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Game Information
Game Title: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable

Platforms:

• PlayStation 5 (Jan 19, 2023)
• Xbox Series X/S (Jan 19, 2023)
• PlayStation 4 (Jan 19, 2023)
• Xbox One (Jan 19, 2023)
• Nintendo Switch (Jan 19, 2023)
• PC (Jan 19, 2023)

Trailers:

• Atlus USA Trailer: Persona 3 Portable
• Atlus USA Trailer: Persona 3 (Trailer 1)

Developer: Atlus

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 80 average - 81% recommended - 23 reviews

Critic Reviews

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Attack of the Fanboy - Diego Perez - 3.5 / 5

Persona 3 Portable stripped Persona 3 down to its bare essentials just to get the game running on the PSP. Playing that same game on a home console without any significant changes, even at a budget price, feels incredibly underwhelming, especially with Persona 4 Golden releasing alongside it. Yes, the skeleton of Persona 3 is still there. The problem is that there's hardly any meat on its bones. When you pair that with the fact that there still isn't a single definitive edition of Persona 3 on any platform 17 years after its release, it feels like Atlus is neglecting one of its most beloved games.

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CGMagazine - Philip Watson - 9.5 / 10

Persona 3 Portable is a must-play for ALL RPG fans, and with its inclusion on Xbox Game Pass, a MUST try for all gamers.

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Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - Recommended

Persona 3 Portable lays out the blueprint for later entries and while a bit rough around the edges, features a brilliant setting, roster of characters, and one heck of an ending.

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Final Weapon - Raul Ochoa - 4 / 5

Persona 3 Portable ages like fine wine as an excellent JRPG that caters to handheld play sessions on Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. The game's iconic style, incredible story, humorous cast, and emotional moments are beautifully remastered for modern platforms. The remaster's new features and quality of life improvements make this version the best way to play Persona 3 right away.

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GamingTrend - David Flynn - 85 / 100

This remaster may be closer to a simple upscale, but Persona 3 Portable is still an incredible game that set the standard for modern Persona. The game looks and runs great no matter what you play it on, with a few caveats. While this probably won't settle the debate about P3's definitive version, it's great to have it easily available.

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Hardcore Gamer - Adam Beck - 4 / 5

Persona 3 Portable was a gem when it came to the PlayStation Portable nearly thirteen years ago, but it was very much meant for the hardware of its time.

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Hobby Consolas - Álvaro Alonso - Spanish - 80 / 100

It is a pity that the opportunity has not been taken to make a definitive version of Persona 3 with all the good things of Persona 3 FES and P3P, but to be able to play such a jewel on modern platforms and for the first time with Spanish translation is already a small triumph.

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Kotaku - Luke Plunkett - Unscored

If Persona 3 is in your backlog, or even just on a list of “games I really need to try out someday,” and you haven’t got around to it, please try to fix that ASAP. Even in 2021, it’s more than worth the hoops you need to jump through to play it, because while official copies are now very expensive, I’m sure you’re a smart person who can find other ways to play it.

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Nintendo Life - Mitch Vogel - 7 / 10

P3P remains an enjoyable JRPG, but we would say this is easily the most skippable of the mainline Persona games on Switch at present. An engrossing story and well-balanced gameplay loop easily justify a purchase, though things like Tartarus' repetitive floors, the visual novel presentation, and the lack of FES content hold this one back from the heights its successors reached. We'd give P3P a recommendation, though only after having played both P4G and P5R, and only if you still find yourself needing more Persona in your life. This is still a great installment for Persona fans and will be best appreciated by players who have that contextual series knowledge, but its rougher edges may put others off.

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NintendoWorldReport - Jordan Rudek - 8 / 10

It packs a healthy amount of content into its lengthy runtime, and if the combination of school life sim and dungeon crawler strikes you, there's little reason not to dive right in. It's worth considering that P3P does feel a fair bit darker in tone and theme, complete with characters needing to shoot themselves in the head to summon their personas. For those who first played the game on PSP or Vita, the visuals and performance have received a noticeable boost over the original version, in addition to now being able to quick save your progress at any time. The update doesn't reinvent the wheel, but added quality of life features definitely make this the ideal way to play Persona 3 Portable.

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NookGaming - Isaiah Parker - 6 / 10

The few improvements made to Persona 3 Portable cannot begin to make up for how half-hearted this remastering effort feels otherwise. Shoddily redone audiovisual aspects compromise its atmosphere and painstakingly crafted emotional beats. Things that should have been improved simply weren’t. I implore you to play Persona 3 if you haven’t already, it’s one of the most fulfilling and characterful JRPGs ever made. However, don’t make this disappointing version your first experience.

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PC Gamer - Andrea Shearon - 80 / 100

A PSP classic with systems that show age, but P3P's retelling remains a series best for its stylishly eerie world and intimate look at mortality.

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PlayStation Universe - Timothy Nunes - 7.5 / 10

Persona 3 Portable on PS4 doesn't do much at all to enhance what was already there to begin with, looking like a sharpened version of its former self. Regardless, there's a strong entry here, exploring some darker concepts than the modern mainline games. It may not have the same style as the newer entries, but it sure delivers on concepts.

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Polygon - Chelsea Stark - Unscored

Still, after getting fully sucked into Persona 5 in 2017, I had fully intended on playing Persona 3 after so many people had told me it was their favorite entry. While the systems don’t hold up when stacked against the newer titles, I found its bleaker tone more endearing and lovable. It takes work to get to the end, but the complicated, messy, weird story is worth it.

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Push Square - Robert Ramsey - 8 / 10

With its watered down presentation, Persona 3 Portable almost feels like an abridged version of the PS2 classic, but it's still well worth playing. A foreboding, ominous atmosphere sells the experience, while the gameplay loop remains as addictive as ever. If you're fairly new to Persona, or perhaps you started with Persona 5, you'll have to persist through some slightly dated design, but don't let that put you off. Persona 3 still stands as a brilliantly broody JRPG.

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RPG Fan - Abraham Kobylanski - 90%

It was 2006's game of the year for a reason, and though this version is still missing something, it's great to have such an essential game made easily available again.

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RPGamer - Luis Mauricio - 4 / 5

With an amazing story, great characters to bond with, and an extraordinary turn-based battle system, Persona 3 not only created fertile ground for the subsequent releases, but is back to captivate newcomers.

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Siliconera - Jenni Lada - 8 / 10

Persona 3 Portable remains an interesting adaptation of Persona 3, with its visual novel approach to daily life, and it's a joy to play on the Switch.

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TechRaptor - Andrew Stretch - 6.5 / 10

Persona 3 Portable creates a compelling story and interweaves global danger with the importance of building up friendships around you. Portable brings with it some good enhancements even if it's not the 'perfect' way to play it. The Tartarus mega-dungeon however wears out its welcome quickly as you tediously climb.

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Twinfinite - Andrew McMahon - 4 / 5

When all is said and done, I really think the story, characters, and overall loop of Persona 3 Portable are vital for anyone that is on the fence about the series. And despite showing its age a bit in sections, the combat is still rewarding and satisfying, solidifying the game’s place as one of the premier RPG titles in all of gaming. I genuinely believe it’s also going to be the reason I get back into Persona 5 and can truly come to appreciate what everyone else loves about the game so much.

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WellPlayed - Nathan Hennessy - 9 / 10

P3P is still a terrific remake from a bygone era and a gold standard in handheld JRPGs on the Switch.

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Worth Playing - Chris "Atom" DeAngelus - 8 / 10

It might sound like I'm being negative about Persona 3, but I'm not. It's a lot of fun, and it has a lot of interesting strengths. It has the misfortune of being the first game in a franchise where the sequels improved on a ton of features and were released before it on the PC. If you've never played it, it's well worth a shot. It's still a great game, but it has aged more than its sequels. Despite that, it still does some things superbly well. The addition of an entire second playable story path and a bunch of new social links also makes it a worthwhile experience for those who played the original release but not the portable version.

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XboxEra - Genghis Husameddin - 8 / 10

For Xbox players, Persona 3 Portable is an amazing game. And despite this version’s flaws, I implore you to give it a go.