For a game that tries to tackle themes relating to how media sensationalizes stereotypes within society, and the people who struggle with their own internal struggles for who they really are, it sure does take a one step forward and two steps back approach to it.
Part of this is due to the character writing which was the weakest aspect of the entire game for me. Specifically, with the main cast who form your entire party throughout the course of the game who I never truly got invested in as a group of genuine friends united by circumstances. Persona 4 Golden does this thing were it really likes to undercut the moments when they’re all together with either really annoyingly dumb anime tropes or have constant jokes be made out of their expenses. For a game focused very clearly on these characters confronting their literal distorted shadowy counterparts and accepting who they really are in the process, it doesn’t always commit to that
It also doesn’t help that the characters themselves are just either really milquetoast or embody really tired slice of life tropes. I’ve tried progressing through most of their social links, only maxing out like, 5, and I still don’t think I can describe who they are as characters other than broad strokes of reliability. With the only exceptions being Dojima, Nanako, Marie, Adachi, and Kanji because they feel the best realized and complement the themes of the game’s story the most.
Kanji and Marie being my overall favorites which even then are more or less just less interesting versions of characters I really like in other games.
This wouldn’t be so much of a problem if maybe the game was cut in half, or maybe it didn’t keep giving major characters their 2 hours of spotlight in what’s basically pocket filler arcs only for them to revert back to slice of life stereotypes because the devs didn’t want to integrate it into the main story much.
Really, most of my problems can be stemmed from the way the social links and calendar system is set up. To call Persona 4 Golden’s pacing rough might be being a bit too generous. I don’t know how the structure goes for all games in this sub-franchise but I think the game would’ve benefited more if the developers tried to remodel or trim out the fat.
It takes a long while for the game to really get you hooked in, and in the meantime you’re stuck with the three least interesting party members for a significant portion of the game. And when the ball starts to get rolling more the actual structure starts to show its weakness in its very repetition. I’m mostly referring to the rise-and-repeat; watch Midnight Channel, encounter very likely next victim, few days later they get kidnapped (big surprise), and then in order to rescue the princess from the dungeon you have to backtrack all over the town and talk with various npcs (sometimes in a specific order) to find really basic information that did not require you doing this to begin with. You do this for what feels like a dozen times and each time I keep hoping for there to be some variety or fun change when it never really happens.
The most you get are randomly generated dungeons which, regardless, follow the exact same basic layout of walking into hallways, finding a chest, and hoping to either avoid or attack Shadows from behind while adjusting the camera constantly to get a clear view. The only difference between these dungeons is some visual themed gimmick which really doesn’t make this that more fun.
The biggest strength is the combat which makes this usually bearable in the end. It’s a very conventional turn based RPG which gets elevated through the Persona fusion gimmick. While still carrying some of the growing pains of sticking to that model too closely. For example, when your main character dies in a battle it’s immediately game over, even if the rest of your party is still alive and should be able to still fight. Which is a piece of game design I thought we all collectively agreed that after Final Fantasy 7 and Mother 3 we would try to steer away from and find better compromises. Also for some reason you can’t change the order of your party in combat and the way your party’s icons appear aligned on screen doesn’t match your actual turn sequence either which is weird.
Also it has what’s conceptually the most interesting party member but by the time they’re properly introduced you’re almost finished with the game. With only a small window of time to really get to know them through their social link right before shit hits the fan big time. Beyond that they’re really only there to help move the plot along which makes their potential feel almost lost.
There’s also an epilogue section where you go to an extra bonus dungeon to get the true ending and it just left me exhausted from this entire ordeal. But the game’s ending, while a bit too sappy and corny for my liking, made bearing through it worth it.
I will never replay this game ever again tho
Part of this is due to the character writing which was the weakest aspect of the entire game for me. Specifically, with the main cast who form your entire party throughout the course of the game who I never truly got invested in as a group of genuine friends united by circumstances. Persona 4 Golden does this thing were it really likes to undercut the moments when they’re all together with either really annoyingly dumb anime tropes or have constant jokes be made out of their expenses. For a game focused very clearly on these characters confronting their literal distorted shadowy counterparts and accepting who they really are in the process, it doesn’t always commit to that
It also doesn’t help that the characters themselves are just either really milquetoast or embody really tired slice of life tropes. I’ve tried progressing through most of their social links, only maxing out like, 5, and I still don’t think I can describe who they are as characters other than broad strokes of reliability. With the only exceptions being Dojima, Nanako, Marie, Adachi, and Kanji because they feel the best realized and complement the themes of the game’s story the most.
Kanji and Marie being my overall favorites which even then are more or less just less interesting versions of characters I really like in other games.
This wouldn’t be so much of a problem if maybe the game was cut in half, or maybe it didn’t keep giving major characters their 2 hours of spotlight in what’s basically pocket filler arcs only for them to revert back to slice of life stereotypes because the devs didn’t want to integrate it into the main story much.
Really, most of my problems can be stemmed from the way the social links and calendar system is set up. To call Persona 4 Golden’s pacing rough might be being a bit too generous. I don’t know how the structure goes for all games in this sub-franchise but I think the game would’ve benefited more if the developers tried to remodel or trim out the fat.
It takes a long while for the game to really get you hooked in, and in the meantime you’re stuck with the three least interesting party members for a significant portion of the game. And when the ball starts to get rolling more the actual structure starts to show its weakness in its very repetition. I’m mostly referring to the rise-and-repeat; watch Midnight Channel, encounter very likely next victim, few days later they get kidnapped (big surprise), and then in order to rescue the princess from the dungeon you have to backtrack all over the town and talk with various npcs (sometimes in a specific order) to find really basic information that did not require you doing this to begin with. You do this for what feels like a dozen times and each time I keep hoping for there to be some variety or fun change when it never really happens.
The most you get are randomly generated dungeons which, regardless, follow the exact same basic layout of walking into hallways, finding a chest, and hoping to either avoid or attack Shadows from behind while adjusting the camera constantly to get a clear view. The only difference between these dungeons is some visual themed gimmick which really doesn’t make this that more fun.
The biggest strength is the combat which makes this usually bearable in the end. It’s a very conventional turn based RPG which gets elevated through the Persona fusion gimmick. While still carrying some of the growing pains of sticking to that model too closely. For example, when your main character dies in a battle it’s immediately game over, even if the rest of your party is still alive and should be able to still fight. Which is a piece of game design I thought we all collectively agreed that after Final Fantasy 7 and Mother 3 we would try to steer away from and find better compromises. Also for some reason you can’t change the order of your party in combat and the way your party’s icons appear aligned on screen doesn’t match your actual turn sequence either which is weird.
Also it has what’s conceptually the most interesting party member but by the time they’re properly introduced you’re almost finished with the game. With only a small window of time to really get to know them through their social link right before shit hits the fan big time. Beyond that they’re really only there to help move the plot along which makes their potential feel almost lost.
There’s also an epilogue section where you go to an extra bonus dungeon to get the true ending and it just left me exhausted from this entire ordeal. But the game’s ending, while a bit too sappy and corny for my liking, made bearing through it worth it.
I will never replay this game ever again tho
2 Comments
time to read the archie sonic comics bitch
STRM
2 years ago
Now play Tails Adventure