How Fast Can You Beat SMT: Nocturne HD Remaster on Merciful? (Minimum Battles)

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In this video I go back to Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster to see how fast I can realistically beat the game on Merciful difficulty while only doing required battles to beat the game. Merciful difficulty is one of the easiest modes in the entire MegaTen franchise, so I decided to see how fast it would realistically be possible to complete on this difficulty while not speedrunning. Let me know if you want to see more videos like this in the future for other MegaTen games!
Intro by Lyric: / @lyric3595
Background by Leehzart: / leehzart1

[@Nyarly]

Dive into your new fantasy world. Pre-register for ‘Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds’ here: mar.by/Ninokuni_x_Nyarly

[@ToastieMcMuffin]

cat hat

[@olympicmusician2466]

I haven’t even finished the ps3 game

[@BlueTurn]

Nice to see that ni no Kunis is so big it can get a mobile game that's probably a solid 6 or 7 out of 10 love it

[@BlueTurn]

And the fact it's a mmo makes so much since

[@BBWahoo]

Boy Cunny

[@professorpantherhardraad3921]

I personally find it hilarious that you decided to do the "I am the strongest and thus deserve to rule" route on the easiest difficulty and the fewest amount of fights

[@denkerbosu3551]

Well, if everyone's weaker...

[@twohooks3533]

And he got surprised that Chiaki would fight him. Like bruh I'm pretty sure chaos wears survival of the fittest and usurping each other constantly on its sleeve.

[@Benjamin-ml7sv]

If your strong you don't even have to fight.

[@dirtkiller23]

@@Benjamin-ml7sv didn't really work out for Kenji tho

[@defaultusername4203]

@@dirtkiller23 King Kenji was just mad annoying

[@indecision6326]

Merciful mode is playing as the Demi-Fiend as he appears in other games.

[@GrimTony]

I'm pretty sure you have to fight Chiaki in her route because her entire world view is "survival of the fittest", so naturally she fights you to determine who should rule the new world?

[@murder_krow951]

That's how it goes and for some reason her ghost shows up in the ending even though you totally killed her and it looks like you lose your demon powers so you are totally fucked in a world of the strong full of demons as a normal human

[@ibilesfighter3.16]

@@murder_krow951 what as a sort of fuck you to demi fiend? Or just because they aren't needed or was he reborn

[@murder_krow951]

@@ibilesfighter3.16 pretty sure it's a reborn thing if you go with the whole rebirth of the world that the game runs on. Since your original form isn't that of a demon you get reborn as a human. Could also be a fuck you to demi fiend from yhvh since multiverse is a thing he could be punishing you for the tde ending in another universe

[@thefool8224]

@@murder_krow951 .like in the apocalypse DLC where he punishes him into using a magic build

[@murder_krow951]

@@thefool8224 exactly

[@leonardovarponi60]

“I don’t want to underestimate him even in merciful mode, so I debuff his attack once” got me laughing

[@robo567]

i never thought nyarly would actually do a challenge that makes the game easier.

[@Cybele12]

Fax

[@ddjsoyenby]

more like a can you lose.

[@annasantiago6997]

Avoid all non mendatories battle doesn't make a RPG easier at all, it prevent you from gaining exp

[@RawrKatz]

But less exp so battles would take longer and make somethings very hard and blah blah blah

[@ntrg3248]

Persona 4 izanagi only is arguably easier than playing the game normally if you get lucky

[@ihavenonamestilldonthaveon8970]

Fun fact: apparently those worm demons that Lucifer gives you are actually supposed to merge with you through the belly button. Not through your mouth or your eyes like people (and me) thought it goes through.

[@cpl.targrein1793]

So, exactly like in matrix when agents were probing Neo?

[@shokotwokawa9695]

That may be true But the idea of some kid who eats bugs being able to topple gods is too funny not to be my personal canon

[@user-vr4xz6mg3s]

Source?

[@ofilosofoouumfumante5655]

I remember seeing in larrue channel that it goes through his neck

[@cryguy0000]

Where are you getting this info?

[@HammerspaceCreature]

Imagine you are playing on Merciful but doing a normal run where you actually try to get all the magatamas and whatnot, and you reach the Puzzle Boy block pushing minigame. Now THATS a difficulty spike.

[@catsarecool9773]

Fun fact, any% speedruns of Nocturne actually go for Musubi, not Demon Ending. The reason is that on Demon Ending you still have to fight Noah, who is so annoying that it's better to skip Noah than to skip the actual final boss.

[@pengudiegu]

Based speedrun??

[@mahiru20ten]

@@pengudiegu Most likely because Noah is the more annoying of the reason boss battles

[@ShinerCCC]

I have Merciful any% WR and I went with Demon Ending because Kagutsuchi has more HP than Noah. I brought Tornado, Glacial Blast, and Bolt Storm with all relevant Boost passives.

[@pandalenz6534]

@@mahiru20ten Very in character for Isamu

[@OmicronX-1999]

True, Noah just takes ages no matter what you do because of his gimmick. Kagutsuchi can be taken out relatively quickly in comparison.

[@andrewmanchiraju8005]

The reason for battling Chiaki in her reason is that Yosuga relies on being the strongest, thus in Yosuga Chiaki cannot allow a someone who is weaker to fight Kagusuchi. Each reason is designed to have a fundamental flaw and Yosuga’s is that it can only create a never ending cycle of conflict. You fight Chiaki because in Yosuga there is no such thing as partnerships or “teams”, you fight her because that is what Yosuga entails, fighting to see who is the strongest and thus the worthiest to fight Kagusuchi. You don’t fight Hikawa or Isamau in their routes because who ultimately fights Kagusuchi is irrelevant for those reasons. In those reasons it doesn’t matter who is stronger as that is not what determines worth in those reasons (really worth isn’t a thing in either reason as everyone is the same in Shijima and seperated in their own worlds in Musubi). Yosuga determines one’s standing based on their strength, thus Chiaki fighting you is not because she hates you or wants to stop you, but because only the strongest should be allowed to create the world of Yosuga.

[@NEETKitten]

Yosuga*

[@CrowCrojoINTJ]

Binyosuga

[@ddjsoyenby]

yeah.

[@snailthelostcow63]

You just remind me of Yotsuba from yotsubato

[@andrewmanchiraju8005]

@@NEETKitten yeah I think when I was typing this I had the Yotsuba group from Death Note in my head.

[@faultyvideos2215]

To explain why chiaki's reason still requires you to fight her: It's because her reason is one where the strong reign over the weak. It makes sense that she would want to fight to see which of you two would be more fit to lead her new world.

[@Dw7freak]

Fun Fact: If you jump off the top of the Mantra HQ with Dante in your active party, he won't take any damage.

[@jojogacha974]

That’s nice attention to detail.

[@costelinha1867]

Chiaki: "So my idea of a new world is one where only the strongest deserve to rule and stuff like that" Nyarly: "Cool, I'm gonna side with you :)" Also Nyarly: "Wait why do you still wanna fight me? I'm at your side" Chiaki: "WHAT PART OF ONLY THE STRONGEST SHALL RULE DIDN'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

[@superiorgamedude]

I actually recently did a merciful challenge run where I HAD to have Jack Frost and Jack o' Lantern both in my party at all times. I called it the Jack Bros. run.

[@treeninja8924]

“Game journalist difficulty” Ah yes. I love how that’s the new term ever since that DOOM 2016 video.

[@tylerlackey1175]

What doom video?

[@ihavenonamestilldonthaveon8970]

I thought it started from Cuphead?

[@invghost]

@@tylerlackey1175 Look up "Polygon DOOM GAMEPLAY - The First Thirty Minutes". And then look up "Cuphead Gamescon Demo" And then weep as these are the people who decide game review scores

[@gspandem1204]

Im honestly really tired of that term. We get it, they're a joke, one we've heard for about 6 years at this point.

[@NMWVID]

@@gspandem1204 Not our fault that game journalists continually trip over their own feet in such an extreme manner

[@popdude7315]

11:24 Fun fact about this jump, actually! If you do this with Dante (And I assume by extention, Raidou) in your party, they're the only demon to not be knocked down to one health, because of the first battle cutscene where they make that jump

[@nightmare-cp8th]

Oh i didnt knew that !

[@MDKGunner]

I imagine it's a Dante only thing since Raidou IS human while Dante is half-Demon

[@biggercal3517]

so Nocturne Merciful is basically just playing as the Demi-Fiend from his boss fight.

[@dachking6657]

That is a legendary thumbnail

[@OnDavidsBrain]

Personally this mode is perfect for trophy hunters and people who want all of the endings on the same save file. Just breeze through everything after you put in the hard work the first time.

[@isenokami7810]

Wouldn’t play on Merciful even for this, but it sure would’ve been useful when I was going for the trophy for maxing all of the Demi-Fiend’s stats. Spent actual days doing the circle walk in that pseudo-town room in the tower. Funniest part: after getting it and having a real level of probably 140-ish, it didn’t really lower the challenge on Lucifer that much.

[@raybob8668]

“I side with Chiaki because her reason is the best” Also that Jean jacket

[@2bussy]

That thumbnail is a fucking BLESSING, Nyarly. 😂🙏💯

[@HyouVizer]

Always love these crazy ass nuzlock playthroughs Nyarly, thank you for your time and effort making this video. I feel like I know which Polygon employee thumbnail references haha

[@EdyAlbertoMSGT3]

Is Nuzlock not "If i get defeated with X i have to ditch it and get another"?

[@darienb1127]

I know that not everyone cares for Easy modes, but I think that's it's a nice inclusion to have for most games. There are some games where having an easy mode would defeat the purpose, but I actually feel that an easy mode is a good way to tell how well a game is designed. If you can keep a game interesting and/or fun while the game is easy, then I think you did something right. Also, I remeber seeing an indie game where they had a very easy mode just called "2020 Mode". The description was soemthing along the lines of "For when you are having a bad day and want to blow off some steam" And I think that's just brilliant.

[@starmaker75]

An good description of a east would something like easy mode: when you have a bad day, wanted a power fanasty or have a review deadline”

[@MageLufaine]

SMT5 definitely had one of the most balanced easy modes for me. It had its challenging moments (especially for newcomers like myself) but it never felt too easy like I've heard merciful does for SMT3. Hades also implemented their easy mode in a really good way where every time you die the bosses get a little easier but the core design of the gameplay was still there. A lot of people dismiss easy modes but I'm all for games, especially long JRPGs, to have them.

[@darienb1127]

@@MageLufaine Sometimes it's not even about finding the right balance of difficulty, it's just how solid the rest of the game is. For example: Kirby. Most Kirby games aren't difficult (until you do the postgame stuff), but the varied powers and level design is what helps keep the game fresh.

[@funninoriginal6054]

The thing about easy modes is that they're ironically very difficult to get right. A good easy mode, in theory, decreases the difficulty but still makes the player engage with the gameplay. Most easy modes dont give a shit and just pump down enemy stats to the point where the player can usually just spam the strongest attack and win.

[@snailthelostcow63]

Well yeah, it boiled down to what the developers want in the end

[@MettanAtem]

21:35 - Diet Building is a pretty unusually late point to get Tornado. You can learn Tornado as early as level *17* Yes, a -dyne level spell at a point where demons are starting to have the 2nd tier spells.

[@RedDrake110]

Yup, hifumi is busted like that.. It was my mainstay magic literally for 2/3rd of the game, till I got fed up of force and swapped to bolt storm.... And switching promptly back to wind cutter (bcoz it is the hardest hitting magic which isn't almighty or magma axis) Sort of a dumb build I made before going masakado Wind cutter (with force boost) Magma axis (with fire boost) Freikugel (with phys boost) Focus Drain attack

[@StarfieldDisarray]

"Wow I hadn't heard a new NNK was coming out!" "oh its mobile..."

[@StarfieldDisarray]

Oh its a crypto game, that's why I haven't heard its coming out

[@steel5897]

This thumbnail is wonderful.

[@jameschen5923]

Though a little different from ordinary speedruns, what you did here is similar to another category of speedruns, called "low%". In low% speedruns, which you still have to complete the game as quick as possible, your rankings are primarily decided by how little resources you have obtained, or how little portion of the game (battles, quests, collectibles) you have completed. For example, you completed the game in 8 hours, fighting 40 battles. However, your ranking would be lower than someone that completed the game in 9 hours, but only 39 battles are fought in the run.

[@menichellia]

Anyone watching this video already knows what everything you said is lol

[@averagechannelname9969]

Oh really? That's so cool!

[@PineappleLiar]

A famous example of a low% speedrun is for Twilight Princess, where the speedrun actually ends up taking way longer than any other due to using a skip to avoid some keys that involves idling in a particular animation for hours at a time.

[@killjoy_ao4653]

nyarly been feeding us good lately

[@insertjokeh3r3]

the samael you get from hikawa if you side with him in this is really nice for this challenge which will help a lot since it has actual good decent moves compared to what you get from everything else available. also opens a lot of fusions.

[@thepit7868]

That thumbnail made my day. Thank you elderitch man.

[@benackermann6328]

"Yosuga is the Reason I support the most" doesn't understand why Chiaki wants to fight

[@tylergomes6835]

Honestly I love this idea just like the other challenge runs. Even if you did a regular playthrough but went for the strongest demons and the true demon ending again, but in this style of editing like you do, id be so on board. Any video where you are playing through a game are my favorites and I watch them repeatedly

[@we-edle]

i love the influence from jrose!! also, merciful difficulty is challenging for me just because i am genuinely AWFUL at strategy and planning, and i tend to go headfirst. but people like you let me learn more about how to brute force it WITHOUT me having to plan

[@superheriber27]

Wtf

[@isenokami7810]

Not really related to Nocturne, but I remember kid me not really bothering with strategy, there weren’t that many games where I needed a real plan. By the time I played Nocturne, I was past that phase-in fact, watching Nyarly’s no buff run clued me in on physical Demi-Fiend, a lot of planning there that paid off-but I might have my first real chance to test how much better I’ve become with a desire to return to Persona 3 FES. Yes, FES, not Reload. I’ll try to keep this short. P3FES was my introduction to both Persona and SMT, and while I enjoyed my time, I probably didn’t do so well on the combat side. Weaknesses are important, but I valued them more than I should, picking party members solely for coverage over anything else they could do. I put zero effort into Shinjiro, without even knowing he was gonna die, simply because he was a purely physical character and that meant nothing to me…and, more damningly, that also meant Aigis got the bench. To better illustrate my lack of skill at the time, but that first run of FES and a PS2 run of P4 were on the easy modes that give you ten get out of jail free items if the protag dies: needed them a lot in FES with the entire latter half getting spent on Nyx Avatar, and in P4 they only just lasted up to the gates of Heaven. These days I can beat P4 Golden and P5 (Royal or not), without the need of a crutch like that, but…those are P4G and P5, much easier games. That said, I’ve beaten Nocturne on Normal now, a tough game in its own right that gives no crutches (I have no DLC so no Merciful, but I would not play it if I had it). The real test is seeing if I can handle FES on Normal now, finish it with more gaming experience and without the training wheels that just barely got me to the end last time.

[@cryguy0000]

I've thought about something like this for SMT V. The anit-social run, no optional talking to anyone. So no side quests, demon negotiations, World of Shadows, no shopping

[@beerguy177]

I'd watch that run

[@BitchChill]

Would work better in Persona, being it's partially a social sim

[@cryguy0000]

@@BitchChill People have already done similar runs before. I think it'd be much more challenging in 5. Because all you would have is a Nahobino with Zio, the default affinities and no bonuses of any kind, and a Pixie. I'd imagine it'd be pretty brutal

[@justinayala18]

That thumbnail is godlike lmao

[@demi-femme4821]

You can skip Noah or Ahhriman by siding with their Reason, meaning that the best path to take if you're banning the Demon Ending is actually one of those two. Edit: it also makes perfect sense that you have to fight Baal Avatar on the Yosuga path. Yosuga is all about strength and dominance, the survival and rule of the fittest. Naturally, followers of Yosuga would want the strongest creator.

[@HollowGolem]

Specifically Musubi is the easiest because _fuck_ the Noah fight. That giant tardigrade is ebola in boss form.

[@MoonlightBelladonna]

@@HollowGolem Agreed, fuck that Noah fight, I had just beaten Smt 3 and holy shit its frustrating lol.

[@toonboy2041]

Thumbnail is too funny

[@MegidolErin]

I just finished my first playthrough, TDE, came in at 73 hours. 8 hours is shocking, even considering that you didn't do all the extra stuff

[@samwill7259]

Watching people speed through games is always more fun for me than I'd assume because the thought of doing it myself on my own time gives me anxiety at the idea of it.

[@starmaker75]

While play smt games at first may be anxious, once the ball get rolling it really fun. Don’t let the infamous part scary, most of the time it really is not that hard.

[@Jaimethepanda]

That demi-fiend edit is going to replace the monster in my nightmares.

[@heehokuzunoha7757]

Hard mode for Nocturne feels like the true intended experience. It's so perfectly calibrated to teach you the importance of buffs/debuffs and how to optimize your press turns that the later Kalpas and end game feels like mastering 4D chess. Steam rolling the fiends just looks wrong

[@mediumbakedbean]

the friends

[@YuriNoel7]

No it’s not, Nocturne on hard has unavoidable BS that other games hard mode does not. Getting nuked due to enemies getting first turn (since even with the passive that reduces the chances of you getting ambushed it’s still a dice roll if you or enemies go first) or dying to Mudo/Hama skills due to Demifiend actually losing his hidden innate resistance he has to these spells on Normal is not exactly what I’d engaging. Also increased prices for both compendium and shops? No thanks. Also just use Sukukaja+Fog Breath combo and everything is ez mode even on hard.

[@kemenger_chaos]

I guess you can say that. The results of the formulas in their original value is used only on hard mode while normal cuts them in half

[@TrueLadyEvilChan]

I honestly found Normal mode a fine enough challenge for Nocturne.

[@sonicsucks2961]

As a hard mode enjoyer its not good in nocturne. War mode in apocalypse and SMTV's was better.

[@bravetree]

The thumbnail is legendary

[@zhaoyun255]

Merciful is basically to lessen the grinding. Afterward, I would turn into hard for the challenge thought the DLC dungeon literally made the Merciful difficulty useless.

[@thegrimmkyussy]

I’m fucking dying after noticing the thumbnail. Good shit

[@Jetterz1999]

The SMT games for me always have this imposing atmosphere that makes me tense, as if one wrong move could easily result in my death. This difficulty just feels wrong

[@ddjsoyenby]

honestly i'm not against it for newcomers, but normal was easy enough.

[@sixtyfivekills4543]

@@ddjsoyenby I'd go as far to say that Nocturne on normal is miles easier than Persona 3/4 on normal. Merciful feels like a joke difficulty, I've seen a video of a guy fighting max evasion Matador solo and landing critical hits with every single lunge, it was insanity.

[@V-Jes]

@@ddjsoyenby tho very tedious because how bad the random encounter rate is without that skill/item that reduces it...

[@souakadpadkid6685]

@@sixtyfivekills4543 If I may ask, what makes you say persona 3/4 normal modes are miles easier than nocturne? I'm not triggered or annoyed by the way, this is just such an interesting take that I have never heard before and I would like to know more about it.

[@sixtyfivekills4543]

@@souakadpadkid6685 the combat system itself. I feel like my options are beyond limited in Persona games while I have full freedom in Nocturne (also the only SMT game I played). In Persona I'm stuck with teammates who have same stats throughout the game, but here I'm allowed to pick my demons and abuse the combat as much as possible, making certain parts way easier.

[@ramaluminus]

Damn, I never realize you use Fate Extra battle theme as your background music. Great taste.

[@BarrenAcc]

Lore accurate Demi-Fiend.

[@TheXBladeist]

Well then, I know exactly what I'll be doing when I get the remaster later this year. I'll be doing this, but seeing how fast I can get to a point where I one shot most of the bosses.

[@Leh-oh]

Amazing thumbnail, dude.

[@tonythekillab8189]

I'm not sure what I love more, a video from you when I wasn't expecting it, or the fact that you shit on game journalists in the thumbnail. Both warm the cockles of my cold black heart.

[@ErkanMehmedali]

The thumbnail of the this upload is hilarious.

[@ddjsoyenby]

this was a fun vid, and wow merciful really is beyond easy.

[@Nolangames-ep8up]

2 videos in 1 Month my birthday isn't until Friday but this is great

[@sokoTV2]

Congrats on the sponsorship, dude! The thumbnail made me exceptionally happy, it washed away my worries a whole lot.

[@luckylouie9168]

That ad reel threw me off, ni no kuni is like a mad fever dream for me since I loved it and have forgotten about it for a year 3 times… thanks nyarly.

[@LordHonkInc]

The difficulty really is a joke, but I do appreciate Atlus putting in what other games would call "storyteller mode". It's not for me, personally, but I think the story of most MegaTen games is good enough that I'd be happy for everybody to enjoy it even if they don't care for the gameplay, y'know. Kinda how audiobooks help blind folks even though you could argue it isn't how a book is supposed to be experienced.

[@growasowa3444]

I don't inderstand 'journalist mode' myself, what's the point of a game if it won't be played? Including it does make sense as a decision that genereates some extra sales at a very low cost, though.

[@somebodyyoudontknow3980]

@@growasowa3444 for story focused games I understand, but for a game very reliant on the gameplay, I don't think it suits smt personally. If people want to play it on that difficulty that's fine, but I imagine it would make the experience very boring for most

[@CircePenfield]

I don't think Nocturne could get away with calling it a story mode because Nocturne's story is kinda barebones compared to a lot of other smt games

[@thefinalskarm1754]

Hey look a post 3ds pokemon game nice to see you branching out.

[@ryanaddy8086]

Watching this compared to your hard mode run, is so night and day, it’s jarring

[@AnnonymousCommentor28]

That thumbnail is one of your bests LMAO

[@jacobwolfe6245]

Will you do any smt 5 challenges?

[@CoffeeEmblem]

Yoo that Fate/Extra music is a neat choice 👌

[@YasEmisDaBus]

I believe you fight Chiaki because it lines up with her ideology Only the strong will rule, so who's stronger.

[@luisyanez6261]

I'm pretty sure that seeing the video is way funnier than playing the game in merciful

[@Ga99y]

What a strange crossover. Big fan of Jrose. Great video as always man. Keep it up

[@gspandem1204]

Honestly, SMT3's Hard mode is a slog and half to get through..i just wish there was an option to have the difficulty of Hard mode, just without the Macca and EXP cut.

[@Xenoforce456]

You can just switch between difficulties in the remaster that's what I did.

[@gspandem1204]

@@Xenoforce456 I don't want to play an easier mode just to stop the grind, that just proves how poorly designed it is to begin with.

[@aly3392]

What? There isn't any macca or exp cut in hard mode, it's the exact same as normal mode

[@gspandem1204]

@@aly3392 There IS. It's cut in HALF.

[@Xenoforce456]

@@gspandem1204 What I meant was switch to easier mode when you want to buy something then switch back to hard. I don't know where you're getting that hard mode cuts the exp because according to the wiki it's the same as normal mode and I tested it in game to make sure with the same encounter, Merciful just increases exp/macca.

[@guimaciel7457]

I love the thumbnail

[@ulvvizinho]

Polygon demifiend Nice

[@sagacious03]

11:33 I wonder if the mini-bosses would be harder if you didn't heal before them, after the jump's damage. Anyway, neat analysis & run video! Thanks for uploading!

[@maxmaxmaxmax647]

Love the thumbnail

[@soogymoogi]

I love these kind of low%/"pacifist" runs. Just finished the similar achievement for Pillars of Eternity after years of wanting to try it. Would be cool to see you try this with other Megaten games, or other JRPGs

[@nero_vzero3125]

Merciful is pretty pathetic, I remember messing around with it and being so perplexed about it. But it makes grinding efficient (and sorta broken)

[@boshy4193]

Wake up babe, Nyarly just uploaded a new video.

[@asterdogma]

I'll never get tired of this intro

[@thrillhouse4151]

There’s like a near endless amount of challenge runs you could do for each game, use only this demon or that demon, for each alignment, etc etc.

[@steam-powereddolphin5449]

This video makes me curious about the idea of similar runs in other SMT games; particularly SMT4 Apocalypse on Paradise, SMT5 on Safety, and maybe even Persona 5 Royal on Safe. -Apocalypse gives you a Centaur for free, then makes you recruit 2 demons of your choosing before letting you proceed with the story (the idea being that you have a full party like in SMT4's tutorial, but with one less recruit). Not sure what fusions would be optimal with so few demons, but it's still possible from the start. Partners are also helpful. -SMTV, though, once again leaves you with Pixie as the only mandatory recruit for a while; while it's possible to recruit demons from normal battles without taking EXP, it does take time, resources, and luck. At least essence fusion makes it possible to build said Pixie to be your healer, buffer, and Force attacker. Plus, you can boost her further with Sutra and Grimoire items. Although, taking only one Abscess means you only get 5 skill slots on anyone. There is a unique party member who joins you later, but they won't be with you forever the final bosses; there is another free recruit, but only once you've locked yourself into one of the four endings. --The secret ending does require more quests, and you get at least one more recruit in the process...if you're playing from a fresh file. In NG+, the unlock requirements apparently carry over if they were fulfilled in previous cycles, regardless of the route(s) previously taken; thus, the secret ending can probably be reached at a lower level in Newborn NG+ than from a fresh file. -Persona 5 Royal, honestly, probably be carried by the other party members in a run like this. Fusion is possible if necessary, but you probably don't need to do much of it. I know I rambled a lot, but I just wanted to share my thoughts.

[@Vidar93]

nice shout out to jrose. I watch all of his videos even though its the same thing with different mons its actually super interesting how different each one is.

[@spectrumbots4268]

Awesome!

[@BradyMayCry]

Game Journalist Demi-Fiend in the thumbnail sent me

[@maku3857]

What I've been waiting four

[@supersurge2863]

Two vids in a week ?!?!?! I can get used to this 😈

[@axelushiromiya]

This was such a good run, and in a way it was also a no recruit demon challenge for nocturne, really good video

[@brentclouse7791]

Oh man this is a run I kinda want to do

[@robTCGZ]

"A pain in the Mara" Wasn't expecting that one

[@pandalenz6534]

21:42 I understood that reference also, I got into MegaTen BECAUSE Joker is in Smash, and I wanted to learn more about the character.

[@Fatalordi]

Playing in Easy mode for challenge runs is underrated.

[@Xpwnxage]

I love Jrose11, I tried a minimal battle run in FFT. It was hell. I wasn't abusing leveling up over and over again in battles. I didn't get very far.

[@WillTheGreatest]

Damn near did a pacifist route in a JRPG this is wild

[@KaoruMzk]

I’m surprised you actually picked a reason, most people either go for the freedom ending if they’re not doing TDE. It’s pretty difficult to like the reasons in this game, and even if you somewhat agree with one, the characters themselves are such assholes you just want to kick their asses regardless.

[@kichiroumitsurugi4363]

Or well, not always assholes, but definitely idiots (cough Isamu)

[@edermachado2844]

I played this game for the first time when the HD Remaster came out and after years and years of listening to how the Reasons are much better than regular SMT alignments... Yeah, the 3 reps are incredibly unlikable, the reasons are stupid and I can't even being myself to half like even the fundamental basis of them, they're all batshit insane, so I just called it a day, looked up a guide and went for TDE. What a disappointment.

[@kichiroumitsurugi4363]

@@edermachado2844 I personally went Freedom ending, but still did the Kalpas

[@ofilosofoouumfumante5655]

@@edermachado2844 the reasons system is a better idea for smt but the way that they did this in smt 3 is kinda bad

[@novelkars835]

6:00 also the tough guy soul dude who goes down easily. That is less expected since it is the only soul to engage in combat. Also lol level 66 and ending with a 6000 damage critical on Chiaki's route, it fits.

[@Lu15d4]

Oh look my favorite demon in all bosses from Kagutsuchi tower

[@guilhermegaspar752]

12:16 sucubuy The DlCs, and thanks for The vídeo

[@wowwar2]

On merciful mode, the only boss that was actually a challenge was Lucifer. The main gripe i had this game was definitely the difficulty balance and the random encounters. As much as i thought the merciful mode was a lot easier, the reduction in encounter rate was a breath of fresh air that there was a point where i kept it on merciful

[@diegopinkman4084]

The random encounters were so bs that I kept the Pisaca with Estoma that you get in the labyrinth of amala for the whole game. Estoma was a godsend.

[@isenokami7810]

I believe Lucifer’s still a challenge on Merciful. I played on Normal, but I grinded levels until Demi-Fiend had max stats (purely for the trophy) and he was still tough.

[@superiorgamedude]

I beat the remaster on Merciful using only Jack Frost, Pyro Jack, and Black Frost for most of my run (albeit, as early as I was allowed to get them). I only died once, and that was due to an instakill from Pale Rider.

[@PedroThePanda64]

10/10 thumbnail

[@elcek6384]

Nice vid

[@depressedguzma9858]

You should have titled this smt nocturne journalist mode speedrun

[@xelldincht4251]

I think going through the mazes is still a challenge for all the people who play this game the first time

[@kylematthews5438]

Roasting game journalists? LIKED & SUBSCRIBED!

[@Lamachi-_-]

"Hey guys how's it going? But before we get started" I felt like I missed something hearing this

[@jellyface401]

When YHVH wants you to join lucifer and defeat kagatsushi