Among the high school monster attack series, Persona 3 has always been an outlier. Back in 2006, Persona 3 was the first game in the series to layer visual novel social elements on top of turn-based combat and team-focused stat tweaks. Now, it’s probably the only modern Persona game that doesn’t offer a “definitive edition” for newcomers, and with the release of the HD remaster of Persona 3: Reloaded, I can’t say that’s the case changed.
Of course, Persona 3: Reloaded does tweak and twist nearly every corner of the original, giving the classic a streamlined and effortless spin, but some of the aesthetic tweaks in particular don’t exactly appeal to teenagers The story of coping with death is what brings it all together. Although Reload draws from the future of Persona 4 and Persona 5, its best parts still come from 2006. It was still great then.
“Persona 3: Reloaded” is very close to the story of the original game, focusing on the story of an orphaned transfer student starting a new life in Gekkoukan High School and Tatsumi Port Island. Compared with the relatively dark version on PS2/PSP, The island takes on a blindingly bright light. He soon discovers the power of the titular Persona, a magical alter-ego warrior, and, along with a group of classmates (and a very, very good dog), embarks on a journey to end the Dark Hour, a mysterious creature that The time between days of occurrence. – Rushing to the feast, while all ordinary humans are unaware, trapped in a sinister coffin.
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Events, both minor and major, remain largely the same here, with only minor line tweaks or changes in tone in certain scenes. (Fortunately, that sceneTransphobic tropes have been erased, though the game still compulsorily elicits eye-rolls from boys in response to girls in bikinis. ) It’s a good thing, too, because Persona 3’s themes and characters are as strong now as they were, er, 18 years ago. Ouch.
The series has always told the coming-of-age story of teenagers who find their true selves through super inner strength and decide how to spend their limited days in the game world. Persona 3 remains so powerful because of its timeless coming-of-age story seen through the lens of death, with its perfect mix of fear and joy.
What still impresses me about Persona 3 is the thematic consistency it maintains across its many side stories. Nearly everyone, including dogs, is touched by death differently, and this focus allows the original archetypal character to grow in unexpected ways. Persona 3’s form embraces its ideas more than any other in the series, keeping you actively fearing/accepting/moving toward death every hour.
When the in-game clock turns and another day is marked on the calendar, the primary feeling isn’t that of satisfying progress, a la Persona 5; This is a terrible necessity. How do you spend your limited days when apocalypse looms over your party every night in the form of an inevitable large, unnaturally green moon? You’ll never have enough time to see or complete everything in one playthrough – it’s a completionist’s nightmare – but that melancholy atmosphere makes Persona 3 feel so urgent, even if it’s remade in gorgeous fashion load.
Speaking of the remake, the most obvious change is its appearance, as developer Atlus attempts to emulate Persona 5’s effortlessly stylish (bordering on unrecognizable) look. Reload succeeds in some respects, filled with smooth transitions, animated flourishes that fly across the screen, and (again!) a truly beautiful user interface.
Unfortunately, I’m not too fond of the rest of the packaging. The Reload replaces the original’s polygonal edges with a shinier facelift that looks a bit plasticky in some ways, and doesn’t seem to include the finer details that made the P5 feel like a mobile firework trapped inside a TV. The end result falls into an awkward middle ground, not quite reaching the eye-candy levels of P5, and in the process sacrificing the original’s somber atmosphere for an optimistic sheen.
If you’re looking for a faithful adaptation, Atlus not only helps in other ways, laying out the story in the same broad outline, but also fills in some of the gray areas. Sadly, the heroine in Persona 3 Pocket Edition was left out, meaning her social connections with the boys in the party were also lost. But Atlus replaced those social links with new “Link Episodes,” special scenes that delve deeper into some characters at predetermined points on the calendar.
Link Plot has the unexpected benefit of actually mirroring what the characters are going through in the main story, and vice versa – as opposed to Social Link, which ignores other fatal ongoing events because they can happen at almost any point in the journey Moments to See – Easily making them the best new social element here, I hope it gets expanded in Persona 6. They also combine perfectly with the added gardening, reading, and cooking activities to fill in the mostly empty nights that plague Persona 3 Portable.
However, Persona is a series divided into two sides, divided between the daytime silliness and the dangerous dungeon crawling that begins when night falls. Reload does a better job of tying up its loose RPG threads and connecting the progression system between the two.
Divine spells, for example, are new ultimate abilities that deal massive damage or stat buffs once the gauge fills up. Initiating special moves requires you to act in character – Yukari increases when he heals, Junpei increases when he gets a critical hit, Ken increases when his SP is low – but spending time with friends can unlock maxed-out gauges, among other buffs. new method. Reload takes a page from the Persona 5 Royal book, adding interconnectivity to ensure almost Everything you do feeds into different parts of the game – only further accelerating momentum/cross-clock progress.
Charging divine attacks can be a bit unbalanced, however, since healing is a more common action rather than improving one’s own dodge ability, like Akihiko’s initial meter requirement. Unstable balance also affects the team’s updated stats and moves, as some fighters are clearly more useful and powerful than others.
The sometimes huge gulf in utility meant that my party’s levels were often a mixed bag, and sometimes there was a 15 level difference between my main character and poor Junpei, further exacerbating the above problem. Thankfully, Atlus thought ahead with a fix, overhauling the endless school-changing tower of death Tartarus, which now occasionally lets you fast-track allies to their current level.
Tartarus (or Tartar Sauce as one character nicknames it) is primarily where the game’s turn-based hack-and-slash takes place. For new Persona owners, it’s basically P5’s Metaverse equivalent, taking you through hundreds of randomly stitched shadow-filled floors. This is where other versions of Persona 3 sometimes fall into mind-numbing monotony.
HD Tartarus lacks the variety of Persona 5’s bustling, intricate palace, and retains the grind of climbing so many floors in the original. Structurally, Tartarus is Reload’s biggest takeaway from still building on the 2006 RPG, but elemental affinities change so frequently that it’s functionally the same as Persona 5 ’s new twisted psychology is no different – save for the occasional puzzle or semi-interesting inclusion. Gimmick. Dark floors, diseased enemies, and other random obstacles also try to keep things fresh, as does Reloaded’s minimally remixed combat.
You’re still looking for basic weaknesses and exploiting them to launch powerful all-out attacks. But this time, you can also use P5’s “One-More” move (without the accompanying stat buff), which lets you pass the baton to another character after hitting a weak point. It makes combat slightly more aggressive without feeling overpowered.
Monad Doors are optional corridors with super-difficult mini-bosses and bonus loot that really bring out the best in combat by occasionally diluting the “find a weakness, exploit a weakness” cycle. Instead, you need to adjust your team’s composition in a thoughtful way, ward off incoming illnesses, and develop a strategy that can withstand a 10-minute showdown.
Updated combat helps keep Tararus’ minute-by-minute climb clear, while add-ons like Monad Doors provide interesting stopgaps every few levels. The icing on the cake for Tartarus, however, is that getting up is much simpler. Reloading ditches the fatigue mechanic that previously debuffed party members for spending longer in the tower. It also adopts Persona 4 Golden’s shuffle timing, so you can now easily choose upgrades – such as increased EXP gains or stronger all-out attacks – that will last you the rest of your journey. Adjustments to shuffle times are quietly transformative, as these upgrades have a compounding effect; reducing the cost of experience points and making often rote battles over in an instant. Meanwhile, these two tweaks not only make binge-watching Tartarus possible, but a breeze once you’ve got all the handy stat buffs and stuff.
Persona 3: Reloaded makes it easier than ever to enjoy this truly special game about young people coping with universal anxiety. In the end, it’s still good because it’s Persona 3, and Persona 3 is great.I’m not sure if Reloaded will be my preferred route to Gekkoukan High School in the future, and for many it depends on how much tolerance you have for the hellish ordeal of the original, but for me, Persona 3: Reloaded’s return is hindered by the demo’s sometimes disturbing shifts and moods (and omissions from previous versions) this A way to experience the fun of Tatsumi Island.
Sega provided a copy of Persona 3: Remastered for review.
