chrominance
Member
We're discussing the opening cinematics, not the actual beginnings of the game.
P4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h73LvR8V2LA
P4G: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H5pYCw4ET4
Yeah, it's especially strange how Makoto, Haru, and Futaba are only in it for a single shot. I feel like it's less that it's rushed, and more that it may have been done fairly early in development before the full cast and story were really nailed down.
Honestly, I assumed it was because Atlus already had an idea of which characters they were going to introduce first, both in the game and in marketing, and it was easier to craft the opening scene to fit the requirements of staggered character announcements.