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[arue]

I'm very late for this, but Merry Christmas PersonaGAF! Thanks for being wonderful people and I look forward to spend 2015 with you guys!

I also found this recently on my trip to Japan. Too bad I couldn't get a P3MC one

Spoiler

If you live in Japan and see this often, please forgive me because I was just so excited to see a Persona gacha.

 

[CorvoSol]

Did the first hour or so of P4AU last night. Of course, between the half hour Sony Update and the DLC installs this means I only fought two Shadows in story mode.

Spoiler

Thus far I like the way the story mode looks like it is going to be handled a lot better. Beyond that, I worry a little because the Investigation Team seems to be pretty damn helpless beyond just waiting for shit to happen. And granted, that's all they've ever been able to do, but it is a little frustrating to see them still stuck that way.

On the other hand, seeing that tie into Rise is actually quite nice. Her own experiences during the last game seem to be having a significant impact on her, and as far as justification for her new, combat capable Persona goes, I'm pretty damn okay with it.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

From the 4Gamer end of the year, developer interview article (I'll try using my masterful Google translate interpretation skills):

Question 1: What game released in 2014 surprised or impressed you?

Katsura Hashino:
I didn't play too many, but I suppose the game that stands out is inFamous: Second Son for the PS4. There are moral choices between "good" and "bad" littered throughout the game, and it's fun to choose between them. [stuff]

Question 2: What other entertainment work released in 2014 were you impressed by?

Katsura Hashino:
Gatchaman, Kikaider Reboot, Lupin the Third... Japanese films, in general. [stuff]

Question 3: Which person of note did you devote attention to in 2014?

Katsura Hashino:
The writer Mafia Kajita, the voice actor Tomomi Isomura and the illustrator Yuji Himukai. Reason: The official Atlus show Persona Stalker Club has become quite popular due to the hosts' silliness. [Real unclear on this one]: For the rest... it's for the hero of the latest game. I spent a lot of trouble this year designing him to match the story and his development.

Question 4: What are your aspirations for 2015, and do you have anything to say for 4Gamer readers?

Katsura Hashino:
For next year, there's one keyword I want people to envision: individuality, and how one's own uniqueness can serve to change the world. That's actually a slogan for P Studio. To depart from the general rules and norms that bind us. To think about the balance between the good and the bad in someone, and to think about one's potential to change their way of thinking and their behavior. In recent years, the world might feel somewhat suffocating but, as long as it is made up of the relationship between humans with their own unique personalities, this sense of stagnation can be broken. This isn't related to Persona 5 by the way, that game's cancelled. This is the thought I wish to embody through the latest game in the Persona series. Please stay tuned for more information regarding it.

Don't take any of the above as gospel, but it should give people a pretty good gist of what it's about.

 

[Dantis]

It would be the remix from the first trailer wouldn't it?

Hard to say. Kozuka wasn't in the original credits, but he replaced Meguro in the new credits.

 

[PK Gaming]

Persona Q: Group Date Cafe

Spoiler

Finished Group Date Cafe. Loved the final floor. I got Mitsuru, probably because I more or less intentionally chose her by saying "C'est Magnifique!" at one point. Of course I could have been a total gentleman and swept the virtual girl off of her virtual feet, but because this is Persona I chose to pick the options I felt would yield the funniest results instead. So I opted to literally sweep Mitsuru off her feet and flirt with her as shamelessly as possible before reaching the boss. I was not disappointed.

Archie Nukami has such unnecessary charm, though, that despite his best efforts to deliberately tank his relationship with Mitsuru, she found herself more and more attracted to him. You know you got moves when you can woo Jesus' girlfriends out from under him.

Loved the final boss. Merciful Clergyman's Southern Preacher accent was a gas, and the entire Vow concept was so off-kilter I found myself laughing the entire boss fight. Having disposed of him fairly quickly: I'm leveling up all my parties evenly so Archie himself is rockin' level 32 already.

Something that kinda threw me off, though, is that Rei flipped out on Zen at the end of the dungeon, but that in other ways this little explosion of hers is sort of glossed over. Like strolls and such. Maybe nobody in the cast took it as seriously as I thought it was meant to be taken.

On this same note, I'm glad the next dungeon is a scary dungeon because it gives Chie a chance to be something more than just meat meat meat. Like, I dunno how to put this other than that I think Arena Chie is a better portrayal than Q Chie because Arena Chie at least gets to point out that she's not some all-devouring monster. I understand that in spin-off games every character is going to be an exaggeration of their original traits, and that a cast as big as PQ's isn't going to be able to shine the spotlight on anyone nearly as well as the original game's, but there's more to Chie than an unending lust for red meat. She's the only one I feel is really too off at the moment, or whose offness is worthy of complaint.

Made damn sure to throw Kanji under the Naoto bus in the 3rd dungeon opening, too. Get out there and make me proud, big guy.

Got P4AU today for Christmas, so I'm looking forward to finally being caught up with PGAF. Best news is that I also got the Blow Up Teddie and Tarot. So now I own a deck of Tarot cards, hahaha.

Spoiler

The Group Date Cafe weddings are some of the best things that came out of Persona Q. I got Yosuke myself, so I basically completed the OTP. Yu and Yosuke just fake firt the entire way through; it's pretty hilarious, You can watch the rest online, and while most of them are comedic or overly sweet, some of them are more touching than one might expect, like Teddie's.

That boss was a ton of laughs. He was too easy, but I still got enjoyment from his voice/gimmicks.

Yeah that Rei scene threw me for a loop as well. I was looking for a reconciliation between the 2, but we didn't get one. It was jarring at first, but like the game, I ended up forgetting it. Maybe he gave her a Takoyaki and called it a day.

Looking forward to seeing your thoughts on the next dungeon. It's got some great story scenes.

 

[Sophia]

You'd probably have that face, too:

Good god.... that is horrifying. O.O

 

[CorvoSol]

Spoiler

The Group Date Cafe weddings are some of the best things that came out of Persona Q. I got Yosuke myself, so I basically completed the OTP. Yu and Yosuke just fake firt the entire way through; it's pretty hilarious, You can watch the rest online, and while most of them are comedic or overly sweet, some of them are more touching than one might expect, like Teddie's.

That boss was a ton of laughs. He was too easy, but I still got enjoyment from his voice/gimmicks.

Yeah that Rei scene threw me for a loop as well. I was looking for a reconciliation between the 2, but we didn't get one. It was jarring at first, but like the game, I ended up forgetting it. Maybe he gave her a Takoyaki and called it a day.

Looking forward to seeing your thoughts on the next dungeon. It's got some great story scenes.

Hahaha,

Spoiler

I really hope Yosuke does grow up to the point of being able to fake flirt with a dude. It's a huge step forward from his teenage dickishness. Guess you can't really have a level 3 persona and not be comfortable with yourself, haha.

P4AU

Forgot to mention: Laura Bailey singing in this game is a thing and I love it.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Good god.... that is horrifying. O.O

Mafia Kajita was forced to eat some of it by Yukiko. That was pretty neat.

About the interview above: Pretty sure the reason Hashino pinpointed inFamous: Second Son was because of some of its conceptual ties to Persona 5, which he reiterates in his answer to question 4 (about the "good" and the "bad" in a person).

 

[Green Mamba]

A lot of the enemy Shadows in Golden have different weakness/resistances than they did in the original P4, right? I'm not crazy, am I?

 

[PK Gaming]

Hahaha,

Spoiler

I really hope Yosuke does grow up to the point of being able to fake flirt with a dude. It's a huge step forward from his teenage dickishness. Guess you can't really have a level 3 persona and not be comfortable with yourself, haha.

P4AU

Forgot to mention: Laura Bailey singing in this game is a thing and I love it.

Spoiler

He's definitely changed for the better in Persona Q. He's still the irritable straight-man we know and love, but he's got way more tact in this game; no more trying to guilt trip girls into wearing bikinis or pathetically trying to score with them. His jabs at his friends are a lot more lighthearted than before (Kanji especially) and he seems to treat everyone with respect. Like, his interactions with Rise or Yukiko are way better now. He talks to them like they're people, instead of putting her on a pedestal like he used to. (Hell, he actually gets irritated at Yukiko a few times, haha) I actually feel pretty comfortable in calling him Brosuke now.

A lot of the enemy Shadows in Golden have different weakness/resistances than they did in the original P4, right? I'm not crazy, am I?

Nah dude, a ton of enemies got their resistances/weaknesses changed in Golden.

Off the top of my head:

I think the Burning Beetle no longer reflects physical, and the first tiger enemy has weaknesses now. Persistant fuzz is annoying in vanilla. No weaknesses. Those balance enemies have way more resistances in P4 too.

I actually have a folder filled with differences between P4/P4G up until August, haha.

 

[Cannon_Fodder]

I'm very late for this, but Merry Christmas PersonaGAF! Thanks for being wonderful people and I look forward to spend 2015 with you guys!

I also found this recently on my trip to Japan. Too bad I couldn't get a P3MC one

That's awesome! If you didn't get the P3MC who did you get? When I was in Japan I tried a P4 gatcha and got the door to the Velvet Room, haha.

From the 4Gamer end of the year, developer interview article (I'll try using my masterful Google translate interpretation skills):


Katsura Hashino:
I didn't play too many, but I suppose the game that stands out is inFamous: Second Son for the PS4. There are moral choices between "good" and "bad" littered throughout the game, and it's fun to choose between them. [stuff]


Katsura Hashino:
Gatchaman, Kikaider Reboot, Lupin the Third... Japanese films, in general. [stuff]


Katsura Hashino:
The writer Mafia Kajita, the voice actor Tomomi Isomura and the illustrator Yuji Himukai. Reason: The official Atlus show Persona Stalker Club has become quite popular due to the hosts' silliness. [Real unclear on this one]: For the rest... it's for the hero of the latest game. I spent a lot of trouble this year designing him to match the story and his development.


Katsura Hashino:
For next year, there's one keyword I want people to envision: individuality, and how one's own uniqueness can serve to change the world. That's actually a slogan for P Studio. To depart from the general rules and norms that bind us. To think about the balance between the good and the bad in someone, and to think about one's potential to change their way of thinking and their behavior. In recent years, the world might feel somewhat suffocating but, as long as it is made up of the relationship between humans with their own unique personalities, this sense of stagnation can be broken. This isn't related to Persona 5 by the way, that game's cancelled. This is the thought I wish to embody through the latest game in the Persona series. Please stay tuned for more information regarding it.

Don't take any of the above as gospel, but it should give people a pretty good gist of what it's about.

Man, that interview really impressed upon me how important Hashino is to the Persona games. The concepts he's talking about there fascinate me, and I'd love to see how they are presented in the final game. Some concrete details would be awesome, but this conceptual stuff is interesting too.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

I did it:

Predictions for remaining Persona news this year: release date for P4AU ver. 2.00, interview/comment about the future, and a new PSC episode announcement/release.

Do I win anything? No...?

Couple of more predictions:

- Expect a whole lot of nothing regarding significant Persona game news in January. My choice in poll #006 sticks: February will be the start.
- A Persona game's release date definitely gets announced in February.

 

[Green Mamba]

Nah dude, a ton of enemies got their resistances/weaknesses changed in Golden.

Off the top of my head:

I think the Burning Beetle no longer reflects physical, and the first tiger enemy has weaknesses now. Persistant fuzz is annoying in vanilla. No weaknesses. Those balance enemies have way more resistances in P4 too.

I actually have a folder filled with differences between P4/P4G up until August, haha.

Okay good, that was driving me nuts. Fighting the Positive Kings in Golden and I was thinking, "Man, I was sure these guys were weak to fire..." My memory is going to playing tricks on me the whole way it seems then.

 

[Sophia]

I did it:

Do I win anything? No...?

YOU GET NOTHING~!

I do like the part about individuality and how it relates to their studio. That's a distinctively different concept from how many Japanese companies operate. Does put a lot of faith in their team too.

 

[arue]

That's awesome! If you didn't get the P3MC who did you get? When I was in Japan I tried a P4 gatcha and got the door to the Velvet Room, haha.

I got 2 Akihikos, 2 Mitsurus, 1 Shinjiro, and 1 Aigis. I wanted to get more but it was sold out

I did it:

Do I win anything? No...?

Couple of more predictions:

- Expect a whole lot of nothing regarding significant Persona game news in January. My choice in poll #006 sticks: February will be the start.
- A Persona game's release date definitely gets announced in February.

If it's not Persona 5, then I'd flip a table. It's been too long and at least a 10-month gap between the release date and the announcement sounds reasonable.

 

[Sophia]

Mobile GAF is weird.

I expect persona 5 in January. There well be a riot otherwise. As arue said, it's been too long.

 

[Makio]

I still hoping for a May - June japanese release of P5 , so i can see a reveal of the date the next month.

January is next week guys , the year of 5 (2015) begins .. is gonna be awesome.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Mobile GAF is weird.

I expect persona 5 in January. There well be a riot otherwise. As arue said, it's been too long.

There won't be that much of a riot, because there's February 5th, 2015 as an exact date for when we should expect something, or the start of something, related to P5 (and most do, going from that poll). This situation is very much akin to the period of silence before the November 24, 2013 event, right down to Hashino giving comments that are pretty much like his 2013: "Are you curious? You’re curious, right? I believe that we’ll soon be able to tell you all the announcements we’ve been keeping, so please look forward to that day…"

After the teaser website launched last year (end of September): Hashino gave a statement about exciting things to come in an interview (end of October) and a P4AU location test started + a release date announcement for November (November). This time? The countdown website launches at the end of November, Hashino gives a statement about exciting things to come in an interview and a P4AU release date is announced for January.

I think this is pretty much in Atlus' m.o. I've been a bit unsure of some things in the past, but I feel like I'm gaining a better understanding of their general pace when it comes to news and when to expect certain announcements, and I can really, confidently say that there will be nothing of substance for P5 in January.

'Course, it's at times when one's definitive about certain things that it comes back around to bite them, but I really do think expecting something in January is just inevitable disappointment. There's just a bit more than a month left; they'll keep everything for then and onwards.

 

[Tamanon]

Getting the vibe from all the Hashino interview snippets over the past months that P5 is going to be pretty different from the last two entries. Wouldn't be surprised if S-links are gone or heavily modified and the calendar system is completely revamped into a chapter-esque model instead.

I do like the talk about the story impact on the MC. Might mean we get one more focused on the MC to begin with instead of the Persona 4 style where Yu was basically just there to attract party members.

 

[PK Gaming]

More development on the protagonist (ala Tatsuya) is definitely welcomed

 

[Makio]

. Wouldn't be surprised if S-links are gone or heavily modified and the calendar system is completely revamped into a chapter-esque model instead.

If sidequests in Q are good than everybody says ... i not gonna miss these ones.
Let's face it , some Social Links are great but others are totally pointless or boring. You only played because you want to reach Rank 10 and the "ultimate" persona.

Like the Nurse SL in 4 (this one have so much potential in the beginning), or the Gourmet guy in 3... skkiping dialogue in each gameplay.

 

[Cannon_Fodder]

I got 2 Akihikos, 2 Mitsurus, 1 Shinjiro, and 1 Aigis. I wanted to get more but it was sold out

The lack of MC is kinda disappointing, but it sounds like you got a good haul otherwise! That's good. Gatchas are so addicting, haha.

 

[RockderBanja]

Mitsuru's face...

Man, Akihiko looks like he's deeply contemplating his own life.
"How did I get here?" "Why do I look like a hobo?"

 

[Meia]

"Social links" as they exist don't necessarily have to be in, but they were one of the best ways of actually learning about the characters. Not to mention the "managing time" aspect has also been a part of modern persona, so without one you probably don't have the other too.


Definitely going to be interesting to see what's going to be different.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Spoiler

The Group Date Cafe weddings are some of the best things that came out of Persona Q. I got Yosuke myself, so I basically completed the OTP. Yu and Yosuke just fake firt the entire way through; it's pretty hilarious, You can watch the rest online, and while most of them are comedic or overly sweet, some of them are more touching than one might expect, like Teddie's.

That boss was a ton of laughs. He was too easy, but I still got enjoyment from his voice/gimmicks.

Yeah that Rei scene threw me for a loop as well. I was looking for a reconciliation between the 2, but we didn't get one. It was jarring at first, but like the game, I ended up forgetting it. Maybe he gave her a Takoyaki and called it a day.

Looking forward to seeing your thoughts on the next dungeon. It's got some great story scenes.

Spoiler

How did you do that and your MC live? No execution or nuffin.

I ended up with Elizabeth. Huh? As wierd and distanced as you'd expect. Especially after talking herself into, then out of, doing everything she wanted to do.

 

[Sophia]

There won't be that much of a riot, because there's February 5th, 2015 as an exact date for when we should expect something, or the start of something, related to P5 (and most do, going from that poll). This situation is very much akin to the period of silence before the November 24, 2013 event, right down to Hashino giving comments that are pretty much like his 2013: "Are you curious? You’re curious, right? I believe that we’ll soon be able to tell you all the announcements we’ve been keeping, so please look forward to that day…"

That's not too far after the end of January, yo. Unless you're being picky.

I dunno. I hope they show something soon. Last time they announced it ahead of time we got a teaser with no info and that was it. :\

Man, Akihiko looks like he's deeply contemplating his own life.
"How did I get here?" "Why do I look like a hobo?"

That Akihiko looks so out of place there. XD

 

[FluxWaveZ]

That's not too far after the end of January, yo. Unless you're being picky.

I dunno. I hope they show something soon. Last time they announced it ahead of time we got a teaser with no info and that was it. :\

I don't think that's really picky; January and February are different months. It's because February 5th is so close to the end of January that anything revealed in January itself would probably be a waste, or a result of showing their hand too early when they can start it out with the big event.

Again, it's just a bit more than a month left before they'll be able to show their hand. P5 likely isn't going to be delayed into 2016, so things probably won't be happening with too much turbulence from here on, which means that a proper media cycle will be able to go into effect once the date for PSL 2015 is hit. After that, just like their promise with P4D, they'll surely be able to give us more substantial information when P5 resurfaces.

 

[Sophia]

I don't think that's really picky; January and February are different months. It's because February 5th is so close to the end of January that anything revealed in January itself would probably be a waste, or a result of showing their hand too early when they can start it out with the big event.

Again, it's just a bit more than a month left before they'll be able to show their hand. P5 likely isn't going to be delayed into 2016, so things probably won't be happening with too much turbulence from here on, which means that a proper media cycle will be able to go into effect once the date for PSL 2015 is hit.

Yeah, hopefully you're right. I'm just completely indifferent at this point because they've been dragging us along since 2010.

Kinda reminds me of the gap between Persona 2 and Persona 3. Except a sequel is actually coming this time....

 

[Weiss]

If sidequests in Q are good than everybody says ... i not gonna miss these ones.
Let's face it , some Social Links are great but others are totally pointless or boring. You only played because you want to reach Rank 10 and the "ultimate" persona.

Like the Nurse SL in 4 (this one have so much potential in the beginning), or the Gourmet guy in 3... skkiping dialogue in each gameplay.

Given how Social Links have become one of the most defining parts of the series, I doubt they'll be gone, or even significantly modified.

Even if they're not all amazing, I really like them. It makes character development a reward for investing into the story.

 

[PK Gaming]

Yosuke: Let's do this partner!
Yu: You got it partner!

 

[Red The Hunter]

Kinda late, but Happy Holidays everyone.

Mitsuru's face...

dat face, along with Akihiko's "Why the hell am I here and dressed like this." face

You'd probably have that face, too:

@_@
I fell like I've entered Bento hell.

 

[MiguelMexMIstery]

GUYS THE IMPOSSIBLE JUST HAPPENED

I STREETPASSED SOMEONE

...

IN MEXICO

I really love how the "partner" stuff went from only like two lines in the original P4 to simbolize Yu and Yosuke's friendship now.

 

[King Fost]

I got Persona Q get a few days ago. I like it, but I think the game would be a lot better if Teddie gets ebola or gets shoved off a cliff or something by the end. Seriously fuck that guy,he's like the Jar Jar Binks of Persona.

I also don't get the bitching about how Akihiko's character was flanderized/changed. He was always one-dimensional and completely uninteresting in P3, there's not really any big change here.

 

[Soulflarz]

I got Persona Q get a few days ago. I like it, but I think the game would be a lot better if Teddie gets ebola or gets shoved off a cliff or something by the end. Seriously fuck that guy,he's like the Jar Jar Binks of Persona.

I also don't get the bitching about how Akihiko's character was flanderized/changed. He was always one-dimensional and completely uninteresting in P3, there's not really any big change here.

Uh, both Akihiko and Teddie got flanderized :/

 

[Jintor]

You gotta be kidding me, Akihiko absolutely did not spend the entirity of P3 fucking talking about fucking protein

 

[snow in jamaica]

Teddie in PQ is the worst character ever.

 

[PK Gaming]

I got Persona Q get a few days ago. I like it, but I think the game would be a lot better if Teddie gets ebola or gets shoved off a cliff or something by the end. Seriously fuck that guy,he's like the Jar Jar Binks of Persona.

I also don't get the bitching about how Akihiko's character was flanderized/changed. He was always one-dimensional and completely uninteresting in P3, there's not really any big change here.

You're way off base man. Really. I mean it. Akihiko isn't just flanderized in Persona Q, he's nigh unrecognizable. The practical and goal-oriented senior we knew in Persona 3 is dead. Instead, we're treated to a character who can be summed with 3 key points:

1) Training
2) Protein
3) Arguments with Shinji

Sure, he was obsessed with training in Persona 3, but only because he haunted by the loss of his younger sister. It was a way of atoning for her death. His protein obsession originated in P4A, but even his P4A self is miles better than his PQ self. His arguments with Shinji (while entertaining) completely miss the mark. Shinji was Akihiko was pillar; they had an almost. They would get into arguments over petty shit.

Overall, they completely missed the mark with Akihiko. His PQ self almost feels like an an intentional parody. I feel bad for his fans.

 

[Xenoflare]

I got Persona Q get a few days ago. I like it, but I think the game would be a lot better if Teddie gets ebola or gets shoved off a cliff or something by the end. Seriously fuck that guy,he's like the Jar Jar Binks of Persona.

I also don't get the bitching about how Akihiko's character was flanderized/changed. He was always one-dimensional and completely uninteresting in P3, there's not really any big change here.

Akihiko may be a rather flat character but there is no excuse for his near retardedness in PQ.

Arena is just full on BS

 

[snow in jamaica]

It's really weird to see Akihiko depicted as a reckless meathead when he was a pretty smart and rational guy in P3. He's like the butt of the group rather than being the "senpai" alongside Mitsuru. It's like he was written by people who only experienced P3's prologue and heard of some things from fans like the protein request.

 

[Green Mamba]

Akihiko was probably the flattest character in P3 but he was still nothing like the roided out moron he is in Arena. Fucker doesn't deserve Caesar at all any more. He was an easy joke in P3 ("I'm all about training") but it seemed like he had actual reasons for being that way, to see him regress in Arena just to try to repeat his one and only defining character moment was probably the most annoying thing about the P3 characters in that. To hear that he's actually worse in PQ is pretty disheartening.

 

[King Fost]

I didn't say he wasn't flanderized, I just said it wasn't that the flanderized version isn't that much worse than the original version since they're both rather uninteresting (at least imo).

 

[RockderBanja]

You're way off base man. Really. I mean it. Akihiko isn't just flanderized in Persona Q, he's nigh unrecognizable. The practical and goal-oriented senior we knew in Persona 3 is dead. Instead, we're treated to a character who can be summed with 4 key points:

1) Training
2) Protein
3) Arguments with Shinji
4) Snaps Fingers
Sure, he was obsessed with training in Persona 3, but only because he haunted by the loss of his younger sister. It was a way of atoning for her death. His protein obsession originated in P4A, but even his P4A self is miles better than his PQ self. His arguments with Shinji (while entertaining) completely miss the mark. Shinji was Akihiko was pillar; they had an almost. They would get into arguments over petty shit.

Overall, they completely missed the mark with Akihiko. His PQ self almost feels like an an intentional parody. I feel bad for his fans.

There you go, I felt something was missing.

 

[Meia]

It's like when it came to PQ, they totally forgot the mini-story of Akihiko getting knocked out of commission for a month or so from the first big shadow so he stopped being as reckless or something. Just him wanting to run facefirst into every FOE you see for the first time is flat out moronic. Teddie is annoying and doesn't have much going to the character in it, but at least that can be somewhat understood considering the timing of PQ. Aki's characterization has little excuse.


Funnily enough, it's probably my only real problem with the game. I kind of cringe anytime Teddie opens his mouth doing the P4 side, and I almost dread doing the P3 side for the same reason with Akihiko...

 

[Acid08]

You're way off base man. Really. I mean it. Akihiko isn't just flanderized in Persona Q, he's nigh unrecognizable. The practical and goal-oriented senior we knew in Persona 3 is dead. Instead, we're treated to a character who can be summed with 3 key points:

1) Training
2) Protein
3) Arguments with Shinji

Sure, he was obsessed with training in Persona 3, but only because he haunted by the loss of his younger sister. It was a way of atoning for her death. His protein obsession originated in P4A, but even his P4A self is miles better than his PQ self. His arguments with Shinji (while entertaining) completely miss the mark. Shinji was Akihiko was pillar; they had an almost. They would get into arguments over petty shit.

Overall, they completely missed the mark with Akihiko. His PQ self almost feels like an an intentional parody. I feel bad for his fans.

PK YOU'RE

*snaps fingers*

RIGHT ON THE MONEY

 

[Busaiku]

Fuuka is so adorable in this game.
I remember not really liking her too much in Persona 3, but she's great here.

 

[Vylash]

beat P3 a few days ago, I haz spoilery thoughts

Spoiler

Playing through this after 4 was probably my biggest mistake, because all i could focus on was how everything is so damn inferior compared to 4, social links don't really matter much, you can't even build up the social links of other SEES members on non school days so there's not much to do if there's no school, and stuff like the Aigis social link coming so damn late just came across as annoying.

The main story is better than P4, but i feel that a story is only as good as it's characters, and P3 had too many weak links in it's cast for me (Mitsuru still puts me to sleep)

Junpei sucks, he's awful and garbage, almost the entire game is just him creeping on girls even while Chihiro is in the hospital

the OST is soooooooooo good, it feels a bit more somber compared to P4's more energetic tracks and the contrast works since the main color of P3 is blue and that's a more mellow color

I have no idea why everyone seems to hate Ken so much, I think he handled everything that happened to him like you'd expect a kid to without being overly annoying, I also kinda laughed when Shinjiro died because I'm awful

I guess i don't regret playing it, but i certainly won't be giving it multiple playthroughs, and Tartarus sucks

 

[Jintor]

Fuuka is so adorable in this game.
I remember not really liking her too much in Persona 3, but she's great here.

Her voice improvement does wonders for her too

 

[ScraftyDevil]

Junpei sucks, he's awful and garbagel

I can talk and have talked for ten full minutes about why you're wrong. Junpei's probably P3's most three-dimensional, realized character and he's the greatest in the series.

 

[Weiss]

Yeah this is gonna sound crass, but cheating simplified all of that. By giving myself all cards I no longer had to bend over to get any cards, and could therefore make whatever personae I wanted when I wanted. Really helped speed things along in the game. At the very least I promise you that the game's plot goes to some fun and wacky places, and that the ending is probably one of my favorites in the series. Eternal Punishment's story is also really really good.

Of what I played, I was super into the story. Maya, Ulala, Katsuya and Baofu made a huge impression on me, each of them having a huge list of quirks and foibles that I found supremely endearing; Baofu in particular rose to the top of my favourite Persona characters list almost immediately after his introduction. The completely commonplace dungeons like Seventh High School and the Sanitarium led to a feeling of eerie uneasiness as I was attacked by demons through normal, everyday Japan, and the eclectic, electronic OST, filled that ranged from spooky ambience, violent pulses, catchy, jazzy tunes and more was leagues better than the Hip Hop JPop silliness of the later games.

If you don't mind, could you link me to the guide you used to play through? The one I was using was super vague on a lot of stuff, and essentially told me to just "make this Persona and grind it, then move on" and kind of glossed over all the side content. And when you say "cheating" do you mean actually using a gameshark or something, or just using a guide?

 

[PK Gaming]

There you go, I felt something was missing.

PK YOU'RE

*snaps fingers*

RIGHT ON THE MONEY

Damn, how could I *snaps finger* forget about that.

I can talk and have talked for ten full minutes about why you're wrong. Junpei's probably P3's most three-dimensional, realized character and he's the greatest in the series.

Gotta agree with my bro Scrafty. I could on and on about why Junpei is arguably the best Persona 3 character (and easily one of the best Persona characters of all time), but i'll just quote Soejima:

I think Junpei plays a vital role in making the fantastical story of the game more accessible to the player.

He's the most human and relateable character in the cast. He was the one that fully connected me to the world of P3. Because out of everyone in the group (The pretty popular girl, Gekkoukan's golden boy, Fuuka, the prodigy, the child, the dog, and the android) Junpei was just some guy. Scratch that, not just some guy; he's someone that could have easily been me, put through the ringer.