Atlus
I had never playedPersona 3until almost on the dot one twelvemonth ago . I remember loading upits Switch rereleaseduring a long , cross - country plane ride and last digging in after year of oddity . I adorePersona 5and love the vibration of4 , so I figured I knew what to ask when I start my save file . I was all in wrong . The vibrant , plucky human beings I ’d farm accustomed to shatter the first time I watched one of my fibre put a gun to their head and pull the induction .
Persona 3is a sorry game . It ’s pitch Shirley Temple compared to the entries that succeeded it . That makes the idea of its modern remake , Persona 3 Reload , a second of a challenge for Atlus . It ’s clear that the end of the task is to create parity withPersona 5 , bringing its theme song style to the game that pave the way for the series . But can you really slap one biz ’s gritty panache onto a much more haunting tarradiddle ?
Atlus
The answer , so far , is both yes and no . I went work force - on with an time of day - recollective piece ofPersona 3 Reload , which would take me deeply into Tartarus and have me dispatch a few societal links . While it ’s unmanageable to glean too much from that short clip , the remake looks to balance the light and dark parts of the RPG series . That ’s peachy news forPersona 5fans , but the jury ’s out on how it ’ll land withPersona 3evangelists .
Softening up
My demo dropped me right in the heat of the action at law , a few time of day into the story . By that time , my political party had already explored Tartarus and was well install . I ’d spend my first few days exploring the newly built rendering of classical locations , from Gekkoukan High School to Naganaki Shrine . It ’s a delight to see those spaces polished up to a advanced effulgence while still being now identifiable as locating from the original .
That ’s largely the nostalgic vibe that my quick time of day gave off . The original secret plan ’s excellent soundtrack still rock , and I have intercourse spending time with supporter like Junpei again . It is clear , though , that Reload is meant to bring the game stylistically in argumentation withPersona 5 . Its UI has take in an overhaul that , at metre , makes it look like Atlus ranPersona 5through a aristocratic filter , almost what you ’d expect to see from a dedicated devotee mod .
For the most part , that ’s a welcome variety . ConsideringPersona 3set the groundwork for the series ’ modern incarnations , all the little fanfare do n’t feel that far off . The main spot where you ’ll see noticeable changes is in places like the main card , which is full of diagonally align text edition jutting every which path . There are some moments , though , when it does feel like the changes soften up a act of the original biz ’s darkness . When I pull up a gun to my head to mobilize my Persona ( yes , that ’s a existent system for those not in the know ) , the raw result is n’t closely as jarring . A stylish blue splash and hit it feel a bit more like a animated cartoon .
Persona 3 Reloadfeels a bit peppier than the pilot at first glance , merchandise in the original ’s spooky vibe for something lighter . Maybe it ’s just the cleaner , more vibrant art that root for that out of the seed cloth . Or perhaps it ’s just that I ’m only seeing a modified slice of the story that did n’t show many of its creepy scenes , aside from one unsettling face-off with Pharos .
The one position where I can still feel the original ’s distinct attitude is in Tartarus , the massive keep that attend as the RPG ’s backbone . I was thrown in at about level 40 , powerful as my squad commence their SEES uniforms and unlock the remaking ’s brand new Theugy system . Theugy is a little but prissy tactile sensation in combat , which gives my party standard “ ultimate ” moves that file up over time ( not unalike to what last year’sSuper Mario RPGadded on top of the original ) .
Whether you get it on or detest it , Atlus does a great task of bringing out Tartarus ’s otherworldly eeriness in the fresh designed version . I ’d see lots of animation details as I ran around , like walls opening up and pulse as I ran by them . It feels more like I ’m indoors of a living thing , contend through a column or Hammond organ . It ’s still the same polarizing dungeon crawl , but it ’s with child to see the creepy side ofPersona 3still intact there .
After playing my hour , I ’m sure thatPersona 3 Reloadwill be a upstanding way to revisit a classical RPG with a modern sheen . I ’m just not sure quite yet if it ’ll be the unequivocal variation of it . That honor still seems like it could belong to toPersona 3 Portable , withReloadmore service casual sports fan who want another biz likePersona 5 . disregarding of where it land with more dedicated fans , it sure is a effective way to bolt down time before the inevitablePersona 6 .
Persona 3 Reloadlaunches on February 2 for PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X / S , and personal computer .
