Summary
Persona 3 Reloadis the latest entry in Atlus' series, although it is a remake of a game that originally launched in 2006 in Japan. It got two different versions after this release. The PS2 upgrade,Persona 3 FES, added an epilogue while the PSP port,Persona 3 Portable, added a female hero as an optional protagonist among other changes.
Persona 3 Reloadchanges even more, bringing the series to new horizons beyondPersona 5,which is the latest numbered sequel. That game received a lot of great reviews, but how does it compare toPersona 3 Reload? Is this remake even better thanPersona 5?
Social Stat Limitations
Less To Worry About In Persona 3 Reload
In the originalPersona 3and its remake, players could level up their Academics, Courage, and Charm Social Stats. In the sequels, there were five Social Stats to worry about. After playing throughPersona 4andPersona 5, going back to only three options in this remake felt like a breath of fresh air.
It’s a lot less stressful considering the game has so much and so little going on at the same time. Some players may find too many choices crippling, especially inPersona 5. It’s great that game offers so much value for players and a reason to replay it, but the simpler approach toSocial Stats is better from a managerial standpoint inPersona 3 Reload.
More Freedom
No Cat Telling You What To Do
Persona 5was the first game to introduce a constant companion at the player’s side likeNavi inThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Morgana was a taking cat that the protagonist found in a dungeon. Morgana constantly chided players, again like Navi to Link, on what they should and shouldn’t do, whether they were at school, at home, or in a dungeon.
Persona 3 Reloadhas almost no one telling players what to do and there isn’t a constant string of long-winded updates about the plot. The only ticking clock for players is the next phase of the Full Moon, but it never feels daunting unlike Persona 5 with Morgana being a constant nag.
Koromaru Vs Morgana
Who Is The Cuter Pet?
Speaking of Morgana,Persona 3was the first game to introduce animals as major party members.Persona 3had a wolf-like Shiba Inu dog named Koromaru.Persona 4had Teddie, a cartoon bear that was secretly hiding a teen boy inside. Then there wasPersona 5’sMorgana, the cat found in that aforementioned dungeon.
While it appears as a normal cute cat in the real world, it has a goofy alternative version in dungeons that is off-putting. The constant nagging is also a detractor for Morgana, which makes him less snuggly. Koromaru doesn’t speak at all and is just a good boy. Teddie, for what it’s worth, is dead last in this comparison.
One Continuous Dungeon
No Puzzles To Get In The Way
Persona 3had one major dungeon in it called Tartarus. Floors were randomized like in a roguelike, and there wasn’t much to do on floors besides fight enemies and loot treasure chests. The same was true forPersona 4,although there were multiple dungeons, and they were at least themed better like Kanji’s infamous spa dungeon.
Persona 5admittedly leveled up the dungeon game with its unique Palacesthat added puzzles and platforming to the turn-based RPG gameplay. It was unique and fun to play, but like the reduction in Social Stats, it was also nice to go back to one dungeon inPersona 3 Reload. Plus, the remake did step up Tartarus’ design between major sections of the tower.
The Battle Upgrades
From Shifting To Theurgies
Persona 5introduced a new mechanic to the series called a Baton Pass. Once an enemy was weakened by an attack, players could choose to continue attacking as that character or they could switch to someone else. The better the relationship players had with their teammates, the better Baton Pass would be.
This mechanic returns inPersona 3 Reloadunder the new name of Shift. It works the same except that Shift’s ability to succeed isn’t tied to Social Links as the party members aren’t connected to this mechanic, which is a small win for this remake. The better addition toPersona 3 Reload’s battle system is its Theurgies, which act like Limit Breaks from theFinal Fantasyseries.
Summoning Persona
The Evoker Is Edgy
The Evoker got a lot of press at the time in the West whenPersona 3launched in the West. The vision of teens shooting themselves in the head to summon demons was cool and edgy to some and a bit controversial to others. Years later, it seems silly since there are no graphic depictions of blood as no bullets are involved.
Still, of the many waysPersonas are activated in this series,Persona 3is the winner.Persona 4used eyeglasses, andPersona 5copied that idea with domino masks, which do look cool but aren’t as special. Hopefully,Persona 6will be just as edgy with its summoning practices.
The Monster Designs
Unique Villains With Masks
Persona 5was a big shift for the series as it incorporated more of the baselineShin Megami Tenseipractices. In those games, players could sign contracts with demons to have them fight by their side as party members. To get them, players had to answer questions after battle.
This questionnaire method was implemented inPersona 5too. Besides that, players faced the Personas that they now summoned person, which was a bit confusing since they are supposed to exist in the mind. InPersona 3and the remake, players face unique monsters and then get Personas after battle which were trapped in cards. Two varieties of monsters made more sense in the game, and this is howPersona 4was framed too.
