LOLTame
111 Reviews liked by LOLTame
I gotta admit, I was a little burnt out on XBC3 when I went into this, so I was a little worried once I started it. Imagine my surprise when not even 20 minutes in, I was already incredibly invested, and by the end, I didn't want it to be over. Future Redeemed takes every system that works from XBC3 and builds upon them in such a fun and satisfying way that it makes the gameplay loop maybe the most enjoyable in the entire series. Playing as Rex is quite possibly the most fun I've had in a JRPG, Double Spinning Edge is one hell of a drug. In terms of story, I gotta hand it to FR for being able to weave bits and pieces from all 3 XBC games, alongside nods to Xenosaga and Xenogears, and do it all so coheasively, its an enjoyable tale all the way through. FR doesn't add too much new music, but the pieces it does have all stand out extremely well, with the Final Boss theme in particular being absolutely insane. My last big praise for FR is its length, because it genuinely feels like the perfect length, its not too long nor too short, I never felt like my interest was fading, it really nailed that sweet spot. In conclusion, I'm feeling full of beans and I need XBC4 stat.
THE BEST DLC EVER MADE BAYBEE!!!!!!!!!!!
peak fiction.
Peakest DLC from Xenoblade franchise atm
Persona 3 Reload
2024
Between 3, 4, and 5, Persona 3 was always my least favourite. Tartarus was a tedious slog, you didn't get to delve very far into your relationships with the people you were closest to, there were bizarrely no option to just be friends with any of the love interests meaning you just didn't get to finish Social Links, and above all there was simply no definitive version of the game with FES and Portable both having features the others lacked. But what Persona 3 did always have was a strong story, a well-defined message, a great main party, and of course, a tremendous soundtrack. While Persona 3 Reload disappointingly lacks a FeMC route, I am happy to say that it features everything else I could want from the game and more, and (unless you want to experience the better main character), the easiest version of the game to point to and say yes, you should play Persona 3.
For the most part, visually it is a stunning upgrade. There are new mo-capped(?) 3D cutscenes for certain moments that feel incredible, and in general the game is also a lot more vibrant while still retaining the colour palette of the original game with lots of blues and greys. You can tell they wanted to adapt a sort of similar style to Persona 5 and it works, with the exception of losing some of the personality in the old character portraits for a more "clean" look.
The soundtrack as expected is fantastic. While many of the less prominent songs are retained in their original version, there are a ton of new remixes. Lotus Juice returns on many of the vocal tracks this time with Azumi Takahashi in place of Yumi Kawamura. It's Going Down Now is introduced as the new advantage battle theme in Tartarus, and Colour Your Night is the new night time theme as Moon's Reaching Out to the Stars is shifted to be only in the day. Colour Your Night in particular is one of my new favourite Persona tracks, I ran around outside at night a bit just to hear it more. While long time fans of P3 might find the new remixes a little hard to adjust to, by the end of the game I definitely loved all of them. Takahashi's voice brings a softer vibe in contrast to Kawamura's, but it is in no way a replacement - they both fit just right.
Similarly, perhaps the thing I was most excited to hear going in was the new voice cast. Many of them feel very similar to their old actors and actresses, while others feel entirely new. Junpei and Akihiko in particular really killed it for me, with the former elevating the character far above what they were previously in my mind. All of the other social links are fully voiced now too, with Yuko and Bebe being big standouts.
P3 Reload also introduces a number of new ways to interact with your party members with new Link Episodes where you spend time with and get to know your male party members better. There's also new activities in the dorm at night that not only are fun little events, but also contribute to their capabilities in battle via their Characteristics. As an example, you can cook or watch DVDs with Yukari enough times, and SP costs of her healing spells are halved, then quartered. These events ALSO will increase your social stats or give you an extra useful consumable, so they do not feel like a struggle to fit into a game with an already tight schedule. It really goes a long way to help them feel like a group of friends who live and fight together, which was sorely missing in the original games.
And finally, we come to Tartarus. It's really hard to make a 200+ floor dungeon feel engaging, and admittedly it still felt a bit rough going in the home stretch, but the new improvements made a world of difference. First off is the visual style. Each block feels wildly different with striking aesthetics so it really feels more like 5-6 different dungeons at times instead of one big tower. Party members have a new theurgy meter which functions as a super and you gain meter for doing something particular to that character (Akihiko having buffs on, Mitsuru inflicting debuffs/ailments, etc.). They are absolutely overpowered and can invalidate a lot of fights, but they look flashy and damn cool so all is forgiven (such is the way in Persona). The Monad depths that used to serve as an end game optional dungeon are now sprinked throughout Tartarus via random doors and fixed passages, offering harder boss fights for reliable major tarot cards in shuffle time and greater rewards/chests. The major tarot cards you can now draw offer a lot of one-time or same-night bonuses in Tartarus such as greater fusion bonuses or getting to draw extra in Shuffle Time. They also even added a catch-up mechanic, where once per-excursion (or maybe Tartarus segment?) you have a chance of having a clock show up after opening special chests. When you touch the clock, you pick two party members that will level up to the MC's current level in the next battle. Something like this is SORELY needed in Persona where most of the time party members will just stay on the bench once they are placed there to avoid grinding. By the end of my playthrough, every single party member was in the mid-70s and I could freely select them as I saw fit for each battle. I remember one full moon fight in particular, I screwed up my team composition and died but that was cool, because I had the freedom to pick a different set of characters in the same night without feeling under-leveled. I really hope we continue to get mechanics like this, because for games with such a good cast as these, it's such a shame to not use more than 3 of them in battle.
There's a lot more I didn't talk about in this massive review of Persona 3 Reload, but above all I can now happily say I consider it one of my favourite Persona experiences alongside Golden and Royal. I'm sure it'll still get a re-release down the road as is the way with Atlus, but for now anyone looking to try out Persona 3 - this is the one to go for. You won't be disappointed.
For the most part, visually it is a stunning upgrade. There are new mo-capped(?) 3D cutscenes for certain moments that feel incredible, and in general the game is also a lot more vibrant while still retaining the colour palette of the original game with lots of blues and greys. You can tell they wanted to adapt a sort of similar style to Persona 5 and it works, with the exception of losing some of the personality in the old character portraits for a more "clean" look.
The soundtrack as expected is fantastic. While many of the less prominent songs are retained in their original version, there are a ton of new remixes. Lotus Juice returns on many of the vocal tracks this time with Azumi Takahashi in place of Yumi Kawamura. It's Going Down Now is introduced as the new advantage battle theme in Tartarus, and Colour Your Night is the new night time theme as Moon's Reaching Out to the Stars is shifted to be only in the day. Colour Your Night in particular is one of my new favourite Persona tracks, I ran around outside at night a bit just to hear it more. While long time fans of P3 might find the new remixes a little hard to adjust to, by the end of the game I definitely loved all of them. Takahashi's voice brings a softer vibe in contrast to Kawamura's, but it is in no way a replacement - they both fit just right.
Similarly, perhaps the thing I was most excited to hear going in was the new voice cast. Many of them feel very similar to their old actors and actresses, while others feel entirely new. Junpei and Akihiko in particular really killed it for me, with the former elevating the character far above what they were previously in my mind. All of the other social links are fully voiced now too, with Yuko and Bebe being big standouts.
P3 Reload also introduces a number of new ways to interact with your party members with new Link Episodes where you spend time with and get to know your male party members better. There's also new activities in the dorm at night that not only are fun little events, but also contribute to their capabilities in battle via their Characteristics. As an example, you can cook or watch DVDs with Yukari enough times, and SP costs of her healing spells are halved, then quartered. These events ALSO will increase your social stats or give you an extra useful consumable, so they do not feel like a struggle to fit into a game with an already tight schedule. It really goes a long way to help them feel like a group of friends who live and fight together, which was sorely missing in the original games.
And finally, we come to Tartarus. It's really hard to make a 200+ floor dungeon feel engaging, and admittedly it still felt a bit rough going in the home stretch, but the new improvements made a world of difference. First off is the visual style. Each block feels wildly different with striking aesthetics so it really feels more like 5-6 different dungeons at times instead of one big tower. Party members have a new theurgy meter which functions as a super and you gain meter for doing something particular to that character (Akihiko having buffs on, Mitsuru inflicting debuffs/ailments, etc.). They are absolutely overpowered and can invalidate a lot of fights, but they look flashy and damn cool so all is forgiven (such is the way in Persona). The Monad depths that used to serve as an end game optional dungeon are now sprinked throughout Tartarus via random doors and fixed passages, offering harder boss fights for reliable major tarot cards in shuffle time and greater rewards/chests. The major tarot cards you can now draw offer a lot of one-time or same-night bonuses in Tartarus such as greater fusion bonuses or getting to draw extra in Shuffle Time. They also even added a catch-up mechanic, where once per-excursion (or maybe Tartarus segment?) you have a chance of having a clock show up after opening special chests. When you touch the clock, you pick two party members that will level up to the MC's current level in the next battle. Something like this is SORELY needed in Persona where most of the time party members will just stay on the bench once they are placed there to avoid grinding. By the end of my playthrough, every single party member was in the mid-70s and I could freely select them as I saw fit for each battle. I remember one full moon fight in particular, I screwed up my team composition and died but that was cool, because I had the freedom to pick a different set of characters in the same night without feeling under-leveled. I really hope we continue to get mechanics like this, because for games with such a good cast as these, it's such a shame to not use more than 3 of them in battle.
There's a lot more I didn't talk about in this massive review of Persona 3 Reload, but above all I can now happily say I consider it one of my favourite Persona experiences alongside Golden and Royal. I'm sure it'll still get a re-release down the road as is the way with Atlus, but for now anyone looking to try out Persona 3 - this is the one to go for. You won't be disappointed.
Extremely good story and very fun gameplay.
Some of the best characters in fiction
Some of the best characters in fiction
both the main game and the playable expansion deserve different spots in my top 5, love this game to death
Persona 3 Reload
2024
This is a beautiful love letter to humanity and the very concept of life itself
Persona 3 Reload
2024
This is the current definitive version of Persona 3. While I think the super easy difficulty (on Merciless) was disappointing at times and I wished it was less faithful to the original game in certain ways (E.G fix the villains, overhaul Tartarus and improve the social links), ultimately this game was a blast to play and the fact they got this formula this right on their first try is an outstanding achievement.
Cold Steel IV Taste So Good When U Ain’t Got A Bitch In Ya Ear Telling You It’s Nasty
Tokyo Xanadu eX+
2016
This review contains spoilers
A literal fever dream that I had because I was sick when I played through almost all of it. It just never ended.
Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ is one of the biggest bag fumbles in the history of ARPGs. You have the full talent of Falcom and they're delivering a game that's like the food you get from the C-team at a fast food restaurant.
Start with a dash of Ys, a pinch of Trails and a fucking heaping pile of Persona. Sounds like a good time, but the best aspects of those games just don't make an appearance while their worst aspects take center stage.
The gameplay is definitely the standout here. It is fun to play the element matching in a hectic battle and the combo meter gives incentive to set yourself up to combo the entire dungeon. Movesets can be kinda basic but at least the amount of character variety helps keep things from being too stale. The limit to 3 characters is unfortunate as it keeps you from really going all out and I would have liked to just have all of them available at all times. Never really gets more complicated than the basics after the third dungeon except for the addition of platforming segments which I do enjoy.
Where the game falls apart is the story, characters, world, basically anything to interact with in the overworld. There's a reason why Persona sticks to 20-odd social links, as it helps create meaningful and long lasting stories for the supporting cast. Tokyo Xanadu does a half assed version of social links for your main party and this weird friend page which updates as you talk to the supporting NPCs every chapter. Problem... There's like 100+ of them and most are surface level and don't have anything going on with them. A couple of npcs are fun to keep up with but I just felt nothing when talking to the rest of them.
Anyways your party consists of super basic tropes and caricatures that just don't evolve like the game wants you to think that they do. The game thinks it's hot shit with its storytelling but it SUCKSSS. Every party member goes through the same revelations about how fighting with friends is better than alone and every
instance of the characters going through into the bad world is literally because someone they know gets trapped in there. They try to set up basic villains that you think will have a slightly bigger impact than they actually do but every time they end up just getting sucked into the bad. After their friends get trapped, they unlock their soul weapon or some shit and now have the resolve to save the day. It's basic, it's boring and it takes zero risks.
Couple of the characters are carbon copies of persona counterparts but are missing the nuance and sauce that makes them memorable. The worst offender is the main character who is just bland throughout the game. Any bit of backstory and flavour for him comes far too late in the game for you to give a shit about him and his woes have the depth of a puddle. He's not actively a terrible character unlike some of the others, but he's the main character! He should have some sort of personality beyond workaholic slacker.
The world (design and look wise) is pretty good and it does at least hit the nail of being Tokyo. World is littered with interactables and mini games that range from addictive (The fishing Game and Blade, the card game that comes from Falcom's others) to the horrendous skateboarding minigame. Seriously what the fuck was that.
My major problem with the game is that it could have been a 6 or even a 7 if it just ended. The game ends like 4 separate times and it just keeps going on and on and on. The EX additions to the game add like an extra 15 hours of content in the form of side chapters that only have you control your other party members in short scenarios and an after story that literally LITERALLY adds nothing but lasts for 5 hours.
The final thing I want to talk about is how the true ending destroys any semblance of a moral or lesson. One of the things we learn in the final chapter is the childhood friend character died 10 years ago in the big "incident" but was kept alive because of a wish to have her death be a lie that the eclipse granted. You then save the day, but your childhood friend needs to disappear in order to keep bad shit from constantly happening because she should be dead. So the main character is learning to let go and move on and it's a genuinely good scene. Then the true ending comes in and shits all over it by having you save her and bring her back into reality. Defeats the whole point of the original ending.
Anyways, games mid. Go play literally any other Falcom game. 5.5/10
Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ is one of the biggest bag fumbles in the history of ARPGs. You have the full talent of Falcom and they're delivering a game that's like the food you get from the C-team at a fast food restaurant.
Start with a dash of Ys, a pinch of Trails and a fucking heaping pile of Persona. Sounds like a good time, but the best aspects of those games just don't make an appearance while their worst aspects take center stage.
The gameplay is definitely the standout here. It is fun to play the element matching in a hectic battle and the combo meter gives incentive to set yourself up to combo the entire dungeon. Movesets can be kinda basic but at least the amount of character variety helps keep things from being too stale. The limit to 3 characters is unfortunate as it keeps you from really going all out and I would have liked to just have all of them available at all times. Never really gets more complicated than the basics after the third dungeon except for the addition of platforming segments which I do enjoy.
Where the game falls apart is the story, characters, world, basically anything to interact with in the overworld. There's a reason why Persona sticks to 20-odd social links, as it helps create meaningful and long lasting stories for the supporting cast. Tokyo Xanadu does a half assed version of social links for your main party and this weird friend page which updates as you talk to the supporting NPCs every chapter. Problem... There's like 100+ of them and most are surface level and don't have anything going on with them. A couple of npcs are fun to keep up with but I just felt nothing when talking to the rest of them.
Anyways your party consists of super basic tropes and caricatures that just don't evolve like the game wants you to think that they do. The game thinks it's hot shit with its storytelling but it SUCKSSS. Every party member goes through the same revelations about how fighting with friends is better than alone and every
instance of the characters going through into the bad world is literally because someone they know gets trapped in there. They try to set up basic villains that you think will have a slightly bigger impact than they actually do but every time they end up just getting sucked into the bad. After their friends get trapped, they unlock their soul weapon or some shit and now have the resolve to save the day. It's basic, it's boring and it takes zero risks.
Couple of the characters are carbon copies of persona counterparts but are missing the nuance and sauce that makes them memorable. The worst offender is the main character who is just bland throughout the game. Any bit of backstory and flavour for him comes far too late in the game for you to give a shit about him and his woes have the depth of a puddle. He's not actively a terrible character unlike some of the others, but he's the main character! He should have some sort of personality beyond workaholic slacker.
The world (design and look wise) is pretty good and it does at least hit the nail of being Tokyo. World is littered with interactables and mini games that range from addictive (The fishing Game and Blade, the card game that comes from Falcom's others) to the horrendous skateboarding minigame. Seriously what the fuck was that.
My major problem with the game is that it could have been a 6 or even a 7 if it just ended. The game ends like 4 separate times and it just keeps going on and on and on. The EX additions to the game add like an extra 15 hours of content in the form of side chapters that only have you control your other party members in short scenarios and an after story that literally LITERALLY adds nothing but lasts for 5 hours.
The final thing I want to talk about is how the true ending destroys any semblance of a moral or lesson. One of the things we learn in the final chapter is the childhood friend character died 10 years ago in the big "incident" but was kept alive because of a wish to have her death be a lie that the eclipse granted. You then save the day, but your childhood friend needs to disappear in order to keep bad shit from constantly happening because she should be dead. So the main character is learning to let go and move on and it's a genuinely good scene. Then the true ending comes in and shits all over it by having you save her and bring her back into reality. Defeats the whole point of the original ending.
Anyways, games mid. Go play literally any other Falcom game. 5.5/10
Persona 3 Reload
2024
What a fucking ride, I literally have tears in my eyes thinking about the beautiful ending. The original Persona 3 is a seminal piece of media for me... One of those games that you never wanted it to end.
The themes about accepting death is inevitable and you must live your life at your fullest, truly resonate with me today more than they did when I played the original games in 2014. I truly believe Persona 3 changed my entire perspective on life, and made me a better person.
The new voice cast delivers an incredible performance, and honestly, I didn’t miss any of the old voice actors at all. A special shout out to Allegra Clark’s performance as Mitsuru Kirijo, one of the greatest voice performances I ever ever seen in game. Yukari my beloved and the best girl in the Persona series of course, my man Stupei Ace Defective, that Akihiko medal scene, let Koromaru attend to school, and of course, Aigis social link and entire character arc was the cherry on the top. Thank you Atlus for making this game accesible for a new generation.
The themes about accepting death is inevitable and you must live your life at your fullest, truly resonate with me today more than they did when I played the original games in 2014. I truly believe Persona 3 changed my entire perspective on life, and made me a better person.
The new voice cast delivers an incredible performance, and honestly, I didn’t miss any of the old voice actors at all. A special shout out to Allegra Clark’s performance as Mitsuru Kirijo, one of the greatest voice performances I ever ever seen in game. Yukari my beloved and the best girl in the Persona series of course, my man Stupei Ace Defective, that Akihiko medal scene, let Koromaru attend to school, and of course, Aigis social link and entire character arc was the cherry on the top. Thank you Atlus for making this game accesible for a new generation.
Persona 3 Reload
2024
group suicide in 10 minutes
Persona 3 Reload
2024
As someone who did not like any Persona 3 media except for the movies, Persona 3 Reload finally won me over.
The modernized graphics, new VO cast, a much more enjoyable gameplay experience, social links being completely voiced, and more really made this a good/definitive experience for me.
Me not liking the original games also meant that I wasn't attached to the original voice cast, so I didn't mind the recasts at all. Especially after playing the game, because the new VA's all did an incredible job. The social links sound great, and I loved doing most of them.
The new music is also great, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy some remakes, like the Iwatodai Dorm one, but I can't help but sing "I'm minding my bizz, so mind your own bizz" whenever I hear it now. Color Your Night and It's Going Down Now are both incredible, Azumi really shines when it comes to new original songs.
Tartarus didn't feel much like a chore anymore, especially when I realized to just avoid most enemies. Since monad doors and floor bosses give the most XP.
More Strega appearances helped a LOT. No joke, I completely forgot about them until someone pointed them out after P3R was announced.
Link episodes are great additions, Shinjiro's was my favorite, and really made me care about him.
I do still believe the story has pacing issues, especially at the start, and somewhat at the end. But I didn't really mind since I knew what I was getting into this time.
Overall a much better and more enjoyable experience than FES or Portable.
The modernized graphics, new VO cast, a much more enjoyable gameplay experience, social links being completely voiced, and more really made this a good/definitive experience for me.
Me not liking the original games also meant that I wasn't attached to the original voice cast, so I didn't mind the recasts at all. Especially after playing the game, because the new VA's all did an incredible job. The social links sound great, and I loved doing most of them.
The new music is also great, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy some remakes, like the Iwatodai Dorm one, but I can't help but sing "I'm minding my bizz, so mind your own bizz" whenever I hear it now. Color Your Night and It's Going Down Now are both incredible, Azumi really shines when it comes to new original songs.
Tartarus didn't feel much like a chore anymore, especially when I realized to just avoid most enemies. Since monad doors and floor bosses give the most XP.
More Strega appearances helped a LOT. No joke, I completely forgot about them until someone pointed them out after P3R was announced.
Link episodes are great additions, Shinjiro's was my favorite, and really made me care about him.
I do still believe the story has pacing issues, especially at the start, and somewhat at the end. But I didn't really mind since I knew what I was getting into this time.
Overall a much better and more enjoyable experience than FES or Portable.
Persona 3 Reload
2024
I did not enjoy Persona 3 FES
I loved the Persona 3 movies
And Persona 3 Reload I can honestly say is the definitive way to experience Persona 3.
Answering every issue I had with the original game. Fixing the pacing by filling it with content and all new character scenarios. There is almost always stuff to do in this game.
Knock out the systematic routine of stat grinding, because I fell for this as I had only played FES within the last 12 months. This game offers not only more, but more interesting and consistent ways to increase your stats. There's no need to get hooked on the idea of doing things efficiently.
Tartarus is far more bearable. Now with more things to do and explore, monad is also implemented far better in this game. This is of course assisted by the combat being so much fun and being so stylish that it never got old.
Of course, Tartarus is still an issue to an extent, 200+ floors of dungeon crawling will tire out anyone aside from the insane.
In my review for FES I noted that I didn't feel the connection for SEES that the game wanted me to believe was there, and this was my biggest issue with the original game aside from its pacing.
I can happily say this has been completely resolved, SEES with all the additional scenes, and the daily changes to script, truly feel like family. Moments that felt empty in FES are filled with emotion and meaning here, it all hits way harder.
I did every achievement in this game and loved my time with it, and can honestly see myself replaying in the future. Persona 3 goes from a game I hated to one that I now love. Its narratives and themes were always strong (as the movies showed off incredibly), it was simply held back by the game itself before.
While there are some minor issues with difficulty, I'm sure there will be mods for balancing the game soon enough and offering a better challenge. Things like the ambush skill make a lot of this game extremely easy, and the Theurgy skills are awesome additions that I would never want to see gone, but they are veeeery strong. But I don't think most of the issues the game has are worthwhile enough to complain about.
This is easily some of Atlus's best work and I'm looking forward to the future of Persona.
I loved the Persona 3 movies
And Persona 3 Reload I can honestly say is the definitive way to experience Persona 3.
Answering every issue I had with the original game. Fixing the pacing by filling it with content and all new character scenarios. There is almost always stuff to do in this game.
Knock out the systematic routine of stat grinding, because I fell for this as I had only played FES within the last 12 months. This game offers not only more, but more interesting and consistent ways to increase your stats. There's no need to get hooked on the idea of doing things efficiently.
Tartarus is far more bearable. Now with more things to do and explore, monad is also implemented far better in this game. This is of course assisted by the combat being so much fun and being so stylish that it never got old.
Of course, Tartarus is still an issue to an extent, 200+ floors of dungeon crawling will tire out anyone aside from the insane.
In my review for FES I noted that I didn't feel the connection for SEES that the game wanted me to believe was there, and this was my biggest issue with the original game aside from its pacing.
I can happily say this has been completely resolved, SEES with all the additional scenes, and the daily changes to script, truly feel like family. Moments that felt empty in FES are filled with emotion and meaning here, it all hits way harder.
I did every achievement in this game and loved my time with it, and can honestly see myself replaying in the future. Persona 3 goes from a game I hated to one that I now love. Its narratives and themes were always strong (as the movies showed off incredibly), it was simply held back by the game itself before.
While there are some minor issues with difficulty, I'm sure there will be mods for balancing the game soon enough and offering a better challenge. Things like the ambush skill make a lot of this game extremely easy, and the Theurgy skills are awesome additions that I would never want to see gone, but they are veeeery strong. But I don't think most of the issues the game has are worthwhile enough to complain about.
This is easily some of Atlus's best work and I'm looking forward to the future of Persona.