Videogame Review: Persona 3 Reload/Episode Aigis by P-Studio

It’s Going Down.

When the clock strikes twelve, the world enters an eerie state called the “midnight hour” and the shadows come out to play. But what is this midnight hour and why are these shadows on the hunt? And why has the high school turned into a horrid skyscraper called Tartarus? Discovering the answers to these questions is precisely the mission of the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (S.E.E.S.). As you take control of the silent protagonist (who you can name whatever you please, though Makoto Yuki is canon) through this eighty-plus-hour JRPG, you’ll discover more about the world, your friends, and the city around you. Persona 3 is where the series pivoted to include the social link formula it is known for today, and Reload refreshes what made it special and puts a modern coat on it. So grab your evoker and put it to your head, it’s time to blow your persona out of your brain.

I must declare that I never played the original Persona 3, nor did I have a chance to play Persona 3 FES or Persona 3 Portable, so my frame of reference is strictly tied to its sequels, specifically Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 (not Royal, sorry Kasumi). As Persona 4 and 5 are two of my all-time favorite JRPGs, the 3 Reload announcement was an exciting prospect. For me, a new Persona game would be released, with a new set of characters to love, and a new dungeon to explore. Persona 3 Portable allowed the choice of a female protagonist, so they must have removed some features of the past games to create this updated version unfortunately, as I would have loved the chance to have a female protagonist in a Persona game.

The game’s aesthetic is fantastic. The character models and art style make it feel like you’re watching anime at times. Sure, there’s the occasional NPC who has a lower budget model, but the overall look of the game is vibrant and diverse and is always appealing. The high school setting and dorm (two of the places the player frequents) don’t necessarily wow, but have an ingrained sense of comfort that grows on you as you spend your hours on Tatsumi Port Island. P-Studio has ensured visual parity between the oldest modern Persona game (1 and 2 are a different beat altogether) and the newest. Now we just need a little refresher for Persona 4 and we’ll be golden.

But the parity doesn't just stop and the in-game animations and visuals, it also extends to the UI and combat. The UI is beautiful, seamless, and most important, stylish. Like its predecessor-successor Persona 5, P-Studio knocked the UI’s look out of the park with its distinct sophistication. You could probably show me that UI in ten years and I'll know exactly which game I’m looking at. That said, the item UI could use a bit of organization. Finding items, especially late game when you’ve collected so much, can end up being a bit of a hassle. And the naming conventions of the skill cards aren’t necessarily intuitive.

The combat is fun and flashy and exactly what I love about these games. For those of you who haven't played any Persona, the games are turn-based. The primary goal of combat is to down your enemies (putting them in a weakened position). This can be done by landing a critical hit or exploiting an enemy’s weakness (like fire, ice, etc.), once one is downed, the player receives a huge 1 More on their screen, allowing them to attack again in a row. Once all enemies in the current encounter are down, you have the opportunity to engage in an All-Out attack, which sees the main character and allies land a combined attack on remaining enemies that does a lot of damage. In Persona 3 Reload, finishing a fight with an All-Out attack guarantees the activation of an event called Shuffle Time, which allows the player to pick prizes (and who doesn't love prizes?). This combat loop is extremely satisfying and easily hooked me for hours on end. One of my favorite new additions to the combat is the updated Persona 5 baton-pass. Shifting, as it has been renamed, allows the player to exploit enemy weaknesses with greater ease, and adds an extra flow to the combat. When the character triggers an enemy weakness, they can use their 1 More action to transfer their additional turn to a teammate (who may then be able to exploit another weakness or heal the team). This creates ample opportunity to down the entire enemy line and get a chance at the sweet, sweet Shuffle Time.

Though I love the combat and would love to see something like it implemented in some of my other favorite series (Pokemon anyone?), there are a few gripes I had that occasionally created some irritating bumps. The main player character is considered the party leader. If the party leader dies, it’s game over. You have to restart the game, the fight, or go to your last save file. It’s dumb and inconvenient and doesn't enhance the experience in any way. In a game with insta-kill spells, this can come on randomly. There were a few fights in which I was deep into an encounter and the main character was insta-killed, leading to much frustration. In reality, my other characters would simply use a revive spell or item. The game doesn't have to end. Also, I’m not sure if it was a glitch, but halfway through the game, the game-over screen stopped allowing me to replay a battle I had lost (meaning I could only restart the game or load an old save file). Why? Later on, I would sometimes be offered the ability to retry, sometimes not. Not sure what the deal was there, but it was an odd inconsistency. Also, outside of combat, item management in combat is not the best. Also, I think an option to skip the All-Out attack animation should have been considered. I saw it about a million times, I don’t think it’s necessary to watch it every time.

Filling the persona compendium is a satisfying endeavor that kept me occupied throughout my adventures in Tartarus. For those not in the know, personas are different creatures and mythological beings that the characters summon to grant them their magical abilities. Unlike the supporting S.E.E.S. members, the main character can summon multiple personas. There is a certain Pokemon-like element to it, the collectible element is exciting, and trying to get better and better personas with better abilities is a continuous goal. Unlike Pokemon, however, personas are easy to discard for a better one. The sentimental attachment gained from sticking with a certain group of Pokemon doesn't exist here. Instead of Pikachu, you have Thor (but Odin looks to be a bit better, so maybe I’ll go with him…). Some of the designs are neat, some are quite bizarre. Who wouldn't want to use Alice from Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There? Or what about Lucifer? Yeah, that’s about how wide the compendium goes.

The dungeon design is varied, not just aesthetically, but in layout as well. Some were easier to navigate than others, but none were particularly difficult by any means. Every block has a unique look with new enemies to encounter. Admittedly, many of the enemies are re-skinned, which leads to a bit of redundancy in the design, but since each new re-skin comes with a new set of weaknesses and abilities, it essentially feels like a new enemy. Trying to discover a new enemy’s weaknesses never gets old thankfully, even if the enemy designs begin to tire. While I enjoyed most of the dungeons, one in particular was visually obfuscating, causing me to have to pause the game multiple times. It wasn't fun to look at for more than twenty minutes at a time and I find it a rather odd inclusion. It’s what I imagine some sort of hallucinogenic trip to look like, and it isn't particularly pleasant. Another irritating Tartarus issue I had concerned the consistent commentary from teammates. I swear I’ve never played a game where I was told about every single treasure chest and every single enemy in the game. The only conclusion I came to was that play-testers simply couldn’t see any of these things. But boy is it annoying at times. Also, the number of times I heard Fuuka tell Koromaru how cool he looked in combat made me want to remove him from my party. Of course he looks cool! He's a dog with a knife in his mouth.

I’ve talked about the meat, but what about the potatoes? The social link and daily life activities of the main character are part of what makes modern Persona what it is. Persona 3 Reload doesn't disappoint in this respect. From the dying man, Akinari (one of my new favorites) to the unusual monk Mutatsu, the social links are satisfying and worthwhile. While a few of the main party characters seem a bit single-minded, they eventually open up a bit. Though Sanada’s incessant desire to work out drove me a bit crazy, I still warmed up to him, and Junpei. Well, Junpei is Junpei. My only issue in this game is that not all teammates have social links. Sure you can level them up in a social way that increases combat ability, but you can’t link them up, which is an odd omission. Considering I prioritized my social links, I missed time-sensitive events with some of my fellow S.E.E.S. members that I would have liked to have seen. Another small gripe is the nighttime social links. At night there are exactly two. Daytime? Seventeen. I understand the need for a big imbalance due to the game’s structure, but there were quite a few nights where having another companion available would been a great addition, and it would have allowed me to spread the love a little more evenly. Beside that though, I enjoyed getting my part-time jobs and leveling up my social stats (academics, charm, and courage). Having only three (as opposed to five for P4 and P5) allowed a more focused assault on specific stats, though each can hit a max of six (instead of five as in the other games).

Last but not least, sound! I played in English and loved the characters and voice actors. I loved the dorm crew and am so glad I got a chance to become a member of S.E.E.S. (even if Junpei got on my nerves sometimes). Having a silent protagonist is a bit odd at times, but it works for the Persona games on the whole. But where the game shines is the music. The soundtrack is fantastic. Every Persona game has an amazing soundtrack and Persona 3 Reload has an absolute banger of an OST. “Color Your Night” and “It’s Going Down” are some of my favorites. My girlfriend even came into the room a few times to ask what I was listening to because it sounded cool (for the record, she is not into video games). Even if you don't play the game, the soundtrack is worth listening to on its own.

Persona 3 Reload feels like it could be an entirely new Persona for those who’ve yet to play the original. For those who have played the original, I can’t say how it compares, but I do know that it is now in line with its contemporaries. While there are some intriguing choices made (like excluding some teammates from social links), the overall package is an appealing and satisfying one. It’s difficult to say where I place this darker iteration in the series, but I do know one thing, when the final cutscene rolled, I felt the same sensation I had at the end of the previous two games; a mournful end to something good, a goodbye to a group of friends. And that’s how I know it was a successful Persona game.

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The Math

Objective Assessment: 8.5/10

Bonus: +1 for an excellent OST. +1 for visual splendor. + 1 for social links.

Penalties: -1 for party leader KO game over. -1 day/night activity imbalance. -1 for repetivie dungeon voice lines.

Nerd Coefficient: 8.5/10

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.

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Why did you make me do this?

The good thing about a Persona game is that they usually release a big update or add-on that brings with it a significant chunk of gameplay. The bad thing is that, by the time it comes out, you’d have to replay the entire hundred-hour game just to experience it (hence why I have yet to try Persona 5 Royal—again, sorry Kasumi). I didn’t realize what kind of DLC Episode Aigis was going to be (whether it would be post-game or integrated like Royal), so I waited for its release before playing Persona 3 Reload. What I wasn’t expecting was a $35 price tag. It’s a hefty one.

Now, I went at length with my primary review, so I’ll keep this one brief. Episode Aigis is post-game content that you can probably play without having to finish the main campaign (of course you would have to endure the spoilers). The only thing that carries over here is your persona compendium. Episode Aigis places the character at level 25 and has you and the old team essentially re-level up to get as powerful as you were before. It’s not exactly an enticing premise, but since the combat is enjoyable, it’s not much of an issue.

Introduced right away is the new character Metis, who accompanies the heroes throughout the Abyss of Time as they try to resolve issues from the past. Metis has charm and is at times humorous, but the number of times she says the word “sister” got on my nerves. It’s annoying, frankly. I liked her kit and wanted to see more of her since I was used to the rest of the cast, but there were a few times I put her aside just so I didn't have to listen to her call Aigis sister for the millionth time.

The DLC is sizable, taking about thirty hours and comprising three new dungeon types that are intermixed throughout the exploration of the Abyss of Time. Notably absent are any social links or daily activities. This is primarily a combat-focused add-on. Yes, there is a reason for the combat, and the story does resolve things for all the ancillary characters that were in the main game, but the potatoes are missing from the meat and potatoes plate.

While the combat is great, there isn't much in the way of new enemies or combat mechanics. It feels like a rather exploitative DLC that should have been about $15, or better yet, included with the game (since they had already released this years ago with Persona 3 FES). Sony recently remade The Last of Us Part I and included their Left Behind DLC with the package because it is now considered part of the first game. I fully believe P-Studio should have done this with Episode Aigis. Or at least not charge $35 for something that doesn’t quite live up to the base game.

One of the issues I had with this DLC was that enemies attacked out of turn on many occasions (a big no-no when you're trying to coordinate your attacks), something that never happened in the primary game. Also, one of the end-game enemies, Maya, was an irritating pain and I just eventually ignored her (not that I couldn't beat her, she would just eventually run away after I wasted my time fighting her).

The story has an odd Christ allegory that I found drained a bit of the end-game appreciation. Speaking of, I disliked how the end battles remove character weaknesses to buff playtime. It creates boring drawn-out battles that I just wanted to be over.

To be honest, I appreciated the ability to see more of these characters and to watch them work through the problems that were a result of their actions in the main game. If you enjoy the main game and its characters, then this is a worthy addition. I would just wait for a price drop or a bundle. Have no worries though, the soundtrack is still peak.

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The Math

Objective Assessment: 7/10

Bonus: +1 for story extension. +1 for amazing OST.

Penalties: -1 for lack of social links. -1 for how many times Metis says "sister". -.5 for rehashing from level 25.

Nerd Coefficient: 6.5/10

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.