Persona 3 Reload is the Perfect Remake.
Persona 3 Reload is everything I wanted and more. I mean reengaging in this rich school full of depressed teenagers is something I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time now. It’s a game that fans have been hyping up forever, considering P3 needed a definitive version.
I played all of Persona 3 Portable (2009), started up Persona 3 FES (2007), and although nobody wants to admit it, they both proved that each version fragmented the overall story. Not to say each version didn’t have its ups, such as the female protagonist route and “The Answer” epilogue, but still, there was always a piece missing, no matter what version you played. Even if Reload is adding Episode Aigis.
You’d miss out on cool cutscenes, character interactions, or effects because of the new engine. FES didn’t have direct control, and Portable was on PSP hardware. That should say enough.
So to say I was excited for Reload… would be an understatement. A quick video, numerous articles, the artists on Persona 3 becoming top on my Spotify after the Anime Expo panel, I even cosplayed characters from the game months before it dropped. I really wanted to talk about this game.
So here we are.
Making a Heartfelt Experience
If there’s anything that Reload did, it was make this emotional story about loss, perseverance, and appreciation accessible in an insanely high quality
The game was supposed to be the best version of the original story, and it knocks that out of the park. It tweaks all of the worst bits, adds more style, and truly re-makes the entire base game in Unreal Engine 4 while staying true to its predecessors.
I’ll be the first one to say that Persona 3 Reload is definitely not perfect, even though it answered a lot of my prayers. Yet the core ideas of the game are here in full force. There’s always some annoying aspects, like Reload missing a few great things other versions may have, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t a perfect example of how to do a Persona 3 Remake.
1. Returning SEES Style
Persona 3 Reload has that early 2000's punk-hip-hop feel of the original, while keeping a modern-esc touch, taking inspiration from its sequels. It’s sort of weird to say that it’s reminiscent of the Wii era when this was on PS2, but it’s got that oddly nostalgic perspective thanks to how true its landscape is to the first.
It’s apparent from the second you launch the game up that Persona’s crazy amount of style is here in all of its glory.
Opening
I never thought that Persona could top Burn my Dread, considering it was my favorite opening in the franchise, but then they threw Full Moon, Full Life at us. It is damn near perfect.
It’s got the ocean-y feel, the smooth animation of Persona 5 Royal (2019)’s opening, and smart color play without feeling old. The slick 2-D animation is both fluid and laced with foreshadowing. And it’s especially cool when the lyrics are packed with small, not-so-secretive throwbacks.
User Interface
The game UI is just as impressive; being much more alive and flowing. All the blue adds to the sharp colors to the great new sprites, incorporating the spirit that this UI needed.
Although, the pause menus are always the best. Initially I was expecting these to be animated 2D images, but no, these are full 3D models designed to look 2D in the background of navigating the equipment page, going to change the config settings, or dumping incense into Junpei for the 50th time.
I especially like the stats page, because it has the little icons 3 is known for, accompanied by sharp character art. I especially like the mirror with everyone’s eyes. It’s a charming way to deliver the required information.
One menu that caught me off guard was the Velvet Room, with a much more card-centric look. The best part is Igor and Elizabeth moving on-screen, putting a face to who is really helping you here. I liked when their mouths actually moved with their voice lines, which made me engage with the menus more. So simple, yet effective.
The best changes are all these little touches that build up to polish the whole experience. You’ll spend a ton of time on these pages, so if they look pretty, the game ends up flowing better. And that’s only scratching the surface of just how great this game is.
Music
I don’t think I need to say too much about the music. This series wouldn’t be as great as it is without the iconic soundtrack. This OST has some of the best tracks in the entire series, dare I say taking my slot number 1 with the new Changing Seasons mix.
The trumpet in this game is the only instrument that’s a little rough. It’s a bit too blaring, and has a lot sharper of a tone that messes with a few tracks. But, everything else is so much better that it almost overshadows it. The synth sounds, the beats laced into old tracks, and that croaking tone, though I don’t know what instrument that is, is the most satisfying piece of audio in this game. It’s all done so expertly, and composed beautifully.
It’s not a good Persona game if you don’t pause to just take in the amazing soundtrack sometimes.
2. The Everyday Quality of Life
Though there’s a TON of quality of life improvements across this game, the area that saw the most upgrades was the social simulation. Everything feels efficient, effective, and well-delivered.
Take Portable as reference here. It’s fun, delivers the message, and has a bit of charm to it, but it’s designed to just hop from point to point fast. The original game also had that same vibe, with certain locked camera angles and generally an overhead look. It checks the boxes with a bit of pizzazz, but that’s about it.
The map still has its original charm, but the little bubbles above each location make it easier to pick up on what is available, especially with social links. The originals kind of left you to your own devices, trying to make you remember where one thing was or have you dig around to find a specific person. While it was one of the coolest aspects to feel like you’re discovering your own story, making it more personal, the new menus help the player get more out of the game. Plus, that mystery is still somewhat there when a new link is still introduced through another. When the writing is this good, it’s better not to miss out on some awesome events.
But the menus are nothing compared to the actual locations.
These graphics make the entire experience feel cinematic. It doesn’t sacrifice the anime aesthetic, but adds just enough realism to make it more immersive. I never thought I’d see a Persona game look this beautiful, but here we are. Unreal Engine really compliments this title. It’s the perfect balance between anime and realism.
It’s like I can feel the rays of sun on my face…
The Rewind feature is one of the most useful and life-saving editions. It’s cool to use when you screw up an important dialogue choice, though a little counter-intuitive when you have to rewind the whole day sometimes.
The school community is also more useful than ever before. Every piece of banter either tells a story, nudges the player in a new direction, or opens a new social link. It’s a nice rip from Persona 5 (2017) that works better in this game.
Getting rid of the condition mechanic, the class answers giving courage or knowledge trade-offs were a cool way to still feel rewarded for interacting with the class, along with some of the classic “actual learning” parts of Persona. I mean I do miss being able to take a huge crap and coming out with the ‘great’ buff for Tartarus, but now there’s not the hindrance of feeling ‘too tired’.
But if you’re still looking for the connection to Tartarus, then Twilight fragments are your friend. The little collect-a-thon they set up in the explorable hubs was fun, running around each location looking for that little blue light that’ll get the player more loot down the line. It’s beneficial, and for once rewards you for exploring the overworld. Plus you get them from leveling social links, translating those story scenes indirectly into equipment, costumes, or heals.
Nobody wants to miss any social links. I didn’t know how much better they’d be fully voiced. Every voice actor delivered a performance that felt realistic to the high school context. As the character gets more comfortable with the protagonist, the player gets more comfortable too, and it’s easy to tell that from the other person’s voice. The people in this game feel like they earn my respect as it goes on.
The best confidant is without a doubt the Sun Arcana, Akinari. I won’t go into why I feel so damn much more for him, mainly to avoid spoilers, but I’ll say that it’s best if you do this link blind. It’s a genuine connection, something many silent protagonists end up missing.
And I haven’t even gone into the new dorm life additions. The planter’s cool when you get some great items from it, and the fridge adds some fun interactions many people will miss, but there’s something the dorm life needed.
Link episodes.
The one gripe that held me back in Portable was that I sympathizes with the members of S.E.E.S., but I didn’t feel too close to them. That is, either until late game, or until I played FemC. But, I digress, when Atlus said they weren’t doing the female route, everyone got a little worried, and I believe it’s for that reason. I just hoped they kept part of those confidants, or at least their stories alive.
All my prayers are answered, with some awesome combat buffs, items, and social stat benefits down the line. I cannot tell you just how cool it was to see those two exclamation points on my screen, or find a character I loved with a little smiley face above their head. This mechanic feels useful, heartfelt, and a joy to pursue.
I especially enjoyed reading and growing plants with Junpei, making tea with Mitsuru, and cooking or watching horror movies with Yukari. The combat characteristics are insane, and incentivize the player to adapt their setup to each party member’s unique play style.
Although I do miss the original version of Iwatodai Dorm’s ambient beats, the new version did end up slowly growing on me. I didn’t mind it, but leaving the dorm and hearing Color Your Night was serene.
Back to the lounge though, there’s just so many small things that make it feel lively. You can actually throw your bag down and head back out without it, characters are lazing around or using the same facilities as you at any given day, and there’s certain days were members are busy for just life reasons instead of anything major. ‘Feels real at the end of the day.
It’s all these touches and new implementations that made the social half stand proud. It’s so easy to feel engaged, simply due to how down to earth each individual is. All of the social links feel plausible, each of the S.E.E.S. members have stories to tell and interests to share, and it’s all out in the open. Even, for once, a silent Persona protagonist feels like he has personality.
3. A Not-so-Repetitive Dungeon
Tartarus, in my opinion, was the main thing I was worried about. Not because I didn’t already fall in love with it, but because of the series’ evolution. I was a bit worried that it’d be repetitive for many, but now I can say that was not the case.
In the originals, there’s rare shadows and few treasure chests mixed about the place, but people who want more than just dungeon crawling could feel a bit bored, especially with each block seeming sort of bland after a while. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s just not varied enough to keep up with games of today. Fear not though, for the game introduces so many new dungeon aspects that keep each layer fresh.
Tartarus was given so much life, with amazing visuals that made each and every block more fascinating than the last. New layouts and random generations made each level mysterious, gambling if the next floor was going to be small and compact or long and winding. It was a fresh break from games that have crafted and semi-randomized setups. What I didn’t like before with Block Arqa is now much creepier, lit better, and made me feel like Indiana Jones scaling a huge cavernous crypt. I found more motivation to climb back into Tartarus because of it.
Now the thing is, if it was just the dungeon crawling, I believe it would have ended up just looking cool. But fret not, most of my issues with the original Tartarus were answered. Specifically in three new inclusions. Petrified shadows, Twilight Fragments, and the grace of this whole game, Monad Doors.
The petrified shadows are the breakable pedestals that give the player different items, be it treasure, a twilight fragment, or gems for use in the antique shop. It gives the vibes of Mementos, but in a game with a randomized dungeon at its core, it’s more than welcome.
The best benefit of them was definitely gems, which made the antique shop much more apparent. The loot pool is more rounded, where it all really feels like it culminates into better gear with the nice old lady willing to trade you some powerful equipment.
Another similar addition is the blue things we picked up off of the floor earlier, Twilight Fragments. By far, the best inclusion to not only connect both halves of the game, but to add some uncertainty and strategy to a harder play-through. The few things you can spend them on make players think about trading for a new accessory, encountering a random chest with a soma, spending it on the boss floor for either a cool new weapon or a fun cosmetic, or at the clock to regenerate all HP and SP. It forces prioritization and conservation of materials, especially when a little cutscene on a random floor can pop up with a chest.
Last but definitely not least is the red cathedral doors that bring you into the depths of Tartarus; the almighty Monad Doors. They freshen up battles between floors, and especially when you encounter one close to a border floor or when your SP is getting lower, it introduces a dilemma of pushing on for better loot that’s beneficial all around, or skipping past it and losing out, or being prepared to re-enter Tartarus later, sacrificing a big portion of your power next time. The bosses there are some of the most fun and challenging throughout the entire run.
It’s these aspects that make the core loop shine, when in reality, it hasn’t changed too much. Yes, there’s a lot that has, but in its raw state, Persona 3 had an exciting idea. It could get annoying after a while, especially with the weird shuffle quicktime events and predictable structures, but there’s just a ton of little variations that made traversal in Reload fill in the gaps. ‘Knocks it out of the park, especially when it looks and sounds as beautiful as it does.
The great music and set design carry over to the full moon boss fights too. The first boss, being the priestess, has one of the coolest designs, and is done so much justice on this cool train ride that reminds me of Neon Genesis Evangelion (1997).
4. The Peak of Persona Battle Systems
If there was one thing I praised the original Persona 3 titles for, it was its variety of physical skill options. To put it simply, it made the basic attack feel useful, especially when enemy matchups would play into who’s in your party. One thing that was taken away though was the ability to give the protagonist any type of physical weapon. It kind of sucks to see it go, since now the only bash character is Akihiko.
Though there isn’t any way to accommodate that in the basic attacks, every party member’s move set has been shifted around to account for it. Yukari is now a mainstay member, Junpei has access to every type of physical and Matarukaja with an insane critical rate, Ken and Koromaru have non-instakill dark and light attacks, and there’s a few other things tweaked about every character that make their abilities much more useful.
Junpei went from one of my least favorite party members to probably my favorite in Reload, because his move set feels more useful with all the physical typings. I get that Persona 5 has physical and gun attacks, plus nuke and Psio, but I’d much rather have Persona 3’s damage elements. It’s more complex than Persona 4, and more well rounded than Persona 5.
Now, for a surprisingly welcome addition, Fuuka. Her new abilities are a peak of this game. She feels like a navigator that works as a backline party member instead of an RNG machine. You can actually jam or shock enemies before battle, and Sylphid Aura proved to be crucial. It’s nice how she has an SP gauge like everyone else, and makes the player conserve her energy either for buffs or to analyze.
These new tweaks make you think, and gradually solve the morenpuzzling combat situations. Although there’s a lot, it’s all streamlined and introduced gradually so the player gets a good grasp of it. New mechanics, but still honest to the games before it.
And talk about good battle tracks. Every single time, without fail, It’s Going Down Now provides an adrenaline rush. I expected this to take over my love for Mass Destruction, which it did, but I’d even say this is now my favorite Persona battle track.
This mixed with the moon-themed UI, plus the cool 2D-3D models on the side that adapt to your costumes, the cool shift cutscenes which I honestly cannot get enough of, and the best improvement by far with combat UI, it’s all so charming. Compare the cut-in to the original and it’s like night and day. Reload has a much more descriptive, cinematic look to it that really makes the character look pissed. All the cool use of color, especially in the new mechanic’s screen, is the cherry on top.
I think Theurgy attacks are one of the coolest super moves in any JRPG, considering not only the correlations to the character and cutscenes, but how they’re acquired and charged. I think it’s such an awesome idea that makes people play into the strengths of the character. For example, Mitsuru’s will charge faster for inflicting ailments, or Yuakri’s for healing. It feels like each character has a deeper motivation that is rooted into their gameplay. The attacks end up feeling like a more reliable showtime attack, and when mixed with the combat characteristics, could end up being brutal final touches to finish an enemy off. They’re such a cool and engaging mechanic that gets better and better as new characters are introduced and old ones are powered up.
Even Fuuka’s was fun; it still has that random chance aspect, but it adapts to the weakest point in your party at the given moment. Especially when more powers are added on the wheel as she levels up. Time it right and the player can get an entire HP/SP restore.
With the way they charge, you have to be careful and methodical with how you use Theurgies. During a consecutive boss crawl, it’s smart to have one on the back burner for the right time or a weakness, since they scale with buffs.
The last major change that I loved was shuffle time. Out with the quicktime events, and in with of Persona 4 Golden’s mechanics. This allows the audience to craft their team with small benefits along the road that pays off as you continue.
Arcana Bursts are so much fun, especially since they increase the longevity of a Tartarus run. Say you’re reaching the end of a block and are about to hit a hard boss. The major arcana cards are assembled in your deck perfectly, and you know they’ll disappear on the way out. But you’re low on SP, huh? Do you spend the items and push forward with these buffs, or do you wait until later, miss these benefits, but gain a full bar of HP and SP? Mwah, perfection.
5. Fixing The Gripes
Going into the game, I had about 5 dream fixes. I wished for a more varied dungeon with interesting mechanics, a way to track over-world activities, XP share, or a way to experiment with my team without getting them too under-leveled, and smoother experience pacing throughout the entire game, but while still keeping the challenge of the original entries.
Personal Problems
Now the first few of those were answered and then some. Tartarus was more interesting than ever, and the social world is much more streamlined; the main map added the perfect UI social link tracker from Persona 5.
EXP sharing is a strange case. In Tartarus, there’s a chance that a clock room will spawn after opening a twilight fragment chest that levels up backline party members either to the protagonist’s level, or 13 above what they’re already at. This sort of helped, but didn’t solve it. Yeah, it helps for a good while, but it only allows you to choose 2 significant backline members. That’s fine, but in reality, it holds back whoever you don’t choose even longer. This is definitely an incentive to try and cycle party members to accommodate each floor, but there’s just not as much motivation to do that when you find a good party setup, and the protagonist can fuse any persona.
I digress, it does promote replay-ability. It goes to show that experiencing a harder difficulty or going through NG+ will provide the opportunity to test new characters, but it’s still a little sour to admit that you can’t do it in just one run without grinding.
They fixed my issue of under-leveling, but overcorrected. I was over-leveled enough at one point that shadows on a completely new floor started running away from me. That is partially my fault though, because it may have been me who overcorrected, choosing XP whenever I can in fear of this final boss.
Moral of the story is: don’t always choose XP. There are some really cool shuffle time benefits from the cups, with different battle perks that aren’t just heals, money is always useful, and the weaponry includes powerful skill cards. The incentives to gain XP are worthwhile, just a little too powerful if it’s the only thing you choose.
In the end, these solutions were a nice mix of what the community seemed to love. Social links are more beneficial with Twilight Fragments, the Elizabeth quests were easier to engage with, accompanied by cooler rewards, and the antique shop was drastically improved. These things went under the radar in Portable, but stood out during Reload. It benefits the flow when the spotlight covers more aspects of the game.
Common Complaints
I’ve heard a few complaints across social media. So to go through what I’ve seen:
“The Game has no Charm.” Subjective, but considered wrong across many sources.
“The music sucks.” Again, subjective, so to each their own.
“Not Definitive, as it doesn’t have FemC or the Answer.” I mean fair enough, but this game was designed to polish what the original Persona 3 had. We still have Aigis’ social link, Koromaru walks, and a new social episode with male members. And now the Answer is on the horizon.
“The Game is $70.” Yeah, this one’s fair. As a remake, it’s easy to assume it’s going to cost less, but not necessarily.
6. Finally, Loading the Gun
To sum it up, this story is one of the best video game stories I have ever laid my eyes on, with genius writing, deep characters, a great world, and grounded realism that really makes me feel.
This section contains major spoilers to the core story of Persona 3 Reload. Read at your own discretion.
Persona 3’s story was always amazing. It was a little cryptic, but still has that dark charm. It’s serious and goofy when it wants to be, showing the mood swings of a day to day life in the midst of the end of the world. It has a theme of death, grief, and perseverance against all odds, while rooted in deep pieces of Jungian Psychology.
I didn’t like Strega much in Portable. Yeah, it was kind of cool to see evil persona users, but they felt shoehorned in. Cool antagonists all things considered, but they didn’t really contribute to the overall problem that much, even though Takaya was amazing for the plot. Chidori was still super well written, versus Jin, who wasn’t given quality time. It was easy to see them as just a group of persona users that just couldn’t handle their powers. Still, I love the mystery they made.
Reload told their stories better. The protagonist gets a good few one-on-one sessions with Takaya, unearthing his motivation for abusing the dark hour, all of which is presented in a much cooler, intimidating fashion. Jin finally serves more purpose, and proves to help clarify everything I loved so much about Strega.
It’s much easier to realize that they were the first experiments, and the little touch of being a lab rat for the Kirijo Group made their actions more justified. It’s a creative dilemma. Takaya finding his evoker from a loose shadow, plus teaming up with Makoto, lets him try and lead S.E.E.S. in the right direction, opposing what Ikutski will eventually bring. It really makes the plot twist flourish.
I love the new writing in this game. Most of it is ripped from FES, but the new subtle tweaks made things a lot more believable. Yukari’s determination to find the answer to her dad’s disappearance, Akihiko’s firm resolve to prove his worth to his sister while avenging his fallen brother, Mitsuru dealing with the loss of her dad in the middle of a world-ending event, Junpei trying to find his meaning of life while simultaneously falling in love with Chidori and then losing her… it all moves fast, but is designed and written to feel that way. It feels so real.
It’s even more apparent how the link episodes morphed to fit the story. Namely Sanada and Ken adapting to Shinji’s death, accompanied by their newfound determination while experiencing grief.
Shinjiro’s link consistently had me tearing up, as he was the first character to actively think of death and acceptance. He seems to be this dark, stand-offish dude, but as you break his shell, you find he’s trying to avoid everyone so they won’t get hurt. He knows his persona is slowly killing him, so he wants to do what he thinks is best for his 2 closest friends. And when he signed the papers to return to school, showing he never forgot his promise to Mitsuru, that genuinely hits like a truck.
Similarly, Ryoji’s character development was sharpened to a fine point in Reload. His link episodes and progressive concern as he discovers the truth of his existence; they’re done so damn well. Ryoji slowly develops the weight of the world on his shoulders as he gets closer and closer with the party, finding the beauty in life that he was once designed to destroy. This mix of humanity and the possibility of ending everything was done expertly, and expressed beautifully. All through this kid with slicked back hair and a goofy yellow scarf.
The final boss fight with Nyx has proven to be my favorite in the series so far. Battle Hymn of the Soul is done so much justice, to the point where I didn’t even move for a while so I could jam out to this amazing track. It feels like the entire game has built up to this moment, meshing the velvet room with bits and pieces of the entire game. The moveset compliments that idea, mixing in ties to the arcana, the means by which the story of the game is revealed on last time as S.E.E.S. stares the end of the world in its eyes. Nyx truly flourishes as a main antagonist.
And then, we finally reach the ending. I think it’s a lot more clear that the protagonist is giving up his life for the sake of everyone else’s now, and is a beautifully poetic conclusion to this deep story. Every social link and conversation mentioning that he looks terrible was a great touch. And once the 4 notes of Memories of You started, after all I’ve been through, the hype I tried to build for this game, the amazing experience I had, and my genuine love for this story, that was it. The flood gates opened.
I loved everything about it.
CONCLUSION
Persona 3 Reload feels like an anomaly. It’s more than anything I’d hoped for, although there’s a few tidbits here and there that seem to have gone missing. It’s combat stacked up against a game I have tattooed on my chest, the world looked like an art piece around every corner, there were so many cool little mechanics that made venturing into Iwatodai rewarding and stylish… I was left astounded at the end of this game. There was so much love and time put into crafting a work of pure Persona genius.
I could talk about the details all day, but if anything, I love this game because it does something that’s hard in any medium. It makes me feel.
I could go and pick apart why its mythological ties are important, or why combat is peak JRPG, but in reality, it’s just real. Each of these characters feel rooted, grounded, and believable, especially when faced with such a harsh reality. The story about coming to terms with death sees some high peaks and hard-hitting valleys, each justifying this mess of a thing we call life. Doing everything you can to see your friends succeed, growing close and persevering against adversity, these experiences are all just as true as the game shows. It may be fast-paced at times, but so is life, and Persona 3 Reload makes sure the player knows that.
And it’s not even the story alone. A game like this introduces some awesome mechanics that tie everything together, so that the combat feels meaningful. It’s got some of the best JRPG gameplay I have ever experienced, and turn-based combat that’s not repetitive. As you go through and craft personas and party members of your own, you just have some genuine fun with this cast. Plus the player’s personal experiences with the characters in Tartarus make you feel closer to the characters emotionally. You feel happy for Yukari finally hitting a physical attack, or sad when Mitsuru is faced with an ice-absorbing enemy. It’s small, but this touch adds to the charm tenfold.
I find it hard to cry when consuming media. Almost like I’m disconnected from the world behind that screen. I’ve been told I’m emotionally stoic no matter the event, be that to my own detriment. Then, out of left field, Persona 3 Reload made me fall into tears a total of 6 times. I’m just some dude on the internet, so I won’t go too in depth, but the storytelling through gameplay and dialogue resonated with some of the hardest moments in my life.
It’s the human condition in Yukari, Junpei, Akihiko, Shinji, and even the social links like Akinari… all these characters you grow close to sting the most. It reminds the audience to live for the best things in life.
Persona 3 Reload proved as a facilitator to tell me “Hey, it’s ok to feel bad. There’s so much in life that kicks you down. But sometimes, it’s the crawl back up to the top that can be the most rewarding. And you don’t have to go after it alone. Don’t just live for yourself, live for the relationships you cherish. Finding yourself through those close to you is more important than you could ever imagine.” As someone who’s struggled with an ominous feeling of loneliness no matter if I’m alone or not, I needed an outside source to help me ground myself. And by god, did Persona 3 Reload hit every nerve in my damn system.
That’s basically just a super long way of saying, “yeah, this game is really good.”
10/10.
