Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne from 2003 is a dark, uncompromising JRPG by Atlus set in a Tokyo destroyed by an apocalyptic event called the Conception, after which the protagonist becomes a half-demon known as the Demi-fiend. In a ravaged, geometrically warped universe called the Vortex World, the player wanders the ruins of the metropolis, recruits and fuses demons drawn from Japanese, Christian, and Hindu mythology, and chooses between several factions vying to shape the reborn world, leading to several radically different endings. Rather than gaining abilities through classic skill trees, the protagonist devours parasites called Magatama, which grant him both resistances and weaknesses.

The Press Turn battle system is the core of the gameplay: hitting an enemy's weakness grants an extra turn, while a missed attack or a resistant enemy costs turns, so even a seemingly ordinary battle can quickly turn into a crushing defeat for the whole party. New allies are also recruited by negotiating directly in battle, meaning demons must be talked around, bribed with money and items, and their whims indulged. This mechanic, combined with high difficulty, an absence of forgiving elements, and an oppressive, industrial atmosphere, established the SMT series' design as a reference point for demanding tactical JRPGs.

Morally ambiguous choices with no clearly good path and minimalist, strongly stylized visuals by Kazuma Kaneko made Nocturne a cult gem that never compromised on accessibility and is still valued today as one of the best and most demanding JRPGs on the PlayStation 2. It was released in the West as Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, and its success helped the SMT series break out beyond the Japanese market, where it had until then remained a fairly niche affair. Its difficulty and uncompromising design still make Nocturne a favorite test for players seeking a JRPG without padding and with genuine risk of defeat.