Update 3: Shinjuku Medical Center
Update time.
See that spike at the back of his neck? That's the Magatama.
Having one of these borrow into your skull must make for a very pleasant experience.
That's right, this isn't the only one we'll be getting. In fact, now is as good time as any to explain how main character's advancement works. First, let's have a look at his status screen.
Right now, he's complete shit. His stats are low, very, very,
very low, even for his level, even if you factor in bonus stat points given by the currently equipped Magatama (shown in green). Once we get the first demon to join our cause you'll realize just how bad they are.
With each level you gain you get one stat point to spend however you see fit. I prefer to take a balanced approach to all stats, as they're all very important (Strength increases physical damage, which is the main source of damage in boss fights; Magic governs magic damage and resistance; Vitality boosts physical resistance; Agility determines your chances of hitting things and dodging stuff things throw at you; Luck reduces the chances of the AI getting the first turn in random encounters), but at low levels I'll give priority to Agility because missing is bad news in this game.
Probably the only good thing Reginald has going for him at the moment is lack of elemental weaknesses. Why it's good (well, beyond obviously not taking more damage from certain attacks) I'll tell you when we get to combat.
Finally, you can see that he has 8 skill slots, all empty. New skill are learned from Magatamas. Each time you level up the game checks whether you meet the level requirement to learn the next skill that the Magatama has to teach you (right now it's Lunge). If you qualify you can choose to learn the skill. However, only 8 skills can be known at a time. When you meet the limit (and it'll be pretty damn soon), you'll have to discard a known skill if you wish to learn something else. Alternatively, you can choose not to learn the skill offered. One thing to note, once you choose to discard a skill, that's it, you can never get it back. Each individual skill can only be learned from one Magatama, and they don't teach you the same thing twice.
The Magatama screen. As you can see, there is room for 24 different Magatamas. New ones are usually obtained by defeating bosses or buying them at a shop. In addition to increasing stats and granting skills, the currently equipped Magatama also defines the protagonist's elemental strengths and weaknesses. Again, more on those once we get to combat.
A new element has been added to the HUD: the Kagutsuchi phase indicator at the upper left corner. It works exactly the same way as the moon phase does in other Megaten games and affects negotiation with demons, fusion and contents of certain chests.
But enough mechanics for now, let's start exploring the new world.
We're at the hospital's basement, right next to the locked door leading to the annex. Right ahead of us is a soul, and souls are pretty much everything that is left of humanity. Let's chat it up.
Soul: Am I that peculiar? Have you been living all your demon life in a cave? Well, if you're going to walk around the hospital, let me warn you... You've chosen to walk the path of hardship. You may never again turn your back on your enemies... Keep that in mind.
Very subtle. Anyway, let's get out of here. The elevator should be to the right. However...
Something's going on in the room that Hikawa was in. Displaying a terminal lack of common sense, the main character automatically enters it.
What happened to you...?
I'm not sure myself.
...I see. Well, at least you still think like a human...
I took a quick look around, and it looks like I'm in a hospital... Since you're here too, does that mean this is Shinjuku Medical Center?
As much as I want to know what's going on out there, I don't think it's safe for me to walk around.
My guess is that they're... demons. My strange experience... your new look... and these weird creatures... I don't think the police will be able to help us here.
I might have to seriously consider the possibility. It's hard to believe, but... If this is Shinjuku Medical Center, then I can't just rule it out. The Conception... could have occurred for real.
If my memory serves me right, it belongs to a man named Hikawa. He must have something to do with all this.
Do tell us more.
If you're strong enough to fight those demons, then will you gather information for me? I tried talking to what looked like a ghost, but I didn't have much luck. What's happened to the world...? Are there are other humans out there...? We can only learn the answers to these questions by finding somebody else. ...I wish I could do it myself, but I don't think I'd last very long against those demons. Besides, I'd like to spend some time studying this object. I'm counting on you.
I think we've just been drafted.
Cylinders like this one act as the game's saving points. Later you get to do more tricks with them, but that's it for now.
There is a soul occupying the creepy room now that can heal wounds, restore mana and raise the dead for no fee whatsoever. Enjoy free healing while it lasts, as we'll have to pay for these services once we leave the hospital.
Something isn't right about the elevator.
BGM:
The Labyrinth of Amala
I don't think we're at the hospital anymore.
...Show me... the strength... of a demon...
Welcome to Nocturne's tutorial area, the sheer annoyance potential of which rivals that of the Temple of Trials. Remember when I said that the game's true challenge lies in preparation to battles rather than battles themselves? That's the thing, there's nothing to prepare at this point. All you have is your basic attack with amazingly crappy stats to back it up. Simply missing several times in a row can get you killed.
There's a cache cube, the game's basic and most widespread treasure chest, at the niche to the right. Sometimes opening one damages you, sometimes it triggers an encounter, most of the time it contains something useful. In this case,
Medicine x 2. Medicine is your basic healing item. By the end of this area we will have run out of it. Speaking of items, remember two Mysterious Drinks we bought at the vending machines? Turns out one of them is Sacred Water (removes certain status effects from the entire party), and the other one is Soma which restores all HP and MP of an alley. Sweet.
Several steps later we finally walk into our first fight.
BGM:
Forced Battle
Our first enemies are two Will o' Wisps, level 1 demons of the Foul race. The only thing they have going for them is their resistance to physical damage, but they don't do much damage themselves and still go down in two hits. The only reason these guys exist is to allow you to reach level 2 without too much pain. But let's have a look at the combat interface.
The symbol at the upper right shows your current number of Press Turns, from here on referred to as action points because that's what they are, and "Press Turn" sounds silly. The number of action points you get each turn is equal to the number of demons in your party. Since we're solo right now, we get only one, but Will o' Wisps get two. Normally, each action you take consumes one AP. Once you're out of APs your turn ends, and the enemy's starts, so normally each demon gets to act one time per turn. However, if certain conditions are met, an action can take less (half an action point) or more (two APs or the entire pool, no matter how many there are). I'll explain what these conditions are when we get our first grenade item.
The command list at the bottom left is organized in several tabs. The currently selected Fight tabs shows the basic attack command, the pass command and active skills the currently active demon has (von Dex doesn't have any right now). Basic attack is what you expect it to be: it deals a moderate amount of physical damage that depends on your Strength. If you select Pass, the demon does nothing and your next demon becomes active. This only cost half an action point and is useful at the beginning of boss fights when you want to set up buffs and debuffs ASAP.
The Talk tab allows you to engage in rat diplomacy. The main character can only ask a demon to join him, but other demons you recruit may have skills that can be used to extort enemies for items or money. We can't talk to these guys, unfortunately, for two reasons:
1. It's a scripted battle.
2. They're Fouls. Demons of the Foul, Haunt and Wilder races can normally only be recruited by other demons of these races. The most reliable way to get one is fusion, but if you damage a demon enough, sometimes it will ask for mercy, granting which may result in the demon joining you. Finally, there's the Jive Talk passive skill that allows you to talk to them like to any other demon. It becomes available far too late to be worth a slot, though.
The Item tab shows expendables that you currently have. Only the main character can use items in combat, which is one of the reasons why I tend to make him a support character.
The Escape tab allows you to, well, escape. It doesn't work in forced battles, though, and from what I've been told, it doesn't really work on Hard mode in general. We'll have to get our hands on the skill that guarantees an escape.
With Will o' Wisps defeated, Reggie gains a level.
Like I said, you get one stat point each level. This one goes to Agility.
Another Nocturne's gimmick is that Magatamas go crazy on level ups. You can choose to suppress them, which does nothing. If you let them continue, something happens. "Something" depends on what Magatama you have equipped and may be positive (permanent stat boost, healing) or negative (status effect). You can also get cursed, which does some
very interesting things to the fusion table. Marogareh can only do good things for you: either heal your character completely, or increase Strength by 1. No reason not to let it act.
Dr. Dark is a soul found in this area that will completely heal you free of charge. We'll be returning to this guy a lot.
Another encounter.
It's a Preta (also know as Gaki) of the Haunt race, a Hindu/Buddhist evil spirit born of people consumed by greed. This is quite possibly the most evenly matched fight in the entire game, as each of us can kill the other one in 3 hits. Whoever misses first dies. Well, we have a Medicine, but it's best to save it.
The Preta beats Reggie up very badly. When the main character's health reaches critical levels the tattoos' glow becomes red, alarming you that he really need some healing. Back to good Dr. Dark.
There is a fork on the other side of the door.
...This way...
Of course, we'll go the opposite way first because it smells like a side quest.
Time for an encounter.
It's a Kodama of the Jirae race and another Will o' Wisp.
Kodamas are spirits from the Japanese folklore who inhabit trees. These guys have access to Zan, the basic spell of the Force element, which Marogareh is fortunately not weak to (more on this later, I swear!). What this fight teaches you is the basic strategy of Nocturne: always go for the weaker target first (the Will o' Wisp in this case). As a result, the enemy will have less and less APs to play with, allowing you to build up momentum. The battle doesn't go as well as I hoped it would; I miss once and the enemy scores a critical hit. Both Medicines have to be used up to guarantee survival.
Our reward for winning this fight is a cache cube containing a Maragi Rock. Using up a Maragi Rock does exactly what the name implies: cast Maragi, the basic AoE Fire spell.
Following in the old gentleman's footsteps (wheel marks?), we discover a door and an encounter, the last one in this area.
Two Kodamas, no Medicine. This isn't looking good. Fear not, for they conveniently happen to be weak to Fire.
The symbol at the upper right is now glowing, signifying that using the Maragi Rock cost us only half an AP. There are 6 different resistance types in Nocturne. Hitting an enemy with an attack of an element they're weak to costs half an AP. Using an attack they have normal or strong resistance to costs 1 AP. If they're immune to the attack, you lose 2 APs. Finally, if the attack is absorbed (restores the target's health) or reflected back your way, you lose all APs, and the enemy gets the turn. On top of that, missing costs 2 APs, and scoring a critical hit with a physical attack costs half an AP.
When using an AoE attack against a mixed group the priority defining the cost is reflect, absorb > null > strong, normal > weak. So using Maragi against 4 enemies, 3 of which are weak to Fire can still cost you entire turn if the remaining one absorbs or reflects Fire. All of it applies in full force to both sides; the cost of enemy actions changes according to what targets the AI chooses (it mostly chooses them at random).
Maragi took both Kodamas 1 basic attack away from death, allowing me to finish off one using half an AP I have now, and the other one the following turn.
Winning this give us enough XP to hit level 3.
Level 3 is when Marogareh teaches you Lunge, the basic physical special. Using it costs you a bit of HP, but increases your damage output considerably. It's best not to use it too much for now, though; Reggie's accuracy rate still leaves something to be desired.
...So, you made it...
Dude, I just beat up some Kodamas. They aren't that strong.
And we're back at the hospital.
The elevator is back to normal, so we can try the main entrance.
It doesn't work out. There are two souls at the lobby that we can probe for info.
Soul: Were you trying to leave the hospital?
Yes.
Soul: Then, how about next door? This is the main building, but there's an annex. Maybe you can use that entrance.
Soul: Chiaki? Isamu, you say? I don't know anyone by that name...
There's not much else to do on this floor. A cache cube with Medicine in it can be found in a hallway, and that's it. If you remember, Isamu mentioned that the second floors of both the main building and the annex were connected.
There are four rooms on the second floor.
Soul: He's probably dead by now... Eaten by a demon or something weird like that.
The soul found at room 201A tells us that Isamu managed to make it to the annex. There's also some Medicine lying around.
Soul: You need an Annex Gate Pass to get through.
At room 202A we learn that a keycard is needed to access the annex.
Voice: Maga......tsuhi............Magatsuhi...
The door is locked from the other side...
Room 203A is currently unavailable.
Soul: Magatsuhi is the source of demonic powers, I think. I don't know much about it...
Visiting room 204A reveals that room 203A is occupied by a bunch of Pretas.
A cache cube found on this floor carries two Life Stones. These can be used to recover a bit of your health, and demons will often ask for them during negotiations. They are not unlike a kind of infernal potato.
The walkway connecting the buildings.
Sure enough, it can't be used at the moment. Maybe the Pixie you can see nearby knows something.
Are you looking for something, too?
Yes.
Hey, about that thing you're looking for... I'll help you, if you want!
A demon who can help take me to Yoyogi Park. You look kinda flabby and weak, but I'll let that slide. Whaddya say? Should we join up?
Yes.
Alright then, let's get outta here! If we have the
Pass-thingie, we can get through that door to the annex. I saw some
Pretas carrying it.
Pixie joined your party!
As you can see, Pixie's stats are much more impressive than those of the loser's we have for the main character. She also comes equipped with Dia, the basic healing spell, and Zio, the basic Electricity spell. As she levels up, she'll learn 4 more skills, with Seduce being the first in line. This is something new to the series, by the way, as in the first two games only humans could gain experience. Demons still eventually become obsolete, however, since they need more XP to level up than the main character does.
Back to room 203A.
Voice: Maga......tsuhi............Magatsuhi...
Ew! Those gunky Pretas are inside! Here, let me talk in their nappy native language...
Pixie changed the tone of her voice.
"Me have......Magatsuhi......Brought......lots......"
Voice: ......Gaah? Maga...tsuhi...? ............ Me eat!! Me eat!!
The door is now unlocked...
Alright, they fell for it! You ready?
Yes.
Preta: Maga...tsuhi...?
If you don't wanna get hurt... Give us the Pass-thingie!!
The greatest threat in video game history?
Preta: Magatsuhi!!
Fighting three Pretas at the same time may seem like a lot after the crucible that the training area was, but they pose much less of a threat now that we have a Pixie with us. The reason? They're weak to all kinds of offensive magic, Zio included.
But you could get even stronger if you talk to other demons and get them on your side. We got the Pass-thingie, so let's head over to Yoyogi Park!
See the green glow the compass has now? It signifies that random encounters were enabled. The glow gradually changes its color from green to yellow and then to red as the next encounter gets closer. Standing still does not advance the indicator.
BGM:
Battle
On my way back to the save point I bump into a Will o' Wisp, a Preta and a Kodama. Only Kodama can be negotiated with out of these three.
It's always a good idea to kill other demons first, as they can prevent you from starting a conversation.
Kodama: You wanna play? *giggle* Let me dwain your stwength. Then I'll listen ta you.
Demons that you ask to join you will make progressively audacious demands from you. Complying with all of them means they join you. Maybe. Sometimes they just run away. Sometimes they ask you a
question and join only if they like your answer.
Kodama is satisfied after I let him drain Reggie's HP twice.
Kodama is primarily a spellcaster. Gonnection is a passive skill that makes him more persuasive in conversations with other Jirae demons (they ask for less stuff), but since he doesn't have any conversation skills, it's kinda useless at the moment.
In other news, Reggie hits level 4 and learns the Analyze spell. This allows you to scan an enemy for elemental affinities and will remain a part of the main character's skill set until we get an item that allows to cast Analyze for free.
Let's finally get to exploring the annex.
Soul: You'll probably die. Nice knowin' ya!
Soul: That's Forneus! As long as he's here, it's not gonna be easy to get out of this hospital.
And that's our first boss. We still have to get to the lobby before we can fight him, though. The second floor of the annex is mostly identical to the second floor of the main building. Poking around yields 3 Life Stones, 1 Medicine and 1 Revival Bead (raises fallen demons, but only with a fraction of HP).
Having descended to the first floor, we find out that the eastern doorway leading to the lobby is blocked. The soul has something interesting to say.
Soul: I saw a human sneak past Forneus just a while ago.
Seems like Isamu managed to make it out.
There's another staircase here that leads back to the basement.
But this time around we end up on the other side of the locked door.
Soul: I hear that Shibuya's a fun place, with stores and a club and all. Darn! If only Forneus wasn't here! Hope he didn't hear that...
A soul found at this section of the basement gives us Geography 101.
Chakra Drops are basic MP recovery items. These will inevitably be used in longer boss fights.
A ladder leading to the inner courtyard can be found. This area contains a Mazio Rock (guess what this one does), a Mabufu Rock ("Bufu" is the root used by Ice spells) and 300 Macca. Macca is the currency of demons and, by extension, the new world.
We encounter a Shikigami of the Brute race. These are made out of paper and are used by Japanese spellcasters for just about anything, from combat to housework. I use Pixie's Seduce skill (works well on males, not so well on females) to get him to join us, and after extra persuasion in form of HP draining and 1 Life Stone he agrees.
Another Electricity user.
Beads recover one demon to full health, no matter how little HP it has left.
A staircase leading back to the first floor.
And we make it to the western wing of the annex building. The door leading to Forneus is right ahead. But first...
Yes.
Soul: Hahaha... Yeah, right! I'll give you all my money if you can do that.
Promise?
There's a small cylinder nearby. Right now they're identical to large cylinders, but differences will appear soon.
A soul at the next room can provide free healing.
New demon.
A Hua Po is a Chinese spirit born from trees on which a certain amount of people has been hung.
I get one to join us in exchange for 50 Macca and 1 Life Stone. She knows Agi, the basic Fire spell, but her weakness to Ice means that we won't be using in her against Forneus.
Interesting things happen when Pixie hits level 4. This signifies that in a couple of levels she will evolve into another demon. Very few demons are capable of doing this, and the resulting demons can't be created through fusion.
It is time to kick Forneus' ass.
Forneus is a demon of the Fallen race that originates in The Lesser Key of Solomon and apparently supposed to excel at rhetoric. I'm certain that Black Cat can tell you more.
You're trying to get by without paying respect to me, The Almighty Forneus!? You wanna die, don't ya!? I screwed up and let another human escape a while ago, but not this time... I have a habit of butchering anyone who disrespects me. I cut 'em up with these fins!
That was highly eloquent.
BGM:
Boss Battle
Forneus is the first boss, and as such, he's a bit of a pushover. He only has one AP, which he uses to spam Bufu. As long as nobody in your party is weak to Ice, your healing should be able to easily to match his damage output. Unlike most bosses, Forneus also has a weakness (Electricity). The battle plan for this fight is fairly simple: Reginald uses his basic attack, Pixie casts Rakunda (defense debuff that she learns at level 4) twice and uses the rest of her MP for Zio, Kodama heals when needed, Shikigami spams Zio.
Electricity spells have a nice side effect: they can shock the target. Shocked enemies recover when they get to act, but until they do, they take critical damage from all physicals. This is a good time to use Lunge.
As you reduce Forneus' HP to certain thresholds he'll cast Mabufu and Icy Death. Both are multi-target spells, but he only uses each of them once, and the damage they deal doesn't even reach twenties.
Eventually, he goes down.
And this is our reward.
Wadatsumi is the first Magatama that teaches you offensive magic. On top of that, it can be used to learn Fog Breath, probably the most useful debuff until you reach late game. It also modifies Reggie's resistances, making him invulnerable to Ice in exchange for weakness to Electricity.
Other fat loot obtained after Forneus' defeat includes a Revival Bead and two Medicines. We're free to leave at this point, but first...
Soul: You really beat him... Dang! A promise is a promise!! Take it!!
You obtained 850 Macca.
Soul: Dammit. I need to escape from poverty first, before I can escape from here...
Nice.
There's only one way to go.
EDIT: Fixed an image. ImageShack!
) and that's it. I like how the protagonist doesn't mind when they're sticking a fucking daemonic leech inside his eye. Had the game voice-acting, I would expect the protagonist to scream like a little girl (and he wouldn't be blamed for doing so).
