My first time playing was magical. This game made me fell in love with this franchise, i spent hours and hours in this shit, i remember til this day every reaction i had to the story. I played everywhere, anytime, until i beated it and did everything the game had to offer... with both MCs.
Now, almost five years after the day i beated P3P, i came back to the game of my life after playing Persona 5 and it hurts... the magic is gone. The port is alright, the original P3 already had along with it's inovations, some questionable design decisions, so it's a faithful port, but the thing is a 3D enviroment makes a LOT of difference in immersion, even more after playing P5, it just feels like something is missing.
So after playing a bit of Portable again, i went to the FES version. It is cool and all but is not only outdated aswell but stuck to the amazing decision of not having control of your party... c'mon, i can forgive other stuff because this is the Persona game that started a generation, but not even SMT does this type of bullshit because is not a good ideia to give half of the battle control to a group of shitty 2006 AIs. Okay, some people say they wanted the characters to feel alive, like you don't control other people... sorry, but when a character that was supposed to be smart does the dumbest fucking move of all time in the battles, i don't feel like they're alive, i feel like the devs don't know what the fuck they're doing.
I didn't think remaking P3 was a good idea but FES and even the "updated" Portable port, the one i played and loved so much, is absurdly outdated. This game needs a remake now! I would love to see it in the P5 Engine. Now with a re-release of this version in the way, a remake is just a distant dream and we're now stuck with two half-assed versions of this game that had everything to be a masterpiece except a company that cares.
Edit: We did it :)
Now, almost five years after the day i beated P3P, i came back to the game of my life after playing Persona 5 and it hurts... the magic is gone. The port is alright, the original P3 already had along with it's inovations, some questionable design decisions, so it's a faithful port, but the thing is a 3D enviroment makes a LOT of difference in immersion, even more after playing P5, it just feels like something is missing.
So after playing a bit of Portable again, i went to the FES version. It is cool and all but is not only outdated aswell but stuck to the amazing decision of not having control of your party... c'mon, i can forgive other stuff because this is the Persona game that started a generation, but not even SMT does this type of bullshit because is not a good ideia to give half of the battle control to a group of shitty 2006 AIs. Okay, some people say they wanted the characters to feel alive, like you don't control other people... sorry, but when a character that was supposed to be smart does the dumbest fucking move of all time in the battles, i don't feel like they're alive, i feel like the devs don't know what the fuck they're doing.
I didn't think remaking P3 was a good idea but FES and even the "updated" Portable port, the one i played and loved so much, is absurdly outdated. This game needs a remake now! I would love to see it in the P5 Engine. Now with a re-release of this version in the way, a remake is just a distant dream and we're now stuck with two half-assed versions of this game that had everything to be a masterpiece except a company that cares.
Edit: We did it :)
Compared to other Persona games, this one has very little actually happen in it, and yet still it's leagues above any of the others games, even the long-awaited Persona 5, and weirdly enough any of the other Katsura Hashino-helmed games that followed.
Most importantly, it has one of the two characters I first saw as a kid in 2014, who made me decide I would become a Robot In Real Life.
Most importantly, it has one of the two characters I first saw as a kid in 2014, who made me decide I would become a Robot In Real Life.
Even if this crap was free, it would still be overpriced. Thank you Atlus.
wild to me that when atlus writes for a robot the first thing they have her do is question all these weird labels placed on her because of how she looks and yet they still can't seem to wrap their heads around the idea of a human doing the same thing
This game saved my life. I understand it's flaws but that cannot possibly take away what this game gave me. It gave me the will to find my own reason to exist.
Kimi wa ne tashika ni ano toki watashi no soba ni ita
Itsudatte itsudatte itsudatte
Itsudatte itsudatte itsudatte
Decent game with a few drawbacks. The cast is mostly well thought out and developed, with Yukari and Junpei remaining some of my favourite characters in gaming. The social links in this entry are the most hit and miss in the franchise, ranging from a kid dying of cancer trying to write a book in a touching story that adds to the theme of death greatly, to some guy trying to bone his hot teacher. Another critique of the game I don't like is that you can't decline dating female social links, meaning an optimal playthrough will see you cheating on multiple people. While the main story is great with an ending that made me tear up, with the main casts personas evolving at a crucial moment in their character development being a great tie in to story and gameplay, it does drag near the end with some somewhat weak villains. Gameplay is pretty tedious, with Tartarus not being very fun to explore. Overall, I would recommend this game for the story alone, just be aware that the gameplay isn't great
Digam o que quiser dessa versão, mas a rota da FeMC tem as melhores músicas do jogo inteiro.
FeMC is better
smokes blunt
contains robot yuri. only Persona worth a god damn
contains robot yuri. only Persona worth a god damn
Did you know? P3P extends the Christmas date scene with the girls. Therefore not only is this the only (legal) way to romance Chihiro on the go, but it's also the best overall way to go on a Christmas Eve date with her too!
Nothing positive from the downgrade to PSP outside of that, but that's all that matters
Nothing positive from the downgrade to PSP outside of that, but that's all that matters
By far the most cohesive and affecting of the Hashino-directed Persona games in terms of motifs and theme. The FeMC route knits it all even closer by adding stronger confidants, not being nearly as harem-y, and removing some of the more distasteful scenes present in the original. Even with the hit the game takes presentation-wise, this is easily the definitive version of P3, and my favorite in the series.
Just another version of one of the worst jrpgs I've ever played but now you can play as a female protagonist..... yay..... oh and I guess you can actually control your party members in this one, which is an actual welcomed improvement over the original... too bad it's still persona 3.
Persona 3 Portable is a game I don't entirely hate playing as its still Persona 3, one of my favorite games, at its core, but I'm giving it this mildly exaggerated score because I do believe this should never ever be your first experience with Persona 3. Here's why.
- The lack of cutscenes, despite what some people tell you, IS a big deal. In the opening of the game, the story presentation was so bad without them that I legitamately had no clue what was going on, and I had played the game before.
- The combat sucks. It's Persona 4's mechanics duct taped onto Persona 3 and I find it a major waste. If I wanted to play Persona 4, I would play Persona 4. Playing Persona 3 Portable is watching mechanics put into a game not made for them and robbing the combat almost entirely of what was unique about it. I like Persona 4's dizzy mechanics and such, but I don't play Persona 3 for that.
- The overworld is awful. Dragging a cursor around it is of course worse than a natural overworld, but man it is made so much worse by just how ugly it is. If they at least put some effort into the menus or possibly remade the graphics go make an overworld work on PSP that would be nice, but instead we have this ugly as hell flash game-esque map.
- Introduced skill cards. Might be a bit petty but I've never liked these, skill cards are way too OP and make it comically easy to power through the game with a couple personas, and this game is unfortunately responsible for inventing them.
- The female route makes some wack changes. The music is excellent and some of the social links aren't half bad, but it isn't an awful idea but the party dynamics definitely weren't made for it with how being a girl effects it, and story changes like the big one you get for doing a certain social link are awful. It's still kind of interesting, but as the game tells you, never play it first. I think we'd be better off getting a Persona game with an actual female protagonist then as an option, but that'll probably never happen.
- Numerous dumb changes that exist for no real reason. Skills from having two Personas are items now. Why? They felt like it, I don't know.
- Option to date a ten year-old if you're not playing the rerelease.
- Said rerelease has AI upscaling and compressed sound.
Game sucks, play FES. Only positive outside of music from playing the wack as hell female route is direct party member control, but the original is livable without it, and if you REALLY want it, just mod or hack FES.
- The lack of cutscenes, despite what some people tell you, IS a big deal. In the opening of the game, the story presentation was so bad without them that I legitamately had no clue what was going on, and I had played the game before.
- The combat sucks. It's Persona 4's mechanics duct taped onto Persona 3 and I find it a major waste. If I wanted to play Persona 4, I would play Persona 4. Playing Persona 3 Portable is watching mechanics put into a game not made for them and robbing the combat almost entirely of what was unique about it. I like Persona 4's dizzy mechanics and such, but I don't play Persona 3 for that.
- The overworld is awful. Dragging a cursor around it is of course worse than a natural overworld, but man it is made so much worse by just how ugly it is. If they at least put some effort into the menus or possibly remade the graphics go make an overworld work on PSP that would be nice, but instead we have this ugly as hell flash game-esque map.
- Introduced skill cards. Might be a bit petty but I've never liked these, skill cards are way too OP and make it comically easy to power through the game with a couple personas, and this game is unfortunately responsible for inventing them.
- The female route makes some wack changes. The music is excellent and some of the social links aren't half bad, but it isn't an awful idea but the party dynamics definitely weren't made for it with how being a girl effects it, and story changes like the big one you get for doing a certain social link are awful. It's still kind of interesting, but as the game tells you, never play it first. I think we'd be better off getting a Persona game with an actual female protagonist then as an option, but that'll probably never happen.
- Numerous dumb changes that exist for no real reason. Skills from having two Personas are items now. Why? They felt like it, I don't know.
- Option to date a ten year-old if you're not playing the rerelease.
- Said rerelease has AI upscaling and compressed sound.
Game sucks, play FES. Only positive outside of music from playing the wack as hell female route is direct party member control, but the original is livable without it, and if you REALLY want it, just mod or hack FES.
This is game is really awesome. I still haven't finished Persona 5 Royal, but i found this more enjoyable. And i exactly don't know why. But i've totally fallen in love with this game, his soundtracks, his characters and their lives. This game talks about death and depression, and the main quotes is "memento mori". The gameplay loop it's not that bad:
Basically you need to fight in the Tartarus this big tower that you can find in this "otherworld". In the portable version you can control the other party's member and it's a really cool and useful feature. But what i love most of this game are the dialogue, they feel so real. Thank to that you can enphatize so much with all the character, really all memorable. Except maybe one npc, that will become friend of the protagonist a little bit too randomly. But in this game like in the real life, you need to work (so with the money you can buy upgrades), go to school and hangout with friends to level up your social link (it's a very cool system that permise you to level up the friendships). The atmosphere it's absurd, in the hall of the dormitory you will find all your friends there, doing their things and feeling real. The soundtracks has become easily one of my favourite of all time, all the tracks are memorable from the opening to the small soundtrack that you can hear for 30sec in a selection screen. The story it's really interesting, the main character is Makoto Yuki (or you can choose the female mc) transferred from another school. And he'll find himself in a really strange situation, that will change his life forever. It isn't the classic "sad boy", i would say it's more apathetic and trying to understand the value of the life. I don't wanna say anything more, 'cause i wanna avoid any kind of spoiler.
Even if this is the worst version, with visual novel classic dialogue and no animated cutscenes, no explorable location, i've instantly fallen in love with this game.
But if you can wait, i would recommend to wait for the remake version Persona 3 Reload!
Basically you need to fight in the Tartarus this big tower that you can find in this "otherworld". In the portable version you can control the other party's member and it's a really cool and useful feature. But what i love most of this game are the dialogue, they feel so real. Thank to that you can enphatize so much with all the character, really all memorable. Except maybe one npc, that will become friend of the protagonist a little bit too randomly. But in this game like in the real life, you need to work (so with the money you can buy upgrades), go to school and hangout with friends to level up your social link (it's a very cool system that permise you to level up the friendships). The atmosphere it's absurd, in the hall of the dormitory you will find all your friends there, doing their things and feeling real. The soundtracks has become easily one of my favourite of all time, all the tracks are memorable from the opening to the small soundtrack that you can hear for 30sec in a selection screen. The story it's really interesting, the main character is Makoto Yuki (or you can choose the female mc) transferred from another school. And he'll find himself in a really strange situation, that will change his life forever. It isn't the classic "sad boy", i would say it's more apathetic and trying to understand the value of the life. I don't wanna say anything more, 'cause i wanna avoid any kind of spoiler.
Even if this is the worst version, with visual novel classic dialogue and no animated cutscenes, no explorable location, i've instantly fallen in love with this game.
But if you can wait, i would recommend to wait for the remake version Persona 3 Reload!
my favorite game ever! the music is so good :D
"No two viewings are alike. No two days are alike.
It is natural for everything to disappear, return, and remain in a constant state of change…
Life is finite and ephemeral.
That is precisely what makes it precious to us, showing us that we shouldn’t waste it…
It is a miracle for any two like-minded people to meet within the chaotic flux…
That’s why forging bonds and relationships is a source of happiness.
That is the root cause of… the joys of being alive…"
É meus amigos, essa bateu e bateu forte.
Esse game é masterpiece demais, porém datado...
Gameplay repetitiva o que com o tempo acaba se tornando cansativa. Subir e farmar no Tartarus é deveras maçante. Inicialmente é divertido, porém lá pro mid game se eu fui 3 vezes no mês, foi mto.
A história é ok, tem um desenvolvimento lento mas compensa com um final é sensacional!
Os personagens são legais mas acabam sendo ofuscados pela grandiosidade que é a Aigis.
Tem uma trilha sonora viciante. Me pergunto se existe algum game de persona que tenha uma ost ruim. Literalmente todas as músicas, principalmente a OP e a END são excelentes, o ponto negativo é que são poucas variações.
Sendo esse meu segundo game da franquia, com o primeiro sendo o P5R, achei que iria me incomodar com o downgrade que é nitidamente visível, acabou que a gameplay segue tendo a mesma linha mas senti falta de algumas mecânicas. Além disso, acabei por descobrir que a versão FES de P3 contem mto mais conteúdo que esse versão o que me deixou bem chateada, principalmente pela versão port ser toda capada, sem cuscenes, com cenas estáticas e sem acesso ao The Answer. Esse provavelmente seja o principal motivo para não ter dado uma nota mais alta.
Dessa forma, aguardo ansiosamente pelo remake desse game que sim, é incrível, porém não entrega uma experiência completa se comparado a outras versões.
It is natural for everything to disappear, return, and remain in a constant state of change…
Life is finite and ephemeral.
That is precisely what makes it precious to us, showing us that we shouldn’t waste it…
It is a miracle for any two like-minded people to meet within the chaotic flux…
That’s why forging bonds and relationships is a source of happiness.
That is the root cause of… the joys of being alive…"
É meus amigos, essa bateu e bateu forte.
Esse game é masterpiece demais, porém datado...
Gameplay repetitiva o que com o tempo acaba se tornando cansativa. Subir e farmar no Tartarus é deveras maçante. Inicialmente é divertido, porém lá pro mid game se eu fui 3 vezes no mês, foi mto.
A história é ok, tem um desenvolvimento lento mas compensa com um final é sensacional!
Os personagens são legais mas acabam sendo ofuscados pela grandiosidade que é a Aigis.
Tem uma trilha sonora viciante. Me pergunto se existe algum game de persona que tenha uma ost ruim. Literalmente todas as músicas, principalmente a OP e a END são excelentes, o ponto negativo é que são poucas variações.
Sendo esse meu segundo game da franquia, com o primeiro sendo o P5R, achei que iria me incomodar com o downgrade que é nitidamente visível, acabou que a gameplay segue tendo a mesma linha mas senti falta de algumas mecânicas. Além disso, acabei por descobrir que a versão FES de P3 contem mto mais conteúdo que esse versão o que me deixou bem chateada, principalmente pela versão port ser toda capada, sem cuscenes, com cenas estáticas e sem acesso ao The Answer. Esse provavelmente seja o principal motivo para não ter dado uma nota mais alta.
Dessa forma, aguardo ansiosamente pelo remake desse game que sim, é incrível, porém não entrega uma experiência completa se comparado a outras versões.
For the love of god please ignore all these people crying about lack of anime cutscenes. The presentation of P3P is stripped down, sure, but the actual writing is so much better.
I'm begging people: PLAY THE GIRL. PLAY THE GIRL. It is absolutely BATSHIT to me that if you play the boy in P3 you miss out on such a tremendous amount of content. The reason to play Persona over other JRPGs is the characters and writing, and Girl Route feels like the final draft to the Boy Route's rough draft. I cannot get over the fact that you miss out on every male party members' S-Link in boy route.
Also there's been multiple moments where this game has made me sit back and actually admire its writing. Junpei's S-Link eventually comes to (spoiler) him going "Hey, I jumped into this situation to take control because I want people to take me more seriously and not just think of me as a goofball, but in doing so I cut you out and that wasn't respectful to you, and I'm sorry." Which is a fairly complicated emotional moment you literally will not get if you don't PLAY THE GIRL.
I'd rather have better writing and characters than anime cutscenes, sorry.
I'm begging people: PLAY THE GIRL. PLAY THE GIRL. It is absolutely BATSHIT to me that if you play the boy in P3 you miss out on such a tremendous amount of content. The reason to play Persona over other JRPGs is the characters and writing, and Girl Route feels like the final draft to the Boy Route's rough draft. I cannot get over the fact that you miss out on every male party members' S-Link in boy route.
Also there's been multiple moments where this game has made me sit back and actually admire its writing. Junpei's S-Link eventually comes to (spoiler) him going "Hey, I jumped into this situation to take control because I want people to take me more seriously and not just think of me as a goofball, but in doing so I cut you out and that wasn't respectful to you, and I'm sorry." Which is a fairly complicated emotional moment you literally will not get if you don't PLAY THE GIRL.
I'd rather have better writing and characters than anime cutscenes, sorry.
This review contains spoilers
I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.
Over the past year, I've thought a lot about my place in life, in this world, and what it all means to me. I've also found it quite painful to hold all my thoughts within myself, and learned how helpful it is to have some kind of outlet for these feelings. For that reason, I've gradually opened up a lot in my Backloggd reviews. It started in February with my initial NieR: Automata review, and has only grown over time. I've talked at length about my feelings on media, why I feel that way, and what my place is in all of this. Now, for my 100th review, I'm going one step further.
To tell you the truth, I never would've even thought about my own death if none of this had happened.
I've heard most people are lucky to find a piece of media that truly speaks to them and changes their outlook on life. In that case, I've been lucky twice this year: First, when I played NieR: Replicant 1.22, and completely reconsidered the value of media and my opinions on it. Second, when I played Persona 3, and realized just how important my life is.
You don't really know how much you take your life for granted... until there's a possibility you might lose it.
Throughout my 19 years of living, I've dealt with a lot of stuff. I've felt pressured to excel in academics, had trouble getting along with people inside and outside of my family, and watched the pain and suffering caused by those with far more power than they deserve. As a result, I often isolate myself from others physically and emotionally, and resort to... inadequate methods of coping with reality. While I haven't done anything irreversible or illegal, it's certainly taken a toll on my mind and body, and for a while I saw no chance of escape. I thought I was doomed to a life of pain.
Isn't there some saying...like about how being alive is a kind of sin?
Then I played Persona 3. I saw people who, like me, were largely alone in the world. They were faced with that world coming to an end, and forced to fight against it, no matter what the cost. But even beyond that, they had faced great pain in their lives, far greater than I could have possibly had. Sure, I've seen people like that all the time on the news, but the Persona 3 cast were different: they were a lot like me. They went to school, goofed off, made decisions, regretted them, argued with each other, and reconciled. I know it sounds cheesy to say, but... they were like friends to me. And they made me realize just how much I have.
I won't ever walk through a sunny field again because my legs and heart can't handle it.
For every bit of pain in my life, I've had something wonderful. I have a healthy body and strong mind. I have a good home, and the chance to get a good education. I've never had to worry about money, or food, or my own safety. And I have people who care about me. I have a family that loves me. I have friends I can spend time with and talk with about my life. I have so many things that people across the world could only dream of, and I nearly lost all of them in my own self-pity.
Celebrate life's grandeur... its brilliance... its magnificence...
Persona 3's ending is widely regarded as its best scene. The beautiful dialogue and music combined with the tragedy of the protagonist's fate brings many fans to tears. But I actually didn't cry, because in the midst of all the sadness, it feels... comforting, in a strange way. The protagonist's life ends, but they leave behind the world they saved, the people whose lives they changed forever, and the memories those people carry in their hearts. They die, but they die surrounded by those they love more than anything. Despite things being cut short, they seem content, knowing every day of the life they lived meant something to someone.
I am resolved; free from doubt or absolution! This is because...It is because I have such wonderful, such priceless friends...
If someone like that can find meaning in their life, why can't I? I have everything I need to live a fulfilling life, and all I have to do is use it. I have tons of opportunities to connect with people and leave an impact on their lives forever. I can use my skills to make the world a better place, whether it involves taking drastic actions to help solve its problems, or something as simple as making video games that people can enjoy. In fact, I've already made an impact, and I'm incredibly proud of it.
So thank you. Thank you to everyone who has been my friend. Thank you to everyone who has supported my dream of becoming a game designer. Thank you to everyone who gave me this wonderful life of mine. I promise I won't waste your gifts anymore.
I've never been one for New Year's resolutions, but for this next year, and for the rest of my life, I promise to live every day to the fullest. I promise to break my bad habits and pull myself back together. I promise to let the people in my life know how much I mean to them.
This is the promise I've made to myself. I don't know how I'll do it... but I guess that is a part of living, too.
I can't give Persona 3 Portable a perfect score. Its gameplay and presentation flaws are hard to ignore, especially with Reload releasing in about a month. But there are few pieces of media in this world that mean as much to me. It is a beautiful game, and one that I think everyone should experience at least once, because it did something extraordinary: it made me feel grateful to live.
As difficult as it may be sometimes, I've made my choice.
I have my whole life ahead of me, as short as it may be. I'll keep living it, every day, until the very end. I will make a difference in the world.
And I won't do it alone.
You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life... Sometimes, all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of.
Over the past year, I've thought a lot about my place in life, in this world, and what it all means to me. I've also found it quite painful to hold all my thoughts within myself, and learned how helpful it is to have some kind of outlet for these feelings. For that reason, I've gradually opened up a lot in my Backloggd reviews. It started in February with my initial NieR: Automata review, and has only grown over time. I've talked at length about my feelings on media, why I feel that way, and what my place is in all of this. Now, for my 100th review, I'm going one step further.
To tell you the truth, I never would've even thought about my own death if none of this had happened.
I've heard most people are lucky to find a piece of media that truly speaks to them and changes their outlook on life. In that case, I've been lucky twice this year: First, when I played NieR: Replicant 1.22, and completely reconsidered the value of media and my opinions on it. Second, when I played Persona 3, and realized just how important my life is.
You don't really know how much you take your life for granted... until there's a possibility you might lose it.
Throughout my 19 years of living, I've dealt with a lot of stuff. I've felt pressured to excel in academics, had trouble getting along with people inside and outside of my family, and watched the pain and suffering caused by those with far more power than they deserve. As a result, I often isolate myself from others physically and emotionally, and resort to... inadequate methods of coping with reality. While I haven't done anything irreversible or illegal, it's certainly taken a toll on my mind and body, and for a while I saw no chance of escape. I thought I was doomed to a life of pain.
Isn't there some saying...like about how being alive is a kind of sin?
Then I played Persona 3. I saw people who, like me, were largely alone in the world. They were faced with that world coming to an end, and forced to fight against it, no matter what the cost. But even beyond that, they had faced great pain in their lives, far greater than I could have possibly had. Sure, I've seen people like that all the time on the news, but the Persona 3 cast were different: they were a lot like me. They went to school, goofed off, made decisions, regretted them, argued with each other, and reconciled. I know it sounds cheesy to say, but... they were like friends to me. And they made me realize just how much I have.
I won't ever walk through a sunny field again because my legs and heart can't handle it.
For every bit of pain in my life, I've had something wonderful. I have a healthy body and strong mind. I have a good home, and the chance to get a good education. I've never had to worry about money, or food, or my own safety. And I have people who care about me. I have a family that loves me. I have friends I can spend time with and talk with about my life. I have so many things that people across the world could only dream of, and I nearly lost all of them in my own self-pity.
Celebrate life's grandeur... its brilliance... its magnificence...
Persona 3's ending is widely regarded as its best scene. The beautiful dialogue and music combined with the tragedy of the protagonist's fate brings many fans to tears. But I actually didn't cry, because in the midst of all the sadness, it feels... comforting, in a strange way. The protagonist's life ends, but they leave behind the world they saved, the people whose lives they changed forever, and the memories those people carry in their hearts. They die, but they die surrounded by those they love more than anything. Despite things being cut short, they seem content, knowing every day of the life they lived meant something to someone.
I am resolved; free from doubt or absolution! This is because...It is because I have such wonderful, such priceless friends...
If someone like that can find meaning in their life, why can't I? I have everything I need to live a fulfilling life, and all I have to do is use it. I have tons of opportunities to connect with people and leave an impact on their lives forever. I can use my skills to make the world a better place, whether it involves taking drastic actions to help solve its problems, or something as simple as making video games that people can enjoy. In fact, I've already made an impact, and I'm incredibly proud of it.
So thank you. Thank you to everyone who has been my friend. Thank you to everyone who has supported my dream of becoming a game designer. Thank you to everyone who gave me this wonderful life of mine. I promise I won't waste your gifts anymore.
I've never been one for New Year's resolutions, but for this next year, and for the rest of my life, I promise to live every day to the fullest. I promise to break my bad habits and pull myself back together. I promise to let the people in my life know how much I mean to them.
This is the promise I've made to myself. I don't know how I'll do it... but I guess that is a part of living, too.
I can't give Persona 3 Portable a perfect score. Its gameplay and presentation flaws are hard to ignore, especially with Reload releasing in about a month. But there are few pieces of media in this world that mean as much to me. It is a beautiful game, and one that I think everyone should experience at least once, because it did something extraordinary: it made me feel grateful to live.
As difficult as it may be sometimes, I've made my choice.
I have my whole life ahead of me, as short as it may be. I'll keep living it, every day, until the very end. I will make a difference in the world.
And I won't do it alone.
You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life... Sometimes, all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of.
fes better sadly portable bros lose again
my favorite game ever of all time in the whole entire world!!!! from it's art to it's music to it's story & characters p3p is a never ending source of inspiration to me, seriously, i can't imagine my life w/o it. p3p truly does mean the world to me
the game's message of "yes, one day u will die, but the time u have in this world is precious. the world may be cruel & unforgiving at times & make it seem like death is the only way out but, as long as u have a reason to keep on living, u can fight for a better tomorrow" is heart touching. maybe it's a little silly to say but it gives me the courage to keep on fighting too
i'll stop myself here b4 this becomes an essay but rlly, if ur interested pls check it out! it has it's flaws ofc, no game is perfect after all, but p3p rlly is such a shining star of a game, i think everyone should play it at least once :]
the game's message of "yes, one day u will die, but the time u have in this world is precious. the world may be cruel & unforgiving at times & make it seem like death is the only way out but, as long as u have a reason to keep on living, u can fight for a better tomorrow" is heart touching. maybe it's a little silly to say but it gives me the courage to keep on fighting too
i'll stop myself here b4 this becomes an essay but rlly, if ur interested pls check it out! it has it's flaws ofc, no game is perfect after all, but p3p rlly is such a shining star of a game, i think everyone should play it at least once :]
This review contains spoilers
Things done right and things done wrong.
Gameplay is way better than the original, FES, and even base P4.
- Skill cards and new persona skillsets make fusion/completion a complete joy, even with random skill inheritance.
- Having fusion spells as items kinda ruins the fun of discovering them, and trivializes the difficulty a bit but it somehow manages to be a reasonable change.
- There are extremely helpful part-time jobs and activities that can raise your stats, change your condition or give you money.
- QoL and gameplay improvements from P4 are very welcome (Quick access navigation, SL changes, Direct and Defend commands, etc).
These new features plus the already existing ones (shuffle time, golden hands, weapon fusion, quests, heart items) offer a very good experience.
This game also features script changes and the FEMC, who comes with more natural interactions, some new SLs and special events. The FEMC's content is mostly great, although there is questionable stuff like Shinjiro's revival, Ken's romance route, and maikos dad holy shit atlus wtf
What brings the experience down personally however, is presentation. The magic of the modern Persona games is how well they use 3D scenarios and characters, take that out and you have an undeniably duller experience. By having a 3D world you not only have a better sense of direction, but you also become attached to the different places (something emphasized in the story btw); not to mention that physical expression is key, even in those cartoony models. That's not all though, since thanks to the 2D events, most emotional scenes are reduced to portrait slides and/or cutscene captures.
ATLUS nailed it back then, but I really wish we now had something of a 'Definitive Version'. Sucks to be an enthusiast.
Gameplay is way better than the original, FES, and even base P4.
- Skill cards and new persona skillsets make fusion/completion a complete joy, even with random skill inheritance.
- Having fusion spells as items kinda ruins the fun of discovering them, and trivializes the difficulty a bit but it somehow manages to be a reasonable change.
- There are extremely helpful part-time jobs and activities that can raise your stats, change your condition or give you money.
- QoL and gameplay improvements from P4 are very welcome (Quick access navigation, SL changes, Direct and Defend commands, etc).
These new features plus the already existing ones (shuffle time, golden hands, weapon fusion, quests, heart items) offer a very good experience.
This game also features script changes and the FEMC, who comes with more natural interactions, some new SLs and special events. The FEMC's content is mostly great, although there is questionable stuff like Shinjiro's revival, Ken's romance route, and maikos dad holy shit atlus wtf
What brings the experience down personally however, is presentation. The magic of the modern Persona games is how well they use 3D scenarios and characters, take that out and you have an undeniably duller experience. By having a 3D world you not only have a better sense of direction, but you also become attached to the different places (something emphasized in the story btw); not to mention that physical expression is key, even in those cartoony models. That's not all though, since thanks to the 2D events, most emotional scenes are reduced to portrait slides and/or cutscene captures.
ATLUS nailed it back then, but I really wish we now had something of a 'Definitive Version'. Sucks to be an enthusiast.
O jogo pode não ter os melhores personagens da franquia, nem a melhor trilha sonora ou gameplay, mas isso não faz dele menos especial. Os temas ressoaram muito comigo e o final é maravilhoso. É um jogo muito importante, fico feliz de ter amado.
My opinions on Persona 3 Portable are very neutral; I do lean towards a more negative outlook, though, sadly.
The portable version is certainly not the best way to play the game. I hate when people act like visual novels aren't a worthwhile medium, but portable is clearly a game pushed into a medium it wasn't originally intended for. I think it makes some of the story beats very weak, and the presentation as a whole feels very cheap, only made worse by the off-chance moments of Persona's stylistic flare.
Personally, I find the combat to be terribly weak. It's boring and tedious. It doesn't have the reward or addictive feeling of good SMT combat. An extra turn for hitting weaknesses or criticals doesn't really amount to much. In SMT, you reach this point where you are suddenly much stronger than you were before in a way that is rewarding and apparent; this is true of most RPGs. I never felt like I got this moment in P3, despite being the correct level for bosses. My damage always felt so low; nothing ever scales to be that big or grand. Also, I really hate the buff/debuff system in P3. Not being able to stack or extend the time of support skills is just annoying. I like the idea of one big dungeon, but when paired with poor combat, it makes for a tedious experience. The boss fights were very poor and uninteresting. The final boss is one of my least favorite final fights I have witnessed in an RPG, which tainted my view of the ending overall.
This may be a silly point to make, but I do not understand making a SMT game without demon talk. I think when putting SMT against other RPGs, SMT stands out due to its surprising nature. SMT will catch you off guard and force you to engage in demon talk mechanics: hold-ups, demons forcing themselves into your party, demons begging for their lives, etc. It's very charming and a core foundation of SMT's identity. P3 doesn't have any of that, though. I know the game doesn't have demon talk since the enemies are not demons, but that is another issue I have with the game. I dislike that the typical SMT demon designs are reserved for just Personas. In a series known for fun enemy designs, I grew a little sick of seeing the same tables, sludge monsters, dice, and gloves over and over again.
My issues with the combat and presentation are separate from the story, but they taint the experience as a whole, and I find it hard to view the story just as it is. I like how focused the game is on its main themes; it is very insistent on death and moon imagery, and I commend it for that. There are some very strong moments in the game. 10/4, Akinari's social link, and Aigis's social link, but the issue for me was that those moments were incredible, but they were the only ones I found myself really caring about. Take my opinions of the story as fully subjective, but I found it as a whole uninteresting and shallow. The parallels between characters are strong and drawn beautifully, but that's the only major praise I have to give. I think many of the twists are built up very poorly. The ending, to me, felt like it went out with a whimper. Not that stories need to feel bombastic and grand; there is beauty in quieter moments (I like how understated and bleak the ending was), but that's not what it was; it felt empty. Once again, I do think my issues with the combat and presentation give me a negative outlook on the story as a whole.
I think if I played Persona 3 FES or base Persona 3, maybe I would have given the game a 3.5/5, but, to me, portable takes an already weak game and makes it weaker. When it is good, it is incredible, heartfelt, and tragic; at any other moment, though, I felt nothing.
The portable version is certainly not the best way to play the game. I hate when people act like visual novels aren't a worthwhile medium, but portable is clearly a game pushed into a medium it wasn't originally intended for. I think it makes some of the story beats very weak, and the presentation as a whole feels very cheap, only made worse by the off-chance moments of Persona's stylistic flare.
Personally, I find the combat to be terribly weak. It's boring and tedious. It doesn't have the reward or addictive feeling of good SMT combat. An extra turn for hitting weaknesses or criticals doesn't really amount to much. In SMT, you reach this point where you are suddenly much stronger than you were before in a way that is rewarding and apparent; this is true of most RPGs. I never felt like I got this moment in P3, despite being the correct level for bosses. My damage always felt so low; nothing ever scales to be that big or grand. Also, I really hate the buff/debuff system in P3. Not being able to stack or extend the time of support skills is just annoying. I like the idea of one big dungeon, but when paired with poor combat, it makes for a tedious experience. The boss fights were very poor and uninteresting. The final boss is one of my least favorite final fights I have witnessed in an RPG, which tainted my view of the ending overall.
This may be a silly point to make, but I do not understand making a SMT game without demon talk. I think when putting SMT against other RPGs, SMT stands out due to its surprising nature. SMT will catch you off guard and force you to engage in demon talk mechanics: hold-ups, demons forcing themselves into your party, demons begging for their lives, etc. It's very charming and a core foundation of SMT's identity. P3 doesn't have any of that, though. I know the game doesn't have demon talk since the enemies are not demons, but that is another issue I have with the game. I dislike that the typical SMT demon designs are reserved for just Personas. In a series known for fun enemy designs, I grew a little sick of seeing the same tables, sludge monsters, dice, and gloves over and over again.
My issues with the combat and presentation are separate from the story, but they taint the experience as a whole, and I find it hard to view the story just as it is. I like how focused the game is on its main themes; it is very insistent on death and moon imagery, and I commend it for that. There are some very strong moments in the game. 10/4, Akinari's social link, and Aigis's social link, but the issue for me was that those moments were incredible, but they were the only ones I found myself really caring about. Take my opinions of the story as fully subjective, but I found it as a whole uninteresting and shallow. The parallels between characters are strong and drawn beautifully, but that's the only major praise I have to give. I think many of the twists are built up very poorly. The ending, to me, felt like it went out with a whimper. Not that stories need to feel bombastic and grand; there is beauty in quieter moments (I like how understated and bleak the ending was), but that's not what it was; it felt empty. Once again, I do think my issues with the combat and presentation give me a negative outlook on the story as a whole.
I think if I played Persona 3 FES or base Persona 3, maybe I would have given the game a 3.5/5, but, to me, portable takes an already weak game and makes it weaker. When it is good, it is incredible, heartfelt, and tragic; at any other moment, though, I felt nothing.
no reason to play this when fes exists
Worst dungeons i've ever experienced, no exp share made grinding a chore. Although the cast was on par with p4gs. This game doesn't have Chie.
this is just persona 3 but better(and also worse depending on how you look at it) i loved my time with this game though, way more than fes, you can actually control your party members, your party members don't get tired as easily as they did in fes, and the new ost with female MC was honestly great! i loved the changes gameplay wise and how faster it is, and how there's barely any loading screens in this game, would certainly recommend it more than fes!
I haven't gotten very far in this game, but to be honest I think it blows complete ass. Dungeon crawling isn't fun, and having to manage party member's wellness outside of their health and mp is VERY annoying, and the story and characters aren't interesting enough to make me want to push through it. From me being spoiled, and from what I've experienced so far, I cannot tell you a single party member who shares a genuine connection with more than two people (excluding the protagonist). I really tried with this game. I even tried playing on FES for a better experience (the dungeon crawling was way worse, but I won't get into it), but it just isn't fun in the first act of the game. Even if the game gets better after that point, it isn't worth playing. Why can't the game start good and at least end decent? It's just a chore to play. The way they summon personas are cool, and there are some good songs, but if there's anything else cool in the game, it'll be a long time before I find out. Maybe even never.
I think the fact that this game was mostly a dungeon crawler with a visual novel attached made it a lot less daunting for me to get through than the other persona games. I'm not sure why I like Tartarus more than the personalized dungeons in P4. I'm not sure why the menus of Iwatodai are as memorable to me as P5's Tokyo or P4's Inaba. Despite it's less technically impressive exterior, this little game still oozes so much charm.
I think part of the reason why I love this game so much despite its flaws, is that I played it at the perfect time in my life and it spoke to me. I saw myself in a lot of the characters, and the messaging hit me really hard when I was in the midst of struggling to figure out how to navigate through depression and anxiety, while also questioning the meaning of my life and why I even live in the first place. It was cathartic to have a piece of media that felt like it came to my level on issues that I was struggling with. I think being able to play as the FemC really helped the message hit me. The way she interacts with the other characters made it easier for me to step into her shoes than the Male MC. Sure, the casual sexism really grated against me, but I think I had a lot more of a tolerance to it back then. I was able to ignore it and glean the actual worthwhile messaging that the game wanted to get across.
On top of that, I think the gameplay loop is really simple and fun. It's easy to backtrack and grab old personas you need for fusion crafting or the compendium. Some of the bosses can really surprise you and give you a run for your money on lower difficulties, but if you're used to the persona gameplay loop, it might be better to play on hard mode if you want more of a challenge.
I think it's easy to fall into a rhythm with this game where you progress your social links and social skills, and then grind for a little in Tartarus. It's kind of relaxing to me, although I'm sure for other people it can get a bit boring. Different strokes for different folks, I guess!
I think part of the reason why I love this game so much despite its flaws, is that I played it at the perfect time in my life and it spoke to me. I saw myself in a lot of the characters, and the messaging hit me really hard when I was in the midst of struggling to figure out how to navigate through depression and anxiety, while also questioning the meaning of my life and why I even live in the first place. It was cathartic to have a piece of media that felt like it came to my level on issues that I was struggling with. I think being able to play as the FemC really helped the message hit me. The way she interacts with the other characters made it easier for me to step into her shoes than the Male MC. Sure, the casual sexism really grated against me, but I think I had a lot more of a tolerance to it back then. I was able to ignore it and glean the actual worthwhile messaging that the game wanted to get across.
On top of that, I think the gameplay loop is really simple and fun. It's easy to backtrack and grab old personas you need for fusion crafting or the compendium. Some of the bosses can really surprise you and give you a run for your money on lower difficulties, but if you're used to the persona gameplay loop, it might be better to play on hard mode if you want more of a challenge.
I think it's easy to fall into a rhythm with this game where you progress your social links and social skills, and then grind for a little in Tartarus. It's kind of relaxing to me, although I'm sure for other people it can get a bit boring. Different strokes for different folks, I guess!
Uma longa, repetitiva e entediante jornada com um final magnífico. Ok, esse resumo faz o jogo parecer pior do que é. Para ficar claro: é um bom game e tem algumas ideias bem originais, apesar da execução ser por vezes falha.
O grande destaque de P3P é que ele tenta juntar dois estilos de jogatina num só pacote: dungeon crawling e simulador social. Separadamente, esses elementos são repetitivos e rasos, respectivamente. Juntos, ajudam a dar ritmo à narrativa, permitem explorar os personagens e às vezes se reforçam mutuamente. O problema é que os pontos em que essas duas partes se comunicam são limitados: bônus para fusões de personas, algumas missões para resgatar NPCs no Tartarus e... Só. Inicialmente a novidade da abordagem por si só é um atrativo, mas estamos falando de um jogo absurdamente longo, então esse sentimento logo vai embora.
A história em si é OK. O final é excelente (como dito no início) e os personagens bacanas. Mas o miolo dela reflete o jogo como um todo: longa, repetitiva, entediante. Dava pra "enxugar" metade do jogo que ainda ia ficar longo!
Sobre o combate: é legal. Mas, advinha? Isso mesmo: lá pra metade do jogo começa a ficar repetitivo e entendiante! Há pouca variedade de inimigos, com a maioria deles sendo apenas monstros que apareceram antes com uma corzinha diferente e mais fortes.
Nem a simulação social, que é o que os fãs mais amam, escapa muito disso, pra ser honesto. O jogo todo tem apenas 4 músicas para as atividades diurnas e (3 faixas para a escola, que aparecem em momentos distintos do calendário, e 1 faixa para as outras localidades) e só umas ~8 localidades diferentes. As histórias dos personagens coadjuvantes são bem interessantes, mas padecem de outro problema, que é a falta de profundidade. São todas mini-narrativas super-lineares em que suas escolhas nunca levam a caminhos ou finais diferentes — a não ser que você conte "opa, você escolheu a opção de diálogo errada e agora esse personagem está de mal com você" como uma escolha distinta e válida. Já vi gente dizendo que essa parte do jogo é um "simulador de namoro simplificado" e sou obrigado a concordar.
Como só enchi o game de críticas, sou obrigado a salientar de novo: não é um jogo ruim, tendo méritos especialmente na mistura única de gêneros que tenta fazer e nos personagens bem escritos. Não obstante, espero que os Personas posteriores tenham aprendido com os erros dele, capitalizando no que deu certo e fazendo algo mais variado menos agarrado.
O grande destaque de P3P é que ele tenta juntar dois estilos de jogatina num só pacote: dungeon crawling e simulador social. Separadamente, esses elementos são repetitivos e rasos, respectivamente. Juntos, ajudam a dar ritmo à narrativa, permitem explorar os personagens e às vezes se reforçam mutuamente. O problema é que os pontos em que essas duas partes se comunicam são limitados: bônus para fusões de personas, algumas missões para resgatar NPCs no Tartarus e... Só. Inicialmente a novidade da abordagem por si só é um atrativo, mas estamos falando de um jogo absurdamente longo, então esse sentimento logo vai embora.
A história em si é OK. O final é excelente (como dito no início) e os personagens bacanas. Mas o miolo dela reflete o jogo como um todo: longa, repetitiva, entediante. Dava pra "enxugar" metade do jogo que ainda ia ficar longo!
Sobre o combate: é legal. Mas, advinha? Isso mesmo: lá pra metade do jogo começa a ficar repetitivo e entendiante! Há pouca variedade de inimigos, com a maioria deles sendo apenas monstros que apareceram antes com uma corzinha diferente e mais fortes.
Nem a simulação social, que é o que os fãs mais amam, escapa muito disso, pra ser honesto. O jogo todo tem apenas 4 músicas para as atividades diurnas e (3 faixas para a escola, que aparecem em momentos distintos do calendário, e 1 faixa para as outras localidades) e só umas ~8 localidades diferentes. As histórias dos personagens coadjuvantes são bem interessantes, mas padecem de outro problema, que é a falta de profundidade. São todas mini-narrativas super-lineares em que suas escolhas nunca levam a caminhos ou finais diferentes — a não ser que você conte "opa, você escolheu a opção de diálogo errada e agora esse personagem está de mal com você" como uma escolha distinta e válida. Já vi gente dizendo que essa parte do jogo é um "simulador de namoro simplificado" e sou obrigado a concordar.
Como só enchi o game de críticas, sou obrigado a salientar de novo: não é um jogo ruim, tendo méritos especialmente na mistura única de gêneros que tenta fazer e nos personagens bem escritos. Não obstante, espero que os Personas posteriores tenham aprendido com os erros dele, capitalizando no que deu certo e fazendo algo mais variado menos agarrado.