Wow. What an incredible experience this was. I had previously been familiarized with Persona 3's overall plot after having watched a couple friends play through it but going through it myself was a completely different experience. It's been said a lot but this game really does make you appreciate life and the limited time you have on this planet as well as the bonds you've formed with your friends and loved ones.

It's just a really damn solid game all around. All the quality of life changes that the series has had over the years make this, for me, the definitive version of the game. Tartarus is just so addicting to keep coming back to as the gameplay loop feels like the best of the Persona series so far. The overall presentation is excellent and does a great job of retaining the singular feel that the original did even with having more modern art and graphics. The voice recast may have been controversial to some but the new VAs did such a brilliant job here, especially during some of the more emotional moments in the game. And while there are some songs off the OST I think were done better in the original game's soundtrack, overall Atsushi Kitajo and his team did a great job of updating Shoji Meguro's classic tracks and making them hit even harder.

I cannot recommend this game enough, for people who already have played through P3 in original form, FES or Portable, or for anyone who wants a great entry point into the Persona series overall. An absolute triumph.

Having already played these games, I guess I'll just give my thoughts on this "second trilogy" as a whole.

I really do think I have a higher opinion of Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice than a lot of longtime fans do. Don't get me wrong, there's stuff about those games that I didn't like and wish had been done better, but I'm of the opinion that even the worst Ace Attorney game is still really good. I will say, AA4 is easily the strongest here, followed by 6 and then 5. Without giving much away though, 6 may have the strongest ending in the entire series, so it's worth playing through just for that. I hope this collection is successful and we get more new AA games soon.