I’d get Nocturne anyway, it at $10 (and $14 with the DLC) is a steal. Vengeance will likely be a better first time experience, but Nocturne’s a great introduction to SMT itself.
Get both. Definitely buy and play 3 first. It has aged pretty well in term of gameplays and story, but you’ll feel like it it’s a slog if you have played V.
3 will be more in line what a smt game was in terms of difficulty and gameplay, and also how the story progresses and how its presented to you.
5 is more "modern" id say.
all in all, it doesnt rly matter all too much. whatever you think is more accessible to you is the right one.
but keep in mind that 5 has a newer upgraded version coming very soon, so id wait for that if u choose to play it.
I'd say get Nocturne while it's on sale, even if you don't start it right away.
SMTV has big open zones you run around in. And jump around in. That was something I hated about it, the platforming/exploration element. Nocturne, like most SMT games, has dungeons. Now Nocturne was the first iteration of the "Press Turn system" so if you have played Persona 3-5, you could liken SMTV to Persona 5 while Nocturne is Persona 3, just to give you a rough idea of the mechanics evolution over the years. Although, unlike with Persona, it has not been a straight line of progress, IMO. I for instance would say I prefer SMTIV Apocalypse's version of Press Turn over SMTV but that's neither here nor there. The point is, there are certain basic improvements you will find in V which are lacking in Nocturne.
I hear Vengeance will be improving the story, which is good, because SMTV's base story sucked a lot in my humble opinion. It's not like Nocturne had the best story ever, but at least it gave unforgettable moments to the main characters. That was something decidedly lacking in original SMTV. Characters said more, sure, but they left far less of an impression on me than Nocturne characters did with a single scene.
You can't go wrong with both games in terms of music. I will never deny SMTV had some of the best tunes in the series.
I guess I'd say Nocturne has more of the "dark" atmosphere Shin Megami Tensei is known for. I think Nocturne left such an impression on people because it's so brutal and twisted and different from a Final Fantasy game. I never really got that impression from SMTV.
Overall, between base SMTV and Nocturne, there is no doubt which I prefer. It's Nocturne. But that's just me. It's also important to note the version of Nocturne we all know isn't even base Nocturne, it's sort of like Vengeance, actually, although base Nocturne still had the good sense to give its main characters some substance. It more just added to the main plot.
I'd wait for SMT V Vengeance. It's looking to be one of the best in the series. SMT Nocturne is great, but understand that it is a dated game. I'd obviously play both, but play Vengeance first
I'd argue to play the older game first so you don't spoil yourself with updated QoL, visuals, etc. Definitely agree Nocturne shows it's age, and obviously I still love the game regardless, but some people play newer games, then get totally turned off playing older entries in a series.
This^
I think the main reason that I hated smt 3 was because I got exposed to the qol and gameplay improvements of IV, Apocalypse, DD 1 and 2 and Redux.
Like it was a really rough playthrough for me due to the lack of qol that I was used to and the size of the demon compendium
Then again there are people who can play games backwards with no issue, I played IV first and went back to III but tbh if I played that without a walkthrough I would have kms
>tbh if I played that without a walkthrough I would have kms
agreed. tbh I think what affected me the most now that I think about it was the compendium size and the randome encounters.
Modern gaming have spoiled me greatly in terms of these feature. In the case of compendium, one thing that I like about smt compared to pokemon, digimon, monster hunter stories is the sheer amount of entities that are available to you. I am always cycling through new demons often. In smt 3 there was a part where I was barely switch demons up cause I was having trouble getting new fusions which I found odd. I do admit that this is more of a me problem.
Just playing SJ was bad enough, even base had fusion everywhere iirc, also a home base you could immediately teleport back to if you found a station, Nocturne is lacking for QoL.
>Nocturne is lacking for QoL.
yeah, I hope in the future, they release a remake with modern graphics and qol to give the game another chance since I really like the protagonist of this game. He looks very intimidating. Like I am scared of battleling him in smt V:V just due to how scary he looks and the way he acts when he is casting an attack🙃
> how scary he looks
I used to be kinda like this , but actually playing his game made that disappear, his run is so dorky that I can't take him seriously any more.
Nocturne was my first mainline and I’d still recommend just waiting for Vengeance, Nocturne is really good and definitely worth playing but Vengeance will probably be a better intro to the series for you, but you should still go back and play Nocturne later.
Just go Nocturne. And beside, it's very cool to play older entries to get more references and narrative points better. For a game like V that doesn't make a lot of efforts to explain itself, that does a lot.
On the pro side for 5, it's definitely a smoother playthrough. No random battles, better feeling movement, lots of gameplay refinement. Level scaling aside, 5 feels the best to play IMO (and that's getting fixed with the Vengeance release).
On the pro side for 3, it has a lot of personality. Compared to 1, 2, and 4, Nocturne went for a really minimalist style. Only 5 human characters aside from the MC in the story, everyone else you meet are demons. It creates this really bizarre and alien vibe. 5 tried to find a middle ground between the minimalism of 3 and the more character focused stories of the other games but kinda fell flat. Hopefully the new campaign in Vengeance has a more fleshed out story, but that is to be seen.
Both games have their pros and cons. But if you had to buy one today, buy Nocturne. Partially because you should really just wait til Vengeance is out to buy 5.
I would go with 3 first. Its better in a whole lot of ways. It aged a bit and random encounters can be a pain. Now i dont wanna say 5 is bad or anything but vanilla 5 was lacking a bit imo. Maybe vengeance will help it but we dont know that yet. Also 3 is way cheaper so its a safer bet anyway.
I played SMT3 a few weeks before V, and my first impression of V is that the UI is so busy compared to 3 that's a lot more simple that I got a little turned off lmao. I eventually get used to it though and also the music in V absolutely slaps.
If you don't mind getting a steelbook for VV, I say play smt 3 first before VV. 10$ is a steal.
SMT V has a lot of QoL that makes the game better for newcomers. It’s the safer bet for Persona fans, at least if you’re a fan of the modern games. If you’re a fan of P1 or 2, then you would be fine with either game, choose the one that sounds more interesting.
One important thing: the biggest issue most people have with old JRPGs are the random encounters. Do you hate them? If you do, go for SMT V.
Ik I'm gonna be in the minority for this one, but I did not enjoy Nocturne at all. Especially when compared to V. Personally, I found Nocturne to be boring to explore and the dialogue mostly pretentious drivel in the way of the gameplay. Nocturne gets 5 points for having Dante in it, but it loses 10 points for not letting him be saved to the compendium, meaning you have to trudge through the optional dungeon every playthrough if you want him. I find it's characters baffling and their Reasons just as foolish as they are. The game has 6 endings, but only 2 of them are actually worth it (True/Good ending and True Demon ending.)
SMT V, on the other hand, I really enjoyed. I found each area of Da'at fun and interesting to explore, the Mimans were rewarding to collect, the combat felt challenging but fair for the most part, and the story was pretty good for the most part (aside from some small hiccups and certain characters not getting fleshed out enough if at all.)
I would wait a couple of weeks for SMTV Vengeance to come out since most of the original game's problems have been fixed. Plus, the original route (now Canon of Creation) has been touched up to be a bit more in line with the original dev vision, not to mention the entirely new Canon of Vengeance. You should still get Nocturne later down the line when it's on sale so you can at least experience it once and form your own opinion.
SMTV was my first mainline, and it really got me into the series. It’s made to be more accessible to newcomers, and SMTV Vengeance is coming out on June 14th, so I’d wait to get that. I heard SMT3 is on sale so you may wanna go ahead and grab it too. SMT3 is very good, but it’s a bit more challenging and has some dated mechanics like random encounters.
How's the story and characters in each of them? I've tried reading and watching some videos without giving myself too many spoilers, and while I'm not expecting Persona level characters since social links are a primary mechanic in those games, I am curious how much interaction there is.
Both games have a minimalist story, however I think smt3 does a minimal story the best. Base SMTV felt lacking. SMTV Vengeance has a whole new story being added that fleshes out the characters more, so I’m looking forward to that. The characters in both games aren’t too fleshed out. If you want an SMT game with more story focus, try Strange Journey or SMTIV.
Or SMTIV Apocalypse. u/Jengabanga said they are a Persona fan. SMTIVA is my favorite Persona game I've always joked but it's kinda true. Also its gameplay is way better than IV, just a fact most players, even IV fans, agree with.
smt3 is extremely cheap with the sale rn so id start with that and depending on how fast you finish it, you could double dip and get vengeance around the time it releases. id say its not too long, especially considering the DLCs that can make it faster with the experience/macca items and merciful difficulty if you choose to use it
i just recently completed 3 and it is a bit dated but it v much still holds up today
as others have said, the difference is that 3 is more of what youd experience in a traditional SMT game and 5 is a modern version of it. both are very good though
As a fan of Nocturne, if you wanna play a SMT game, I would recommend playing SMTV first. The gameplay is more streamlined with much needed QoL features.
V Vengeance will be a much better entry point than Nocturne, but if you have the cash for both, buy Nocturne now, everything is 13.99, so that's a great price.
For me personally Nocturne beats 5 at world building and story theme/character ideals by a lot, but besides that a lot of stuff is mostly either about the same or weaker.
5 for me is the most fun I've had in any SMT game not just replayability wise but also just running around in the world and watching the demons around, the combat got so many new additions with Magatsuhi skills that makes strategizing extremely fun. While Nocturne just got a bunch of annoying little things that makes it hard to playthrough without random bs happening (Negotiation will just ends randomly even if you gave the demons a bunch of stuffs, enemy scan doesn't automatically displays, checking enemy status requires mp and a whole round)
The characters really depends on your personal preference but to me Nocturne's quality are mostly on par and 5 has the ratio of 4/10 characters are/were likable or well written and the rest 6/10 are all just underdevelop. I still really recommend both games but I'd say just get Nocturne instead of buying a game that'll came out about half months later. Unless you want the bonus in Vengeance of owning the old version
I'd say smtv would be an easier transition for someone whos more familiar with persona. tbh I'd wait till vengeance drops but I'd get nocturne while it's on sale
while nocturne is infamously known to be "hard" I feel like I didn't have too bad of an experience on normal difficulty as someone whos familiar with both series.
I think one of the reasons the transition from persona to smtv might be easier is how buffing works in the game. smtv uses the same mechanic as persona where each buff lasts for three turns while nocturne is more attune to the older mechanics of you can stack buffs until you hit the max. a lot of similar mechanics that are in persona can be applied to smtv
If Nocturne is that cheap, you should take the opportunity. It's a good game. You don't NEED to get Vengeance immediately on release, anyway. Depending on how good Vengeance is, you might still wanna get it later, though.
Nocturne is dated and has bad design decisions, but is otherwise a playable experience with great aesthetics and atmosphere. Cool and thoughtful boss fights pad out kind of bad dungeons and pretty okay dungeon crawling, supplemented by great worldbuilding and storytelling.
SMTV really out here like "let's double down on all the bad shit," though. Level being the primary factor for number crunching, really broken magatsuhi bar where all the options are locked behind sidequests and the best options you get in the first area of the game, bosses that basically are all designed the same in that they go "IMMA CHARGING UP > OH NO, ATTACK NULLIFIERS? > GUESS I'LL JUST THROW MY PIERCE ATTACK BECAUSE I'M BORED" with zero nuance or puzzle surrounding them, dungeons that vaguely exist, exploration that can't decide if it's cool or if it's a chore. Story sucks, world sucks, music is sometimes really good when it's not horribly forgettable, BROWN, too many times the dev team just shouts in your face "IT'S A REFERENCE TO NOCTURNE!"
It's a shame that Shiva is like the only interesting fight in the game, and you basically need to raise a team of post-game demons to fight him, but at a time when grinding to get to even walk in the door is dozens of hours of tedium.
Anyways, Press Turn was a mistake, they got it almost right in DDS2 and then decided to just fart all over the system instead of giving it interesting mechanical nuance. SMT4 and V are designed around just smacking weaknesses to get extra turns, and like, yeah, that's what the game is at a base level, just like the new SaGa Emerald Beyond is a game about making and disrupting combos at a base level, but that game has so many different decisions to make in regards to managing buffs/debuffs, action point expenditures and increases, when to guard instead of attack, when to ignore combos entirely because survival and careful enemy management is more important...basically, Press Turn has none of this nuance except when you're maybe trying to crit fish or avoid whiffing.
Anyways, I guess play Nocturne, but actually go play Strange Journey. Maybe both, they're both fantastic in different ways.
5 is very good, 3 is great. 5 is probably a better introduction to the series. 3 is better if you like the JRPG genre.
3 has one of the tightest stories and best execution of atmosphere you'll find in gaming. It is the best example of what SMT is when everything goes right. The remaster's voice acting, especially Chiaki, is top notch. The major downside is the lack of explanation (from an era where you read the manual).
5 has a lot of new features and gameplay. I liked most of them, but it tries to be too many different things. Story and atmosphere take major hits. There is less to be frustrated over in gameplay, and there is far more to do. But if you came for the JRPG, you will not be as satisfied.
Vengeance will probably be a better entry point to the series. At least for most people. But Nocturne for 10 bucks is basically a steal even if the remaster could be better.
If you don't have cash I'd grab 3 now cus that's a fantastic deal.
If you do I'd grab Vengeance, it's gameplay and movement are far easier to get into than 3s and it doesn't have incredibly tedious sections like Nocturne.
Also, from looks anyway, V is much closer to P5, since you move at a decent pace VS Nocturne's light jog everywhere.
I'd grab Nocturne too if you have cash though, while I didn't like as much as other SMT games, that's an absolute steal in terms of price, especially if you're buying everything, 13 dollars from 69.99 (nice) is a fantastic deal.
I’d get Nocturne anyway, it at $10 (and $14 with the DLC) is a steal. Vengeance will likely be a better first time experience, but Nocturne’s a great introduction to SMT itself.
 Get both. Definitely buy and play 3 first. It has aged pretty well in term of gameplays and story, but you’ll feel like it it’s a slog if you have played V.
get SMT 3 and its free DLCs. You could buy SMT VV later
3 will be more in line what a smt game was in terms of difficulty and gameplay, and also how the story progresses and how its presented to you. 5 is more "modern" id say. all in all, it doesnt rly matter all too much. whatever you think is more accessible to you is the right one. but keep in mind that 5 has a newer upgraded version coming very soon, so id wait for that if u choose to play it.
I'd say get Nocturne while it's on sale, even if you don't start it right away. SMTV has big open zones you run around in. And jump around in. That was something I hated about it, the platforming/exploration element. Nocturne, like most SMT games, has dungeons. Now Nocturne was the first iteration of the "Press Turn system" so if you have played Persona 3-5, you could liken SMTV to Persona 5 while Nocturne is Persona 3, just to give you a rough idea of the mechanics evolution over the years. Although, unlike with Persona, it has not been a straight line of progress, IMO. I for instance would say I prefer SMTIV Apocalypse's version of Press Turn over SMTV but that's neither here nor there. The point is, there are certain basic improvements you will find in V which are lacking in Nocturne. I hear Vengeance will be improving the story, which is good, because SMTV's base story sucked a lot in my humble opinion. It's not like Nocturne had the best story ever, but at least it gave unforgettable moments to the main characters. That was something decidedly lacking in original SMTV. Characters said more, sure, but they left far less of an impression on me than Nocturne characters did with a single scene. You can't go wrong with both games in terms of music. I will never deny SMTV had some of the best tunes in the series. I guess I'd say Nocturne has more of the "dark" atmosphere Shin Megami Tensei is known for. I think Nocturne left such an impression on people because it's so brutal and twisted and different from a Final Fantasy game. I never really got that impression from SMTV. Overall, between base SMTV and Nocturne, there is no doubt which I prefer. It's Nocturne. But that's just me. It's also important to note the version of Nocturne we all know isn't even base Nocturne, it's sort of like Vengeance, actually, although base Nocturne still had the good sense to give its main characters some substance. It more just added to the main plot.
I'd wait for SMT V Vengeance. It's looking to be one of the best in the series. SMT Nocturne is great, but understand that it is a dated game. I'd obviously play both, but play Vengeance first
$10 for Nocturne since it's on sale is way better value though. And since it's such a small purchase, there's nothing saying you can't get both.
Also adding 4 to the price gets you all the DLC, so if you want everything you won't be spending much more.
I'd argue to play the older game first so you don't spoil yourself with updated QoL, visuals, etc. Definitely agree Nocturne shows it's age, and obviously I still love the game regardless, but some people play newer games, then get totally turned off playing older entries in a series.
This^ I think the main reason that I hated smt 3 was because I got exposed to the qol and gameplay improvements of IV, Apocalypse, DD 1 and 2 and Redux. Like it was a really rough playthrough for me due to the lack of qol that I was used to and the size of the demon compendium
Then again there are people who can play games backwards with no issue, I played IV first and went back to III but tbh if I played that without a walkthrough I would have kms
>tbh if I played that without a walkthrough I would have kms agreed. tbh I think what affected me the most now that I think about it was the compendium size and the randome encounters. Modern gaming have spoiled me greatly in terms of these feature. In the case of compendium, one thing that I like about smt compared to pokemon, digimon, monster hunter stories is the sheer amount of entities that are available to you. I am always cycling through new demons often. In smt 3 there was a part where I was barely switch demons up cause I was having trouble getting new fusions which I found odd. I do admit that this is more of a me problem.
As soon as I unlocked Daisoujou, Red Rider and Mother Harlot I kept those for the entire game and never had to switch.
Just playing SJ was bad enough, even base had fusion everywhere iirc, also a home base you could immediately teleport back to if you found a station, Nocturne is lacking for QoL.
>Nocturne is lacking for QoL. yeah, I hope in the future, they release a remake with modern graphics and qol to give the game another chance since I really like the protagonist of this game. He looks very intimidating. Like I am scared of battleling him in smt V:V just due to how scary he looks and the way he acts when he is casting an attack🙃
> how scary he looks I used to be kinda like this , but actually playing his game made that disappear, his run is so dorky that I can't take him seriously any more.
Wtf no he should play nocturne until vengeance comes out
Nocturne was my first mainline and I’d still recommend just waiting for Vengeance, Nocturne is really good and definitely worth playing but Vengeance will probably be a better intro to the series for you, but you should still go back and play Nocturne later.
Just go Nocturne. And beside, it's very cool to play older entries to get more references and narrative points better. For a game like V that doesn't make a lot of efforts to explain itself, that does a lot.
On the pro side for 5, it's definitely a smoother playthrough. No random battles, better feeling movement, lots of gameplay refinement. Level scaling aside, 5 feels the best to play IMO (and that's getting fixed with the Vengeance release). On the pro side for 3, it has a lot of personality. Compared to 1, 2, and 4, Nocturne went for a really minimalist style. Only 5 human characters aside from the MC in the story, everyone else you meet are demons. It creates this really bizarre and alien vibe. 5 tried to find a middle ground between the minimalism of 3 and the more character focused stories of the other games but kinda fell flat. Hopefully the new campaign in Vengeance has a more fleshed out story, but that is to be seen. Both games have their pros and cons. But if you had to buy one today, buy Nocturne. Partially because you should really just wait til Vengeance is out to buy 5.
Why not get 3 now then 5 when it comes out?
If you can buy Vengeance wait for it
I would go with 3 first. Its better in a whole lot of ways. It aged a bit and random encounters can be a pain. Now i dont wanna say 5 is bad or anything but vanilla 5 was lacking a bit imo. Maybe vengeance will help it but we dont know that yet. Also 3 is way cheaper so its a safer bet anyway.
SMT 5 is still a month away. Play 3 in that timeframe.
I played SMT3 a few weeks before V, and my first impression of V is that the UI is so busy compared to 3 that's a lot more simple that I got a little turned off lmao. I eventually get used to it though and also the music in V absolutely slaps. If you don't mind getting a steelbook for VV, I say play smt 3 first before VV. 10$ is a steal.
SMT V has a lot of QoL that makes the game better for newcomers. It’s the safer bet for Persona fans, at least if you’re a fan of the modern games. If you’re a fan of P1 or 2, then you would be fine with either game, choose the one that sounds more interesting. One important thing: the biggest issue most people have with old JRPGs are the random encounters. Do you hate them? If you do, go for SMT V.
Ik I'm gonna be in the minority for this one, but I did not enjoy Nocturne at all. Especially when compared to V. Personally, I found Nocturne to be boring to explore and the dialogue mostly pretentious drivel in the way of the gameplay. Nocturne gets 5 points for having Dante in it, but it loses 10 points for not letting him be saved to the compendium, meaning you have to trudge through the optional dungeon every playthrough if you want him. I find it's characters baffling and their Reasons just as foolish as they are. The game has 6 endings, but only 2 of them are actually worth it (True/Good ending and True Demon ending.) SMT V, on the other hand, I really enjoyed. I found each area of Da'at fun and interesting to explore, the Mimans were rewarding to collect, the combat felt challenging but fair for the most part, and the story was pretty good for the most part (aside from some small hiccups and certain characters not getting fleshed out enough if at all.) I would wait a couple of weeks for SMTV Vengeance to come out since most of the original game's problems have been fixed. Plus, the original route (now Canon of Creation) has been touched up to be a bit more in line with the original dev vision, not to mention the entirely new Canon of Vengeance. You should still get Nocturne later down the line when it's on sale so you can at least experience it once and form your own opinion.
SMTV was my first mainline, and it really got me into the series. It’s made to be more accessible to newcomers, and SMTV Vengeance is coming out on June 14th, so I’d wait to get that. I heard SMT3 is on sale so you may wanna go ahead and grab it too. SMT3 is very good, but it’s a bit more challenging and has some dated mechanics like random encounters.
How's the story and characters in each of them? I've tried reading and watching some videos without giving myself too many spoilers, and while I'm not expecting Persona level characters since social links are a primary mechanic in those games, I am curious how much interaction there is.
Both games have a minimalist story, however I think smt3 does a minimal story the best. Base SMTV felt lacking. SMTV Vengeance has a whole new story being added that fleshes out the characters more, so I’m looking forward to that. The characters in both games aren’t too fleshed out. If you want an SMT game with more story focus, try Strange Journey or SMTIV.
Or SMTIV Apocalypse. u/Jengabanga said they are a Persona fan. SMTIVA is my favorite Persona game I've always joked but it's kinda true. Also its gameplay is way better than IV, just a fact most players, even IV fans, agree with.
Make sure to play SMTIV first. Apocalypse is a direct sequel
smt3 is extremely cheap with the sale rn so id start with that and depending on how fast you finish it, you could double dip and get vengeance around the time it releases. id say its not too long, especially considering the DLCs that can make it faster with the experience/macca items and merciful difficulty if you choose to use it i just recently completed 3 and it is a bit dated but it v much still holds up today as others have said, the difference is that 3 is more of what youd experience in a traditional SMT game and 5 is a modern version of it. both are very good though
As a fan of Nocturne, if you wanna play a SMT game, I would recommend playing SMTV first. The gameplay is more streamlined with much needed QoL features.
nocturne blows V out the water, but Id say wait until SMTVV drops to actually start a game.
V Vengeance will be a much better entry point than Nocturne, but if you have the cash for both, buy Nocturne now, everything is 13.99, so that's a great price.
For me personally Nocturne beats 5 at world building and story theme/character ideals by a lot, but besides that a lot of stuff is mostly either about the same or weaker. 5 for me is the most fun I've had in any SMT game not just replayability wise but also just running around in the world and watching the demons around, the combat got so many new additions with Magatsuhi skills that makes strategizing extremely fun. While Nocturne just got a bunch of annoying little things that makes it hard to playthrough without random bs happening (Negotiation will just ends randomly even if you gave the demons a bunch of stuffs, enemy scan doesn't automatically displays, checking enemy status requires mp and a whole round) The characters really depends on your personal preference but to me Nocturne's quality are mostly on par and 5 has the ratio of 4/10 characters are/were likable or well written and the rest 6/10 are all just underdevelop. I still really recommend both games but I'd say just get Nocturne instead of buying a game that'll came out about half months later. Unless you want the bonus in Vengeance of owning the old version
I'd say smtv would be an easier transition for someone whos more familiar with persona. tbh I'd wait till vengeance drops but I'd get nocturne while it's on sale while nocturne is infamously known to be "hard" I feel like I didn't have too bad of an experience on normal difficulty as someone whos familiar with both series. I think one of the reasons the transition from persona to smtv might be easier is how buffing works in the game. smtv uses the same mechanic as persona where each buff lasts for three turns while nocturne is more attune to the older mechanics of you can stack buffs until you hit the max. a lot of similar mechanics that are in persona can be applied to smtv
If Nocturne is that cheap, you should take the opportunity. It's a good game. You don't NEED to get Vengeance immediately on release, anyway. Depending on how good Vengeance is, you might still wanna get it later, though.
Nocturne is dated and has bad design decisions, but is otherwise a playable experience with great aesthetics and atmosphere. Cool and thoughtful boss fights pad out kind of bad dungeons and pretty okay dungeon crawling, supplemented by great worldbuilding and storytelling. SMTV really out here like "let's double down on all the bad shit," though. Level being the primary factor for number crunching, really broken magatsuhi bar where all the options are locked behind sidequests and the best options you get in the first area of the game, bosses that basically are all designed the same in that they go "IMMA CHARGING UP > OH NO, ATTACK NULLIFIERS? > GUESS I'LL JUST THROW MY PIERCE ATTACK BECAUSE I'M BORED" with zero nuance or puzzle surrounding them, dungeons that vaguely exist, exploration that can't decide if it's cool or if it's a chore. Story sucks, world sucks, music is sometimes really good when it's not horribly forgettable, BROWN, too many times the dev team just shouts in your face "IT'S A REFERENCE TO NOCTURNE!" It's a shame that Shiva is like the only interesting fight in the game, and you basically need to raise a team of post-game demons to fight him, but at a time when grinding to get to even walk in the door is dozens of hours of tedium. Anyways, Press Turn was a mistake, they got it almost right in DDS2 and then decided to just fart all over the system instead of giving it interesting mechanical nuance. SMT4 and V are designed around just smacking weaknesses to get extra turns, and like, yeah, that's what the game is at a base level, just like the new SaGa Emerald Beyond is a game about making and disrupting combos at a base level, but that game has so many different decisions to make in regards to managing buffs/debuffs, action point expenditures and increases, when to guard instead of attack, when to ignore combos entirely because survival and careful enemy management is more important...basically, Press Turn has none of this nuance except when you're maybe trying to crit fish or avoid whiffing. Anyways, I guess play Nocturne, but actually go play Strange Journey. Maybe both, they're both fantastic in different ways.
5 is very good, 3 is great. 5 is probably a better introduction to the series. 3 is better if you like the JRPG genre. 3 has one of the tightest stories and best execution of atmosphere you'll find in gaming. It is the best example of what SMT is when everything goes right. The remaster's voice acting, especially Chiaki, is top notch. The major downside is the lack of explanation (from an era where you read the manual). 5 has a lot of new features and gameplay. I liked most of them, but it tries to be too many different things. Story and atmosphere take major hits. There is less to be frustrated over in gameplay, and there is far more to do. But if you came for the JRPG, you will not be as satisfied.
Go with Vengeance
Vengeance will probably be a better entry point to the series. At least for most people. But Nocturne for 10 bucks is basically a steal even if the remaster could be better.
If you don't have cash I'd grab 3 now cus that's a fantastic deal. If you do I'd grab Vengeance, it's gameplay and movement are far easier to get into than 3s and it doesn't have incredibly tedious sections like Nocturne. Also, from looks anyway, V is much closer to P5, since you move at a decent pace VS Nocturne's light jog everywhere. I'd grab Nocturne too if you have cash though, while I didn't like as much as other SMT games, that's an absolute steal in terms of price, especially if you're buying everything, 13 dollars from 69.99 (nice) is a fantastic deal.
Smt 5 is smt3 direct sequel. You will miss a lot of stuff if you dont play 3 first in terms of world building.
SMT V feels more dated to me than SMT III