Why Persona 3: Reloaded is a Near Perfect Remake

With an expansion pass on the way, can this game get any better?

Person 3 Reloaded is a remake of the classic PlayStation 2 game Persona 3. For those who are unfamiliar with the franchise, Persona is a series of games made by Atlus that blend monster catching/fighting with a life simulator game. Players will spend their evenings hunting down and defeating various monsters and exploring dungeons, but during the day they will find themselves spending time as an average high schooler. Hanging out with friends, studying for that upcoming exam, and even building up the courage to talk to your crush are all ways that you will spend the day in Persona 3: Reloaded. If this sounds like an odd gameplay loop, that’s because it is, but I promise it’s worth every second.

This all may sound a little silly at first, but Atlus has created these systems in perfect harmony with each other. However you choose to spend your time may have a large impact on how the game plays out. If you choose to spend the day battling it out with monsters instead of studying for a test, you may find yourself permanently locked out of certain things in the game. What Persona 3: Reloaded creates is a time crunch in which players will have to carefully plan out each day in the game. But this means that every decision feels rewarding and fleshed out. It is hard to become bored in a game world where every action feels important.

Unsurprisingly, this gameplay loop leads to just one more day syndrome. It is very easy to lose track of time in Persona 3: Reloaded. Since each day doesn’t take very long to complete, the game creates an addictive cycle where the players choose to explore for just one more day to see what tomorrow may bring. As with many other JRPGs, this game unlocks various features as the player continues throughout the storyline. This further incentivizes players to keep going, as there is no way of knowing what may happen tomorrow.

Man Cannot Face Death Without First Finding Meaning In Life. - Takaya

It should be noted that this is one of the darker Persona titles. While Megami Tensei is known for its dark and gritty storylines, Persona games have always leaned a bit campier. While Persona 3: Reloaded isn’t the darkest game on the market, its storyline and gameplay mechanics put it on the edgier side of games like Persona 5.

The sound design for Persona games has always been one of its biggest features and Persona 3: Reloaded is no exception to this. Even if this game doesn’t strike you as something you would play, it is worth the time to track down the soundtrack, it’s that good. From J-Rock to Jazz, and even large orchestra pieces, no other game series can touch what Atlus has done in their Persona series.

The controls of the game function better than ever. The quality of life adjustments that have been made make this one of the smoothest Persona games to come out. The battle controls are quick and snappy. Even the movement around town feels better than it did in Persona 5 when it was first released.

Speaking of Persona 5, the only drawback to the game is the graphics. They are very good for being a remake of a 20 year old game. But it still felt as though it could have been spruced up a bit. Persona 5 was a beautiful marvel filled with amazing color contrast and visual appeal, whereas Persona 3: Reloaded feels a bit drab by comparison. Maybe this was done to match the more dismal tone of the game, either way, it makes the remake feel a bit dated.

Persona 3: Reloaded has become Atlus’s fastest selling game to date. And it is easy to see why. Between the die hard fans of the franchise who are always hunting for more Persona content, to people who just love a good JRPG, Persona 3: Reloaded is a near perfect game that everyone should play.