A new trip to the dreamless hall .
I was initially bedaze by the “ colored and matured ” vibes that the original Persona 3 give forth , particularly after being inaugurate to the serial through Persona 4 . Instead of a lightsome story with a few somber radical here and there , I was now face a constant sentiency of anxiety while character put a weapon to their heads to apply their powers . But beneath the low level and depressing issue , there was a game that whole shook me . Fast forward a few years and you ’ll find oneself me screaming at the reveal of Persona 3 Reload .
Reload fetch me the same delight I feel back when experiencing the biz for the first time . With an almost unflawed presentation and a much - require updated combat system , it train to be a definitive experience that receive new fans eager to visit Tartarus for the first clip and veterans quick to burn their apprehension once more .
A Journey Reloaded Into Action
Persona 3 Reload is not define as a remaking of the original PS2 game but of its enhanced release , Persona 3 FES . FES included the base of operations plot under the name “ The Journey , ” adding many feature of speech we see here . There was also a 30 - 60 minutes playable epilogue named “ The Answer , ” which is unfortunately nowhere to be found in Reload . Despite that , everything you need to know the master story is here .
You take on the part of a transferred student living in a dorm , but things get freaky middling apace . When the dorm is attacked by deep creatures live as shadow , you awake the magnate of your Persona , a forcible manifestation of your psyche . With this power , you join the Special Extracurricular Execution Squad ( or SEES for short ) , stress to eliminate these creatures .
shadow are only active during the Dark Hour , an extra hour that only those with potential can see . During this time , your school also reverse into the ominous Tartarus , a never - ending tower concern to the Shadows . Uncovering its mysteries and eradicating the Dark Hour is your independent goal .
Screenshot by Prima Games
But despite your bleak adventure during nighttime , you ’re still a regular educatee during the Clarence Day , and there ’s a whole school year ahead of you . You have test to worry about , nightspot action to attend , and friends to pay heed out with . Persona 3 was the first in the series to double down into the daily - sim , bend - based RPG gameplay loop and this weird formula has proven time and time again how effective it is .
The reason for that lies in an amazingly herculean cast , and Reload does an incredible job of delivering its best loop yet . Characters feel more palpable than ever , and it ’s hard not to be moved to tears during the plot ’s excited moments . representative playing is now present in essentially every single account and side storey moment , make a Brobdingnagian difference in societal activeness .
The novel models are on period , while the theatrical role fairy strike a salutary proportionality between the original tone and the update variant . onetime buff will immediately feel at home with some of the portraits . No derpy Fuuka face , though . You had one job , ATLUS .
Screenshot by Prima Games
But earnestly , the game attend absolutely gorgeous . Areas like the schooltime and the Escapade Club finger more vivid than they ever did in previous versions , and the Iwatodai Dorm now feel as huge as it in reality is . It probably strike harder if you ’ve only play the Portable version before ( which had no 3D models ) , but the saltation from the PS2 is also too immense to disregard .
Admittedly , the eerie feeling from the original is neglect due to the bright colour . One might argue that it undermines Persona 3 Reload ’s overall themes , but I personally feel like the final score is still positive . This game is more thanmemento mori , after all .
Those abnormal , mysterious vibraharp are there when involve , especially when venturing inside the main keep . cover in mist , a column look . Tartarus , the game ’s sole dungeon , has been reimagined to flex each of its six blocks into their own thing . Each floor is randomise when you first enter it , but block have unique layout that make them stand out . If you bring Persona 5 , think Mementos but big .
Screenshot by Prima Games
Exploring Tartarus can still be exhausting , especially in the 2nd one-half of the secret plan when floor get bigger . Still , diminished features like interactions between the cast , rare brush , and many caliber - of - life changes made the experience manner more enjoyable than it was in previous iterartions . That ’s where the independent gameplay happens , after all .
Bringing Out the Mass Destruction
Combat in Reload has been vastly improved compared to the original . The turn - based combat still works the same . Each character has their own Persona with abilities and weaknesses , while the independent protagonist can manage various Personas at the same time . you could end the engagement with a fashionable All - Out Attack by hitting all opponents ’ weaknesses , so conform your party and Persona stock to any situation . Your Personas can be fused to bring out new ones , and there ’s no “ classical ” Persona as they all go unlike part .
The Shift mechanic has made things even best , a new take on the Baton Pass from Persona 5 . After mark a decisive hit or hitting a weakness , you could change over your extra turn of events to another character to keep the momentum going . This helps immensely with saving resources and hitting more weaknesses , making combat way more dynamic .
We also have Theurgy , a novel super onslaught that ranges from dealing tons of damage to boosting your company to the uttermost with incredibly detailed animated cutscenes . The protagonist has multiple Theurgies that are all based on the Fusion Spells from the original plot . Armageddon is back , infant ! Despite the additions , combat is still simple to grok , and as long as you focalize on striking weaknesses , you should have no trouble exploring .
Screenshot by Prima Games
Tartarus can only be entered during the Nox . Exploring the tower was a daunting experience , but it ’s now flower with restorative items . The Fatigue system is also gone for good , as it finally land nothing to the board other than unneeded restrictions to a secret plan already filled to the lip with prison term direction decisiveness . political party members have been rebalanced to make them more useful in the prospicient campaign , and there ’s also a mechanic to help musical accompaniment members catch up in levels . No one gets left behind .
record a new cube is full of machination and unexampled . You have newfangled enemies to oppose and weaknesses to discover . But once you see these out , it all boils down to the same old normal : discover their weaknesses , Shift between characters and end it with a belt . you may even use the Scan ability to vamoose some footstep . But Reload knows how to execute its gameplay loop well even when the secret plan gets grindy , so you wo n’t feel as tired .
You ca n’t get enough of the catchy battle theme , either . It ’s go Down Now bump off differently . It somehow evokes the same feeling as the original tracks . Rather than feel like a new track , it ’s like it was always there . And for non - ambush competitiveness , a new adaptation of Mass Destruction is here , complete with Lotus Juice set down the hottest lines ever know to man . And they ’re definitelythesongs for battle . take heed to them without battle computer menu sounds in the backcloth is almost affected .
Screenshot by Prima Games
While Persona 3 was infamous for its difficultness , a huge helping of that was due to having uncontrollable company appendage . Persona 3 Portable added unmediated mastery , which made it way too easy at times . But Reload obviate this trap by rebalancing scrap according to your unexampled tools . It ’s kill or be kill , and I ’m all here for that , at least in the harder difficulties , of path . Merciless is a real challenge this clock time due to the absence of Technical damage ( which made it somewhat easier than Hard in P5R ) .
Enemy AI can and will enamor you by surprise sometimes . During a certain battle , a minion used Ice Break on my party , nullifying their resistance to the component . The boss then right away vote down my full - life Mitsuru ( who naturally has Ice resistance ) with a powerful Ice acquirement , and I had no style to revive her at the clock time . I had no choice but to laugh .
On the insolent side , other bosses are simply scripted in sure loops . All you have to do for those is reckon out their rotation and distribute with it from there .
Screenshot by Prima Games
chief report boss have also been immensely improved , especially a certain group you face during the 2d portion of the secret plan . Once a put-on of a competitiveness , they now salute a actual threat if you ’re unprepared . finally , the game still find promiscuous in the later portions , so expect most of the difficultness to be centered during your first 12 hours .
Yes , the first dozens . theatrical role game usually take a sight of time , and it is n’t different here , peculiarly with all of the new side content . Fortunately , the game run swimmingly , and you rarely feel the meter pass whether you ’re grinding your living out in Tartarus or top a even , not - so - boring student life history .
A Wonderful New Way of Life
While you’re able to freely explore Tartarus at night , the societal aspect is also important . The Persona series has that unusual illusion that makes you feel like you did n’t detest your high school years as much as you did . You ’ll be longing for them before you notice because school ’s awe-inspiring ! Did you answer a dubiousness improper during class ? Just reload your save and try again ! Also , you ’re insanely pop and can somehow juggle being at multiple nightspot at once .
You ’re gratuitous to prefer how to spend your days . you could visit the secret plan recess to play some colonnade games , use up at new eating place , or string up out with your friends around the town to enhance your bonds ( Social Links ) with them . Doing so helps you in conflict as your freshly - meld Personas get bonus Experience as a reward for not being a shut - in during your teen yr .
Social Links take a portion of your twenty-four hours and focalize on fictional character that represent the 22 Major Arcana ( a very salient stem in the serial ) , which range from your classmates , other SEES members , a funny Thelonious Sphere Monk you ’ve cope with in a night clubhouse , or even people you ’ve meet online . These are optional side stories , but they add a Brobdingnagian chunk of playtime and can be engaging if you consecrate yourself to them .
Image via ATLUS
The admirer shoehorns himself into help these individuals in their struggles and get as a result . Not all connection are born the same , however . Some understandably had much less intellection put into them than others , and it shows . The difference in writing between the Magician and the Sun storyline is nuts . Not to throw any nicety at the writers since they did a great chore , but not update some write up feel like a huge missed opportunity . But they probably want to stick as close to the original as possible , and I can respect that .
verity be enjoin , they really made some changes to some plot line , peculiarly to the girl . Once you reach a sure Rank , you would originally be force into a family relationship with any female Social Link . This is now fully optional , so you ’re not forced to chouse on your actual girlfriend if you only want a stronger Persona from another Arcana . If you cheat , that ’s all on you now . These are usually good than the male Links but also hang bland occasionally .
But you must be a better translation of yourself before interact with others . The three principal Social Stats can be increase by engaging in dissimilar activities around town , and are required to set about certain Social Links or to complete some asking . They also slenderly influence story events , such as your degree in test or being able-bodied to pick some dialogue options .
Image via ATLUS
observe the perfect balance between studying and meliorate relationship does n’t vocalise as enticing , but you ’ll enjoy every second . It experience oddly satisfying to see your Academics going up after studying nonstop , usually a few day before exams . Maybe it ’s because it hits too close at base . Fortunately , they added extra methods to increase these stats quicker , so you wo n’t need to follow a pixilated agenda any longer .
Modern dorm bodily process are also usable to all SEES members . This will serve raise their Theurgy attacks and lease you see more of their reference . Your mate now feel more like your friends than a bunch of stranger who happen to live under the same roof as you . be given to works over that roof does wonderment for a friendship .
A Reason to Keep Living
Persona 3 is lie with for its powerful underlie themes and how they ’re represented through each mould member , and Reload did it justice by add even more special interactions between them . Various new events were summate to enlarge more on the manful SEES fellow member . They never had Social Links in the original biz ( not until the female protagonist path in Portable , at least ) , so despite have enough projection screen time for their ontogenesis , it always felt like something was missing .
To remedy that , you’re able to now hang out with Junpei , Akihiko , Ken , and Shinjiro to get to know them better . Oh , and do n’t leave Koromaru ( yes , you could pet the dog in Persona 3 Reload ) . This helps newcomers be more invested in those character in the beginning while also being a full denture for old hand just craving more fundamental interaction for their favorite .
Several novel scenes were add in key story point , alongside some background for side part , so they do n’t feel as shallow as before . Some tantrum play out slightly differently , too . Longtime fans will notice how the movie adaptations inspired some change . None will switch the master story beats or anything , and only improve on what ’s already there .
So do n’t expect a raw semester like in Persona 4 Golden or Persona 5 Royal . Persona 3 has a slightly different take on its tale . Change it too much and it would n’t work out the same way . If you played any version of the game before , you make love exactly what you ’re getting into here .
Persona 3 is a story about death . Characters have sustain or will suffer important losses during the plot , which can not be invalidate . The word “ death ” itself play a bigger role as you see the world rick its back on characters . The secret plan has legion genuine representations of dying from its very first hour . But that ’s not all here .
The edgy - looking motif initially catch my attention , but the emotional rollercoaster that came after kept me intrigued . Reload brought a reinterpretation of this powerful message I first experience years ago , and it could n’t have done it better . Happy moments are even more joyful . deplorable moments gain even hard . There ’s always a meaning to a journey .
Changing of Seasons, Changing of Eras
Persona 3 Reload work a darling biz to modernistic standards while keep what made it especial in the first place . In the remake - toilsome geological era we ’re living in , it ’s rare to see a title that omit the mark . But managing to keep the same vibraharp while also feel like a whole new secret plan is not something we see every day .
Each member feel more alive than ever , which makes their struggles ( and final resolutions ) more impactful . Be it by learning more about Junpei ’s past and the understanding for his hero syndrome or diving event into Shinjiro ’s harm that lead to his tendency to push others away , it ’s well-heeled to get absorbed into this narrative . Even if you ca n’t relate directly to the situation , you might arise some fond regard to the cast without noticing .
And the amazing voice acting is one of the reason for that . This has always been a level of praise in the series , and it is n’t any different here . Reload features a whole new cast , and you’re able to see ( or pick up ) how they gave their hearts to this . amply - sound Social Links are amazing , and the principal casting sound almost selfsame to the pilot with their twist and mannerisms added to the characters .
If I were to address the elephant in the room , Akihiko ’s voice is probably the biggest change for veterans to get used to . you’re able to be skeptical at first , but Alejandro Saab did an outstanding occupation here , and I will buy the farm on this Alfred Hawthorne . Let the man manipulate . Wait for his take onthatscene . You know which one . You wo n’t repent it . Liam O’Brian will always be incredible in the role , but that ’s no excuse not to embrace the young casting .
Reload brings everything together to make for a great P3 experience , but despite the praise it deserves , it is n’t exactly a “ classic ” variant . There are still a few things missing here and there . The already powerful story was made into something enceinte , but we know there ’s still a bit more out there .
It sucks that there ’s no The Answer . It sucks even hard not having the FeMC path . While the latter is playable on modern political platform , there ’s presently no prescribed way to see the former . And even so , her road plays largely otherwise , so it would be awing to see it in a full 3D glorious action . But no DLCs have been announce , so this might be a long - distant dream for now .
view all that , this is by far the best entry point for the series . you’re able to drop hundreds of hour going up and down in Tartarus thanks to New Game+ , which also adds a few more surprises to a run . old versions are still deserving revisit if you could take on their clunkiness , but the updated gameplay might be too comfy to desolate . Reload has become my pet entry in the series , make up me even more hyped for what ’s to come .
