This review contains spoilers
I really think that people exaggerate how the limitations of the PSP make this the inferior version of Persona 3 for a number of reasons. I admit, I am used to the visual novel genre and as such do not hold the fact that this game due to limitations had to remove a number of the visual elements of the game, but I do think people underestimate the good changes made toward the FEMC route of this game that were made in exchange for this sacrifice. Yes, the anime cutscenes were nice as was exploring the overworld with 3D models, but the game is not handicapped significantly due to this and it is easy enough for players to watch the cut scenes on youtube as they play.
The female protagonist feels like her own character from the separate male protagonist due to unique dialogue options, different story scenarios that can change scenes entirely based on your character being a woman, and also from the new social links. The game put forth a lot of effort into this route instead of it just being the same route but with a change in gender like many other RPGs with this option, and the game is tangibly different to change motivations of characters, scenes and even social links to accommodate your character being a woman. I would even argue in some cases this is for the better such as feeling much more kinship with Yukari at the beginning of the game.
Furthermore, having all party members be social links helps to characterize them more in line with future entries and you can tell what the team learned from developing Persona 4 toward FEMC route. This is especially helpful toward characters like Junpei who are very rough in the first half of the game by giving him more positive interactions through his social link with the MC where we can find out issues about his abusive father and trying to protect the MC from a secret photographer. With Koromaru you get to have more characterization with him as opposed to just him being a cute dog, with some rather nice links involving him protecting his previous master's shrine.
Of course also leading to Shinjiro's social link to allow the player to get more time with him, and even save him if you max out his link. I think this was done surprisingly tastefully too. I was very concerned after finding out while playing that you can save Shinji, since his death sparks the final arc of Persona 3's story. However, it doesn't take away from the tragedy of his death with him being in a coma, and the game addresses it numerous ways including with Akihiko's speech now being to a Shinji who cannot wake up and even there being a greek tragedy with Shinji wanting the protagonist to live the most and continue protecting the others, only to wake up from his coma only when the protagonist perishes at the end of the game. Ironically living on past her in its own dark spin (Or only meeting you during your death in new game +). The game even considers Ken in this, with Ken praying that Shinji will wake up in the new year once he had forgiven him.
The gameplay also adds in a few additional personas, as well as skill cards that can help with the added challenge of the bonus dungeons and bosses present in Portable that offer more challenge beyond the base game.
All of this combined together, I think Portable provides a unique experience that should not be as shunned in exchange for FES, both have benefits, and for those that want more characterization for SEES and to be able to play as a female protagonist with a lesbian route, P3P is perfectly servicable if not better storywise than the original game, only lacking in its execution due to the lack of 3D models in scenes and the anime cut scenes.
Bringing to my feelings on Persona 3 as a whole. Persona 3 is not my favorite Persona game, but it laid the foundation for Persona 4. There is a lack of balance with enemies and lack of strategies with bosses which would be refined in both Persona 4 and 5. It was a bold new direction with the inclusion of social links as they were feeling out the waters and learning how to adapt them further in future games, while having some refreshing ways for the game to punish you for being dickish to your SLs that is missing from future games. The story has a lot of contrivances and has very weak human villains, but a very good final boss in the form of Nyx that I can still get chills from hearing the Fools journey with even as I'm blitzing through the boss fight easily. While the party didn't resonate with me as much as Persona 4, each character is unique and has interesting dynamics with at least one other party member with some tragic pasts that made me feel for these characters to fit into the theme of loss that is the core of Persona 3's story. This game started the UI revolution that P4 and P5 carried on, with a nice visual flair and style that is continued in the game and cut scenes with its own unique sound track that will be someone's favorite. All in all, a solid JRPG that has its flaws and I can definitely see why this is some people's favorite Persona game due to its strengths. 3.5/5
The female protagonist feels like her own character from the separate male protagonist due to unique dialogue options, different story scenarios that can change scenes entirely based on your character being a woman, and also from the new social links. The game put forth a lot of effort into this route instead of it just being the same route but with a change in gender like many other RPGs with this option, and the game is tangibly different to change motivations of characters, scenes and even social links to accommodate your character being a woman. I would even argue in some cases this is for the better such as feeling much more kinship with Yukari at the beginning of the game.
Furthermore, having all party members be social links helps to characterize them more in line with future entries and you can tell what the team learned from developing Persona 4 toward FEMC route. This is especially helpful toward characters like Junpei who are very rough in the first half of the game by giving him more positive interactions through his social link with the MC where we can find out issues about his abusive father and trying to protect the MC from a secret photographer. With Koromaru you get to have more characterization with him as opposed to just him being a cute dog, with some rather nice links involving him protecting his previous master's shrine.
Of course also leading to Shinjiro's social link to allow the player to get more time with him, and even save him if you max out his link. I think this was done surprisingly tastefully too. I was very concerned after finding out while playing that you can save Shinji, since his death sparks the final arc of Persona 3's story. However, it doesn't take away from the tragedy of his death with him being in a coma, and the game addresses it numerous ways including with Akihiko's speech now being to a Shinji who cannot wake up and even there being a greek tragedy with Shinji wanting the protagonist to live the most and continue protecting the others, only to wake up from his coma only when the protagonist perishes at the end of the game. Ironically living on past her in its own dark spin (Or only meeting you during your death in new game +). The game even considers Ken in this, with Ken praying that Shinji will wake up in the new year once he had forgiven him.
The gameplay also adds in a few additional personas, as well as skill cards that can help with the added challenge of the bonus dungeons and bosses present in Portable that offer more challenge beyond the base game.
All of this combined together, I think Portable provides a unique experience that should not be as shunned in exchange for FES, both have benefits, and for those that want more characterization for SEES and to be able to play as a female protagonist with a lesbian route, P3P is perfectly servicable if not better storywise than the original game, only lacking in its execution due to the lack of 3D models in scenes and the anime cut scenes.
Bringing to my feelings on Persona 3 as a whole. Persona 3 is not my favorite Persona game, but it laid the foundation for Persona 4. There is a lack of balance with enemies and lack of strategies with bosses which would be refined in both Persona 4 and 5. It was a bold new direction with the inclusion of social links as they were feeling out the waters and learning how to adapt them further in future games, while having some refreshing ways for the game to punish you for being dickish to your SLs that is missing from future games. The story has a lot of contrivances and has very weak human villains, but a very good final boss in the form of Nyx that I can still get chills from hearing the Fools journey with even as I'm blitzing through the boss fight easily. While the party didn't resonate with me as much as Persona 4, each character is unique and has interesting dynamics with at least one other party member with some tragic pasts that made me feel for these characters to fit into the theme of loss that is the core of Persona 3's story. This game started the UI revolution that P4 and P5 carried on, with a nice visual flair and style that is continued in the game and cut scenes with its own unique sound track that will be someone's favorite. All in all, a solid JRPG that has its flaws and I can definitely see why this is some people's favorite Persona game due to its strengths. 3.5/5
FranKle
1 year ago