Atlus and Co.

trieffiewiles · 10-02-2008

With the exception of Nocturne, which is one of the darkest RPGs I've ever come across, and no I don't play too many turn-based games, Atlus's games usually try to end on a what's-best-for-everyone note. However some of the villains and scenerios, especially in the Shin Megami Tensei series, are very Ligotti-like, Ligottian, Ligottiesque - whatever. . .

Baroque-

paeng · 10-03-2008

Thanks for the info! Re: Nocturne, for a moment, I thought you were referring to an older game for the PC.

trieffiewiles · 10-20-2009

I thought I killed him before I met Lucifer in Nocturne. Who did I kill then I wonder? I forgot the name they used for him, but symbolically he fit the archetype of an autocratic monotheistic deity.

trieffiewiles · 10-20-2009

Quote Originally Posted by With Strength I Burn

Quote Originally Posted by trieffiewiles

I thought I killed him before I met Lucifer in Nocturne. Who did I kill then I wonder? I forgot the name they used for him, but symbolically he fit the archetype of an autocratic monotheistic deity.

Metatron. He is a messenger of YHVH.

Long after him. When I was playing Nocturne, I was tipped by someone that if I explored all of the Amala Network, the ending would be much different. After meeting Katatsuchi, or whatever his name was, instead of just proving myself to him, I ended up having to kill him. Afterwards, both the mysterious old man and equally so young child show up to speak with me at the same time. They both say they are impressed by the player's accomplishments and they/he/it has one final challenge to offer. As they say this, their shadows seem to glow red and merge with one anothers', out of which emerges an 'enormous' Lucifer. After surving the battle with him I effectively won the game. I'll try to find a youtube for it.

scrypt · 06-04-2013

Quote Originally Posted by trieffiewiles

Atlus's games usually try to end on a what's-best-for-everyone note.

It's possible you might be selling Atlus short or, alternately, be giving them too much credit. The games themselves originate not from Atlus but from various companies and creator/developers in Japan and are then localized by Atlus.

What's more, the games chosen are by no means all upbeat. To see what I mean, look no further than Rule of Rose, which I consider to be one of the most pessimistic, anomalous and non-sequitur-rich survival horror games of all time.

Mr. Veech · 10-15-2016

Nocturne is one of my favorite games; It's definitely up there with Bloodborne.

paul b. · 10-23-2016

Strange Journey is actually rather good. I enjoyed its storyline and mood too, tho it couldn't really create same atmosphere as Nocturne. Combo of console's limitations and game's own design (grid based first person dungeon crawler, in the vein of early SMT titles).
Fiendishly enjoyable and hard tho, if you like that sort of thing. I ended up drawing my own maps of its dungeons later on. Game provides auto-map on the lower screen, but it ain't wholly helpful with some of game's nastier tricks that become increasingly common in its late stages: one-way floors/streams, teleporters etc.
Still, closer to Nocturne in feel than any of SMT's latter spin off games are.

Mr. Veech · 10-23-2016

Quote Originally Posted by paul b.

Strange Journey is actually rather good. I enjoyed its storyline and mood too, tho it couldn't really create same atmosphere as Nocturne. Combo of console's limitations and game's own design (grid based first person dungeon crawler, in the vein of early SMT titles).
Fiendishly enjoyable and hard tho, if you like that sort of thing. I ended up drawing my own maps of its dungeons later on. Game provides auto-map on the lower screen, but it ain't wholly helpful with some of game's nastier tricks that become increasingly common in its late stages: one-way floors/streams, teleporters etc.
Still, closer to Nocturne in feel than any of SMT's latter spin off games are.

I never played Strange Journey. I did play SMT IV. I vastly prefer Nocturne over the latter because it had very little (if any) humor. Nocturne is a definite masterpiece; it's the only PS2 game I decided to keep over the years.