Persona 3
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Persona 3, released outside of Japan as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, is a 2006 role-playing game for the PlayStation 2, and the fourth entry in the Persona series. It was a major shift in direction from the prior Persona games, featuring a new director Katsura Hashino, character art from Shigenori Soejima, different world building, and the new Social Link relationship building system.
In between 11:59PM and 12:00AM[1] lies the Dark Hour, an additional hour to every day during which people without the ability to summon a Persona are transformed into coffins, and malignant entities called Shadows roam the world. A bizarre phenomena not understood by medical professionals called 'Apathy Syndrome' is growing more common by the day, leaving people completely catatonic and unresponsive. The protagonist is a high school student who transfers to Gekkoukan High School and joins an organization called S.E.E.S., comprised of students who have the ability to summon a Persona. During the Dark Hour, the school turns into a labyrinthian tower called Tartarus. The player must balance the obligations of school and relationships in the day with exploring Tartarus at night, which may be connected to the mysterious Apathy Syndrome.
An updated rerelease of the game also for the PlayStation 2, titled Persona 3 FES, was released in 2007, featuring a new epilogue titled The Answer. A second rerelease for the PlayStation Portable, Persona 3 Portable, was released in 2009, which implemented point-and-click navigation and introduced a female protagonist option. A full remake, titled Persona 3 Reload, will be released in early 2024.
Blurb
Japanese
English
Terrible creatures lurk in the dark, preying on those who wander into the hidden hour that lies between one day and the next. As a member of a secret school club, you must wield your inner power -Persona- and protect humanity from impending doom. Will you live to see the light of day?
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Synopsis
In 2009, the protagonist, who was orphaned 10 years ago, transfers to Gekkoukan High School on Tatsumi Port Island. A few days after his arrival at Iwatodai Dorm, Shadows attack during an abnormal period of time known as the Dark Hour: A hidden 25th hour after midnight. During this attack, the protagonist awakens his Persona, Orpheus, and successfully defeats a rampant Shadow. He is subsequently recruited into the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (S.E.E.S.) by his dormmates, who are themselves Persona-users who aim to end the Dark Hour phenomenon. With the protagonist now a part of their team, S.E.E.S. is able to start a thorough investigation into the Dark Hour, starting with the massive tower, Tartarus, which materializes on the site of Gekkoukan High School during it. Unusually powerful Shadows known as the Arcana Shadows also appear during full moons to terrorize the city, the elimination of which S.E.E.S. believes may end the Dark Hour. The protagonist begins his life at Gekkoukan High, befriending and strengthening his bonds with the various people he meets. At the same time, he starts to search for further answers alongside his teammates in S.E.E.S. on the nature of Shadows and the Dark Hour.
Gameplay
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Version Differences
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FES
- Main article: Persona 3 FES
Persona 3 FES is a rerelease of Persona 3 with a variety of additional features and changes to the game, including a new playable epilogue named The Answer (Episode Aegis in the Japanese release). Differences include:
- A new Hard difficulty which is selectable upon starting a new game.
- New story events, including security camera footage featuring each member of Iwatodai Dorm (and by extension, S.E.E.S.) and nighttime walks with Koromaru.
- New personas have been added. These include Slime, Hua Po, Hecatoncheires, and Rakshasa, among others.
- The protagonist can now fuse weapons using personas at the Shinshoudo Antiques store at Paulownia Mall.
- A new Arcana, the Aeon, has been added, represented by the character Aigis. A corresponding Social Link has also been added regarding Aigis.
- New events in the form of special quests given by Elizabeth, in which the protagonist is asked to accompany Elizabeth to specific locales.
- An alternative method to improving Social Link progress has been added via the fortune draw at Naganaki Shrine.
- The Answer, a new playable epilogue which takes place after the events of Persona 3, starring Aigis as the main character.
Portable
- Main article: Persona 3 Portable
Persona 3 Portable is a rerelease of Persona 3 for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). The game introduces a variety of features and changes to the main game. Differences include:
- Two new additional difficulty options, Beginner and Maniac, have been added and can be changed to and from at any point in the game.
- Navigation outside of Tartarus has been changed to use an isometric 2-dimensional menu-based style as compared to the original's 3D movement. Characters are rendered as sprites.
- The 2D animated cutscenes and a majority of in-engine 3D cutscenes of the original have been replaced with equivalent visual-novel like scenes, with some particular scenes being portrayed as new 3D cutscenes.
- A new female protagonist option can be selected when started a new game. The female protagonist version of the story is considered an alternate continuity and has significant differences, such as being able to select a new male Velvet Room resident, Theodore, new dialogue options, new Social Links that were unavailable to the original protagonist such as with the male S.E.E.S. members, and many more.
- New music has been added which only plays when the female protagonist has been selected, such as new battle music.
- The battle system has been changed to more closely reflect the system in Persona 4. This includes a "Direct Commands" tactic allowing for direct control of all party member actions, the replacement of the "Wait" command with "Defense", and characters no longer needing to spend a turn to get up from a "Downed" state.
- Fusion Spells are now activated through the usage of items instead of being activated as a skill when both required Personas are in the protagonist's possession.
- The protagonist can now only utilize one weapon type (one-handed swords for the male protagonist, and naginatas for the female protagonist), in contrast to the original, in which the protagonist could equip any weapon type.
- The addition of a notice board in front of the Paulownia Mall Police Station, which lists people who have gone missing in Tartarus. The protagonist can find and rescue these people when exploring Tartarus for various rewards.
Reload
- Main article: Persona 3 Reload
- Completely new visuals in the Unreal engine
- New character art from Azusa Shimada
- Mostly new English voice cast, albeit with Tara Platt reprising her role as Elizabeth[2]
Listings
Characters
Personas
Shadows
Skills
Items
Equipment
Locations
Development
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Nomenclature
| Language | Name | Meaning |
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 Japanese
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ペルソナ3 | Persona 3 |
Gallery
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Japan cover
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Main visual
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Full art piece the Japan cover was based on, by Shigenori Soejima
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Title screen
Videos
External Links
References
- ↑ "Shuji Ikutsuki: It occurs each night, as the clock strikes twelve." Persona 3 Portable (PlayStation Portable). Developed by ATLUS. Published by ATLUS.
- ↑ Orpheus Joshua, Persona 3 Reload Reveals New Trailer; Strega & Elizabeth Focus. Published September 20, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023. Noisy Pixel.