Following the success of Persona 3 and 4, Atlus
released Persona 3 Portable in 2010, which updates the game mechanics
to be more in line with that of Persona 4's. Strangely enough, I ended
up having a hard time getting into this game and kept on putting it down
until recently. Now that I've given it a chance, I can definitely say
it's an amazing game.
Story
The main character, a transfer student, arrives at Iwatodai,
ready to start a new school year. Soon, he finds himself making new
friends and joining a team dedicated to fighting Shadows and
investigating a strange phenomenon called the Dark Hour - a hidden hour
that occurs every midnight.
In
terms of the overall plot and characterization, I find this game's main
plot to be superior to that of Persona 4, while Persona 4 had superior
Social Links. The plot can be compared to the likes of Neon Genesis Evangelion or Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The cast in this game are rather realistic; they're teenagers in high school with a special burden that no one knows about - and they react to it as well as you'd expect actual teenagers to.
Even though they all start out fighting for the same cause, they're not
necessarily close friends at first. Furthermore, none of them can
really be considered bland stereotypes; they all have their share of
deep issues and struggle to overcome them. The development of this cast and their relationships are what make them more dynamic than the cast of Persona 4.
Gameplay
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| Dat hair though. |
Persona
3 introduced many gameplay mechanics that its successor would go on to
refine. By day, you're a high school student, and the gameplay takes on a
slice-of-life, visual novel like feel. You'll spend your days
befriending and furthering your relationships with the people you meet.
Your bonds, in turn, will help augment your abilities. As your Social
Link rank with a character rises, the Personas you make that share that
character's Arcana will grow stronger.
When
the clock strikes midnight, the Dark Hour begins. It is during this
time that all regular people are transformed into coffins, unaware of
the Shadows that emerge and wreak havoc. Only people who have the
ability to wield a Persona can enter the Dark Hour while retaining
consciousness. Your team's objective is to investigate a large tower
that your school transforms into every night during the Dark Hour,
called "Tartarus".
As per Shin Megami Tensei
tradition, the battle system emphasizes on finding enemy weaknesses. If
you hit an enemy with an element it's weak to, the character the attack
came from will gain an extra turn, and the enemy will be knocked down.
Of course, this also applies to the enemies, so you'll have to pick your
team wisely. Speaking of which, I find the playable characters in this
game to be very balanced. Although your main character will obviously be
the most versatile due to the ability to use multiple different
Personas, everyone here has a role to fulfill. The game is also a fair
bit more challenging (except for the Full Moon Bosses) than Persona 4.
The
original Persona 3 and its updated re-release FES have several
mechanics that players will have a more difficult time adapting to if
they started with Persona 4. First and foremost, you cannot control any
party member except the main protagonist; you can only assign tactics to
them. This can lead into the AI not doing exactly what you want and
potentially endangering you, as it's Game Over if the main protagonist
is knocked out. Second of all, characters can get Tired
if they fight in too many battles. Tired characters will have a lower
accuracy and critical hit rate, and also take more damage. If you
persist even farther after your characters get Tired, they'll get Sick.
Sick characters will be even more susceptible to status ailments, and
their offensive power greatly decreases. Although the Tired and Sick
conditions will be a complete non-issue later in the game, you'll have
to manage your time in Tartarus early on as you can't cram everything
into one day.
However,
Persona 3 Portable makes various changes to the mechanics to make it
more similar to Persona 4. The biggest change in this version's battle
system is full control over all of your party members, as well as the
addition of a "Defend" command that allows you to guard and reduce
damage. Characters who are defending will also not be knocked down when
hit by their weaknesses. The "Tired" mechanic is also revised to make
things easier; though your team can still get Tired, it won't actually
happen until you leave Tartarus and the game transitions to the next
day.
Persona
3 Portable also introduces the ability to play as a female protagonist,
which changes some aspects of the story, as well as the Social Links.
Certain Social Link characters are entirely absent from this route,
replaced by other characters. The music is also changed to help keep
things fresh. Even if you've already played the original, the female
protagonist's route can provide a fresh experience.
Graphics
Although the PS2 versions look good visually, the PSP version had to have compromises made. There are no longer any anime cutscenes, and the overworld
has been changed to a point-and-click map. While this may ruin the
immersion for some, others may welcome the change as it makes traversing
the city faster. Character models themselves are somewhat downgraded,
and don't look as good as they do on the PS2.
Soundtrack and Voice Acting
The
soundtrack in this game is great; though it shares the same style as
Persona 4, the tracks themselves often give off a very different mood to
Persona 4's music. I really enjoy the male protagonist's Tartarus and
Full Moon Boss themes in particular.
The
voice acting in this game is also just as great; characters all show
deep emotion, and it really helps strengthen the impact of several
scenes that occur later in the game.
Length
Depending
on how much time you spend grinding and fusing Personas, as well as
progressing your Social Links, you'll end up clocking in around 50 to 60
hours of time. Of course, there's also New Game Plus for those who are
inclined. Players who want to fully experience both the male and female
routes will spend even more time on this game.
Verdict: 9.5/10
Pros
- Great battle system
- Excellent story, cast, and voicework
- The music is quite catchy
- Plenty of things to do and a long length
Cons
- Portable version removes overworld in favor of point-and-click maps
- Graphics are downgraded
- Lack of anime cutscenes may reduce impact of some scenes
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