Persona 3 Reload is almost everything I want in a remake. Though I wish the content from previous editions was part of the game, Reload is an excellent and faithful remake of one of the best RPGs of the PS2 and PSP, as it updates any outdated mechanics and maintains all of the best parts of the originals.
Persona 3 Reload
Developer: Atlus
Price: $70
Platform: PS4, PS5 (reviewed), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
MonsterVine received a PS5 code for review
After playing Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth last month, I thought it would be a while before the second big contender for 2024’s game of the year came by. I was clearly wrong, as Persona 3 Reload arrived in the second month of the year and has proven itself as worthy of consideration even this early in the year. As someone who played the hell out of Persona 3 Portable back in the day, I was stoked to get cracking on Persona 3 Reload, and it still managed to exceed all of my expectations.
The story and characters of the game resonated with me as a teen, and they do so even more now that I’m an adult. A major theme of the story is the inevitability of death and the importance of cherishing life before then – a message that a teenager is less than likely to grasp with limited life experience. The narrative is as engrossing as it was all those years ago, and I’m glad it’s out there for people to experience for the first time in this exciting new format or to replay with fresh eyes.
The relationships you form are interesting, as Persona 3’s characters feel a bit different than those of subsequent Persona games. The main party is less of a friend group at the beginning and more of a workgroup, as it’s different people who have all come together for a common goal. They certainly grow as friends, but the dynamic is pleasantly different. This extends a bit to the other Social Links as well, which range from school friends to random people you meet in town. The benefits that come from deepening your social links provide additional incentives to experience the stories, further ensuring that all aspects of the game tie together so that you’re always accomplishing something.
I figured the Female Protagonist wouldn’t be in this given all the new additional work it would require, but I do wish the playable epilogue The Answer was part of the package to round out the story. Still, what we got in Reload is still stellar on its own. That said, we’ll likely get a definitive edition down the line with The Answer a la Persona 4 Golden or Persona 5 Royal, which I’ve come to expect by now.
Most of Persona 3 Reload has you going between the massive tower Tartarus and your more chill day-to-day high school life. Your goal is to get through a set number of floors before the next phase of the moon while also juggling social events that take place during the day and on nights when you could go to Tartarus. If you want to be risky like me, you can try to tackle the whole Tartarus block in one night to maximize the number of nights you can boost your Social Stats and relationships, but there’s no one way to go about things. The Fatigue mechanic is gone, so you can explore Tartarus to your heart’s content or take it slow to stretch out the leveling and benefits – it’s all up to you.
“All of these little additions polish the combat to an insane extent, making for one of the most truly fun RPG combat systems in existence.“
As is always the case with Persona, the Press-Turn combat system is a highlight of the entire experience. Discovering and utilizing enemy weaknesses to gain additional turns is an exciting mechanic that makes every fight quick and satisfying. Boss fights are intense affairs that require strategy and focus, and as is often the case in Shin Megami Tensei and its spin-offs, buffs, and debuffs end up being quite important.
You can take further advantage of weaknesses by passing the additional turn to a different party member, allowing for wonderfully long chains of weakness exploitation to ravage foes with. The new Theurgy attacks are also an exciting addition, serving as, essentially, ultimate moves that decimate foes. All of these little additions polish the combat to an insane extent, making for one of the most truly fun RPG combat systems in existence.
Fusing Personas to constantly improve your team is remarkably addictive, especially since leveling up in Tartarus and expanding upon your Social Links all feed into this system. No matter what you’re doing, you’re making your team or character stronger, making it feel as though not a second of playtime is wasted or extraneous.
The presentation of Persona 3 Reload is truly second to none. The menus and visuals are gorgeous and absolutely full of style, once again raising the bar for presentation. Though a couple of the remixed songs don’t quite match up to their originals, the vast majority are excellent new takes on the iconic tracks. The new voice actors play their parts wonderfully, making for an easy transition from the original English cast that I loved so much.
The Final Word
Persona 3 Reload is already another contender for game of the year. It’s an almost perfect remake of an already exceptional game, and I wanted to play it nearly every moment that I wasn’t. Whether or not you’ve played Persona 3 before, Reload deserves your attention, as it’s one of the most fun, styling, and enthralling RPGs around.
MonsterVine Rating: 5 out of 5 – Excellent
