Okay I know I do the haha funny joke reviews here now but this will be an exception. This is gonna be pretty lengthy and will get a bit personal so bear with me. I feel making a joke review wasn't something I wanted to do, especially not after I finished the game. I've been a Persona fan since I played 5 back in 2018, I was super into it, it was my favorite game of all time for a long time. But for about a year give or take, until now, I was sort of... apathetic. I still cherished Persona 5, and 4, and what I experienced of 3 through Portable, but I wasn't as into it as I used to be. There are several reasons for it, one is burnout, I did so much with the series I got a little burnt out, but I think the bigger of which is a personal reason. Around 2021 I played Persona 5 Royal with my sister, and it was a fond memory of mine. Until... something happened, that created a rift between us, that caused me to cut contact. Ever since, I guess I tried not to think about Persona too much, as it'd remind me too much of my sister. But whenever something was announced I'd still look forward to it, Persona 3 Reload being one of them. I liked Persona 3 a lot, but a ton of my experience was second hand. I knew what it was all about, I understood what it was going for, but it didn't hit me in the same spots 4 and 5 hit me in, at least at the time. From the moment I opened Persona 3 Reload though, I was hit with a wave of excitement, and nostalgia too. The game has incredible production values, in the visuals, voice over, basically everything, even if I feel the music is the weak link here, but that's not enough for me to deduct points or anything. I could go on a critical discussion, on how it fixed most of Persona 3's problems, but what I got out of playing this game, is something else entirely. Most of my favorite games are my favorites because of personal attachment, whether it be helping me through a tough time, or just giving me an experience I can't forget, or teaching me things, maybe even making me think about my outlook on life. There... aren't enough words to describe how this game made me feel. The way it talks about death, and loss, it hit me because of the things I feel I've lost, due to death, or just other circumstances. I got lost in the world, after all the hell I went through in January. Iwatodai Dorm was like my home away from home. S.E.E.S. felt like real individuals, all of which I connected with, on a deep level. Despite how melancholy and depressing it got, it was... oddly comforting. I still struggle to find the right words for how much this game means to me, even while writing this. But this game gave me a lot of my love for Persona and Megami Tensei back. I don't think I'll ever be as into it as I used to be, but Persona 3 Reload reminded me of the reasons I fell in love with this series way back then. Whether or not you read this through, or just say "I ain't readin allat", I just hope you try out Persona 3 Reload, and maybe, it'll become something you treasure just as much, in your own way. Memento Mori.

An incredible improvement over the first game in just about every regard. The visuals, level design, boss fights, and ESPECIALLY the story. I genuinely found the story incredibly engaging, and I was invested in the characters, even the antagonists like Merga. I can't wait to take some time to play as the other characters like MIlla or Carol. My main complaint was some of the levels went on a bit too long, and there were two I didn't like, such as the secret final level, but that's two meh levels out of a sea of bangers. This game gets a high recommendation.