Overview
Complete (spoiler-free!) achievement guide for Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster.
Introduction
Nocturne has a reputation for being a very hard game but this is usually from players new to Megami Tensei. In general:
- Be patient and try not to stress out. Even random battles can be tense at times but that’s part of the fun. Get to know the battle system at your own pace and don’t feel the pressure to enter new areas immediately.
- Talk to demons, recruit them, and fuse them. Fusion is a key to power progression and a good fusion can make a massive difference. Change your party around often to play strengths and cover weaknesses.
- Don’t hoard items. HP and MP are valuable resources and it’s much worse to be low on either than to “waste” that Bead or Soma Drop. It isn’t usually a problem to be able to restock when you feel you have to and you get a lot of basic items in dungeons and from random battles and negotiation.
- Change your Magatama. Each one teaches different moves to your character as you have them equipped, and also has its own strengths and weaknesses, as well as affecting your stats. Sometimes changing your Magatama can make a very difficult enemy or area into a piece of cake, and vice versa.
There are no achievements tied to DLC, so no matter if you’re playing the standard game, Maniax (featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry™ series), or Chronicle (featuring Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV and Gouto) you’re not missing out on any possible achievements. Merciless difficulty will only disable that save’s ability to receive the Normal and Hard difficulty clears.
Please note that I have been corrected on the point that picking the “True Demon” ending by rejecting humanity and becoming a full demon, advancing on Kagatsuhi without a Reason will result in no ending achievements being granted. This feels like a bug to me but it has not been corrected unfortunately so please consider making a save before finishing The Labyrinth optional content.
Despite being a game from the PlayStation 2 era I wanted to make sure the guide was spoiler-friendly. Please excuse the spoiler tags!
Achievements
These are solely tied to which difficulty was chosen when reaching the ending of a play-through. Changing difficulties to a higher or lower difficulty will lock you out of the higher difficulty’s achievement.
- Demon Warrior – Completed the game on Normal difficulty.
- Demon Veteran – Completed the game on Hard difficulty.
These are either story-related or events you’re certain to get on a regular play-through.
- Desolate Tokyo – Set foot in the Vortex World.
- Amala Drum Initialized – Used a Terminal’s Amala Drum for the first time.
- First Victory – Emerged victorious from battle for the first time.
- Demonic Rebirth – Received your first Magatama.
- The Road to Hell – Leveled up the Demi-fiend for the first time.
All of these achievements are generally possible throughout a normal play-through. Very few can be considered “missable” unless you’ve reached the point of no return.
- Mapper – Completely mapped out a dungeon.
- Vortex Traveler – Used the Amala Link 50 times.
- Press Turn Master – Hit a weakness 100 times.
- Devastating Blow – Deal 999 damage in a single blow.
- Ailment – Suffered a status ailment for the first time.
- Rest in Peace – Viewed the Game Over screen for the first time.
- First Contact – Get a demon to join through conversation for the first time.
- Expert Negotiator – Get 30 demons to join through conversation.
- Heretical Ritual – Performed demon fusion for the first time.
- Demon Collider – Performed demon fusion 50 times.
- Compendium – Completed the Demonic Compendium.
- Parasite Paramour – Mastered a Magatama.
- Master of Misfortune – Mastered all Magatama.
- The Depths of Damnation – Maxed out all the Demi-fiend’s stats.
- Insane Expectations – Maxed out all of a demon’s stats.
- Commanding Respect – Received 100 gifts from demons.
- Fresh New Look – Had a demon evolve.
- Unexpected Power – Had a demon change its skill.
- Fiend Rising – Earned a new title for the Demi-fiend.
- Beverage Buff – Bought all available beverages from the vending machines.
- Casual Gamer – Completed one stage in Puzzle Boy.
- Pro Gamer – Completed all stages in Puzzle Boy.
These are unlocked as you view each ending of the story. As each ending depends on a set of choices starting mid- to late-game it may be necessary to load an old save or to start a new game to reach each ending.
- World of Silence – Created the world of Shijima.
This requires you to bring the Reason of Hikawa to the Tower of Kagutsuchi. - An Unforeseen World – Created the world of Musubi.
This requires you to bring the Reason of your male friend, Isamu Nitta, to the Tower of Kagutsuchi. - World of the Strong – Created the world of Yosuga
This requires you to bring the Reason of your female friend, Chiaki Tachibana, to the Tower of Kagutsuchi. - Old World, New Worldview – Recreated the world as we know it.
This requires you to either support no Reason or support two or more Reasons, and to respond to Aradia’s questions in the Yoyogi Park with courage, before Tower of Kagutsuchi. - Chaos Remains – Destroyed all hopes of creation.
This requires you to either support no Reason or support two or more Reasons, and to respond to Aradia’s questions in the Yoyogi Park with courage, before Tower of Kagutsuchi.
This achievement unlocks when all of the above endings have been viewed at least once.
- Lord of Creation – View all the endings.
This achievement is only granted when you have gotten every other achievement, including the Hidden Achievements.
- True King of Chaos – Obtained all achievements.