God, it feels great to be able to give my P3P review a sequel. It can certainly be debated whether this is the "definitive" Persona 3. The Answer is all but confirmed to be on its way as DLC in the near future, but FeMC will sadly only find her place in the modding community. I think this is the best we're going to get, but frankly I'm more than happy with it. My concerns, from the lack of P3P/FES content to the entire main voice cast being replaced, were quickly overwritten by the direction this game ended up taking.
The new English voice cast is stellar, and it's not all goodbyes; many of the original talent can be heard in supporting roles. Not to mention Azumi Takahashi, who superbly fills Yumi Kawamura's spot as the main vocalist on the soundtrack (even if Mass Destruction has a bit less sauce to it).
The new cinematics and character models are such a leap above Persona 5, let alone the original Persona 3, that I found myself gawking at the screen with every shift and theurgy animation. Performance might take a hit for it, but man is it mind-blowing seeing these PS2-era characters and environments get this much of a makeover.
Day-to-day gameplay and even the story see similar improvements. The condition mechanic is gone, and you get far more time to dedicate to improving your skills and spending time with your social links. Non-romanceable members of SEES still don't have social links, but they get a really awesome compromise - dedicated hangouts which both build their characters and provide strategic benefits in battle. I honestly hope this makes it in to Persona 6; it gives you time to hang out with your party members while leaving room for more social links beyond them. You even get a few opportunities to hang out with Takaya and flesh out Strega a bit more.
As I touched on in my P3P review, I've always thought Persona 3 had the strongest story and characters of the "modern 3" Persona games. 4 is a close second (and I wouldn't be against that game getting a similar treatment), but 3 services its themes so well and has a world that feels the least like it revolves around its protagonist. Is this the ultimate, definitive Persona 3 experience? Objectively speaking, maybe not. But what Reload offers is a polished, accessible, and streamlined package, solidifying Persona 3 as the best of its franchise and giving future installments some towering shoes to fill.
2024 Ranked
The new English voice cast is stellar, and it's not all goodbyes; many of the original talent can be heard in supporting roles. Not to mention Azumi Takahashi, who superbly fills Yumi Kawamura's spot as the main vocalist on the soundtrack (even if Mass Destruction has a bit less sauce to it).
The new cinematics and character models are such a leap above Persona 5, let alone the original Persona 3, that I found myself gawking at the screen with every shift and theurgy animation. Performance might take a hit for it, but man is it mind-blowing seeing these PS2-era characters and environments get this much of a makeover.
Day-to-day gameplay and even the story see similar improvements. The condition mechanic is gone, and you get far more time to dedicate to improving your skills and spending time with your social links. Non-romanceable members of SEES still don't have social links, but they get a really awesome compromise - dedicated hangouts which both build their characters and provide strategic benefits in battle. I honestly hope this makes it in to Persona 6; it gives you time to hang out with your party members while leaving room for more social links beyond them. You even get a few opportunities to hang out with Takaya and flesh out Strega a bit more.
As I touched on in my P3P review, I've always thought Persona 3 had the strongest story and characters of the "modern 3" Persona games. 4 is a close second (and I wouldn't be against that game getting a similar treatment), but 3 services its themes so well and has a world that feels the least like it revolves around its protagonist. Is this the ultimate, definitive Persona 3 experience? Objectively speaking, maybe not. But what Reload offers is a polished, accessible, and streamlined package, solidifying Persona 3 as the best of its franchise and giving future installments some towering shoes to fill.
2024 Ranked