Persona 3 Reload Review:
Personally, Persona 3 holds a special place in my heart because it was the first Persona game I ever finished. While I had played Persona 1 on the PS1 before it, Persona 3 was the one that truly captivated and kept me hooked long enough to finish it and then turned me into a fan of the series. However, I had started to lose interest in the series due to the constant releases after the huge success of Persona 5. I began to even wonder if I would be as excited for Persona 6. What really reignited my excitement for the series was the announcement of Persona 3 Reload, the remake of the original Persona 3 on PlayStation 2 (not FES or Portable). I was thrilled at the prospect of revisiting this game and reliving those memories again. So, here we are, the Persona 3 Reload Review. Did it truly live up to its original?
The 25th Hour:
If there’s one thing the Persona games consistently at, it’s their thematic depth, often delving into issues that resonate with us and the society we live in. They do so in a stylish and artistic manner, particularly by immersing players in the day-to-day life of a Japanese student. The core of each game is a narrative that uncovers unsettling truths within the society, prompting your characters to investigate these mysteries alongside a group of school friends.
Persona 3, in particular, masterfully utilizes this template. It introduces a captivating concept centered around time and space—what if there was an extra hour in the day, and what would exist within it? In the world of Persona, this additional hour is known as the Dark Hour. During this time, enigmatic creatures called Shadows roam the city, preying into unsuspected humans. To protect themselves, people unconsciously transform into coffins, hiding from these malevolent entities. However, those afflicted with the Apathy Syndrome can lose their sense of self, failing to enter a coffin state and becoming exposed to the Shadows.
The only defense against these creatures is the power of Persona. Those with the ability to summon these beings can navigate the Dark Hour with their consciousness intact. As a Persona user, your character, the main character, takes center stage in the investigation, unraveling the mysteries hidden within this unique time and space.
The story delves into themes such as greed and lack of empathy in our culture, especially in schools. Persona 3 Reload explores how students treat each other without considering their true feelings. And honestly, I found it particularly intriguing that in Persona 3, the interactions and stories involving other students and townspeople were more captivating than those centered around the main characters themselves. These stories shed light on school bullying, corporate greed, scams, family pressure to excel, and dealing with depression.
However, compared to previous entries like Persona 4, this installment falls short of delivering the impactful “big twist” that the Persona series is known for. The resolution to the underlying issues felt lacking, as it did not build up to effectively address the core problem, unlike in Persona 4 and 5. The villain’s motives also seemed somewhat disconnected from the circumstances presented in the game. I believe the game could have utilized themes like Apathy Syndrome more effectively, as it is a brilliant concept.
Furthermore, the characterization in this entry felt lacking. While the characters are generally well-developed, they do not contribute significantly to the progression or depth of the story. Unlike in the original release, I did not feel as connected to them this time around. They seem to serve as individuals of interest to the protagonist rather than integral elements of the story. Although there are some links to the original plot, they do not seem to significantly impact the overall narrative. Nevertheless, these characters are memorable in their own right, leaving a lasting impression even if they are not deeply enshrined in the story.
The Birth of The Social Links:
The Persona series owes its popularity to one key feature introduced in this entry: the social links. Social links are a system where your day-to-day activities, which happen naturally as you progress in the game, affect your strength. As a student, you must balance your school life with your investigations that occur during the Dark Hour after midnight. During the day, you engage in typical student activities like talking to friends, working, or studying.
The system has three pillars: Academics, Charm, and Courage. Each pillar helps you establish social links throughout the city, and they can be raised by working, watching movies, studying, or participating in various activities like surfing the internet. These aspects need to be raised to form social links with other characters. When you form a social link, you can level up the Personas you use in battle faster. You can also level up the social link by spending time with the characters. The only downside is that you are restricted by time, as the game finishes on a specific day. To max out social links, you must be precise in your answers, which can be frustrating if a wrong answer ruins your chances. However, the game now features a rewind option, allowing you to go back and fix a choice. This feature is a huge plus, especially for perfectionists aiming for a 100% completion, which is something really annoying in Persona as everything is missable.
The social link system is indeed the highlight of the game. It is addictive and fun, with heart-touching and well-written stories. However, due to the extensive content, the game can run quite long (around 90 hours for completionists), and it can lose its allure towards the end. The filler content can make the game feel dragged out, especially when completing the later social links. Nonetheless, the social link system remains a standout feature, providing depth and emotional engagement throughout the game.
Claimbing the Stiars:
The other aspect of Persona 3 Reload’s gameplay is what you will do during the Dark Hour. You will conduct investigations in Tartarus, a tower that appears only during the Dark Hour, and you must climb it floor by floor to unveil the mystery of what’s happening. Tartarus is a dungeon, and Persona, as part of the Shin Megami Tensei series, is known for its dungeon-crawling elements. I was hoping for more quality-of-life improvements in Persona 3 Reload to make the dungeon more diverse and enjoyable, but unfortunately, for those who don’t enjoy dungeon crawling, this part of the game may not be appealing. The main activities involve searching for items and defeating monsters.
After each month, the dungeon changes shape and introduces different obstacles, such as heavily darkened areas where you can’t see monsters and chests, or large shadows you need to hunt down, or special doors leading to unique dungeons with better equipment. However, overall, the experience remains similar. By the time you reach the higher levels of Tartarus, the repetitive nature of the dungeon crawling can feel tedious, especially since you spend a significant portion of the game on this segment.
If you’re coming to this game after playing Persona 5, you may find yourself appreciating Persona 5’s dungeon designs more. However, it’s important to note that Persona 3 Reload is a remaster of a game originally released on the PS2, so some design limitations are understandable.
1 More:
Persona 3 revolutionized the Persona battle system, taking it to a new dimension. For those new to the series, Persona 3 Reload features a turn-based battle system where you must exploit the enemies’ weaknesses by using “summoned” demons called Personas. Each Persona has a set of skills that evolve over time, and each has a level cap, requiring you to acquire new Personas through fusions in a place called the Velvet Room. Exposing a monster’s weakness grants you a “1 More,” a chance to attack another monster’s weakness. If you manage to expose all enemies’ weaknesses, you get the opportunity for an “All Out Attack,” where your entire team jumps in to finish off the monsters. Finishing them off provides choices that help you advance through the dungeon, such as attack boosts, new Personas, or money.
The battle system is straightforward yet fun, as battles are fast-paced and typically finish within a couple of minutes, sometimes even faster. This time around, Persona 3 Reload introduces a team swap feature. If your controlled character doesn’t have the necessary ability to exploit a weakness, you can pass the turn to another character who does. Later in the game, you even gain an ally who acts as an Oracle, helping you through tough situations. It’s worth mentioning that Persona 3 Reload is much easier than the original Persona 3. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, given the game’s length. The balanced difficulty allows you to complete the game without it being drastically hard, which is a welcome improvement. Also let me say, using a gun to call your inner Persona was and still a brilliant ideas, it is an aesthetic but it fir the theme so well.
The Most Stylish Game Ever Exists:
If there’s one thing that sticks in people’s minds when you talk about Persona, it’s how stylish the game is. The UI design is unmatched in the gaming industry, making navigation through the game’s menus a lesson in creating thematic interfaces that perfectly fit the story. Combined with music that stands out across the industry, these are two of the best aspects Persona 3 Reload, and the Persona series in general, offer. Given that Persona 3 introduced many of these elements to the series, the improvements in Persona 3 Reload are truly astonishing. The only downside is that the graphics haven’t seen a significant upgrade from what we had in Persona 5, which is somewhat disappointing for a remake. Nonetheless, the game’s visual and auditory elements shine, leaving a lasting impression on players.
Persona 3 Reload retains everything that made the original iteration great, as well as everything that made it flawed. It features a very solid theme, presented through addictive gameplay interwoven with compelling character stories. However, it lacks the impact of well-designed dungeons, which can become very boring as you continue to play. In all honesty, this entry is a must-buy for Persona fans. But if you are new to the series, you are better off starting with Persona 5 or waiting until Atlus remakes Persona 4, which undoubtedly has the best cast and story in the series.
- A slice-of-life gameplay experience that is fun, funny, and interesting.
- A groundbreaking theme that doesn’t shy away from exposing the fragility of our society.
- A sleek and fast battle system that works for you instead of against you.
- The best UI design you will ever see in any video game, only rivaled by other entries in the series.
- Main characters fell short in reaching their potential.
- One mistake can ruin everything, as everything in the game is missable, which can be frustrating for completionists.
- The length of the game can make certain events feel like fillers rather than important aspects of the story.
