Atlus' esoteric Shin Megami Tensei franchise has languished on the periphery of U.S. console roleplaying for over a decade now, but hopefully this excellent installment in the company's endearing Persona offshoot receives the attention it deserves. Not terribly unlike the ubiquitous Final Fantasy brand, "MegaTen" (as its friends call it) has grown to encompass a vast array of subseries and genre experiments that all adhere to specific aesthetic and narrative themes centered on how the "real" world of modern Japan interacts with a shadowy underworld inhabited by demons drawn from various ancient religions. The Persona games stand apart from the pack by blending this complex mythology with all the drama and hijinks of the Japanese public-school system -- imagine, if you will, Saved by the Bell: The Satanic Years.
The studio was on the verge of collapse when Persona 3 came out, and things were looking quite grim for Atlus. Regardless, many decisions made in the game paid off and became a staggering success.
Years ago, I was emulating the game on my laptop and the old thing died when I was about to get to the final boss. I'm more than happy to buy this remake when it comes out so I can finish it!
At the time I was immersed in SMT Nocturne and later DDS. I did not realize at all how important Persona would become for me years later.
Persona 3 FES was the first one that I played in the series. Looking forward to the remake.
Half-Glass Gaming: "Often considered one of the darker entries in Atlus' Persona series, Persona 3 definitely has a sinister vibe to it, and it leans into horror more than you might realize."
Even though Persona 4 and 5 are monumental leaps over Persona 3, a crucial aspect has been lost in the transition.
That's a good point I didn't really think of but it lends to the narrative a lot more than P5 for sure. I also enjoy how much more streamlined the game is and how it doesn't have a 13 hour tutorial.
