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game at KMart for $50

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: December 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Don't buy the game from any of those people at Amazon Marketplace. The game is on sale at KMart for only $50.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is awesome! The version I got came with a character art book, the game, and the game soundtrack. Everything was well worth the money. The game is lots of fun with both anime style art and CG style gaming. It's really indepth and will suck you in for ours at a time. I ddn't want to stop playing. Any fan of the series should buy this one ^_^

Persona 3: Like Playing an Anime

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I'd say the most interesting thing about this game is the fact that, from the get-go, you feel like you're playing an anime. The music is fantastic, the storyline is engaging, and generally the character interactions make it a fun addition to any RPG collection.

During the day you build relationships and progress through character interactions to unlock higher levels of card fusion (I'll speak more of this later on) for a particular arcana of cards. You also have to keep your skills up, charm, braveness, and knowledge if you want to begin interacting with all the characters.

One thing to note, it can, at times, feel tedious going to school every single day. You'll have to answer questions in class (sporadically not every day and the questions are often about Japanese culture so you'll often get them wrong) and you interact with the other students on particular days. The interactions are interesting but a lot of them seem tediously boring so you kind of click through the text, you're only there for the fusion skill boosts anyhow.

Once you get through the day you can choose to go into this giant dungeon tower that appears during an hour that exists only for persona users when time freezes for normal people at 12:00 AM. During this time you use personas to cast spells and use skills while you rely also on your characters weaponry to fight. The personas are given through a end-of-battle card selection process that sometimes appears; you see a bunch of cards, they are flipped, switched around, and you pick one.

Once you have the cards for the personas you are allowed to combine them to create personas of equal level with different arcanas. If you built up your relationships this allows them to level up without you even using them which gives them new skills.

Generally, it's a fun game but the school scenes get repetitive and I often found myself doing the day work for 95% of the time between story missions and then just grinding right before the story mission. It doesn't feel like a normal RPG in that sense but still is fun and has an interesting story.

The game also plays like a dating sim at times which may or may not be interesting to you depending upon if you like that sort of thing. There are plenty of girls who you can talk to at school and the more you talk to them the more of a relationship develops. Be careful, however, because if they start to like you and see you talking to other girls they get really upset with you and it's hard to get them on good terms again. It doesn't make sense they force you to date the girls just by talking to them (can't everyone just be friends?) but I guess the dating sim aspect of this requires it.

If you're looking for something fun to play either pick up Persona 3 or Persona 3 FES (it comes with the original but also has new missions) Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES.

Action RPG fans stay clear of this but people who like the romantic aspect of playing as a school kid and going through a subtle progression of steps to become the popular kid you may enjoy this.

Great Game with only a few minor hang-ups

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Persona 3 follows the same formula as the previous persona titles, with significant shifts to the setup and story. The main character and his allies can manifest Personas, which are essentially the core of their characters given phsyical form. These forms only appear during the Dark Hour, a period of time occuring at midnight. The Dark Hour is alos host to hordes of monsters that roam the empty countryside killing anything they find. Periodically people fall into the Dark Hour. Those who do usually die, and in the real world, their bodies are reduced to a catatonic wreck.

The main character arrives at a school where an ominous tower, named Tartarus by those investigasting it, appears during the Dark Hour, and is found to be able to manifest multiple Personas after calmly walking through the Dark Hour time frame. The character, after being exposed to this, embarks on a quest to determine where the Dark Hour orignated, and how to save the Lost Ones who die within it.

The entire main storylnie is entirely voice acted, which is long and well thought out, though certain points of deus ex machina plague it from the beginning. The voices of the characters are actually capable of voice acting unlike even some PS3/360 games (Dynasty Warriors/Samurai Warriors anyone?). The characters personalities are definitely in line with main Japanese culture, and the school system is Japanese to a T, though that should come as a big surprise.

Sidequests abound in Persona 3, and the benefits of pursuing them give the player access to more powerful personas and nice storylines with various NPC's. Many of these feel like storylnies from various mangas and animes, but are charming and a nice distraction from the slogging fight scenes that make of the rest of the game. You do actually ahve to pay attention in school, as there WILL be tests.

The only real detracting factor is also in the sidequests. Some can only be done on particular days t particular times, and unless you know what to watch for, they're very easy to miss. Certain elements are overdone and others underused, especially the timing system. Once you head for the bedroom, the days over, no repeats allowed with reloading. Certain side quests require specific items that are infuriatingly annoying to find, such as a particular brand of soda.

Probably the only thing that makes me a bit ill is the magic system. While the system is very well done, with great graphics and an intuitive style, the games designers should've rethought a setup where the characters appear to be blowing their brains out every 30 seconds in a country with a disproportionatly high suicide rate. Bad form.

Overall, this game is incredible, and will require at least two run throughs to play completely and get all of the potential side-quests, which are worth it just to hear the stories. Also, being a Shin Megami Tensei game, its also a worthwhile investment, as there won't be enough, and eventually it'll be above 100 bucks on Ebay. Get the FES version now though, as its been updated and upgraded.

A couple of original ideas can't save this failed experiment

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: May 04, 2008
Author: Amazon User

First things first: Persona 2 is one of the greatest RPG's of all time mixing a mature story with interesting characters, amazing music, and fun dungeons. However, Persona 3 mixes a childish story with cliché characters, awful music, and one long and boring dungeon (255 floors of nothing). So, knock off a few points right there.

Next, knock off a few points for the sheer tedious nature of this entire game. You basically are doing the SAME EXACT THING for 40 hours (don't believe the reviewers that say this game takes 60-80 hours or whatever; they must have talked to every single NPC character 10 different times every single day or something). Nothing ever changes. It's just the same grind, with no secrets to find, no new places to explore, and no characters to get attached to. It's as pure a dungeon crawler as a dungeon crawler can be, with a little bit of high school drama thrown in as well.

Yet strangely, it's addicting in spurts. Atlus made a very interesting design choice by removing towns to explore or secrets to find: this way, you only focus on the story and battling. However, the story is boring and filled with annoying characters, and the battling is unbalanced. I don't mind not being able to control anyone but the main character, but why are all the other characters so stupid? They'll always cast the wrong spell at the wrong time no matter what you do. Take a boss battle early in the game where you absolutely MUST kill both bosses at the EXACT SAME TIME or one revives. There is no way to get the other characters to do that. Also, if your character dies, the game ends; pretty frustrating when every single enemy on the last floor uses insta-death spells to your entire party and it usually just kills you. However, as I said, it's addicting to level up for at least the first few hours of the game, and the "character interaction" (i.e. dating) part of the game is pretty fun until you realize how easy it is to make everyone like you. Also, speaking of tedium, the music... ugh... it just makes me cringe. Very questionable and repetetive rap and pop songs.

This game is not without merit, as the cinemas are actually cool (and I usually hate cinemas) and the character design is usually pretty good. There were a few surprisingly plot points that were intriguing and some of the later boss battles are fun. The game goes by quite quickly -- but it leaves you feeling rather unsatisfied. They almost made a great game, but the game just has too many tiny flaws that all come together to make the game unbearable for most of its play-through. As a game, it's a little below mediocre. As a sign of things to hopefully come in the world of RPG's, it's pretty inspiring. Someone else can take the advancements put forth here and put them to good use hopefully.

Not THE best RPG but good enough to buy me!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: February 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

WHAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW is that you should end every visit to Tartarus by registering persona in blue room. Write them down on paper, too, or in txt file .

WHAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW is that you should try test fusions AND WRITE DOWN how you get stronger personas.

WHAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW is that you should do something before going to bed

WHAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW is that monday is sales day and new stuff arrives at the beginning of each month....

WHAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW IS THAT YOU NEED SOMEONE W NULL CHARM, Raphael. You alsoneed database of personas and fusions. Get different persona s with different abilities and weaknesses. Never go home after school, find people, walk around.

Buff your team so that main guy is 74th llevel before 31st of Jan.

OK NOW ONTO REVIEW:
SPOILERS AHEAD:

I beat Persona 1 and Persona 2 on Playstation, after long time of not playing RPGs . I loved how Persona one has that SSI games feeling, with positioning characters on 'battlefield' and deep and vast labyrinths with first person view.

Persona 2 was more fun oriented with fusion spells AND you could save game at almost any moment, as if you played PC game.

Persona 3 is not bad game at all. I liked, for instance , SMT Nocturne better AND Shadow Hearts one was cool and maybe more original, if not better than P3. So far, I spend about 23 hours playing P3 . There are colourful personas like in part two , you also have city map and you have small quests both on and off combat. There are dialogues and they can bring you exp for some personas you are about to make IN ADVANCE, and some stories are really noble, like one with girl whose parents are divorcing, kendo master w bad knee and so on...

What I dislike is that a game is repetitive , since all combat so far takes place in some kinda tower with same floors and school days pass monotonous (like in real life). Ok, I usually complain how all RPGs are underground, but here, you basically do shopping in one place, do fighting in Tower and you are pinned to run around 7-8 locations.

What I SERIOUSLY dislike is bizarre way people summon Personas. Why, o why Atlus had to make such a risky move and spoil a game which is not bad at all and so far not about suicide at all ??? I REALLY miss that PER SONAAAA shout that was trademark of series !!! And yeah, it was nice dealing with enemies verbally and getting someting, like in one and two.

-------------MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD-----------------------------

I beat 66 and half hours of a game . There was a hype during game itself, , characters were saying: 'Let's beat boss 12' , 'Oh please god let us beat boss no. 12' and so on. And what happens then? IT IS NOT END!!! You feel like sucker and this is just another trick to extend play time without much imagination, it seems. I will play it till end boss, but I am really asking myself why I play RPGs after I beat main games on PC and PS systems. I was almost sure to get PS3 one day, but I loose a reason each time I play new 'great' games. Back to you soon...

---------------AFTER BEATING PERSONA 3 the game--------------------------

Game's masochistic a bit with all that leveling up but main boss is challenge to every serious RPG fan. End bought me, totally. Almost tear jerking. You really needn't be more than 74th level before 31 dec. It's also boring how school and city are basically few 'stages' and that's it.

All in all, this game glorifies friendship and humanity. See for your self. Beat it.

Great game, just not for me so much...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 5
Date: February 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Well picked this game up after hearing a lot about it. It really sounded great. It was very different from some of the other RPG's I'd played. It started out pretty good, loved the whole school part of it and the dungeon crawling at night was fun as well. But it really started getting tedious to me. The story was ok, but it really just didnt hook me as much. I just wasnt able to finish it, I just started to get kind of bored playing the game and moved on to something else.

TEENAGERS KILLING THEMSELVES??

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 12 / 339
Date: August 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I really wanted to enjoy this game,as I have the first two Persona games as well as Nocturne and Devil Summoner;but Persona 3 goes way past the line of good taste.

To summon your Persona (other self or ego) players will put a gun (called
an Evoker) to their head and pull the trigger.Atlus,this is %110 BULL***T!!

The fact that these characters are teenagers and also that adolescents are among the highest rate of suicide victims,makes me want to vomit,when I think that YOU ARE MAKING MONEY OFF THIS!

There was absolutely no reason to put something so careless,idiotic and in such bad taste in a a game.This was all done in the name of the almighty dollar.Who needs any form of integrity when we can make a quick buck?

It's also not as if this is displayed once in the game,but everytime a character wants to transform into a Persona,we get to see a nice scene of kids blowing their brains out.What class Atlus;I hope you sleep well at night.What a wonderful thing for the youth to be exposed to.No doubt this game will also be played by those under 17.Even those who are of age and older,this is an unhealthy thing to be desensitized with.

To ALL the developers at Atlus and ALL the people that say there is nothing wrong with that aspect of the game;why don't you show this to some families WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES TO SUICIDE?Specifically by using a gun!See how "creative","artistic" or "FUN" they think it is.

This game should be recalled and that ignorant,insensitive and immature aspect be removed.I hope these jokers get sued,and whatever money they made from this game gets donated to teen suicide prevention.

GROW UP AMERICA!

Excellent game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: September 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I played Persona 2, great game, this one have all you need if you like JRPG. The extras are great too.

I love it, and hate (playing) RPGs in general!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: January 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Heres the basis of the game (as far as I've gotten anyway).

The games dungeon only deals with the Dark Hour, the 25th hour, aka the hour between days where all creatures are frozen or "transmogrified" as vulnerable souls. The school transforms into a gothic dungeon where creatures attack and search for transmogrified souls for food, those eaten, the person becomes a near-catatonic shell of a person called the Lost, or people affected by the "Apathy Syndrome". As usual, the defense of mankind falls in the hands of post-adolescent teens who have dark issues of their own, besides our well-being. Within the Dark Hour creatures attack.

Unlike other RPGs where doing things that seem like sidequests in helping people get you specialized skills/weapons/whatever, Persona 3 here tells you all the normal everyday relationships you do are connected to your powers and abilities, nothing is trivial to the progress of the game, they're all integral to advancing. The choice is where you wish to advance.

Okay, so let's get it straight, this game is layered with so many headtrips and things to do. Relationships level up your summoning abilities. Battles are not dictated randomly, and you have command of your party semi-realtime because they themselves are semi-autonomous, such as telling them to split up and either search for the next floor, avoid combat, clear the floor of enemies, etc. The idea of the game is balancing studying, dating, friendships versus training, fighting and defending people in the late hours. Sleep, sickness, and lack of study affect you. Choose wisely, don't push your body, and be aware of how far your team members can go.

I think it's ironic for a game to encourage being outside and about with people in this day and age with MMORPGs and big fantasy/sci-fi settings. It promotes you to build relationships. However, you as a player representative of the main character are motivated only to make friends to gain power. So that's how I see it.

Despite the supernatural aspect, this game is the most relative to our lives (being students at one point or another) over even Grand Theft Auto which seems to be devoid of children and school.

So remember, this game adds and reinforces perspective on peoples social standings. Later, I'm sleepy as you can read from my rant. Either way, my OCD keeps me playing the games' days on end.

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