I’ve only seen bits and pieces of 3 before, but it certainly feels like every aspect has been improved. Updated character portraits/models and voice overs meant I was more easily drawn in to the various stories. The additional hangouts and quests with the members of SEES also made me way more attached to them by the end. They added tons of ways to raise Social Stats, to the point I was maxed out with plenty of time to spend with Social Links. In combat, the loop of finding enemy weaknesses and trying to finish fights ASAP was really strong here, especially now that you can control your party members. Changes to both battles and Tartarus made the repetitive combat loop a lot more bearable, even if it wore thin in the final stretch. And it’s impossible to talk about these games now without mentioning the stellar UI/UX design that continues to make every interaction feel lively and stylish.

I felt the team found a way to update the game without losing a lot of the quirks that made it so special. The story really kicks into gear in the second half, and I felt like it delivered a nuanced outlook on life and death with how much time it had to develop. Now I’m just left hoping they remake Persona 4 like this.