After being completely consumed by Persona 5 Royal and Persona 4 Golden I had to play Persona 3 and this remake was the perfect way to experience it for the first time. The darker tone hits immediately and doesn’t let up throughout the entire game.
The story deals with much heavier themes than the other two games. Without spoiling anything it gets into existential territory that the others only touch on. The way everything builds toward the ending is masterfully done and when it all comes together it hits harder than either P5 or P4 managed. The scale feels grander with genuine world-ending stakes that feel earned rather than forced.
The cast starts off feeling more like colleagues than friends which makes sense given how SEES operates. Everyone’s just doing a job at first and the relationships feel appropriately distant. But watching them slowly come together and genuinely care about each other by the end is incredibly satisfying. The character development across the board is stellar with everyone getting their moment to shine.
Graphically this is the best looking Persona game by far. Playing on PS5 the character models look incredible and the animations are smooth as butter. The 3D persona models are gorgeous and the Theurgy attacks have these elaborate animations that never get old. Critical hits and all-out attacks have stylish new animations that rival P5’s presentation. Coming from the dated graphics of P4 Golden this was a feast for the eyes.
The Theurgy system is a fantastic addition that gives combat more depth. These special attacks charge up based on each character’s personality and unleash devastating damage or powerful buffs. The protagonist can unlock different Theurgy attacks by registering specific persona combinations which adds another layer to the fusion system. Seeing these elaborate team attacks with their cinematic animations is always satisfying.
Tartarus as the main dungeon could have been repetitive but the remake adds enough variety to keep it interesting. Different floor themes and the gradually increasing challenge keeps you engaged. The Full Moon operations break things up nicely with more story-focused battles. The pacing feels better than randomly generated TV dungeons from P4 or even some of P5’s palaces that dragged on.
The soundtrack is phenomenal and continues Persona’s tradition of music that sticks with you forever. Multiple tracks from P3 Reload joined my daily playlist alongside songs from P4 Golden and P5 Royal. Each game has such a distinct sound that perfectly matches its tone and P3 Reload’s mix of hip-hop and electronic fits the darker atmosphere perfectly. Mass Destruction and Color Your Night are absolute bangers that make grinding in Tartarus actually enjoyable.
Social Links work similarly to the other games with your party members being available for romance if you choose. The links are well written with compelling stories about dealing with loss and finding purpose. The time management feels tighter than the other games which adds pressure to maximize each day.
These games are long commitments but they’re absolutely worth the time investment. I’d recommend any of these three to literally anyone who can spare 70+ hours because they’re experiences you won’t find anywhere else. The combination of life sim and dungeon crawling with incredible stories and characters creates something special.
Already eagerly waiting for Persona 6 whenever that eventually arrives. Until then I’ve got three soundtracks on repeat and memories of three incredible journeys through different aspects of the human experience. These games have earned their legendary status.