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[Draugoth]

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Speaking to PC Gamer in an interview translated by Atlus West staff, Persona team general producer Kazuhisa Wada said that Persona 3 deserved its Reload update to give a modern audience a way to enjoy its stellar story on modern specs—and that the Strega villains deserved more time in the sun (and the Dark Hour).

"Good things do not get old with time, and greatness does not fade away,"

So I thought it was necessary not only for us, but also for posterity, to keep the story and game experience of Persona 3 in a state where it could be enjoyed with today's specs—Persona 5 Royal level—and hardware."

Persona 5 Royal's strong showing only reinforced that desire. "We felt that many of these fans were playing the series for the first time," Wada said. "Therefore, we wanted them, as well as fans who had played the original Persona 3, to enjoy the definitive experience of the game."

The graphics, audio tracks and combat systems were updated to modern standards. The story remains the same, with a few notable changes. Summer beach scenes that have been criticized for sexism and transphobia were toned down.

"In our remake policy of creating a natsukashiku mo atarashii [nostalgic yet new] Persona 3 in the production of Reload, we were extremely careful about the areas to be changed and how to adjust them," Wada said. The characters and settings of the original were left mostly untouched.

"Basic character designs and designs based on historical settings—eg, cell phones—are areas where we wanted to stay true to the original," he said. "As for revisions and minor adjustments, we tried to keep the original impression of Persona 3 to be natsukashiku mo atarashii, and to give it a fresh rewrite of the present."

In one major exception, the intriguing Strega gang storylines were beefed up.

"Something I had wanted to do since we had made the original Persona 3, but never got around to—I wanted to increase the portrayal of the Strega,"

he said

 

[Danjin44]

I personally loving Persona 3 Reload, most of the changes were smart and made experience much smoother.

 

[Skelterz]

I’m really enjoying the game coming into this having never played the Original.

 

[Draugoth]

SEPHIROTH

 

[Skelterz]

SEPHIROTH

A demo shortly it’s a great year for RPG’s, You’ve got tnat refantazio that atlus are working on coming soon as well it’s crazy this year for JRPG’s.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

I cant get over the fact that they forgot to implement ambient occlusion into this game ....that's not an artistic choice either, that's a straight fuck up as it's a basic element of lighting that would suit the "darker aesthetic" and would result in a better looking game, period. I honestly think this is either a budgetary thing, an inexperienced new dev member, or just apathy on the part of the team responsible.

For $70 we shouldn't have glarinh issues like that ..I was going to get this but now I'm holding off. I was expecting a step up over Persona 5 at least

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Spoiler: Persona 3 came out 1 year before Uncharted Drake's Fortune. You'll see no shade cast at Persona 3 though.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

Ultimately... the game is easier, even on Merciless. I'm eating this up like Pacman. That and the OST feeling WEAK VS the Original... I want to continue my playthrough, I was doing, before I started Reload. LOL...

 

[adamsapple]

It's a really good remake.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Ultimately... the game is easier, even on Merciless. I'm eating this up like Pacman. That and the OST feeling WEAK VS the Original... I want to continue my playthrough, I was doing, before I started Reload. LOL...

The game is much easier simply because you directly control party members and you can choose exactly what traits are inherited in Persona fusion. Some of the mechanics in OG P3 just made the game harder by being annoying compared to the remake's mechanics

 

[Danjin44]

The game is much easier simply because you directly control party members and you can choose exactly what traits are inherited in Persona fusion. Some of the mechanics in OG P3 just made the game harder by being annoying compared to the remake's mechanics

True, also you have waaay more experience compare when we played the game back in 2007.

Heck even original Persona 3 release has noting on game like Shin Megami Tensei V when it comes to difficulty.

 

[Raven117]

Would one go with this or P4 Golden? Loved P5… style and music.

Thoughts?

 

[Danjin44]

Would one go with this or P4 Golden? Loved P5… style and music.

Thoughts?

If you enjoyed P5 there is good chance you going to enjoy both P3 and 4 abut I suggest you play P4 Golden first because its gonna be much harder go back to P4 after playing Persona 3 Reload because visuals and QOL.

 

[Raven117]

If you enjoyed P5 there is good chance you going to enjoy both P3 and 4 abut I suggest you play P4 Golden first because its gonna be much harder go back to P4 after playing Persona 3 Reload because visuals and QOL.

Thanks for the tip! But of you could only pick one, which would it be? (I don’t have two 100 hour RPGs in me)

 

[Hudo]

I personally loving Persona 3 Reload, most of the changes were smart and made experience much smoother.

Agreed.

The only gripe I have is the blatant disregard for FeMC.

 

[Fake]

Is important when you remake to keep respect to the source material and those guys did it.

 

[near]

Spoiler: Persona 3 came out 1 year before Uncharted Drake's Fortune. You'll see no shade cast at Persona 3 though.

Not really a fair comparison when they're both running on different hardware, one significantly more dated than the other.

 

[LakeOf9]

Would one go with this or P4 Golden? Loved P5… style and music.

Thoughts?

P4G is a better game, but P3R will be easier to move to from P5.

Play P3, and if after that you want more, play P4.

 

[TGO]

Agreed.

The only gripe I have is the blatant disregard for FeMC.

Not everyone played P3P like they did FES.
So to the majority nothing is missed
I played P3P and I personally don't care if it's included or not.
Would be nice, but the way you guys on on about it it as if it's a core part is baffling.

 

[Imru’ al-Qays]

Not buying this until they add the female protagonist DLC

Not everyone played P3P like they did FES.
So to the majority nothing is missed
I played P3P and I personally don't care if it's included or not.
Would be nice, but the way you guys on on about it it as if it's a core part is baffling.

What's baffling is Atlus's refusal to understand that they're leaving money on the table by making a game about being a Japanese high school student without a female protagonist option

 

[ozz ex machina]

Spoiler: Persona 3 came out 1 year before Uncharted Drake's Fortune. You'll see no shade cast at Persona 3 though.

Spoiler: it's a different generation it came out, it was way less popular in western culture then than the series is now.

 

[Hudo]

Would be nice, but the way you guys on on about it it as if it's a core part is baffling.

Atlus were also pushing FeMC on events, concerts, manga, fucking stage play and of course Persona Q2 (but not the dancing game, apparently).

A lot of effort for "not a core part".

 

[30yearsofhurt]

Yukari is still best girl

 

[TGO]

Not buying this until they add the female protagonist DLC

What's baffling is Atlus's refusal to understand that they're leaving money on the table by making a game about being a Japanese high school student without a female protagonist option

So you refuse to buy a game that had two main releases without a female protagonist option because a striped down novel handheld version did....

Sorry I can't, good luck with that.

Hudo
This is the main character to all 4 versions

FeMC appeared in a striped down portable version as an option, nothing more.
What would be more meaningful would be to include the character AS a new character to your party.
That would be worth while.

 

[SantaC]

It is a good remake, but some changes wouldnt had hurt it.

 

[STARSBarry]

"In our remake policy of creating a natsukashiku mo atarashii [nostalgic yet new] Persona 3 in the production of Reload, we were extremely careful about the areas to be changed and how to adjust them," Wada said. The characters and settings of the original were left mostly untouched.

"Basic character designs and designs based on historical settings—eg, cell phones—are areas where we wanted to stay true to the original," he said. "As for revisions and minor adjustments, we tried to keep the original impression of Persona 3 to be natsukashiku mo atarashii, and to give it a fresh rewrite of the present."

I see so swim teams and Kendo clubs do not exist in the modern version of Japan, you know since they very carefully considered these before cutting them for "LOL TRACK TEAM"

 

[Hudo]

So you refuse to buy a game that had two main releases without a female protagonist option because a striped down novel handheld version did....

Sorry I can't, good luck with that.

Hudo
This is the main character to all 4 versions

FeMC appeared in a striped down portable version as an option, nothing more.
What would be more meaningful would be to include the character AS a new character to your party.
That would be worth while.

I am not sure why you're making such a thing out of this. You are aware that I am currently playing and enjoying P3 Reload? Just because I wished that they'd also include FeMC doesn't mean the game isn't good or something.

And to me, FES is the stripped down version. Now what? There is no point to argue here. They didn't include her in P3 Reload, that's fine. But they did do a lot of marketing and content with her, extending outside P3P, so it's not like she was some weird side character. And it just would've been nice to have her included in P3 Reload in some form. That's all.

 

[TGO]

I am not sure why you're making such a thing out of this. You are aware that I am currently playing and enjoying P3 Reload? Just because I wished that they'd also include FeMC doesn't mean the game isn't good or something.

And to me, FES is the stripped down version. Now what? There is no point to argue here. They didn't include her in P3 Reload, that's fine. But they did do a lot of marketing and content with her, extending outside P3P, so it's not like she was some weird side character. And it just would've been nice to have her included in P3 Reload in some form. That's all.

You seemed to have took my whole post on your shoulders, I know you wasn't making a big deal about it.
Imru’ al-Qays said he wouldn't buy P3Reload unless there is a female protagonist which I think is a bit extreme when the character didn't exist in both of the original home consoles releases.
Saying you wish or would like a option to the main game is different to refusing to buy it because it don't have it and act like it was part of the original story so it's incomplete.
And I ain't touching the FES part.

 

[Imru’ al-Qays]

You seemed to have took my whole post on your shoulders, I know you wasn't making a big deal about it.
Imru’ al-Qays said he wouldn't buy P3Reload unless there is a female protagonist which I think is a bit extreme when the character didn't exist in both of the original home consoles releases.
Saying you wish or would like a option to the main game is different to refusing to buy it because it don't have it and act like it was part of the original story so it's incomplete.
And I ain't touching the FES part.

P3P is one my girlfriend's favorite games and she only likes it because of the female protag. I'm not gonna drop money on the game without a female protag because my girlfriend won't be interested in it. It's crazy that Atlus doesn't realize how many girl gamers out there would be all over this series if it had a female protag.

 

[Ar¢tos]

P3P is one my girlfriend's favorite games and she only likes it because of the female protag. I'm not gonna drop money on the game without a female protag because my girlfriend won't be interested in it. It's crazy that Atlus doesn't realize how many girl gamers out there would be all over this series if it had a female protag.

Isn't P3P available for current consoles?
I thought it was released at the same time as P4G last year or the year before.

 

[TGO]

P3P is one my girlfriend's favorite games and she only likes it because of the female protag. I'm not gonna drop money on the game without a female protag because my girlfriend won't be interested in it. It's crazy that Atlus doesn't realize how many girl gamers out there would be all over this series if it had a female protag.

I understand your point but as someone who doesn't care if the protagonist is male or female I can only say maybe she needs to look past that and enjoy a game regardless or the character being female or not.
But I understand what you mean and it's not easy to convince someone otherwise in most cases.

 

[Imru’ al-Qays]

I understand your point but as someone who doesn't care if the protagonist is male or female I can only say maybe she needs to look past that and enjoy a game regardless or the character being female or not.
But I understand what you mean and it's not easy to convince someone otherwise in most cases.

I mean this is a game that's half high school dating sim. It's kind of harder to set aside the protagonist's gender than if this were God of War or something

 

[_Ex_]

Atlus were extremely careful about maximizing profits, they mean:

Potential Persona 3 Reload DLC The Answer Found in New Datamine

Plus five other content packs

www.pushsquare.com

Base Reload doesn't include The Answer (which came with PS2 FES), instead it's walled off as DLC for a game that's already $70 retail.

PS Fuck you modern Atlus.

 

[TGO]

I mean this is a game that's half high school dating sim. It's kind of harder to set aside the protagonist's gender than if this were God of War or something

I never really played as the FeMC so I can't imagine how that would work with the current characters in the game.
But I understand

 

[Dirk Benedict]

Atlus were extremely careful about maximizing profits, they mean:

Potential Persona 3 Reload DLC The Answer Found in New Datamine

Plus five other content packs

www.pushsquare.com

Base Reload doesn't include The Answer (which came with PS2 FES), instead it's walled off as DLC for a game that's already $70 retail.

PS Fuck you modern Atlus.

That's such bullshit. They better expand it, then. Make it less repetitive, and flesh it out more. Bosses were insane already, so I don't know what they can do to improve on those.

Edit:
We can now mod some of the lacklustre music from Reload, using FES:

Persona 3 FES Music Replacement

This mod brings back original soundtrack from Persona 3 FES.

www.nexusmods.com

 

[Last Hearth]

I’ve never played any Persona game, is this a good one to try my first? Is it turn based combat or real time?

 

[Danjin44]

I’ve never played any Persona game, is this a good one to try my first? Is it turn based combat or real time?

You can start anywhere, all P3,4 and 5 all stand alone story.