8.8/10 – 73 hours
11/22/2024
Too lazy to write a full review, so I have some thoughts. I played a version of OG Persona 3, being Portable back in 2021, and I enjoyed it despite my many criticisms of story and design. This was a really fun revisit! The game is polished and is undoubtedly the best way to play P3 for pretty much everyone outside some hardcore fans. I actually didn’t finish the game since it’s largely the same, but I played it enough that I got to experience the new things Reload brings to the table compared to the older versions. A great trip down memory lane with some fun new additions.
Initial thoughts: absolute EYE CANDY! All UI, portraits,loading screens and battle effects look absolutely top notch. Lighting in all areas look amazing, they even managed to make Tartarus look cool. It’s a nice upscaling of classic environments. I love the little train that moves across the map when you pick an area. Didn’t know it was possible to step it up from Persona 5.
- Tartarus is hard to fix. The original was boring and all the features back then (splitting up the party) make it turn from tedious to mindless. Reload’s Tartarus is better, though you simply get used to the new features. I love the increase in detail of the design, and the Monad doors are a fun distraction, but even they get boring. I found myself skipping them too. I like the clock doors though. Any alleviation to grinding is a good one.
- New tracks are amazing. Color Your Night is one of the all time greats now.
- Social links are fully voiced, neat. Adds a lot more to the experience, and was great for exploring links I hadn’t in the original game (Mutatsu, Bebe, Tanaka)
- Remixes of old themes are mostly pretty good, still prefer the old ones. New Mass Destruction is not ideal, but the new take on Changing Seasons is great (IMO the second best song in the og game). The point of the remixes is just that–to take a new spin on the old themes, not outright replace them.
- Nice QOL: prompt to check what can be gained from activities to make sure you optimize your time.
- Battling feels great. It’s really been Persona 5ified, but it’s still fun to have complete control of the party. Theurgy is busted to high hell. It’s nice since the Tartarus boss fights are unchanged for the most part, just being damage sponges, and you can chunk them quicker now. However, the MC’s theurgies absolutely trivialize the game.I’m out here one shotting some of these bosses with a Charge+Tarukaja+Scarlet Havoc. It’s a bit much.
- I understand criticisms of Reload losing the original game’s identity with no tactics (autonomous party members), but for me that doesn’t move the needle much. I prefer if the game is more streamlined and gives more player control, which makes it more fun. For me, the game’s identity lies with its atmosphere and characters, which is still strong even if it’s noticeably P5’d. But I do agree that the original had some charm with its tactics system.
- I used to be the biggest P3 hater saying “it’s so mid, the story is eh and the characters experience their development in the span of 3 mins…etc). The extra little voiced cutscenes and activities really help flesh out the characters and make me care for them in a way the original just didn’t do. I love the new episodes the non-S-link party members have. It especially fixed my problem with Shinji, who had 5 mins of screen time then died. This time around he gets more time in the spotlight.
- Over time, I also really grew attached to the new voices. I really think they knocked it out of the park; staying faithful to the original performances but enhancing them a ton. Especially Fuuka, Aigis, Akihiko, Ken, Jin, and Chidori. I especially love Yuko Nishiwaki’s voice, A+ delivery.
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