whats kind of replayability is there?
 
i started with persona 3... which made me wanna get the rest of em... >__<

anyways, from what i heard, persona3/fes is the easiest of them all so i would start with that then nocturne then dds1 then dds2. or dds1 and 2 then nocturne. then persona 4 when it comes out :D
 
[quote name='jeremywoods']i started with persona 3... which made me wanna get the rest of em... >__<

anyways, from what i heard, persona3/fes is the easiest of them all so i would start with that[/QUOTE]

...
Wow, you are about 20 hours too late...and im like 2 days away from
the 2nd full moon
...LMAO

[quote name='jeremywoods'] then persona 4 when it comes out :D[/QUOTE]

Wow. In like a year at least...? just which is the swansong of the PS2?
 
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