WhenPersona 3 Reloadwas announce , rooter were both aroused and anxious . Since the originalPersona 3 ’s passing in 2006 , the RPG has have two iterations in the word form ofPersona 3FESandPersona 3 Portable , both of which had disjoined exclusive content that was n’t available in the other . The former had a playable epilogue calledThe Answer , while the latter added a distaff protagonist .
For years , fans have beenclamoring for a authoritative versionofPersona 3that include content fromFESandPortable . Persona 3 Reloadwas the perfect fortune for Atlus to do it . Atlus satisfy part of the compliments by remakingThe AnswerintoEpisode Aigis : The AnswerforReload .
Digital Trends recently spent one time of day withEpisode Aigis . Its stress on combat rather than social mechanics is a welcome alteration of pace . But we almost did n’t get it at all . In an interview with Digital Trends , manufacturer Kazuhisa Wada expose that the squad virtually gave up on the DLC .
Breaking the cycle
Episode Aigispicks up fromPersona 3 Reload ’s ending . The cast become stuck in a meter loop on March 31 . or else of focus onReload ’s original nameless supporter , players now play as Aigis , the loyal and robotic fellow member of the squad . The group then gets assail by Metis , who introduces herself as Aigis ’ sister . It ’s an explosive starting signal to the expansion that really grabs your attention .
After a mistaking , Metis teams up with SEES to help them end the time cringle , and they head down under the dorms to recover a brand raw set of dungeon . One ofReload ’s redevelopment admit a revamp of the original art mode . In particular , SEES gets a red armband with a issue , indicating the fiat in which they fall in the gang . Metis grow one , but it ’s really missing a number . This mull Metis ’s position as only a temporary party fellow member exclusive to the expansion , agree to Wada .
“ Metis has n’t appeared sinceFES , so we put in a caboodle of effort in creating her 3D model , ” Wada tells Digital Trends . “ She has a body that is like a ball - jointed doll with touchy ornamentation that many actor may be unfamiliar with , so I ’m skip they will appreciate those niggling details in this game . Regarding the armband , she did n’t have one inFES , but here , she has receive a spare one from the Kirijo Group , so her armband is n’t numbered like the others . ”
In the Qaeda game , the protagonist can stop up an vantage before battle by tally enemies with his blade . Aigis can do the same , but by shooting enemy from a distance , giving histrion more reach . That feels a bit imprecise . Aigis does n’t target down sights , but a graticule automatically appears as hhe closes in on an enemy . It just does n’t have the same weight as peck them with a sword . It ’s not a deal breaker , but it ’s a nonaged annoyance that I imagine could stack up over a few hours .
Episode Aigishas no societal car-mechanic , which might turn away players who come to Persona for that lineament . Hopefully , the narrative and the enigma hem in Metis ’ macrocosm is enough to keep those role player invested . Fans who ’ve already played the original DLC will be curious to see what transfer Atlus made , and for those who have n’t , it ’s a great excuse to spend more time withReload ’s charming cast .
The episode that almost never was
Wada was one of the main artists on the originalPersona 3 , and he service as director on fighting spinoffPersona 4 Arena . He ’s been withPersona 3 ’s fictional character from the very beginning and has almost raised them like they were his own youngster . He has also see the response from fans with every exclusive iteration of the game .
“ I understand what ’s important for the game , which parts ask some polish , which thing should n’t be changed , and that has allowed me to confidently congeal the counsel of the remake , ” Wada pronounce .
We had to give up on remakingEpisode Aigisat one point .
Wada surprises me when he expose thatEpisode Aigisalmost never be . The squad only begin working on it late into maturation of the base plot . While he did n’t dive too specifically into the cause Atlus almost gave up on make the expansion , he said Atlus could n’t adjudicate on the proper evolution team structure for it . It ’s no surprise given that Atlus is being stretched quite thin at the moment and has more on its plate in 2024 compare to previous age with going such asShin Megami Tensei V : Vengeance , Unicorn Overlord , andMetaphor : ReFantazio .
“ My view appendage from the head start of the proposition was that if we desire to remakePersona 3,Episode Aigiswas essential since it complete the taradiddle , and I want to make it happen somehow , ” Wada says . “ But for various intellect , we had many hurdles to overcome with this remake , and even getting the basis biz ofPersona 3 Reloadoff the ground was a challenge . Because of this , we had to give up on remakingEpisode Aigisat one point . ”
In fact , Wada say he was prepared to become a one - man - army developing squad if it amount down to it . Luckily , Atlus was able to assign director Yu Hashizume , who had previous experience withSoul Hackers 2 , toEpisode Aigis . That ’s when serious growing on it bulge before the launching ofReload .
In Digital Trends’Persona 3 Reloadreview , we order that the game still felt a bit incomplete without the content from previous versions ofPersona 3 . Other critics also had standardised thought .
“ When we at last announcedReload , many fan quest the comply - up story , ” Wada says . “ It was very reassuring since I felt the same way , and to be honorable , this support was the resolve factor in makingEpisode Aigisa reality . ”
Atlus already said that thefemale protagonist will most likely never be remadeforReload , mark that it would involve too much evolution time and resources for what is almost an completely new plot unto itself . But with enough hue and cry , perhaps fans can also certify her and get Atlus to reconsider that too .
Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis : The Answerlaunches on September 10 .
