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A deep, mature and entertaining game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 32 / 33
Date: August 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

While this game is called Persona 3, no knowledge of the previous installments is necessary. The game starts off following a group of teenagers, along with an adult supervisor, as they begin an exploration into a recurring paranormal event ... an event that's having a devastating effect on people in their city.

The unique aspect of this Japanese RPG is the use of "personas." A persona is, in a way, a physical respresentation of another you ... its buried deep within these individuals. The main protagonist has the ability to use more than one, and in an almost Pokemon fashion, you have the opportunity to collect them all.

As indelicately indicated by another reviewer, they use a gun-like device called an Evoker to free the persona from their physical form. They DO NOT kill themselves or use bullets. However, suicide is an issue in Japan, as well ... but not generally by guns. So, sensitive individuals should be aware.

However, this is part of the strength of the game's narrative. Each time they take the step to use the Evoker, they're simulating their own death -- this is an important concept in the game, because the characters are reminded that they are mortal and can die. In fact, in the opening and elsewhere the Latin phrase "Memento Mori" is presented -- remember that you are mortal. The use of the gun imagery was not a mistake ... it's made to make the player think and consider their actions, to think deeper -- not only about the game world, but about their own lives.

The strength of the Persona series has always been the incorporation of both philosophy and psychology. It's not unusal to be presented with bits from Jung ... or aspects of the great philosophers.

For mature players, this is a game I can't recommend highly enough.

Spectacular

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 38 / 42
Date: August 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you remember the debut of the Persona series years back on the PS1, you'll remember how surprisingly good and strikingly mature the RPG was for it's time. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 marks the series helping send the PS2 off with a vengeance as it becomes easily one of the best RPG's you'll ever play for the system. The first thing you'll notice is the incredibly creepy and twisting story that sucks you in and will keep you playing to find out what happens next, and the incredibly mature themes (shooting yourself in the head to summon your "persona") helps set the game apart from the rest of the typical, generic RPG pack. This also occurs thanks to being able to participate in school activities (this game does take place at a school) which will effect your combat performance at night as you take on the malevolant Shadows. The game's overall production values are really worth mentioning, with great late in life PS2 graphics, wonderful music, and brilliantly realized animated cut scenes; all of which combined with some complex characters and the addicting storyline help make Persona 3 one of the best PS2 games on the market right now. The only real downsides to Persona 3 are the game's frequent loading times and some menu and interface glitches, but other than that, Persona 3 is nearly flawless. All in all, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 is a real treat that you have to check out regardless of how much a fan of RPG's or the Persona series you are, and even newbies to the series or genre should check this game out just to see what they've been missing.

A thinking man's console RPG?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 26 / 26
Date: August 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Gamers who buy games developed or published by Atlus know that Atlus games tend to be somewhat different from other developers' offerings. After several hours of play, I think it's fair to say that "Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3" continues this trend.

The gameplay is fairly realistic, given that P3 is a Japanese RPG. In battle, they may stumble when attacking and leave themselves vulnerable to the enemies' attacks. If you try to push them too hard, they will get tired, which will affect their performance. Ignore their fatigue, and they will get sick, which further hampers them. This principle applies to the main character, whom the player directly controls. Try to do everything, and you won't be able to do anything particularly well.

Since part of the game involves the character's day-to-day life as a high school student, one cannot expect major plot turns every day. However, the choices the player makes in school do have an effect on the player's options as a Persona user. The more connections the player forges with other students, the more power he will bring to bear as a Persona user, so expect consequences if you decide to play as a loner.

Some players may find some of the imagery in this game disturbing, or even offensive. The characters summon their Personae by using a gun-like device called an Evoker. Unlike another reviewer, I do not think that they are mimicking suicide. Instead, given that in-game dialogue suggests that one can summon a Persona without an Evoker, I think that the Evoker is used to break down a character's inner barriers so that his Persona can manifest. While I understand why the summoning animations may be offensive to some, I do think that Atlus did it this way for a legitimate reason. However, parents thinking of getting this game for their teenage children should be aware that this game contains imagery that may be inappropriate.

As for the title of this review, I think this might be a thinking man's RPG because of the themes I've encountered thus far. I haven't completed the game yet, so I can't say I've seen everything it has to offer. However, given the introductory movie that plays when you load the game, I think that Persona 3 will give an attentive player a few things to think about. For example, the player is asked to sign a contract at the beginning of the game. The terms seem simple enough, but when is responsibility ever simple?

As for technical details; the graphics are somewhat minimalist, but very stylish. I think that the character and Persona portraits were well done, but I don't think that Kazuma Kaneko (who handled character design for the other SMT games on the PS2) was involved. Shoji Meguro, however, handled the soundtrack. I suspect that some of the hip-hop influenced tracks may begin to grate on me after further play, but I am a long-haired metalhead. Your mileage may vary. You may also dislike the voice acting, but the Config menu includes an option to turn off voiced dialogue for players who just want text.

I heartily recommend SMT: Persona 3, and think it's worth the fifty bucks I paid for it. Buy it instead of renting it, and you'll get a nice little art book and soundtrack disc in the package.

A superb addition to the Shin Megami Tensei series...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 25 / 25
Date: August 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'm the first to admit that I am relatively new to the Shin Megami Tensei series. Having only recently discovered the fun of Digital Devil Saga and its sequel, I snapped up Devil Summoner and Nocturne as quickly as I could (the latter of which was extremely difficult to find, but well worth the effort). With this said, I've been consistently impressed by the depth of gameplay and sheer fun that each SMT title brings, and rest assured that Persona 3 is no exception.

For those familiar with previous SMT titles, there is a good mix of the familiar and the new in Persona 3. The story and structure of the game are new, with you assuming the role of the main character, who recently joined Gekkoukan High School as a junior. The game is structured such that you go to school, have free time, and even holidays, all of which depend on the current day/month in the calendar (you start the game in April, and it ends no later than January of the following year). Don't worry, though - there is ample time to progress at your own pace and not feel rushed.

When it becomes clear that you and your newfound friends are in for a fight with the mysterious Shadows, the game's ever-changing dungeon (Tartarus) is introduced. Instead of recruiting "demons" as in previous titles, though, Persona 3 allows you to establish Social Links (relationships) with various people, and to draw upon and strengthen that power to bring out the skills and strengths of various Personas (many of which will look familiar from previous titles).

The true fun of Persona 3 stems from all of these ideas. The game's sole dungeon, always changing and some 250+ floors high, is the place where you'll be leveling your characters and searching for goodies. While battle is challenging and fun, it's also important to improve your Social Links outside of battle as well as your core attributes so that you become smarter, more charming, and more courageous. Balancing school with time on the battlefield adds a unique challenge that you won't find elsewhere, and becoming a better friend to many different people strengthens your own Personas.

While I have not yet completed the game, I have played extensively thus far and really enjoy the game's dynamics, social interactions, battle system, graphics, music, and overall gameplay. The story is truly engrossing and you are challenged both in battle and on your own time to balance all of the demands placed upon you. If you're looking for a smart and multidimensional game that rewards you for taking time to improve yourself and your relationships with those around you, then search no further: Persona 3 has arrived. Very highly recommended.

Well worth the wait

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 12
Date: August 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Fans of the Persona series have had a long time to wait for this game, but it was well worth it. There are a lot of things that have changed in the game mechanics since Persona 2: Eternal Punishment was released stateside, but it works to perfection.

Persona 3 begins with a young man (you/main character) arriving at the train station at midnight. Shortly after getting off the train everything goes dark and all electricity goes out. He continues to walk to his destination undeterred by what is going on around him. There are no people in the streets. Instead, there are coffins. He arrives at a his destination; a dormitory for Gekkoukan High students. Walking in he meets a mysterious boy. Before you can learn anything the child disappears and a girl named Yukari comes in and nearly pulls a gun at you before she is stopped. Then everything returns to normal. The lights are on and everything seems fine. Welcome to your new home.

The people living in this dorm are part of a school "club" called SEES (Specialized Extracuricular Execution Squad). The purpose of this club is to destroy shadows. Shadows only appear during the Dark Hour, a time period that occurs between midnight and 12:01 am. Normal people are unaware of this and are "transmogrified" into coffins during this time. Those who aren't are either people with the power of Persona or have been chosen as food for the shadows. To fight against the shadows, SEES members use Personas. Personas are alter egos and entities that reside deep within the soul of an individual unbeknownst to them that can only be called forth under extreme conditions. Each character has one Persona, save for the main character who can house multiple Personas within him. In order to call forth a Persona, they use a gun-like object called an evoker.

Now, about the evoker. This is the point where a lot of people will shun the game or embrace it. When I said it was gun-like, well it pretty much is a gun. It just doesn't fire bullets. It is used by members of SEES to call forth their Persona to fight the Shadows. This is done by pointing the evoker at their head and pulling the trigger. This simulated suicide seems like it was tacked on unnecessarily to many, but I see it as a key point in the plot. In order to call forth a Persona, one must be in dire circumstances of emotion, under extreme stress, yet have a strong commitment and firm will. The emotions of pointing a gun (or gun-like object) at your head and pulling the trigger is a situation that does all those. Strong sense of fear, yet it takes enormous amounts of commitment and resolve to actually pull the trigger. So for those who say it is shameless and has no place, I think it fits with the story and overall feel of the game.

Now, to the gameplay itself. Those of you who have played previous Persona games will see that a lot has changed sonce the last installment. Now there is only one dungeon called Tartarus. It is only available during the Dark Hour (a period between midnight and 12:01am). The tower is made up of a couple hundred randomly generated floors for you to climb with access points every so often along the way for easy travel.

You encounter enemies in Tartarus by running into them on the map. All enemies are visible so you can avoid them if you see fit. If you can manage to sneak up behind an enemy and strike it first you will get a preemptive attack in battle, but the same works the other way around.

Battles should be relatively familiar to anyone who has played a MegaTen or Shin Megami Tensei game. Like all US releases in the franchise (except Devil Summoner) this game uses a modified Press-Turn battle system. The difference this time around is that you can only control your main character. Each turn you have the ability to change your Persona in the middle of battle to access specific skills you need on the fly. If you can exploit your enemies weakness you will get another turn. All your teammates fight based on their AI (which is actually very well done) although you can issue some basic commands to them as well strategy wise (conserve SP, support/heal, etc). When you exploit an enemies weakness they fall to the ground. If you can do this to every enemy at the same time you can rush them with all of your teammates and do increased amounts of damage. All in all the battle system is done quite well and as per the series norm, hitting the enemy where it hurts is the name of the game.

Pretty much everything outside of battle will be new to anyone who's played any game in the franchise. Since your main character is a student, you will still have to proceed with everyday life while fighting during the Dark Hour. The daily life sim is most comparable to a dating sim in respect to the fact that different actions will change some of your key stats (Charm, Academics, and Courage. The rest are decided by your equipped Persona). Each of these serves different purposes (Academics is crucial for midterms and finals).

The daily sim isn't just about stats though. You will get to know a wide array of characters by joining clubs, talking to friends from school and so on. Doing this will establish Social Links (S. Links). Each S. Link is alligned with a specific one of the 12 main Arcanas (types of demons/personas) and will effect the bonus experience you can give new Personas when you create them. Mixed into those 12 are 5 women that you can effectively date as well. Hence a large part of the dating sim reference. Every acquantance has a very detailed story that makes the relationship system well worth it and it can be just as involving as any game all by itself.

Your daily exploits along with your trips into Tartarus (you can go any night you choose except for story events) do affect each other though. If you spend to long fighting in the tower one night, you may become tired or sick the following day. As a result you may decide to sleep through class to recover and miss a chance to increase your Academics. You really do have to learn to balance out the two different worlds quite well to get the most out of the game. If you can do that though, you could very well be hooked.

Persona 3 definately isn't a game for everyone. Like all the MegaTen games, it deals with some heavy and potentially controversial topics that a lot of people will shy away from. All the Persona are taken from different world mythologies and religions with very few exclusions. Not to mention the constant imagery of highschoolers putting a gun to their heads everytime you go into battle. If any of that bothers you, then this isn't for you. But if you can deal with that and love well written (and voiced) stories and dialog, along with thought provoking issues, then you can't go wrong. The game is a unique experiece unlike anything else on the market. Each phase of the game (daytime/nighttime) really could be a standalone game by themselves they are so well done. So if you are looking for something a little bit different and engaging I can't recommend this game more.

This game gave me "Apathy Syndrome" ... but that's not neccisarily a bad thing!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: November 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

***Note: While it is understandable that spoiler content is bound to be found within a game review, the reviewer has done his best to avoid doing such. Still however, there are some possible spoilers, especially in the section reviewing the storyline.***

During the 90+ hours that I played Persona 3, I indulged in the game far too much to be considered healthy. Every day that I played it, I woke up, went straight to my console, and played it until the sun went down (or in many cases, the sun came up!) I guess because of this, you could say I was suffering from the "Apathy Syndrome" that keeps being broughout up through-out Persona 3.

That being said, Persona 3 features some of the most addictive and enjoyable game play that Atlus has created thus far. It features a streamlined version of the Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne combat system. It also has a very wacky and amusing "real life" school simulator, and of course, the always compelling fusion system to keep the player determined to create the "ultimate" demon (or Persona, in this case.)

The game play overall is a standard turn based RPG dungeon crawler. Unlike the past few SMT titles however, there are no random encounters. All of the monsters can be seen on the map, and in turn, you can hit them to cause a surprise attack. Vice versa, they can also hit you, and (usually) cause an ambush. This little addition to the "SMT game play" is very much welcomed, as it helps eliminate the much tired cliché of having to wait for a battle when "leveling up" or having to kill off monster after monster when you're just trying to get to a save point. As mentioned above, the combat engine itself is a streamlined version of the "press turn icon system." The player is given one turn, but they can theoretically have unlimited turns by either landing a critical hit or exposing the enemies weakness (which results in an extra turn.) Best of all, the player can execute a massive damage attack where all of the party members assault the enemy if the player manages to land a critical blow or expose the weakness of ALL the enemies in battle (and this works for bosses too!). As one may not suspect, critical hits are very common, and the ability to exploit enemy weaknesses is also very common among most enemies. Suffice to say, the combat in SMT: Persona 3 is arguably the most enjoyable part of the game. It is somewhat easy, but at the same time, it is also very fast paced and action filled.

The only drawback to the improved combat engine however is that aside from the protagonist, all of the party members in the battle party are controlled by AI. They can be "directed" via using tactical commands, but unfortunately, the AI for the party members is surprisingly weak. Even though they are smart enough to heal when someone else is hurt, or exploit enemy weaknesses when they are discovered, they tend to do things that many times, are just plain illogical. An example would be the party member exploiting the weakness of an enemy. Since the whole enemy party consists of the same monster, it would be logical to exploit the rest of their weaknesses in order to end the battle faster. Rather, the party member will just continue to attack the same enemy and blow their extra turn. While this can be avoided with using some tactics, the tactics are somewhat of a nuisance to constantly be turning on and off. Thus, battles can end up taking longer than they should, mainly due to the player having to find ways to compensate for the weak party AI.

There is also a minor problem with the dungeon crawling. While the game does something interesting, and features predominantly only ONE dungeon (but it is a dozy, a 250+ floor tower), the crawling is a tad redundant. The dungeon floors only change appearance after every 20-50 floors. They also use the same monster graphic (aside from bosses), which seems a little lazy on the part of Atlus. On the plus side however, many of the dungeon's floors are randomly generated, which could lead to potential replay value. Still, the random generation sometimes leads to irritatingly huge floors, which can turn a reasonable 20-30 minute exploration into a 2 hour exploration if the player is unfortunate enough to get a string of "bad floors". Thankfully, the game generously allows for numerous save points and teleportation terminals, but some of the terminals are very far spaced out. As a result, it is not advised to play Persona 3 if you do not have very much time on your hands.

Aside from the combat and dungeon crawling, much of the game takes place in the "real world". During the time in the real world, the game flows like the days of the year. The player can only do a certain number of things each day, and they naturally, cannot regain days. So certain things that are missed or not explored will end up being permanently lost until the next "cycle". In order to encourage playing in this "real world" however, the game makes it so that in order to create many of the stronger "Personas" in the game, the player has to create social relationships with many of the games NPCs. Doing so unlocks different personas, based on the personality of an NPC. This approach is also surprisingly interesting, and the player will most likely find themselves trying to budget their time in order to obtain the maximum social relationship with a specific NPC in order to gain a desired persona.

The graphics of the game are decent, although "different" when compared to previous SMT and Persona games. The most shocking part of them is that series "brain" Kazuma Kaneko is absent, thus his trademark artwork and character design is not present. In his place however is an artist who is equally talented, and he does Kazuma justice. In fact, much of the game features wonderful artwork, so the absence of Kaneko is not the most damaging fact (although one would have to wonder if he would have had more influence on the game's story if he did do the artwork.) Aside from Kaneko, the graphics of the game are almost all done in a "dirty" but still detailed 3D style (and some cell shading ), with the exception of the 2D anime style "talking heads" shown during conversations, and the anime cut scenes. The anime scenes are a little disappointing however, as they are drawn in a more "sloppy and wacky" style than the more stylized and consistent drawings found through out the game. Overall, the graphics are not on par with other last generation PS2 games such as FF12, but they get the job done.

The game also features a very eccentric soundtrack, which is somewhat of a mash up of pop music, "pop" music and the classic SMT techno-industrial music that we have come to love. This music however can grow irritating, mainly due to the fact that the songs are over-used throughout the game or the songs are simply just not LONG enough and they turn into redundant loops. By the end of the game, I found the soundtrack to be mostly dull and tired as opposed to fresh and interesting when I first started playing. This was rather a disappointment since most of the previous SMT games seemed to feature more varied (and longer) songs.

Last but not least, Persona 3 is also somewhat disappointing in the storyline department. While the story is for all intents and purposes, GOOD, it is less thought provoking than the previous 3 Persona titles. This can hamper replay value, as someone will most likely "get" the whole story after one play rather than having to replay it to gain more understanding. There also seems to very weak continuity in the game with the previous Persona games, which is disappointing since the game has been stated to take place in the same universe and timeline as the previous Persona games. The game is also decidedly less dark and grim compared to previous Persona titles, which is interesting considering the dark atmosphere of the majority of SMT-related titles that have come out on the PS2.

Also, the pacing of the storyline in Persona 3 is a tad slow. While it is understandable that it is fleshed out over the "year" the game takes place in, some of the conversations and events in the game feel like "filler" or "incomplete" events. Also, many of them are overly-lengthy, which like the dungeon, can lead to obscenely long amounts of time spent reading the text and listening to the voice acting (which is very good!)

All negatives aside, Persona 3 is a gem. It isn't for everyone (and that's come to be expected with SMT titles.) It features lots of fast and fun dungeon battles, plenty of controversial images (wait till you see how the Personas are summoned), tons of voice acting and a very good story. It is disappointing that the game has so many short comings, but it is still one of the definite best RPGs of 2007.

Deliciously Addictive

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: September 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This easily falls into my personal top 10 PS2 rpg list, if not the top 5.

Persona 3 is an artful mix of good old meat & potatoes dungeon crawling and high school sim life. The visuals are anime inspired, clean and bright looking, the soundtrack is beatbox funky. By day, you're a student at a japanese high school, by night you and your persona-wielding comrades fight the forces of darkness. Combat is fast and furious, the summonable personas (elemental/mythical beasts) are upgradeable and you have the ability to 'fuse' 2 or 3 of them together to form new ones... there's alot of variety, here.. Success in combat will reward you with a 3 card monty game where you can choose new personas, or bonus cash, experience, or weapons - if you can follow the cards. It's fun!

The best thing I think is that all the personas are powered by their relation to a tarot arcana.. (the fool, the hermit, the chariot, strength, etc) those, in turn, are intimately tied to one of the many different characters you meet during the schoolday. Who and HOW you choose to interact with will have a direct bearing on the development of a persona, which puts a fresh spin on levelling up - and draws you into the lives of the ingame characters.

This is the first rpg I've played in awhile that's had me effortlessly killing hours, and looking forward to the next session of gameplay.

High marks.

Amazing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: August 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is one of the greatest games ever developed. I've been gaming since Intellivision & I'll tell you no lie, it is so refreshing to play something that doesn't follow the standard RPG formula, yet is pure quality in every aspect.

Easily the best PS2 RPG with heavy anime influence, any game/anime fans take note... this is your holy grail.

Mr. Christian, get your facts together, no teenagers are killing themselves. They are using 'Evoker' guns to summon/force their Personae to battle. Just keep thumping your bible & leave M rated games to the unbiased to review. 1-staring a game that oozes quality... pfft.

I'd also recommend the Double Jump guide with this game. It doesn't make much of a walkthrough (not that I'd use one), but it's quality for organized data tables & such (persona fusion, items, gifts, equipment, ememies, etc).

Even the english translation is well done (now only if anime can more often than not accomplish this). A few words of advice:

1) In 'The Sauce' (Tartarus for you uninitiated), press TRIANGLE to enter the menu & then exit the menu... poof, the wandering shadows will more often than not change direction. No more waiting around & tempting Death ;)

2) When performing fusions, if your not satisfied with the spells that the new persona will learn, back out of the fusion & redo the same selections... voila, different spells may be learned.

Your welcome. With an art book & OST included, there's no excuse not to buy this.

Squeenix watch out, if Atlus USA decides to raise their own courage level & maybe even *gasp* believe in themselves (& by all this I mean make more copies of their games so that they're not rare after 6 months), you're gunna have some serious competition.

It's like going to high school in Japan, only with monsters and ghosts

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 27, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Here are the game basics:
1) This is your typical lvel grinding, dungeon crawling RPG fare.
2) Dungeons are randomly generated.
3) You only control your main character.
4) You can only explore the dungeon for a limited amount of time befoer you're booted out.

Sounds pretty lame right? Actually, the game is really fun. By day, your a high school student and EVERYTHING you do deetermines the abilities you learn when your fighting. Making friends, staying awake in class, even the foods you eat all determine how your characters develop.

Once midnight strikes, the level grinding begins. You eventer a big labryrinth called Tartarus. The fighting is very cool and the abilities, summons, fusions, & combo attacks make the game pretty tight and the fight go by very quickly.

This is probably one of the best RPG's I've played on the PS2. If you're a fan of the genre, pick up this game. Oh yeah...and the music totally rocks. That alone is worth picking this game up.

One of the best RPG's of it's time

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I purchased this game based off of the reviews I read for it. I've never played any other game in this series, ever, and I must say: I've been missing out!

This game rocks. The over all game play is still the turn based fighting style all die hard RPGers know. The animation in combat is new and each of the spells has their own element--which is another thing; Persona 3 breaks away from the usual four element classes.

You start out as the main character who recently transferred to a new school. You're almost instantly drawn into something bigger than you and find that you have the ability to release a Persona; a form of your consciousness that resides within your psyche. You do this through the use of an Evoker which is a gun like object that you shoot yourself with. There's no bullets and the theory behind it is that it releases the mental barriers that keep your Persona in check.

The art is very anime-esk, for those that love anime. You attend school in a modern Japan and throughout the game you balance school work, relationships, and time exploring Tarterus--the game's always changing dungeon.

The importance for school work is to raise your smarts as well as your charm so that you can form certain relationships, which in turns makes your Persona stronger, which makes exploring Tartarus easier! The game is very well done. I've yet to beat it, but I'm close and this is a game that will definetly want you to play it once you beat it.

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