platform: Xbox Series X
Also on: PC, PS5, Switch
the publisher: atlas
Developer: atlas
Moderate: Digital
player: 1
online: No
ESRB: M.
I had never played a Persona game before working on this review. I’m familiar with the game, and obviously familiar with the hype and praise surrounding Persona 5, but I had never actually played the game. With Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden launching on the latest consoles, we decided it was time to fix a big blind spot in the gaming experience. Besides being really interested in trying Persona games, I thought it might be cool to get a review from a different perspective than most sites write. It’s a massive 100+ hour turn-based JRPG, and most people reviewing them probably already have a vested interest in the franchise.
Start with Persona 3 Portable. First, what an incredible game! I’m so disappointed that I never played! I’m usually not a big fan of “visual novel” style games, was a little hesitant when I first booted the game, and between climbing the giant dungeon Tartarus and fighting the full moon the only moves and combat were I quickly fell in love with the characters and the world they lived in, and my initial hesitation melted away. life is happening The social links you create will not only help you improve your combat abilities, but they will also help you develop a stronger connection with the individuals you formed the social links with. This opens up additional after-school activities and new story beats and narrative developments.
Obviously, this is a port of the 2009 PSP game that was a port of the 2006 PS2 game, so there’s nothing remarkable in the graphics department. It looks like a 2009 game, and that’s okay. One of the biggest advantages of Persona 3 Portable coming primarily as a visual novel is that those aspects work pretty well over time. Tartarus is the biggest part of the game, and it feels really dated, with every floor having the exact same environment and the same little shadowy enemies you need to attack to initiate combat. I thoroughly enjoyed the combat encounters themselves, but Tartarus itself got boring over time.
Combat is a comfortable mix of Final Fantasy and Pokemon in my opinion. Using attacks that have elements that your opponent is weak against can stun enemies and allow your team to go “all in” and deal massive damage. Conversely, if they attempt to use strong elemental attacks, they may do little or no damage, leaving them open to attacks. Making sure you have a Persona is key to winning battles as you progress to higher levels in Tartarus.
Persona 3’s story wasn’t what I expected. I had (wrongly) written these games off as goofy high school drama games with turn-based combat thrown into the mix for a long time. Persona 3 deals with death, misery, depression, relationships, the stress of being the best, and more. On top of this, the way to summon a “Persona” for combat is to shoot yourself in the head with a “gun”, which quickly makes for a very dark game. Even all the “regular” people that exist in the weird vertical red coffins are pretty horrifying to stop and think about.
Well, Persona 4 Golden. With a “golden” port coming out for PS Vita in 2012, this marks its age remarkably low. The story still deals with mature themes, with the main thread being a murder mystery that you’ll have to solve with fellow high school students, but Persona 4’s everyday life feels brighter, more vibrant, and overall Bright. Not everyone you meet is plagued with their own hidden misfortunes behind the scenes.Some of your social links are friends without problems, which is great.
There are so many things to do when you’re not following the main story, side quests, clubs, etc. that I found myself getting more and more drawn to the mundane activities in the small town of Inaba. 3, but offers flashier combat animations, an expanded roster of available Personas, and a more diverse moveset. To be honest, I’ve played more 3’s at this point between 3’s and 4’s, and I’ve played enough 4’s to feel the similarities and differences, but the infamous 6 has not been reached. There are still 4 endings.
That being said, it’s a much-loved pair of classic games, available on modern consoles and PC, and *free* with Xbox Game Pass. The graphics may look dated, but the story itself is timeless and stands alongside the best modern video game narratives. They’ve moved from a relatively unknown franchise to one of my favorite recent games. I was completely engrossed in the story, fascinated by the characters and gameplay, finished Persona 4 Golden, and plan to finish playing Persona 5 Royal after that.
Atlus provided the Persona 3 Portable/Persona 4 Golden code for review purposes.
School year: Ah
