Persona 3 is a staple in the persona franchise, with its multiple versions across generations of home and portable consoles. This latest entry would be my first dive into persona 3’s experience and my second go around of a persona highschool experience. As a newcomer, I expected a game that would showcase why people adore it, with fresh visuals and gameplay. I found that the Persona 3 Reload met my initial expectations. However, alongside those expectations, I was also gifted archaic gameplay tropes of the early 2000s golden era of gaming. This brought me out of the experience of numerous times in the experience. The glaring issues would be the dialogue scenarios that pioneered the social link concepts and the dungeon crawl Tartarus that did not evolve in gameplay ideas. Regrettable these are core systems within the gameplay loop. I always felt reminded of the game’s archaic style as I checked off the list of social links and defeated both the main-story and optional bosses. The story landed in an average category for me. While I find its themes of death and sacrifice powerful and appealing. The several characters pushed me away from caring about what happened to them as they felt one note. One overwhelming major positive I can highlight is the game’s ability to bring style. This game takes inspiration from Persona 5 Royal’s and dumps its royal blue aesthetics all over its stylistic DNA. The MSRP of this game is $69.99 on multiple platforms. I would say at base price do not buy it. Purchase this game when it’s on sale for $40 or less for potential value. If you're interested in diving into a persona franchise, your better purchase will always be Persona 5 Royal Edition.
Persona 3 Reload: A Questionable Remake
Lightning Review
Written by Sage Sythe
Page One
Art Direction
Persona 3 Reloads art direction is superb in the fact it retains a majority of the character and environmental designs and brings it forth into a new generation of gaming. To start with the positives, they nailed the aesthetic of anime inspired gaming mixed with visual novel character sheets. Their use of the global color palette theme of blue is inescapable. The colors popped and dominated me in every menu and scenario presented as I explore the adventure on my 4K OLED screen. The negatives of the art direction of this game result from the later hours of the gameplay experience. This would be the muting of colors as a direct consequence of the players’ actions. My problem with this is not the idea but the execution that could have done differently. If the muting of colors happened suddenly across areas of the world map, it would have given an additional layer of environmental foresight and design.
Character Design
Properly evaluating the character designs in a remake is challenging because of their graphical upscale. They did not change the characters much, if at all. But if it’s perfect, then don’t change it. As I am a first timer entry within the franchise, it did not disappoint. Oddly enough, the main characters did not peak all my interest. The villains Takaya and Chidori instantly captivated me when they appeared on the screen. They draw such attention to their contrast to the world around them. Their compelling designs were a powerful motivation to play more hoping to see what more their characters could offer other than their unique designs.
The summoned personas unique to the characters within this entry contained mesmerizing imagery of the mythologies they pull from. To illustrate, Ken Amada’s persona is called “Nemesis”. A Greek goddess of revenge and retribution. This precisely foreshadows Ken’s original motivation as a party member. Until a pivotal event unfolds. The design reflects the cynical essence of revenge, portraying it as a relentless wheel in need of intervention that requires a breaking of its own rotation.
Written by Sage Sythe
It spins, it flips, it pirouettes from menu to menu. As if it’s executing its own combination of combat strings. Majority of menus are static and don’t always blend with the world it’s attempting to provide information on. Persona 3 Reload does that and more with visual feedback that you just want to keep re-experiencing. When you hit an enemy’s weakness, you can see the core example of this. A whole new animation plays out where the person summoned breaks the visual frame of the character. This cool effect never gets old. This is a clear signal if you're facing an enemy you never have engaged in combat before that you are about to lay devastating damage.
Its UI & UX design and implementation that carry this game’s visuals. The Atlus team, after their production work on Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal Edition, have nailed the UI in a way no other studio can. It’s remarkable in what they accomplish while retaining a cohesive product. The UI does a brilliant job of being kinetic.
Animations & Environments
The game’s animations are lack luster outside of combat scenarios and menu functionality. Vast actions within the game are subjugated to button clicks. Which npc’s just having intense stare down competitions until you have blitz all the dialogue in a setting. It left me unimpressed when other qualities of the visual principles far surpass it in terms of quality and care. This minimalistic animation approach left me confused because of the high standards set by their previous flagship game “Persona 5 Royal Edition” which shows the level of quality.
The environmental design in Persona 3 Reload mirrors the character designs, being a faithful recreation of the original game. However, engaging with the world feels like you're trapped in the past with its simple layouts that leave much to be desired. The major dungeon of the game Tartarus showcases the largest change in environmental design. Even with the change of colors from a blue aesthetic to a neon green. The changing of assets leaves much to be desired. I yearned for more dynamic environments with interactivity in the world.
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UI & UX Designs
Written by Sage Sythe
Gameplay Systems
We can split the core systems of Persona 3 into two categories. Battles System and Social Links. Underlying systems feed into these two larger categories to give it a connective tissue. The connective tissue encourages the player to use all the systems to achieve more power and/or a deeper story. This feature prominently exhibits itself when the players need to bolster their “Guts” stat. Raising the “Guts” stat unlocks new areas or people. For instance, reaching a high enough “Guts” stat will allow you to enter a bustling nightclub. Within this NPC filled nightclub, several can provide combat bonuses. One NPC sells powerful accessories that will negate status effects inflicted by bosses. Another NPC allows the player to buff the percentage chance to encounter rarer enemies who will provide more experience and currency. Furthermore, a pivotal social link awaits in the latter part of the game. This also highlights a drawback of the game’s older design. Particularly in its social link component. The social link is falls short when the rewards for completing these conversational pieces just for a stronger potential persona you still need to craft and mold. Not that the creation / fusion system of personas isn’t worth it or fun. It’s a beautiful system that encourages players to
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strive for higher levels to unlock new personas Which brings us to the battle system, which may never lose its allure. It pits four party members against various foes in a turn-based format in which everyone must exploit elemental weakness or status effects gained from the fusion system. It’s perfect and the biggest highlight for me in the systems department.
Gameplay Loops
The original Persona defined the gameplay loop of Persona games. 3. Go to school when required. Do one of two activities (Social or Personal). Go home and choose one of three activities (Social, Personal, Dungeon). Then go to sleep and wait for the sun to rise again. This formula is fun because the developers ensure that they only allow certain social links or activities to be done on specific days. Which leads most players to discover the most effective way to approach this loop. Enter the dungeon climb as far as you can until story requirements keep you from progressing forward. Then do all the social and personal tasks you want until the next major scenario.
Sadly, I find the Persona 3 social events and activities boring. As the social events don’t pull me and the activities take place with no gameplay for me to engage with removing a sense of immersion and agency.
Written by Sage Sythe
Feedback & Progression
Doing everything perfectly will make it easy for you to feel the feedback and progression of this game. If you can accomplish all of social links and side stories of your party, you will feel like a god on a normal experience. The game makes this very apparent, as I mentioned earlier. When a player can get into the nightclub, they have access to a fortune teller who can make enemies stronger or increase rare spawns that will give you more experience and gold. This will allow you to buy better equipment or more healing items. Better yet, the higher experience gain the higher your
evels will soar and the stronger persona you can forge.
l Having stronger personas increases the likelihood of enemies fleeing in fear, which allows you to avoid unnecessary battles. Understanding the core loops and systems allows for strategic exploitation of the progression pathways. Where I think the progression system lacks impact is the level per level basis of social links. They don’t give you any rewards per level up. This has a semblance of wasted time, especially if you dislike the plot line of a given social link.
Controls & Accessibility
Doing everything perfectly will make it easy for you to feel the feedback and progression of this game. If you can accomplish all of social links and side stories of your party, you will feel like a god on a normal experience. The game makes this very apparent, as I mentioned earlier. When a player can get into the nightclub, they have access to a fortune teller who can make enemies stronger or increase rare spawns that will give you more experience and gold. This will allow you to buy better equipment or more healing items. Better yet, the higher experience gain the higher your levels will soar and the stronger persona you can forge. Having stronger personas increases the likelihood of enemies fleeing in fear, which allows you to avoid unnecessary battles. Understanding the core loops and systems allows for strategic exploitation of the progression pathways. Where I think the progression system lacks impact is the level per level basis of social links. They don’t give you any rewards per level up. This has a semblance of wasted time, especially if you dislike the plot line of a given social link.
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Level Design
Its origins directly influenced the level design of this game as a remake. It often features narrow hallways populated by NPCs, triggering cut-scenes, a design choice that might have been acceptable in the early 2000s but falls short of today’s standards. The game lacks diverse locations to explore, and even when players do venture out, there’s a dearth of engaging gameplay activities beyond point accumulation.
The most glaring issue with the level design arises within the main dungeon, which relies heavily on procedural generation using pre-existing assets. While occasional variations such as darkened rooms or encounters with special boss monsters add some variety, they cannot compensate for the overall lack of interactive elements that would captivate players. It’s disheartening that the gameplay mechanics largely boil down to ambushing enemies for advantages until reaching the end. I yearn for gameplay systems that challenge me to rethink navigation strategies and compel me to engage with the environment in more meaningful ways.
Written by Sage Sythe
Music & Sound Effects
In all fairness to the rating system, I must maintain a score of 5/5, though if it were possible, I’d eagerly give it a 6/5. The music in this game is truly exceptional, consistently blowing my mind with its versatility and emotive power. It effortlessly shifts between various styles, masterfully capturing different moods and atmospheres throughout the experience. The music team’s adept blending of rock, jazz, and pop elements is nothing short of mesmerizing, adding an extra layer of depth and immersion to the game’s world.
The sound effects in the game are consistently satisfying, with perhaps the most gratifying being the distinct sound accompanying critical hits or exploiting enemy weaknesses. The shattering glass effect that resonates alongside these moments adds an extra layer of immersion, complementing the visual cues perfectly. While I wouldn’t label anything in this aspect as groundbreaking, the overall execution is commendable, contributing positively to the gaming experience.
Voice Acting
Ambient & Environmental Noise
The ambient noise in this game unfortunately takes a backseat to the captivating music. While the music earns a solid 5/5 rating and enhances every moment of gameplay, the sparse and almost nonexistent ambient noise left something to be desired. Throughout the experience, it’s noticeable that the music often dominates the audio landscape, occupying most of the spaces where ambient noise could have enriched the atmosphere.
Exploring the world in the game also lacks environmental sound effects, which feel like a missed opportunity and an overlooked aspect of the game. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t provide many opportunities for these types of sound effects to shine, further emphasizing their absence during exploration.
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One of the standout features of this game is the extensive use of voice acting. Notably, major cut-scenes and social link interactions are fully voiced, providing an immersive experience for players. This addition allows voice actors to showcase their range, particularly in social link scenes where additional plot points unfold.
Throughout the game, each voice feels distinct, contributing to the richness of the characters’ personalities. Some voice actors excel at embodying their characters from the moment they’re introduced, even before players fully engage with that specific character’s social link. A prime example of this is the character Tanaka, initially introduced as a Sunday television program salesman, offering enticing deals on equipment and items.
From the instant Tanaka delivers his introductory line, players can sense his dubious nature. His voice acting, especially his signature “Bye Bye” when parting with a hefty sum of yen for an unknown purchase, adds a comedic yet foreboding touch to the interaction. As the game progresses, encountering Tanaka confirms the initial impression, solidifying his portrayal as the conniving salesman players probably anticipated.
Written by Sage Sythe
Plot
Narrative
Page Six
The premise of a group of high schoolers banding together to thwart an imminent catastrophe orchestrated by a nefarious corporation, leveraging misunderstood technology, is undeniably compelling, especially considering its origin in the early 2000s. From my perspective, I can overlook some of its shortcomings because of the era in which it was written, but I often find the core plot moments to be predictable. There are two standout scenes where unexpected twists occur.
In one instance, the unexpected turn of events adds a layer of satisfaction to the plot, driving the narrative forward with renewed momentum. However, in the other scene, it feels as though the writers opted for a convenient resolution, detracting from the potential emotional depth that a storyline involving death seeks to convey. This perceived “cop-out” diminishes the impact of the narrative, robbing it of the full spectrum of emotions it could have elicited from the audience.
The storytelling approach in the game can feel heavy-handed, particularly in how it parcels out main story scenarios at regular intervals of approximately 25 to 30 in-game days. This structure often causes blitzing social activities to progress the plot, which may not appeal to all players. While there are occasional deviations from this pattern, it remains a consistent theme throughout the game.
I share the sentiment that the narrative could benefit from more exploration of the antagonistic group known as “Strega.” Offering deeper insights into their motivations and ideologies could add complexity and depth to the overall story, allowing players to engage more fully with the conflict at hand.
While the game effectively conveys the backstory behind the “Dark Hour” phenomenon through exposition, there is room for improvement in terms of “showing” rather than simply “telling.” Incorporating more interactive elements or visual cues to elucidate key narrative points could enhance immersion and engagement for players.
I understand while the game primarily follows a visual novel format, there are opportunities to expand its storytelling methods without straying from this established style. By integrating alternative narrative techniques or incorporating more dynamic storytelling elements, the game could enrich the player's experience while retaining its core visual novel identity.
Written by Sage Sythe
Characters
The characters in the game possess undeniable charm, yet this charm doesn’t resonate equally across the board. While some characters shine with captivating personalities and engaging storylines, others, particularly those encountered in social link interactions, can come across as bland and uninspired, despite having intriguing personalities.
Take, for instance, the Sun social link with Akinari Kamiki, a poignant tale of a young man facing mortality through his writing about a lonely pink alligator.
Similarly, the Temperance social link with Bebe explores the cultural exchange experience of a foreign student in Japan, supported by the warmth of familial bonds.
The Hierophant social link featuring Bunkichi and Mitsuko Kitamura delves into the emotional journey of an elderly couple seeking solace in preserving the memory of their deceased son through a tree planted in his honor. While these storylines hold potential and were likely impactful upon their initial release, when compared to the narrative standards Atlus can achieve today, they may come across as somewhat average. With more sophisticated writing and character development techniques available, there is room for improvement in creating more nuanced and memorable character experiences.
Themes
Setting
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The overarching theme of accepting death and finding purpose before it arrives is a profound and versatile concept for storytelling, offering numerous avenues for exploration. In this game, the theme is effectively woven into both the main storyline and the social link narratives. While the main story delves into the inevitability of death and the notion of sacrifice as a means of acceptance, the social link stories focus on the journey of self-discovery and finding meaning in one’s life.
The writers skillfully convey the theme’s core message, particularly in showcasing the consequences of dying in vain and emphasizing the importance of personal sacrifice as the ultimate act of acceptance. Overall, they accomplish the thematic goal of the narrative.
However, where the remake falls short in the thematic department is in certain aspects compared to the original. Previous releases of the game utilized visual elements such as colors to convey a sense of impending darkness, enhancing the atmosphere and evoking feelings of panic and anxiety. Additionally, cut-scenes in the original game featured jagged edges, further emphasizing the theme of turmoil and uncertainty.
Furthermore, the visual representation of the final boss in the remake lacks the impactful use of color, detracting from its core theme of darkness. This oversight diminishes the overall thematic coherence and impact of the boss’s encounter.
The setting of the game effectively captures the essence of high school life, with its structured schedule and daily routines. From attending school six days a week to taking part in various activities to fill your time, the setting immerses players in the familiar rhythms of student life. However, while the initial portrayal of the setting serves its purpose well, it can feel increasingly limiting as the game progresses.
After the first three months, the setting feels stagnant, offering little variety in terms of activities and locations to explore. This limitation could frustrate for players, as it constrains their ability to fully engage with the game world and create their own unique journey. Unlike Persona 5 Royal, which boasts a wider range of areas and activities to discover, Persona 3 Reloaded falls short in providing players with opportunities for exploration and fulfillment.
Ultimately, while the setting effectively establishes the framework for the player’s journey, its lack of diversity and depth in later stages of the game may detract from the overall experience.
