Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is an excellent fighting game all-around. The mechanics are unique and fun, the visuals are spectacular, and the soundtrack is as brilliant as you would expect from a Persona game. It’s a shame that Ultimax on the Switch won’t be getting rollback netcode, but other than that, it’s a brilliant fighter for Persona and fighting game fans both.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
Developer: Arc System Works
Price: $30
Platform: PS4, Nintendo Switch (reviewed,) and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review
Persona is my jam. Fighting games are also my jam. When you mix those two things together, you have a lot of my jam. This analogy got away from me; the point is, I love both of the things that make up Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. I played both Arena games at launch with friends, and I was bummed that I had to pop out the PS3 whenever I got the urge to play it. I am bummed no more, as Persona 4 Arena Ultimax has come to modern consoles with all of the content from the first game to boot, and it’s just as awesome now as it was a decade past.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax contains all the story content from both Arena and its sequel, including Episode Adachi. Essentially, someone is once again using the Midnight Channel to stir-up trouble by starting the “P-1 Tournament,” which, through sensory manipulation, pits the Investigation Team against one another. They then find that a robotic girl has been thrown into the TV as part of the tournament, and later, a mysterious young man drags the battles to the real world, putting everything at stake.
The stories themselves are mostly alright, though Labrys and Elizabeth have stand-out narratives in comparison. These plotlines are indeed canonical sequels to Persona 3 and 4 though, alongside Dancing All Night, so fans of Persona 3 and Persona 4/Golden will likely have a good time with them. There are fun moments and nods to the previous games sprinkled throughout the stories, so even if you find them a bit dull, there are some highlights.
“This is definitely the best version of Ultimax for this reason, as there’s a fair amount of fun content that adds customizability to the game.“
Chances are that you’re here for the gameplay though, in which case, you’ve come to the right place. As with many Arc System Works games, fighting is as smooth as butter. The Persona mechanic, in which you have buttons dedicated to having your Persona attack, is especially interesting. Using them leads to better combos, but if you get hit while your Persona is out, it’s a strike against them. Having them get hit too many times makes them unavailable to use temporarily, making battles more difficult. It adds a risk vs reward system to battles, which is always thrilling. Otherwise, combos are smooth and fights are a blast.
Online in the Switch version is pretty sparse at this point, given the game isn’t out yet, but the fact that this version won’t be receiving the rollback netcode update is a shame. For those who can only get the game on Switch, they’ll have a genuinely downgraded online experience compared to other console owners. I get that the Switch version won’t be used competitively or anything, but it’s still a bummer.
If online isn’t your thing, there’s Score Attack and Golden Arena mode. Score Attack is what it sounds like, while Golden Arena has you go through a number of different “floors” of battles while building-up experience in order to power up your stats and gain new passive skills. It’s a fairly deep mode that’s a lot of fun to run through, as you utilize light RPG progression systems to make your fighter the best around. There’s also your standard Training and Challenge modes, which let you practice combos and execution to your heart’s content.
The DLC from the original release of Ultimax all seems to be present, though press releases for the game say “most” of the DLC is here. I can’t really figure out what’s missing, as there are tons of character colors, navigator voices, and cosmetics available. This is definitely the best version of Ultimax for this reason, as there’s a fair amount of fun content that adds customizability to the game.
“Both the carried-over tracks from the original games and the new tracks and remixes are absolutely certified head-bangers.“
If it’s an Arc System Works game, chances are it looks great. This is definitely the case with Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, which still looks incredible without much needing to be done to the visuals. The sprites are sharp and expressive, and even the most minute details in the idle animations go a long way in conveying each character’s personality.
As you likely expected, the soundtrack and voice acting are excellent all-around. Both the carried-over tracks from the original games and the new tracks and remixes are absolutely certified head-bangers. Par for the course, I know, but still worth pointing out. The same quality extends to the English voice acting, which is quite impressive. Sure, Labrys’s accent is kind of weird, but I’ve gotten used to it since the game’s initial release.
The Final Word
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a fantastic fighting game. It has lots of included content, great combat mechanics, and a fun little story for Persona fans. I wish it had rollback netcode now, or at all on the Switch version, but otherwise, you can’t go wrong with Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.
MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
