Nocturne Maniax adds Dante from Devil May Cry and extra content to the Atlus classic. New bosses, harder mode and the same dense mood. The absolute peak of the Japanese version.
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Category
RPG1 player16+
Description
An Atlus RPG released in 2004, the Japanese Maniax edition of Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne. An expanded reissue of the original Nocturne, adding the Labyrinth of Amala dungeon with Dante from Devil May Cry as a playable character, as well as a new Reason and an alternative ending. The SMT III franchise peak, Japanese exclusive.
Shin Megami Tensei III - Nocturne Maniax review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
A post-apocalyptic Tokyo emptied of humanity, demons of venomous design by Kazuma Kaneko and an austere palette: the universe breathes a chilling strangeness. The sober cel-shading and oppressive framing settle a singular unease. This visual direction, stripped-down and disquieting, marks the peak of the Megami Tensei style.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Massive"
An enriched version of the demonic odyssey, Maniax adds a new dungeon and a notable guest to an already long, merciless adventure. Fusing demons, taming the difficulty and aiming for the multiple endings fills dozens of hours. That extra content, grafted onto a demanding JRPG, makes it the version fans prize most.
Technical info
💾2,2 GB📅29/01/2004
Published by Atlus
Shin Megami Tensei III - Nocturne Maniax (PS2) price, value & rarity
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
The Japanese Maniax edition of Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne, an expanded version adding a dungeon and the guest Dante from Devil May Cry, become the game's reference cut. Its appeal lies in this enriched content serving as the base for the Western versions and the presence of a notable crossover, prized by fans wanting the most complete Japanese original. A target for SMT collectors in Japan.
A questionable morality
Recruiting demons by chatting them up has an almost diplomatic charm, until you grasp their real purpose: raw material. You coax them, collect them, then fuse them two at a time to forge a stronger ally, dissolving the previous ones without ceremony. Survival in a ruined world easily excuses this faintly cynical little alchemy.
Is Shin Megami Tensei III - Nocturne Maniax still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2003 on PS2 and known under various titles including Lucifer's Call in Europe, Atlus' project plunges a high schooler turned half demon into a Tokyo devastated by a silent apocalypse. The turn based combat, built on the Press Turn system that rewards exploiting weaknesses, keeps a rare tension. Demon fusion, the cold art direction and the freedom of moral alignment give the game a strong identity. The merciless difficulty and the austerity turn away hurried players. A major piece of the dark Japanese RPG, recommended for demanding fans of the genre who value strategic depth and a bleak atmosphere over comfort.
