Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Well , this is my first exposure to the Shin Megami Tensei series , and I must say that I find this game is pretty different from traditional RPGS , at least in terms of gameplay . Being as this is my first Shin Megami Tensei game , I won't be comparing this to others in the series . So , on to the review !
Graphics ( score 8 / 10 ) : Graphics aren't bad . They're not as spectacular that they could be for the PS2 but I've never really been one to nitpick over graphics . The art style is very anime-ish , so if you don't like that , beware . I really like that style , though , so it was not a problem for me .
Music ( score 7 / 10 ) : Well , how much you like this music will depend on how much you like Rap and J-pop with nonsensical lyrics . I'm not really fond of it , but neither do I hate it , so I was pretty neutral towards the music . The thing that really bugs me , though , is that the songs start to become really repetitive after awhile . Part of this is due to the fact that there aren't many locations in the game , so you hear that location's song a lot . The music does change up as you progress past certain points in the game , but it does little to alleviate the feeling of song overload . There IS voice acting , and it is very good . So , no complaints there .
Characters ( score 9 / 10 ) : Well , the main characters ( aside from your avatar character , which I'll get to later ) are very well developed , and the NPCs even have very good character development . Everyone has great character depth and feels like they could be a real person , with real personalities . However , your main character is a strange anomaly in a game filled with deep personality characterizations . He doesn't even have a default name ( let's call him Minato for the purposes of this review ) , nor does he possess a personality of any kind . Yep , it's another silent protagonist - a tired RPG convention that I'm frankly getting sick of . I mean , when Dragon Quest VIII did it , it was pushing it , but now I'm just sick of it . Main characters are just not memorable or likeable when they are mute . Well , glad I got that out of my system . At least the other characters make up for it . Another thing of interest , the social link system has you talking to various NPCs , which is basically a dating / friendship sim . Answering correctly for each person will increase your social link strength and benefit your Personas ( which are monsters you can summon to aid you in battle ) . I must say that after playing through this , I'm starting to feel that Minato is either a social whore or a sociopath . You spend all your time simply choosing whatever answer will please the person you're currently with , even if it blatantly contradicts what you just said to another person . Minato is basically manipulating these people for his own gain ( the Personas ' strength ) just like a sociopath . And the way that he just gives whatever answers will please people is kinda whore-ish . If you think about it that way while you're playing , it's hilarious . I would've liked the ability to choose whatever answer I want without being penalized ( if you choose wrongly , you won't strengthen the social link and power up your personas ) . Although I suppose the game developers had to give you some incentive to talk to people , otherwise their dating / friendship sim would've been completely worthless . Anyway , I knock a point off for Minato's lack of personality .
Story ( score 9 / 10 ) : The story itself is very interesting . It involves a bunch of Japanese High School students discovering that there is a special extra hour in the night called the Dark Hour that most people do not experience , and that there are monsters that come out during this time called Shadows . And , of course , only they have the power to fight the Shadows . The story just evolves from there , and is very entertaining . I also liked the themes of the story , which include elements of Jungian psychology , various philosophies , suicide and mortality , responsibility , and even a little bit of existentialism . On the negative side , while I love the story itself , the pacing could've been better . I really complain about this more in the gameplay section ( and knock points off the score there ) , but I'll make mention of it here . You must wade through bunches of only mildly interesting filler consisting of just going to school and talking to people before relevant portions of the story are revealed . If only the pacing of the story was better , this game could've been that much more enjoyable .
Battle System ( score 8 / 10 ) : Well , battles are turn-based , which I like . The party is AI-controlled . I would've preferred to control them myself , but their AI is pretty darn good , so hat's off to the game developers . I do wish they had replaced irritating magic names like Agi and Bufu with simple to understand thing like Fire and Ice . I don't see why they couldn't ; every other RPG has already done this and it is very helpful . You can see enemies on-screen , which is also pretty cool ( no random encounters here ! . . . not that I really mind random encounters ) . Anyway , there's not much to else to say here .
Gameplay ( score 6 / 10 ) : This is a bit of a catch-all category for me . Well , Persona 3 has several aspects which normally spell doom for an RPG : randomly generated dungeon floors ( I'm not a fan of these ) , a time-based gameplay system ( this game operates on a day by day system , where time passes in a day by entering certain locations and choosing to spend time with people ) , AI-controlled party members , being limited to a single town / dungeon for the duration of the game , and a dating / friendship sim that constitutes a huge portion of gameplay . Sounds like a recipe for disaster , doesn't it ? Surprisingly , it isn't as terrible as I thought it would be , but it's still bad . That's right , you heard me . First , let's discuss the good points :
The randomly generated floors of the dungeon aren't too difficult to navigate , so that's good . The AI of your party is pretty good , especially compared to other games , like Kingdom Hearts ( in which your A.I . - controlled party members are idiots ) . The dating / friendship sim isn't too bad since the individual stories of the NPCs are pretty interesting .
Now , having gotten the good points out of the way , let's discuss the bad :
I must say that this game is really tedious and there is a feeling of excessive grinding throughout ( which I despise ) . I mean , all RPGs have a little grinding ( and I love RPGs ) but this is just ridiculous . You spend most of your time courting various friends in the ONE town of the game and the other half of your time is spent grinding through the ONE dungeon in this game . So , you see how this can get tedious after awhile ( and this game is long ! ) . I kind of wish they had cut out 70% of the grind and just made it a shorter game because the pacing feels like your crawling along . If you've ever wondered why other RPGs have teenagers unrealistically skipping school and traveling across the world , it's because doing it the realistic way by having them attend school every day ( like Persona 3 ) is tedious as all heck . I sort of felt like I was going stir crazy after awhile from being stuck in the same repetitive locations - - the couple times that the characters went on vacation to somewhere new I was like - - OMG ! Something different ! ! ! Unfortunately , the vast majority of your time is spent in that one town or that one dungeon . Despite its flaws , strangely , I still found this game to be fun , but it just doesn't merit a higher score in this section . There is one really good thing that would make you want to replay this game - - there's a new game plus option which allows you to keep all your weapons , items , Personas in the compendium , money , and your main character's level . So , if you play it again , you can breeze right through ( well , sort of , it still takes a long time ) . I'd probably enjoy this game much more on the second play-through since the majority of the grind is already done .
Overall ( score 7 / 10 ) : NOTE this score is not an average ; it's my subjective overall score . I feel so conflicted about this game ; on the one hand , it's tedious and irritating to wade through all the dreck to get to the interesting bits of story , but on the other hand , the game is oddly compelling and enjoyable to play in spurts . In fact , I think this game would have been much better if it were shorter . I don't normally say things like that , but if they had cut out some of the calendar days so that the game takes place over half a year instead of a full year ( so that the game concludes in 50 hours instead of 100 + ) , then maybe it wouldn't have felt so tedious and grinding . They could've cut out some of the filler and more concisely told their story , which would have made this game amazing . Still , I enjoyed this game enough to try playing other games in the series . However , I honestly can't decide whether I should recommend this game or not . This game seems to be rather hit or miss for people , so I suppose the best way to know whether or not you will like this game is to just rent it or buy it , and just see for yourself .
001 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
I was impatient with Persona 3 . I got it even before Fes came out when all us fans still thought there was no way in hell Atlus was going to ship it over to the states . However we signed a petition , rallied a bunch of team spirit , and miraculously Atlus took our whining as a valid point . Sure they likely did it because they knew they could make more money but at $29.99 this game is very much a steal ! All I have to say is thank you Atlus .
Honestly I'll start by saying this rpg is not for everyone . If for example you hate dating sims , destest Japanese culture , or prefer more traditional RPGS that include knights , barbarains , dragons , fair damsels , and scantily clad spell casting elf babes Persona 3 is not for you . I do not say this to sound snutty or elite I'm just warning you so you know what you are getting into .
However if you are open minded to heavy social interactions in rpgs , a great modern day story in which our world is threatened by demonic shadows of ill intent that come out during a hidden 13th hour , and a group of teenagers that use their inner psyches to battle for the fate of mankind while trying to keep up with their responsibilities tied to high school life you will love this improved Persona 3 dearly .
As much as I want to describe evokers , Apathy syndrome , fusing cards to create new personas , strengthening social links to make your Arcana types more powerful , and running around in the labyrinth of Tartarus which oddly enough is your High School during the day time I think it is more important to discuss what is new in Fes . I assume most of you have at least researched the original title so I will not waste your time going over what has already been covered .
If you think The Answer segment with Aegis is the only thing new about FES you are mistaken . The journey has an added hard mode , more ways to increase your social links , a weapon / persona forging system , more interactivity amongst your SEES comrades , additional quests , and though it may seem like a trivial detail everyone will change their clothes throughout the year . Getting the sexy costumes for the female heroines is a guilty pleasure if you are into that sort of thing . ( Maid wear and swim suits anyone ? ) and if you are a girl playing you'll get a giggle out of dressing down the guys too . If anything at least P3 fes does not descriminate against either gender . No feminists will have the excuse to wail about burning bras here . The female characters have alot of depth , personality , and lovable quirks and there's so much more to them than looks alone . The same thing can be said for the guys . You'll take to Junpei's class clown antics and Akihiko's fighting spirit in no time flat . I must say this is one of the only RPGS I played in which I liked every character and none of the cast felt like over blown comic relief or tacky add-ons . The endearing heroes / heroines in P3 Fes will make you wish Final Fantasy as a series still cared about giving their characters heart and soul instead of just marketing them to be cool as shallow gimmicks .
While the Jorney is easier due to all the additional ways you have of balancing normal adolescent life with fighting shadows The Answer is automatically on hard mode . For those of you that do not mind a challenge you'll still enjoy the same old level grinding but if you are a casual gamer it can get tedious . That said getting more revelations about the first game will be worth the drudgery to most of us . Because The Answer ditches social links and focuses more on combating your way through the new dungeon called the abyss of time the only conversations you'll see are between the SEES members themselves as they discuss how they feel about where their lives are heading after the events in the journey . Aegis takes the role as the lead so at the very least she has acess to more then one Persona and can enter the velvet room .
By now if what I said has intrigued you Fes is likely worth your dollar . There are alot of less fun RPGS out there going for higher prices so right now Fes is a win / win situation .
Pros
1 . Taking Elisabeth for dates outside the velvet room .
2 . Walking the dog to up your social links
3 . More social links to estabalish .
4 . P3 fans get more answers and more closure
5 . Getting revealing or outlandish costumes for each character
6 . Hard mode for those that thought the original was too easy .
7 . Metis is a good new character both as an antagonist and an ally .
8 . Fuuka gets more love
9 . More quests ( One which deals with Chidori )
10 . Great translation and voice overs
11 . Addition of classic Persona battle songs in The Answer
12 . Good music that fits the game . ( By this I mean the music would be weird or abyssmally bad if not in P3 but it compliments this type of adventure perfectly . )
13 . Very affordable
Cons
1 . Gameplay is mostly unchanged
2 . The Answer is nothing more then a difficult story driven dungeon hack .
3 . Tartarus and the abyss of time get very repetitive . It would have been nicer if more missions took place outside the main dungeons or there were more enviorment types .
4 . Those not open minded to modern Japanese culture may feel alienated .
5 . Atlus could have waited so we only had to buy this version instead of belting out money for two versions of essentially the same game . Hopefully Persona 4 will come to us finished the first time . If they later release P4 fes I'll be irrate .
6 . The game is very linear ( especially if you've romped around in the wide open spaces of Dragon Warrior 8 or Final Fantasy 12 )
7 . Likely the copies are limited so snatch it soon or forever be in gamer purgatory . ( Atlus always has limited copies . What gives ? )
8 . To clarify evokers are not real guns but the imagery of putting a gun like object to ones head and pulling the trigger to summon a persona is still risque . No problem for gamers with a good grip on reality but if you are a parent considering this a purchase be sure your teenager or child is firmly rooted in common sense before you get them P3 fes . Overall it is not nearly as violent or vulgar as God of War or GTA San Andreas however .
002 4 I was impatient with Persona 3 . I got it even before Fes came out when all us fans still thought there was no way in hell Atlus was going to ship it over to the states . However we signed a petition , rallied a bunch of team spirit , and miraculously Atlus took our whining as a valid point . Sure they likely did it because they knew they could make more money but at $29.99 this game is very much a steal ! All I have to say is thank you Atlus .
Honestly I'll start by saying this rpg is not for everyone . If for example you hate dating sims , destest Japanese culture , or prefer more traditional RPGS that include knights , barbarains , dragons , fair damsels , and scantily clad spell casting elf babes Persona 3 is not for you . I do not say this to sound snutty or elite I'm just warning you so you know what you are getting into .
However if you are open minded to heavy social interactions in rpgs , a great modern day story in which our world is threatened by demonic shadows of ill intent that come out during a hidden 13th hour , and a group of teenagers that use their inner psyches to battle for the fate of mankind while trying to keep up with their responsibilities tied to high school life you will love this improved Persona 3 dearly .
As much as I want to describe evokers , Apathy syndrome , fusing cards to create new personas , strengthening social links to make your Arcana types more powerful , and running around in the labyrinth of Tartarus which oddly enough is your High School during the day time I think it is more important to discuss what is new in Fes . I assume most of you have at least researched the original title so I will not waste your time going over what has already been covered .
If you think The Answer segment with Aegis is the only thing new about FES you are mistaken . The journey has an added hard mode , more ways to increase your social links , a weapon / persona forging system , more interactivity amongst your SEES comrades , additional quests , and though it may seem like a trivial detail everyone will change their clothes throughout the year . Getting the sexy costumes for the female heroines is a guilty pleasure if you are into that sort of thing . ( Maid wear and swim suits anyone ? ) and if you are a girl playing you'll get a giggle out of dressing down the guys too . If anything at least P3 fes does not descriminate against either gender . No feminists will have the excuse to wail about burning bras here . The female characters have alot of depth , personality , and lovable quirks and there's so much more to them than looks alone . The same thing can be said for the guys . You'll take to Junpei's class clown antics and Akihiko's fighting spirit in no time flat . I must say this is one of the only RPGS I played in which I liked every character and none of the cast felt like over blown comic relief or tacky add-ons . The endearing heroes / heroines in P3 Fes will make you wish Final Fantasy as a series still cared about giving their characters heart and soul instead of just marketing them to be cool as shallow gimmicks .
While the Jorney is easier due to all the additional ways you have of balancing normal adolescent life with fighting shadows The Answer is automatically on hard mode . For those of you that do not mind a challenge you'll still enjoy the same old level grinding but if you are a casual gamer it can get tedious . That said getting more revelations about the first game will be worth the drudgery to most of us . Because The Answer ditches social links and focuses more on combating your way through the new dungeon called the abyss of time the only conversations you'll see are between the SEES members themselves as they discuss how they feel about where their lives are heading after the events in the journey . Aegis takes the role as the lead so at the very least she has acess to more then one Persona and can enter the velvet room .
By now if what I said has intrigued you Fes is likely worth your dollar . There are alot of less fun RPGS out there going for higher prices so right now Fes is a win / win situation .
Pros
1 . Taking Elisabeth for dates outside the velvet room .
2 . Walking the dog to up your social links
3 . More social links to estabalish .
4 . P3 fans get more answers and more closure
5 . Getting revealing or outlandish costumes for each character
6 . Hard mode for those that thought the original was too easy .
7 . Metis is a good new character both as an antagonist and an ally .
8 . Fuuka gets more love
9 . More quests ( One which deals with Chidori )
10 . Great translation and voice overs
11 . Addition of classic Persona battle songs in The Answer
12 . Good music that fits the game . ( By this I mean the music would be weird or abyssmally bad if not in P3 but it compliments this type of adventure perfectly . )
13 . Very affordable
Cons
1 . Gameplay is mostly unchanged
2 . The Answer is nothing more then a difficult story driven dungeon hack .
3 . Tartarus and the abyss of time get very repetitive . It would have been nicer if more missions took place outside the main dungeons or there were more enviorment types .
4 . Those not open minded to modern Japanese culture may feel alienated .
5 . Atlus could have waited so we only had to buy this version instead of belting out money for two versions of essentially the same game . Hopefully Persona 4 will come to us finished the first time . If they later release P4 fes I'll be irrate .
6 . The game is very linear ( especially if you've romped around in the wide open spaces of Dragon Warrior 8 or Final Fantasy 12 )
7 . Likely the copies are limited so snatch it soon or forever be in gamer purgatory . ( Atlus always has limited copies . What gives ? )
8 . To clarify evokers are not real guns but the imagery of putting a gun like object to ones head and pulling the trigger to summon a persona is still risque . No problem for gamers with a good grip on reality but if you are a parent considering this a purchase be sure your teenager or child is firmly rooted in common sense before you get them P3 fes . Overall it is not nearly as violent or vulgar as God of War or GTA San Andreas however .
003 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Last year's Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 managed to come out of nowhere and end up being one of the best RPG's to ever grace the PS2 . Now , Atlus has unleashed this director's cut of sorts of the game , entitled Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES . The game is broken up into two separate parts , entitled The Journey and The Answer . The Journey is pretty much the original game with many noticable tweaks , enhancements , and new features ; while The Answer takes place after the events of the original title . The game retains the look of the original , and it still looks good ; while the dialogue , story , and characters are memorable as ever as well . Even if you have played through the original title , FES warrants your attention because of the ton of new content , and The Answer mode offers up more replayability . Not to mention that given the bargain price tag , this game is basically a steal , even if you already own and have played through the original . Let it be known though that the game does offer quite a bit of challenge amongst all the variety offered . Casual gamers or those who don't spend much time with RPG's are not going to get the most out of the game , where as more devoted RPG'ers or fans of the series will find much to love here . All in all , regardless of whether or not you played the original version of the game , Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES is a spectacular new vision of an already great RPG , and for old and new fans and RPG gamers alike , this game is a more than worthy pick up .
004 4 Last year's Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 managed to come out of nowhere and end up being one of the best RPG's to ever grace the PS2 . Now , Atlus has unleashed this director's cut of sorts of the game , entitled Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES . The game is broken up into two separate parts , entitled The Journey and The Answer . The Journey is pretty much the original game with many noticable tweaks , enhancements , and new features ; while The Answer takes place after the events of the original title . The game retains the look of the original , and it still looks good ; while the dialogue , story , and characters are memorable as ever as well . Even if you have played through the original title , FES warrants your attention because of the ton of new content , and The Answer mode offers up more replayability . Not to mention that given the bargain price tag , this game is basically a steal , even if you already own and have played through the original . Let it be known though that the game does offer quite a bit of challenge amongst all the variety offered . Casual gamers or those who don't spend much time with RPG's are not going to get the most out of the game , where as more devoted RPG'ers or fans of the series will find much to love here . All in all , regardless of whether or not you played the original version of the game , Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES is a spectacular new vision of an already great RPG , and for old and new fans and RPG gamers alike , this game is a more than worthy pick up .
005 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
I come from the perspective that this is the first Persona or SHin Megami Tensei game that I have ever looked at , intrigued by previous reviews for Persona 3 and the $30 starting price . I will say that I have gotten my money's worth of entertainment in the last month .
In brief , without giving too much of the plot away , Persona 3 is about a group of Japanese high school students with special powers who are out to save the world from monsters . Yeah , that sounds really cheesy , but I found myself sucked into the complexity of the plot . Characters that originally seemed one dimensional , due to the length of the game , become very multidimensional ( and there are a good number of characters , both to command and to charm ) . You advance in the game basically two ways - Sim dating / friendship style interactions , and dungeon ( in this case , tower ) crawling . Although the game is fairly linear , there is quite a bit of strategy in maxing your social interactions and creating new personas ( the things you summon to fight , which apparently there are 170 - ish of ) .
FES is the current updated edition of the game , which includes the answer , a straight dungeon crawl coda to the end of the main part , the journey .
Here are some things to keep in mind :
This game is loooooooong , and there are not a lot of shortcuts that I can see . Long as approximately 70 hours of game time , possibly 100 , depending on what you do . And this game is not donkey kong - it is not satisfying in little time bites . So it's a time commitment , be aware before you start and get hooked .
The whole using the fake gun to your head to summon the personas some may find objectionable , though you basically do not notice it after a few hours of playing .
In addition , many of the personas use religious imagery from most of the major world religions , living and dead - so some may find that objectionable as well .
I will have to say that the sex and violence is kept to a minimum in general - there is teen dating and suggestive dialogue , but not overt teen sex , and minimum blood and gore .
It is a combo of dungeon crawl and heavy social RPG interaction , so if you don't like that . . .
I personally loved this game , and look forward to the US release of persona 4 .
006 4 I come from the perspective that this is the first Persona or SHin Megami Tensei game that I have ever looked at , intrigued by previous reviews for Persona 3 and the $30 starting price . I will say that I have gotten my money's worth of entertainment in the last month .
In brief , without giving too much of the plot away , Persona 3 is about a group of Japanese high school students with special powers who are out to save the world from monsters . Yeah , that sounds really cheesy , but I found myself sucked into the complexity of the plot . Characters that originally seemed one dimensional , due to the length of the game , become very multidimensional ( and there are a good number of characters , both to command and to charm ) . You advance in the game basically two ways - Sim dating / friendship style interactions , and dungeon ( in this case , tower ) crawling . Although the game is fairly linear , there is quite a bit of strategy in maxing your social interactions and creating new personas ( the things you summon to fight , which apparently there are 170 - ish of ) .
FES is the current updated edition of the game , which includes the answer , a straight dungeon crawl coda to the end of the main part , the journey .
Here are some things to keep in mind :
This game is loooooooong , and there are not a lot of shortcuts that I can see . Long as approximately 70 hours of game time , possibly 100 , depending on what you do . And this game is not donkey kong - it is not satisfying in little time bites . So it's a time commitment , be aware before you start and get hooked .
The whole using the fake gun to your head to summon the personas some may find objectionable , though you basically do not notice it after a few hours of playing .
In addition , many of the personas use religious imagery from most of the major world religions , living and dead - so some may find that objectionable as well .
I will have to say that the sex and violence is kept to a minimum in general - there is teen dating and suggestive dialogue , but not overt teen sex , and minimum blood and gore .
It is a combo of dungeon crawl and heavy social RPG interaction , so if you don't like that . . .
I personally loved this game , and look forward to the US release of persona 4 .
007 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
I can't take JRPGs . Not usually . The big eyes plastered to childish bodies . The lengthy , cryptic , expositions . The cookie-cutter characters . The sick-making adorableness . The endless , pointless , series of soul crushing random encounters . . .
But I keep trying . I know there must be something I'm missing because I can't get past my personal tastes ( as impeccable as they are ) as a Western adult PC gamer whose interests run towards Western RPGs when they're not preoccupied with historical simulations and wargames . Heck , it took me a decade to break down and even buy a console but I was ultimately glad for it .
And once again my resolve , or lack thereof , has paid off . Take one part X-Com , the blending of turn-based tactical combat on unpredictable / dangerous terrain with a highly integrated strategic component , and one part Scooby-Doo . That's to my atypical , and slightly disfunctional , brain what Persona 3 FES is .
It's an extended series of adventures for the Scooby Gang , or this Japanese version thereof , as they explore a mysterious world beyond ours by night ( the Dark Hour's dungeon crawl ) and go to school by day .
The tactical and strategic interplay of Persona 3 FES is fairly deep . It trades X-Com's map movements and military style tactics and UN members needing placating for chosing which friends to make in the Real World and , as you learn about them , empowering those aspects of your own mind related to them called Personas . As other reviewers have noted the whole stable of personas is massive and they're highly customizable using fusions and having other elements in hand , or timing them right , when they're done . The single most important factor in how powerful a given persona will be is driven by social ties .
Now I'm not going to say you don't give up a certain ambience of having your own constructable base , as in X-Com , or the ability to play through the loss of individuals on your team , as in X-Com , or the sheer attraction of commanding an elite squad of commandos .
What you gain are the story oriented interactions of more detailed NPCs and a wealth of little details and a whole setting that changes as time goes on . It's so rich with story elements , most of which are not foisted on you in classic CRPG style , that you will have to replay several times and do different things to even see a fraction of what the daytime world has to offer .
You can find yourself building up personal stats that , in turn , offer you access to different elements of the game . Most commonly these are new NPC Social contacts . who in turn empower the fusing of persona-spirits matching their own Tarot suit . You might find elements that build up a persona's stats ( combat oriented compared to your more social oriented stats - they exist in tandem , not overlapping ) , have totally random effects , offer items to improve social standings with other characters , provide you with new items and much more .
Each of the many NPC Social links has a whole backstory behind it that gets fleshed out as time goes on . Some seem to intersect the main story a bit while others have nothing to do with it .
The strategy of figuring how best to spend your limited time in one day and to take advantage of all that's offered , or even finding it ( and in some cases learning schedules for certain events - like what days a week certain films are shown or when the karaoke bar is open ) is a big concern .
Driving all of this is the background knowledge of a couple daunting threats that loom on the calendar : The Full Moon will spawn uberbosses you need to defeat to progress . You have to have the strength to handle these things which you gain both by grinding in the dungeon as well as building up social ties to empower your combatant personas . Possibly more scary : Mid-terms and finals !
I'm really not the type who goes for JRPGs but the mix of strategic , tactical , storytelling and freedom to make some of your own choices along with the sheer wealth of options to explore overwhelms having to live in a Japanese High School by day and beat on random encounters by night . My mind's as much on the underlaying strategic consequences of what I'm doing as the candylike graphics and storytelling icing .
And , for better or worse , I'm kind liking that too . Oh , Stupei ! You didn't really say that did you ? !
008 4 I can't take JRPGs . Not usually . The big eyes plastered to childish bodies . The lengthy , cryptic , expositions . The cookie-cutter characters . The sick-making adorableness . The endless , pointless , series of soul crushing random encounters . . .
But I keep trying . I know there must be something I'm missing because I can't get past my personal tastes ( as impeccable as they are ) as a Western adult PC gamer whose interests run towards Western RPGs when they're not preoccupied with historical simulations and wargames . Heck , it took me a decade to break down and even buy a console but I was ultimately glad for it .
And once again my resolve , or lack thereof , has paid off . Take one part X-Com , the blending of turn-based tactical combat on unpredictable / dangerous terrain with a highly integrated strategic component , and one part Scooby-Doo . That's to my atypical , and slightly disfunctional , brain what Persona 3 FES is .
It's an extended series of adventures for the Scooby Gang , or this Japanese version thereof , as they explore a mysterious world beyond ours by night ( the Dark Hour's dungeon crawl ) and go to school by day .
The tactical and strategic interplay of Persona 3 FES is fairly deep . It trades X-Com's map movements and military style tactics and UN members needing placating for chosing which friends to make in the Real World and , as you learn about them , empowering those aspects of your own mind related to them called Personas . As other reviewers have noted the whole stable of personas is massive and they're highly customizable using fusions and having other elements in hand , or timing them right , when they're done . The single most important factor in how powerful a given persona will be is driven by social ties .
Now I'm not going to say you don't give up a certain ambience of having your own constructable base , as in X-Com , or the ability to play through the loss of individuals on your team , as in X-Com , or the sheer attraction of commanding an elite squad of commandos .
What you gain are the story oriented interactions of more detailed NPCs and a wealth of little details and a whole setting that changes as time goes on . It's so rich with story elements , most of which are not foisted on you in classic CRPG style , that you will have to replay several times and do different things to even see a fraction of what the daytime world has to offer .
You can find yourself building up personal stats that , in turn , offer you access to different elements of the game . Most commonly these are new NPC Social contacts . who in turn empower the fusing of persona-spirits matching their own Tarot suit . You might find elements that build up a persona's stats ( combat oriented compared to your more social oriented stats - they exist in tandem , not overlapping ) , have totally random effects , offer items to improve social standings with other characters , provide you with new items and much more .
Each of the many NPC Social links has a whole backstory behind it that gets fleshed out as time goes on . Some seem to intersect the main story a bit while others have nothing to do with it .
The strategy of figuring how best to spend your limited time in one day and to take advantage of all that's offered , or even finding it ( and in some cases learning schedules for certain events - like what days a week certain films are shown or when the karaoke bar is open ) is a big concern .
Driving all of this is the background knowledge of a couple daunting threats that loom on the calendar : The Full Moon will spawn uberbosses you need to defeat to progress . You have to have the strength to handle these things which you gain both by grinding in the dungeon as well as building up social ties to empower your combatant personas . Possibly more scary : Mid-terms and finals !
I'm really not the type who goes for JRPGs but the mix of strategic , tactical , storytelling and freedom to make some of your own choices along with the sheer wealth of options to explore overwhelms having to live in a Japanese High School by day and beat on random encounters by night . My mind's as much on the underlaying strategic consequences of what I'm doing as the candylike graphics and storytelling icing .
And , for better or worse , I'm kind liking that too . Oh , Stupei ! You didn't really say that did you ? !
009 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
No words can really explain exactly how this game plays . I was turned off by many gaming websites describing this as a dating sim crossed with a traditional dungeon crawler . . . this description is selling the game infinitely short ! Here we see a game where the whole is truly much greater than the sum of its parts . The story is engaging - the characters are believable ( or as believable as any crazy Japanese RPG on the market ) - and the whole package comes together spectacularly . I have had the game only two days and have already sunk 8 - ish hours into it . . . a lot for me .
The challenge level is acceptable so far - I just unlocked the second teer of the main dungeon and I have not died or game-overed yet . For those of you who like aggravatingly difficult RPGs . . . FES has a Hard mode which you can play . . . although in this mode , I fear gameplay may truly crawl .
See . . . the one tiny problem so far is that the game just moves too slowly . . . and I'm playing on easy ! Perhaps if there were a way to plan your schedule out in advance for a week and then simulate the whole week at once . . . this might help to dull the monotony of day-to-day management . This flaw is not a large one however , and truth be told , detracts very little from the allure of the game
This game comes highly recommended .
010 4 No words can really explain exactly how this game plays . I was turned off by many gaming websites describing this as a dating sim crossed with a traditional dungeon crawler . . . this description is selling the game infinitely short ! Here we see a game where the whole is truly much greater than the sum of its parts . The story is engaging - the characters are believable ( or as believable as any crazy Japanese RPG on the market ) - and the whole package comes together spectacularly . I have had the game only two days and have already sunk 8 - ish hours into it . . . a lot for me .
The challenge level is acceptable so far - I just unlocked the second teer of the main dungeon and I have not died or game-overed yet . For those of you who like aggravatingly difficult RPGs . . . FES has a Hard mode which you can play . . . although in this mode , I fear gameplay may truly crawl .
See . . . the one tiny problem so far is that the game just moves too slowly . . . and I'm playing on easy ! Perhaps if there were a way to plan your schedule out in advance for a week and then simulate the whole week at once . . . this might help to dull the monotony of day-to-day management . This flaw is not a large one however , and truth be told , detracts very little from the allure of the game
This game comes highly recommended .
011 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Well , this is my first exposure to the Shin Megami Tensei series , and I must say that I find this game is pretty different from traditional RPGS , at least in terms of gameplay . Being as this is my first Shin Megami Tensei game , I won't be comparing this to others in the series . So , on to the review !
Graphics ( score 8 / 10 ) : Graphics aren't bad . They're not as spectacular that they could be for the PS2 but I've never really been one to nitpick over graphics . The art style is very anime-ish , so if you don't like that , beware . I really like that style , though , so it was not a problem for me .
Music ( score 7 / 10 ) : Well , how much you like this music will depend on how much you like Rap and J-pop with nonsensical lyrics . I'm not really fond of it , but neither do I hate it , so I was pretty neutral towards the music . The thing that really bugs me , though , is that the songs start to become really repetitive after awhile . Part of this is due to the fact that there aren't many locations in the game , so you hear that location's song a lot . The music does change up as you progress past certain points in the game , but it does little to alleviate the feeling of song overload . There IS voice acting , and it is very good . So , no complaints there .
Characters ( score 9 / 10 ) : Well , the main characters ( aside from your avatar character , which I'll get to later ) are very well developed , and the NPCs even have very good character development . Everyone has great character depth and feels like they could be a real person , with real personalities . However , your main character is a strange anomaly in a game filled with deep personality characterizations . He doesn't even have a default name ( let's call him Minato for the purposes of this review ) , nor does he possess a personality of any kind . Yep , it's another silent protagonist - a tired RPG convention that I'm frankly getting sick of . I mean , when Dragon Quest VIII did it , it was pushing it , but now I'm just sick of it . Main characters are just not memorable or likeable when they are mute . Well , glad I got that out of my system . At least the other characters make up for it . Another thing of interest , the social link system has you talking to various NPCs , which is basically a dating / friendship sim . Answering correctly for each person will increase your social link strength and benefit your Personas ( which are monsters you can summon to aid you in battle ) . I must say that after playing through this , I'm starting to feel that Minato is either a social whore or a sociopath . You spend all your time simply choosing whatever answer will please the person you're currently with , even if it blatantly contradicts what you just said to another person . Minato is basically manipulating these people for his own gain ( the Personas ' strength ) just like a sociopath . And the way that he just gives whatever answers will please people is kinda whore-ish . If you think about it that way while you're playing , it's hilarious . I would've liked the ability to choose whatever answer I want without being penalized ( if you choose wrongly , you won't strengthen the social link and power up your personas ) . Although I suppose the game developers had to give you some incentive to talk to people , otherwise their dating / friendship sim would've been completely worthless . Anyway , I knock a point off for Minato's lack of personality .
Story ( score 9 / 10 ) : The story itself is very interesting . It involves a bunch of Japanese High School students discovering that there is a special extra hour in the night called the Dark Hour that most people do not experience , and that there are monsters that come out during this time called Shadows . And , of course , only they have the power to fight the Shadows . The story just evolves from there , and is very entertaining . I also liked the themes of the story , which include elements of Jungian psychology , various philosophies , suicide and mortality , responsibility , and even a little bit of existentialism . On the negative side , while I love the story itself , the pacing could've been better . I really complain about this more in the gameplay section ( and knock points off the score there ) , but I'll make mention of it here . You must wade through bunches of only mildly interesting filler consisting of just going to school and talking to people before relevant portions of the story are revealed . If only the pacing of the story was better , this game could've been that much more enjoyable .
Battle System ( score 8 / 10 ) : Well , battles are turn-based , which I like . The party is AI-controlled . I would've preferred to control them myself , but their AI is pretty darn good , so hat's off to the game developers . I do wish they had replaced irritating magic names like Agi and Bufu with simple to understand thing like Fire and Ice . I don't see why they couldn't ; every other RPG has already done this and it is very helpful . You can see enemies on-screen , which is also pretty cool ( no random encounters here ! . . . not that I really mind random encounters ) . Anyway , there's not much to else to say here .
Gameplay ( score 6 / 10 ) : This is a bit of a catch-all category for me . Well , Persona 3 has several aspects which normally spell doom for an RPG : randomly generated dungeon floors ( I'm not a fan of these ) , a time-based gameplay system ( this game operates on a day by day system , where time passes in a day by entering certain locations and choosing to spend time with people ) , AI-controlled party members , being limited to a single town / dungeon for the duration of the game , and a dating / friendship sim that constitutes a huge portion of gameplay . Sounds like a recipe for disaster , doesn't it ? Surprisingly , it isn't as terrible as I thought it would be , but it's still bad . That's right , you heard me . First , let's discuss the good points :
The randomly generated floors of the dungeon aren't too difficult to navigate , so that's good . The AI of your party is pretty good , especially compared to other games , like Kingdom Hearts ( in which your A.I . - controlled party members are idiots ) . The dating / friendship sim isn't too bad since the individual stories of the NPCs are pretty interesting .
Now , having gotten the good points out of the way , let's discuss the bad :
I must say that this game is really tedious and there is a feeling of excessive grinding throughout ( which I despise ) . I mean , all RPGs have a little grinding ( and I love RPGs ) but this is just ridiculous . You spend most of your time courting various friends in the ONE town of the game and the other half of your time is spent grinding through the ONE dungeon in this game . So , you see how this can get tedious after awhile ( and this game is long ! ) . I kind of wish they had cut out 70% of the grind and just made it a shorter game because the pacing feels like your crawling along . If you've ever wondered why other RPGs have teenagers unrealistically skipping school and traveling across the world , it's because doing it the realistic way by having them attend school every day ( like Persona 3 ) is tedious as all heck . I sort of felt like I was going stir crazy after awhile from being stuck in the same repetitive locations - - the couple times that the characters went on vacation to somewhere new I was like - - OMG ! Something different ! ! ! Unfortunately , the vast majority of your time is spent in that one town or that one dungeon . Despite its flaws , strangely , I still found this game to be fun , but it just doesn't merit a higher score in this section . There is one really good thing that would make you want to replay this game - - there's a new game plus option which allows you to keep all your weapons , items , Personas in the compendium , money , and your main character's level . So , if you play it again , you can breeze right through ( well , sort of , it still takes a long time ) . I'd probably enjoy this game much more on the second play-through since the majority of the grind is already done .
Overall ( score 7 / 10 ) : NOTE this score is not an average ; it's my subjective overall score . I feel so conflicted about this game ; on the one hand , it's tedious and irritating to wade through all the dreck to get to the interesting bits of story , but on the other hand , the game is oddly compelling and enjoyable to play in spurts . In fact , I think this game would have been much better if it were shorter . I don't normally say things like that , but if they had cut out some of the calendar days so that the game takes place over half a year instead of a full year ( so that the game concludes in 50 hours instead of 100 + ) , then maybe it wouldn't have felt so tedious and grinding . They could've cut out some of the filler and more concisely told their story , which would have made this game amazing . Still , I enjoyed this game enough to try playing other games in the series . However , I honestly can't decide whether I should recommend this game or not . This game seems to be rather hit or miss for people , so I suppose the best way to know whether or not you will like this game is to just rent it or buy it , and just see for yourself .
012 4 Well , this is my first exposure to the Shin Megami Tensei series , and I must say that I find this game is pretty different from traditional RPGS , at least in terms of gameplay . Being as this is my first Shin Megami Tensei game , I won't be comparing this to others in the series . So , on to the review !
Graphics ( score 8 / 10 ) : Graphics aren't bad . They're not as spectacular that they could be for the PS2 but I've never really been one to nitpick over graphics . The art style is very anime-ish , so if you don't like that , beware . I really like that style , though , so it was not a problem for me .
Music ( score 7 / 10 ) : Well , how much you like this music will depend on how much you like Rap and J-pop with nonsensical lyrics . I'm not really fond of it , but neither do I hate it , so I was pretty neutral towards the music . The thing that really bugs me , though , is that the songs start to become really repetitive after awhile . Part of this is due to the fact that there aren't many locations in the game , so you hear that location's song a lot . The music does change up as you progress past certain points in the game , but it does little to alleviate the feeling of song overload . There IS voice acting , and it is very good . So , no complaints there .
Characters ( score 9 / 10 ) : Well , the main characters ( aside from your avatar character , which I'll get to later ) are very well developed , and the NPCs even have very good character development . Everyone has great character depth and feels like they could be a real person , with real personalities . However , your main character is a strange anomaly in a game filled with deep personality characterizations . He doesn't even have a default name ( let's call him Minato for the purposes of this review ) , nor does he possess a personality of any kind . Yep , it's another silent protagonist - a tired RPG convention that I'm frankly getting sick of . I mean , when Dragon Quest VIII did it , it was pushing it , but now I'm just sick of it . Main characters are just not memorable or likeable when they are mute . Well , glad I got that out of my system . At least the other characters make up for it . Another thing of interest , the social link system has you talking to various NPCs , which is basically a dating / friendship sim . Answering correctly for each person will increase your social link strength and benefit your Personas ( which are monsters you can summon to aid you in battle ) . I must say that after playing through this , I'm starting to feel that Minato is either a social whore or a sociopath . You spend all your time simply choosing whatever answer will please the person you're currently with , even if it blatantly contradicts what you just said to another person . Minato is basically manipulating these people for his own gain ( the Personas ' strength ) just like a sociopath . And the way that he just gives whatever answers will please people is kinda whore-ish . If you think about it that way while you're playing , it's hilarious . I would've liked the ability to choose whatever answer I want without being penalized ( if you choose wrongly , you won't strengthen the social link and power up your personas ) . Although I suppose the game developers had to give you some incentive to talk to people , otherwise their dating / friendship sim would've been completely worthless . Anyway , I knock a point off for Minato's lack of personality .
Story ( score 9 / 10 ) : The story itself is very interesting . It involves a bunch of Japanese High School students discovering that there is a special extra hour in the night called the Dark Hour that most people do not experience , and that there are monsters that come out during this time called Shadows . And , of course , only they have the power to fight the Shadows . The story just evolves from there , and is very entertaining . I also liked the themes of the story , which include elements of Jungian psychology , various philosophies , suicide and mortality , responsibility , and even a little bit of existentialism . On the negative side , while I love the story itself , the pacing could've been better . I really complain about this more in the gameplay section ( and knock points off the score there ) , but I'll make mention of it here . You must wade through bunches of only mildly interesting filler consisting of just going to school and talking to people before relevant portions of the story are revealed . If only the pacing of the story was better , this game could've been that much more enjoyable .
Battle System ( score 8 / 10 ) : Well , battles are turn-based , which I like . The party is AI-controlled . I would've preferred to control them myself , but their AI is pretty darn good , so hat's off to the game developers . I do wish they had replaced irritating magic names like Agi and Bufu with simple to understand thing like Fire and Ice . I don't see why they couldn't ; every other RPG has already done this and it is very helpful . You can see enemies on-screen , which is also pretty cool ( no random encounters here ! . . . not that I really mind random encounters ) . Anyway , there's not much to else to say here .
Gameplay ( score 6 / 10 ) : This is a bit of a catch-all category for me . Well , Persona 3 has several aspects which normally spell doom for an RPG : randomly generated dungeon floors ( I'm not a fan of these ) , a time-based gameplay system ( this game operates on a day by day system , where time passes in a day by entering certain locations and choosing to spend time with people ) , AI-controlled party members , being limited to a single town / dungeon for the duration of the game , and a dating / friendship sim that constitutes a huge portion of gameplay . Sounds like a recipe for disaster , doesn't it ? Surprisingly , it isn't as terrible as I thought it would be , but it's still bad . That's right , you heard me . First , let's discuss the good points :
The randomly generated floors of the dungeon aren't too difficult to navigate , so that's good . The AI of your party is pretty good , especially compared to other games , like Kingdom Hearts ( in which your A.I . - controlled party members are idiots ) . The dating / friendship sim isn't too bad since the individual stories of the NPCs are pretty interesting .
Now , having gotten the good points out of the way , let's discuss the bad :
I must say that this game is really tedious and there is a feeling of excessive grinding throughout ( which I despise ) . I mean , all RPGs have a little grinding ( and I love RPGs ) but this is just ridiculous . You spend most of your time courting various friends in the ONE town of the game and the other half of your time is spent grinding through the ONE dungeon in this game . So , you see how this can get tedious after awhile ( and this game is long ! ) . I kind of wish they had cut out 70% of the grind and just made it a shorter game because the pacing feels like your crawling along . If you've ever wondered why other RPGs have teenagers unrealistically skipping school and traveling across the world , it's because doing it the realistic way by having them attend school every day ( like Persona 3 ) is tedious as all heck . I sort of felt like I was going stir crazy after awhile from being stuck in the same repetitive locations - - the couple times that the characters went on vacation to somewhere new I was like - - OMG ! Something different ! ! ! Unfortunately , the vast majority of your time is spent in that one town or that one dungeon . Despite its flaws , strangely , I still found this game to be fun , but it just doesn't merit a higher score in this section . There is one really good thing that would make you want to replay this game - - there's a new game plus option which allows you to keep all your weapons , items , Personas in the compendium , money , and your main character's level . So , if you play it again , you can breeze right through ( well , sort of , it still takes a long time ) . I'd probably enjoy this game much more on the second play-through since the majority of the grind is already done .
Overall ( score 7 / 10 ) : NOTE this score is not an average ; it's my subjective overall score . I feel so conflicted about this game ; on the one hand , it's tedious and irritating to wade through all the dreck to get to the interesting bits of story , but on the other hand , the game is oddly compelling and enjoyable to play in spurts . In fact , I think this game would have been much better if it were shorter . I don't normally say things like that , but if they had cut out some of the calendar days so that the game takes place over half a year instead of a full year ( so that the game concludes in 50 hours instead of 100 + ) , then maybe it wouldn't have felt so tedious and grinding . They could've cut out some of the filler and more concisely told their story , which would have made this game amazing . Still , I enjoyed this game enough to try playing other games in the series . However , I honestly can't decide whether I should recommend this game or not . This game seems to be rather hit or miss for people , so I suppose the best way to know whether or not you will like this game is to just rent it or buy it , and just see for yourself .
013 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
(
What's this ?
)
This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
When you're married , working a full time job , a homeowner , etc . , it's nearly impossible to find the time to complete a long , complicated RPG . It's so difficult , in fact , that I haven't beaten a RPG of over 40 hours in length since finishing college a half-decade ago . So , you can imagine my surprise when I looked at my save and found that I have put in over 100 hours to finish this game - actually , probably quite a more than 100 hours if the lost time due to dying and reading FAQs was accounted for . This game is just that good .
The social link ( dating ) system is probably my favorite part of the game , although the game's overall plot is excellent as well . The combat system is pretty mediocre , but luckily a lot of combat can be avoided because you can see the enemies in the dungeon ( Tartarus ) in much the same way that you can see enemies in Chrono Trigger . The biggest downside to the game , in my opinion , is the often long periods between save points . This is especially problematic before the big full moon bosses ; they have a lot of lead-up story and no save points right before them . If you die , you're stuck repeating a whole lot of plot before you get to the battle again . This makes the game difficult to play if you can't dedicate a good hour to it .
Still , it's probably the best RPG I've played on the PS2 aside from Disgaea ( which is really an SRPG ) . And it's considerably more enjoyable than any of the RPGs I've played thus far on the PS3 or 360 .
014 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
When you're married , working a full time job , a homeowner , etc . , it's nearly impossible to find the time to complete a long , complicated RPG . It's so difficult , in fact , that I haven't beaten a RPG of over 40 hours in length since finishing college a half-decade ago . So , you can imagine my surprise when I looked at my save and found that I have put in over 100 hours to finish this game - actually , probably quite a more than 100 hours if the lost time due to dying and reading FAQs was accounted for . This game is just that good .
The social link ( dating ) system is probably my favorite part of the game , although the game's overall plot is excellent as well . The combat system is pretty mediocre , but luckily a lot of combat can be avoided because you can see the enemies in the dungeon ( Tartarus ) in much the same way that you can see enemies in Chrono Trigger . The biggest downside to the game , in my opinion , is the often long periods between save points . This is especially problematic before the big full moon bosses ; they have a lot of lead-up story and no save points right before them . If you die , you're stuck repeating a whole lot of plot before you get to the battle again . This makes the game difficult to play if you can't dedicate a good hour to it .
Still , it's probably the best RPG I've played on the PS2 aside from Disgaea ( which is really an SRPG ) . And it's considerably more enjoyable than any of the RPGs I've played thus far on the PS3 or 360 .
015 4 When you're married , working a full time job , a homeowner , etc . , it's nearly impossible to find the time to complete a long , complicated RPG . It's so difficult , in fact , that I haven't beaten a RPG of over 40 hours in length since finishing college a half-decade ago . So , you can imagine my surprise when I looked at my save and found that I have put in over 100 hours to finish this game - actually , probably quite a more than 100 hours if the lost time due to dying and reading FAQs was accounted for . This game is just that good .
The social link ( dating ) system is probably my favorite part of the game , although the game's overall plot is excellent as well . The combat system is pretty mediocre , but luckily a lot of combat can be avoided because you can see the enemies in the dungeon ( Tartarus ) in much the same way that you can see enemies in Chrono Trigger . The biggest downside to the game , in my opinion , is the often long periods between save points . This is especially problematic before the big full moon bosses ; they have a lot of lead-up story and no save points right before them . If you die , you're stuck repeating a whole lot of plot before you get to the battle again . This makes the game difficult to play if you can't dedicate a good hour to it .
Still , it's probably the best RPG I've played on the PS2 aside from Disgaea ( which is really an SRPG ) . And it's considerably more enjoyable than any of the RPGs I've played thus far on the PS3 or 360 .
016 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Being someone who has personally played through Persona 3 ( the original ) and Persona 3 FES ( the remake ) , I can honestly say that buying the FES version was definitely worth it . It has everything the original had , but with so much more added ! More anime cut scenes which help move the story along as well as extra elements within the game to keep yourself occupied . I enjoyed taking the dog on walks with a friend and seeing what event would take place depending on the friend you take . I also enjoyed the dating sim element within the game and wish they made more games that let you go on dates like that . The power of love strengthens you in battle . I regret getting the original when this one was so much better .
017 4 Being someone who has personally played through Persona 3 ( the original ) and Persona 3 FES ( the remake ) , I can honestly say that buying the FES version was definitely worth it . It has everything the original had , but with so much more added ! More anime cut scenes which help move the story along as well as extra elements within the game to keep yourself occupied . I enjoyed taking the dog on walks with a friend and seeing what event would take place depending on the friend you take . I also enjoyed the dating sim element within the game and wish they made more games that let you go on dates like that . The power of love strengthens you in battle . I regret getting the original when this one was so much better .
018 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Atlus has improved upon one of its best games ( who knew this was possible ) . . . The Fes edition has added layers to the original awesome Persona 3 RPG by adding new personas , a weapons creation engine , and new quests to complete .
In addition , there is also a new chapter entitled The Answer , which is a dungeon-crawling , grinding heaven not for the faint of heart .
In a word , superb .
019 4 Atlus has improved upon one of its best games ( who knew this was possible ) . . . The Fes edition has added layers to the original awesome Persona 3 RPG by adding new personas , a weapons creation engine , and new quests to complete .
In addition , there is also a new chapter entitled The Answer , which is a dungeon-crawling , grinding heaven not for the faint of heart .
In a word , superb .
020 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
LOVED :
+ incredible social interactions ( picking which girls to date )
+ wide range of demons to summon
+ live day to day student life
+ join after school clubs or sports
+ visit the mall , ramen shop , or bookstore
LOATHED :
- tedious grinding
- almost no replay factor
Definitely buy the FES version . It's everything the original was , plus added content . New personas , extra missions , costumes , and more . 3
021 4 LOVED :
+ incredible social interactions ( picking which girls to date )
+ wide range of demons to summon
+ live day to day student life
+ join after school clubs or sports
+ visit the mall , ramen shop , or bookstore
LOATHED :
- tedious grinding
- almost no replay factor
Definitely buy the FES version . It's everything the original was , plus added content . New personas , extra missions , costumes , and more . 3
022 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
I have played through dozens of turn-based RPG's and Persona 3 is one of the best . It's rare for me to finish a game and say , I'm going to play this again as soon as I can !
From the first cut scene you'll be hooked asking yourself what is going on ? Unlike many games , you have one school year to complete your quest and almost everything you do , takes up time . During the day , you attend school and spend time doing activities ; but at night , you journey to a labyrinth called Tartarus to wage war against beings called shadows that feed on human flesh . To assist you in battle , you can summon personas that are managed by social links which you achieve by establishing and creating friendship bonds with fellow students . As a student , you have to improve abilities like courage , charisma , and even academics to be able to talk to certain individuals . As a warrior , you must find the answer to stop the shadows before life as you know it ceases to exist .
ONE GAME IS NOT ENOUGH IN THIS PACKAGE , there is a second journey called The Answer which picks up where the first one leaves off . It is similar but much harder . It's not as long but it's almost as much fun as the original .
Overall an awesome package at a very low price and a must own for any fan of RPG's .
023 4 I have played through dozens of turn-based RPG's and Persona 3 is one of the best . It's rare for me to finish a game and say , I'm going to play this again as soon as I can !
From the first cut scene you'll be hooked asking yourself what is going on ? Unlike many games , you have one school year to complete your quest and almost everything you do , takes up time . During the day , you attend school and spend time doing activities ; but at night , you journey to a labyrinth called Tartarus to wage war against beings called shadows that feed on human flesh . To assist you in battle , you can summon personas that are managed by social links which you achieve by establishing and creating friendship bonds with fellow students . As a student , you have to improve abilities like courage , charisma , and even academics to be able to talk to certain individuals . As a warrior , you must find the answer to stop the shadows before life as you know it ceases to exist .
ONE GAME IS NOT ENOUGH IN THIS PACKAGE , there is a second journey called The Answer which picks up where the first one leaves off . It is similar but much harder . It's not as long but it's almost as much fun as the original .
Overall an awesome package at a very low price and a must own for any fan of RPG's .
024 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Fantastic , especially if you go for the offbeat and slightly disturbing ( but not that disturbing , really , just kinda gothy ) .
My only complaint is that the fighting system is typical and a little simplistic ( FFX-esque ) . I needed to start over on hard for it to be challenging at all , and even then the battling is just not that interesting . But the story line , graphics , and other elements make up for that issue and keep the game exciting .
025 4 Fantastic , especially if you go for the offbeat and slightly disturbing ( but not that disturbing , really , just kinda gothy ) .
My only complaint is that the fighting system is typical and a little simplistic ( FFX-esque ) . I needed to start over on hard for it to be challenging at all , and even then the battling is just not that interesting . But the story line , graphics , and other elements make up for that issue and keep the game exciting .
026 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Well here's a new one on me . . . RPG meets The Sims .
Well not quite but it does mix RPG mechanics with a very heavy element of keeping up your social networking . The story of Persona 3 sees you as a young male student , new in town and joining a new school . You find out early on that something very odd happens to this school every night at midnight : a tower called Tartarus which is filled with monsters appears , and you ( along with a few school chums ) have been assigned to explore it and climb to the very top . As you go higher and higher in the tower , the monsters get tougher and there's a boss fight every few floors . You find items along the way and gain experience .
Now this is all pretty standard RPG stuff . Fighting is turn based , and you have a arsenal of spells and physical attacks at your disposal . As in other Shin Megami Tensei games , all the enemies have certain weaknesses that you can exploit to get extra attack turns ( and in the same way , so can they ) . Spells all have similar names as in the other games of the series ( Agi , Mamudo , Rakunda , etc ) , and the usual status ailments still apply . This is all good fun and makes for battles that you usually have to think about rather then run in blindly every time . Monsters are visible in the tower so you can choose whether to attack or run past - whack them from behind to ensure your turn comes first ! And if they catch you first they get the first turn in battle which can sometimes be lethal . In fact towards the end of the game , any time the enemy goes first can spell Game Over . Another thing to understand is that you can have a team of up to four people but apart from your own character , everyone else acts on AI . So you have to issue general orders to your team mates ( ie Heal Only , Full on Attack , Save Magic points , etc ) and let them decide how to interpret these . The good news is that the computer AI for the team mates is fantastic . Even when I left everyone on Act freely , they always did really sensible things . And if you use the analyse enemy support function , they remember the enemy weaknesses in all future encounters and only use effective attacks . Very clever . I found this one of the best computer controlled team-mate games I have ever played .
Apart from this , it's pretty similar to other Shin Megami games , especially in the annoying habit of enemies using far too many instant death spells which is cheap and REALLY annoying !
The series also retains the process of monster fusing . As in previous games you keep a team of monsters ( called Personas in this game ) , and as your collection grows you can fuse them together to make better ones . The slight difference is that they are not captured in battle any more ( all the monsters you fight are different to the Personas ) , but have to be won as random rewards at the end of battles . These will be familiar to fans of the series , as Pixie , Ganesha , Sati , Angel and all the rest are back to entertain you again , plus a few more . You can keep a stable of monsters with you at any time and try them all out ! In contrast your team mates only have one permanent Persona each , but they all have interesting abilities and weaknesses , so you'll be choosing carefully who you take with you into boss fights .
So now , here are the differences . And they are mainly in what happens when you are not fighting your way through the tower . Well , when you are not fighting monsters , you spend game time leading a pretty normal life as a teenager in modern day Japan ( game-world Japan , of course ! ) . The game has a very big emphasis on time and dates . Unlike most RPGs where time is just kind of generally moving forwards , here it is divided into days on a calendar , and each day has it's own morning , daytime , evening and night-time sections . You'll soon find out that the times of the day dictate what is available for you to do , for example , every week daytime you are at school ( boo ! ) , and in the evening the shops are closed . On Sundays and school holidays you are free to do whatever you like , but during exam weeks , you can't do anything . And in the evenings you can go out , chat to people , or explore Tartarus . What will take up most of your attention during the days , though , is trying to establish lots of social links . This means making friends with lots of people , and making clever choices in conversations so that they start liking you more . It sounds a bit lame but this is actually a requirement of the game , as the monster fusing is more effective depending on how strong your personal relations are . So get on with everybody and you'll find you get stronger monsters ! In a rather mean twist , the hero can have unlimited male friends , but be careful with the girls because as relationships grow , you'll find that they get jealous of each other so you can only ever have ONE strong female relationship at a time . Kind of limiting as there are about 6 girls in the game you can potentially create social links with . I guess there's no such thing as just friends with girls in the Persona universe .
The game is fun and very addictive , but to my disappointment , it did verge on being repetitive at times . Each day that rolls past is pretty similar to the one before it . And climbing the Tartarus tower can start to lose it's novelty too , because the floors all follow a single standard design ( it changes every 20 floors or so but still ! ) , and some of the bosses can be tough , so you really do have to explore the same floors multiple times just to level up ( the characters even call it call it training ) , which can really get tiresome . However the growth of personas is always a great lure to keep edging those levels up ( what will be the next skill they learn ? ? ) , and the battles are generally good fun , so I didn't mind too much . The story is also pretty good . Even the after-battle item rewards are fun : you get shown a choice of tarot-style cards with rewards on them , which are then shuffled before your eyes face down , and you have to watch carefully and then try and pick the one with the best reward on it ! As basic as that sounds I found this NEVER got old ! Oh yes , and one very odd part of the game overall is that in battle , the way to summon a persona is to shoot yourself in the head with a special gun ! Let's hope no impressionable kids try to copy that one eh ?
027 4 Well here's a new one on me . . . RPG meets The Sims .
Well not quite but it does mix RPG mechanics with a very heavy element of keeping up your social networking . The story of Persona 3 sees you as a young male student , new in town and joining a new school . You find out early on that something very odd happens to this school every night at midnight : a tower called Tartarus which is filled with monsters appears , and you ( along with a few school chums ) have been assigned to explore it and climb to the very top . As you go higher and higher in the tower , the monsters get tougher and there's a boss fight every few floors . You find items along the way and gain experience .
Now this is all pretty standard RPG stuff . Fighting is turn based , and you have a arsenal of spells and physical attacks at your disposal . As in other Shin Megami Tensei games , all the enemies have certain weaknesses that you can exploit to get extra attack turns ( and in the same way , so can they ) . Spells all have similar names as in the other games of the series ( Agi , Mamudo , Rakunda , etc ) , and the usual status ailments still apply . This is all good fun and makes for battles that you usually have to think about rather then run in blindly every time . Monsters are visible in the tower so you can choose whether to attack or run past - whack them from behind to ensure your turn comes first ! And if they catch you first they get the first turn in battle which can sometimes be lethal . In fact towards the end of the game , any time the enemy goes first can spell Game Over . Another thing to understand is that you can have a team of up to four people but apart from your own character , everyone else acts on AI . So you have to issue general orders to your team mates ( ie Heal Only , Full on Attack , Save Magic points , etc ) and let them decide how to interpret these . The good news is that the computer AI for the team mates is fantastic . Even when I left everyone on Act freely , they always did really sensible things . And if you use the analyse enemy support function , they remember the enemy weaknesses in all future encounters and only use effective attacks . Very clever . I found this one of the best computer controlled team-mate games I have ever played .
Apart from this , it's pretty similar to other Shin Megami games , especially in the annoying habit of enemies using far too many instant death spells which is cheap and REALLY annoying !
The series also retains the process of monster fusing . As in previous games you keep a team of monsters ( called Personas in this game ) , and as your collection grows you can fuse them together to make better ones . The slight difference is that they are not captured in battle any more ( all the monsters you fight are different to the Personas ) , but have to be won as random rewards at the end of battles . These will be familiar to fans of the series , as Pixie , Ganesha , Sati , Angel and all the rest are back to entertain you again , plus a few more . You can keep a stable of monsters with you at any time and try them all out ! In contrast your team mates only have one permanent Persona each , but they all have interesting abilities and weaknesses , so you'll be choosing carefully who you take with you into boss fights .
So now , here are the differences . And they are mainly in what happens when you are not fighting your way through the tower . Well , when you are not fighting monsters , you spend game time leading a pretty normal life as a teenager in modern day Japan ( game-world Japan , of course ! ) . The game has a very big emphasis on time and dates . Unlike most RPGs where time is just kind of generally moving forwards , here it is divided into days on a calendar , and each day has it's own morning , daytime , evening and night-time sections . You'll soon find out that the times of the day dictate what is available for you to do , for example , every week daytime you are at school ( boo ! ) , and in the evening the shops are closed . On Sundays and school holidays you are free to do whatever you like , but during exam weeks , you can't do anything . And in the evenings you can go out , chat to people , or explore Tartarus . What will take up most of your attention during the days , though , is trying to establish lots of social links . This means making friends with lots of people , and making clever choices in conversations so that they start liking you more . It sounds a bit lame but this is actually a requirement of the game , as the monster fusing is more effective depending on how strong your personal relations are . So get on with everybody and you'll find you get stronger monsters ! In a rather mean twist , the hero can have unlimited male friends , but be careful with the girls because as relationships grow , you'll find that they get jealous of each other so you can only ever have ONE strong female relationship at a time . Kind of limiting as there are about 6 girls in the game you can potentially create social links with . I guess there's no such thing as just friends with girls in the Persona universe .
The game is fun and very addictive , but to my disappointment , it did verge on being repetitive at times . Each day that rolls past is pretty similar to the one before it . And climbing the Tartarus tower can start to lose it's novelty too , because the floors all follow a single standard design ( it changes every 20 floors or so but still ! ) , and some of the bosses can be tough , so you really do have to explore the same floors multiple times just to level up ( the characters even call it call it training ) , which can really get tiresome . However the growth of personas is always a great lure to keep edging those levels up ( what will be the next skill they learn ? ? ) , and the battles are generally good fun , so I didn't mind too much . The story is also pretty good . Even the after-battle item rewards are fun : you get shown a choice of tarot-style cards with rewards on them , which are then shuffled before your eyes face down , and you have to watch carefully and then try and pick the one with the best reward on it ! As basic as that sounds I found this NEVER got old ! Oh yes , and one very odd part of the game overall is that in battle , the way to summon a persona is to shoot yourself in the head with a special gun ! Let's hope no impressionable kids try to copy that one eh ?
028 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Persona 3 has been touted as the undisputed pinnacle of games in the Shin Megami Tensei series , and rightfully so : the narrative combines thought-provoking dialogue with emotionally engaging voice-overs ; characters are fleshed out with peculiar ( and oftentimes conflicting ) personalities ; the universe is rich with mythological allusions ; the musical score is top-notch and surprisingly catchy , changing according to the mood ; bonus content breathes new life into an already time-consuming soul-eater , and the battle system is excellent to boot ! From a technical standpoint , Persona 3 is mediocre at best - - it doesn't quite strain PS2 hardware to its limit . However , it compensates for what it lacks graphically in virtually every other aspect , which feels remarkably polished for a third-party game . Reviewers claim that the story is not nearly as ' dark ' as previous games in the series , but I find such a statement to be truly ironic . After all , the plot revolves around extinction - - can it get much more serious then that ? Exploring Tartarus can be tedious at times , but the ability to issue party commands gets rid of this minor inconvenience . Dungeon-crawling is not necessarily a bad thing , especially when the gameplay is as deep as this . ( Besides , a true RPG fan should have extraordinary patience ! ) I recommend Persona 3 to everyone who is not claustrophobic .
Overall evaluation : 9 / 10
029 4 Persona 3 has been touted as the undisputed pinnacle of games in the Shin Megami Tensei series , and rightfully so : the narrative combines thought-provoking dialogue with emotionally engaging voice-overs ; characters are fleshed out with peculiar ( and oftentimes conflicting ) personalities ; the universe is rich with mythological allusions ; the musical score is top-notch and surprisingly catchy , changing according to the mood ; bonus content breathes new life into an already time-consuming soul-eater , and the battle system is excellent to boot ! From a technical standpoint , Persona 3 is mediocre at best - - it doesn't quite strain PS2 hardware to its limit . However , it compensates for what it lacks graphically in virtually every other aspect , which feels remarkably polished for a third-party game . Reviewers claim that the story is not nearly as ' dark ' as previous games in the series , but I find such a statement to be truly ironic . After all , the plot revolves around extinction - - can it get much more serious then that ? Exploring Tartarus can be tedious at times , but the ability to issue party commands gets rid of this minor inconvenience . Dungeon-crawling is not necessarily a bad thing , especially when the gameplay is as deep as this . ( Besides , a true RPG fan should have extraordinary patience ! ) I recommend Persona 3 to everyone who is not claustrophobic .
Overall evaluation : 9 / 10
030 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
While Persona 3 FES is technically a re-release of last years game of the same name ( sans fes ) there is enough new content to make it worth another run through . More social links to make , new Persona's to summon which mean more weapons to make from them and more fusions to try . excellent voice acting . Top Notch localization while staying true to many of the original japanese influences . I highly recommend this game for any RPG fan , and for non-rpg fans as well . ATLUS has done it again .
031 4 While Persona 3 FES is technically a re-release of last years game of the same name ( sans fes ) there is enough new content to make it worth another run through . More social links to make , new Persona's to summon which mean more weapons to make from them and more fusions to try . excellent voice acting . Top Notch localization while staying true to many of the original japanese influences . I highly recommend this game for any RPG fan , and for non-rpg fans as well . ATLUS has done it again .
032 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
If you're an SMT fan , you undoubtedly knew of Persona 3 ' s launch , and how it combined so many genre's into one of the best RPG's to ever hit the PS2 . Even if you're not a MegaTen follower , you may have still come across the title as it managed to top the rating charts within its genre . Persona 3 was most certainly an innovative and addictive title , that even dared to spark a hint of controversy .
Flash forward a year , and the director's cut known as Persona 3 FES , or Festival has made it overseas . Everything that Persona 3 was , FES is too , but FES manages to be so much more . Divided into two modes , the Journey , and the Answer , FES combines the original story , with an all new adventure .
The Journey is an updated version of the original Persona 3 story . New Personas , new Elizabeth requests , weapon synthesis , new hard difficulty , special armor which can change a character's appearance , and various other additions which expand and improve the original experience , taking it to all new levels . If you have never played the original P3 , this is the mode to start with , and even if you have , there is plenty of new to spark the enjoyment of the tale all over again .
The Answer is an epilogue of sorts for the original story . Revolving around Aigis , it tells of the mysterious events which occur after the conclusion of the Journey . While it lacks many of the Journey's features , it does add a good 30 hours or so of dungeon crawling , and a solid , enjoyable addition to the story . It also adds a bit of a challenge as it only comes in one difficulty , Hard .
If you're a fan of the first P3 , the additions within FES make it worth every penny . If you've never had a chance to experience the game for yourself , at $30 , FES is a well priced addition to your collection , and one I highly doubt you'll regret . It is one of the best RPG's to call the PS2 home , in fact I dare say it is one of the best RPG's on any system , simply a must own for RPG fans !
033 4 If you're an SMT fan , you undoubtedly knew of Persona 3 ' s launch , and how it combined so many genre's into one of the best RPG's to ever hit the PS2 . Even if you're not a MegaTen follower , you may have still come across the title as it managed to top the rating charts within its genre . Persona 3 was most certainly an innovative and addictive title , that even dared to spark a hint of controversy .
Flash forward a year , and the director's cut known as Persona 3 FES , or Festival has made it overseas . Everything that Persona 3 was , FES is too , but FES manages to be so much more . Divided into two modes , the Journey , and the Answer , FES combines the original story , with an all new adventure .
The Journey is an updated version of the original Persona 3 story . New Personas , new Elizabeth requests , weapon synthesis , new hard difficulty , special armor which can change a character's appearance , and various other additions which expand and improve the original experience , taking it to all new levels . If you have never played the original P3 , this is the mode to start with , and even if you have , there is plenty of new to spark the enjoyment of the tale all over again .
The Answer is an epilogue of sorts for the original story . Revolving around Aigis , it tells of the mysterious events which occur after the conclusion of the Journey . While it lacks many of the Journey's features , it does add a good 30 hours or so of dungeon crawling , and a solid , enjoyable addition to the story . It also adds a bit of a challenge as it only comes in one difficulty , Hard .
If you're a fan of the first P3 , the additions within FES make it worth every penny . If you've never had a chance to experience the game for yourself , at $30 , FES is a well priced addition to your collection , and one I highly doubt you'll regret . It is one of the best RPG's to call the PS2 home , in fact I dare say it is one of the best RPG's on any system , simply a must own for RPG fans !
034 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
while I loved Persona 3 and the past titles in the series I am really happy to see Atlus bringing out remakes of great titles with extra content .
persona 3 SE had an art book , and a music soundtrack from the game .
while none of those things are here , we have a plethera of new additions such as New Personas , The Epilogue Chapter ( which plays like a game in itself where you are the the protagonist , ( Aigis ) , leave behind most of the really cool school elements for this and get more dungeon exploration aspect . it works well for this game with hours of added gameplay and content . 70 + hours in Persona 3 ( yes comes with it unaltered , other then new personas , Events and Hard Mode ) Plus the Extra NEW Chapter The Answer with 30 + extra hours of gameplay for a total of 100 Hours of gameplay ! ! !
this a must have for persona 3 fans that may or may not have persona 3 SE or are thinking about FES well , think no more ! FES at a mere release price of 29.99 makes this package a true deal for newcomers to the persona games and to veterans alike . Veterans I recommend a rental if you have SE unless a HUGE fan and have to have it but for fans Grab this title NOW ! before it is out of print !
I must also point out that while this game does a great job with the school aspects of the gameplay and while not as interesting ( or annoying depending on your point of view ) as they are in bully where each class is a mini game , here we see only a single question needing an answer and a correct one givin raises a stat such as charm or academics . I liked the way they didn't bog down the game with the school aspect and slowly lure you into battle . the old school turn based battles feel a little fresher here with the strength / weakness system of combat . I really am impressed with this title and would recommend it to every RPG fan out there .
Graphics : anime style flair and Excellent artwork 5 Stars .
Sound : unusual techno metal soundtrack cool sound effects Excellent Voice Acting 5 stars .
Overall : a blast from the first time you see the persona gun go off and your persona comes forth , you will be hooked into this game like me and I Strongly recommend looking into the rest of the series . with all the bonus content I can not help but Give this title 5 Stars ! ( sad No soundtrack this time )
Links Below
Buy Persona 3 SE here
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3
Or Persona 3 FES here
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES
NOCTURNE DDS 3
Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne
or Digital Devil Saga 1 here
Shin Megami Tensei : Digital Devil Saga
DDS 2 here
Shin Megami Tensei Digital Devil Saga 2
Devil Summoner here
Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner
* * * * Review and above titles are PS2 ONLY * * * *
035 4 while I loved Persona 3 and the past titles in the series I am really happy to see Atlus bringing out remakes of great titles with extra content .
persona 3 SE had an art book , and a music soundtrack from the game .
while none of those things are here , we have a plethera of new additions such as New Personas , The Epilogue Chapter ( which plays like a game in itself where you are the the protagonist , ( Aigis ) , leave behind most of the really cool school elements for this and get more dungeon exploration aspect . it works well for this game with hours of added gameplay and content . 70 + hours in Persona 3 ( yes comes with it unaltered , other then new personas , Events and Hard Mode ) Plus the Extra NEW Chapter The Answer with 30 + extra hours of gameplay for a total of 100 Hours of gameplay ! ! !
this a must have for persona 3 fans that may or may not have persona 3 SE or are thinking about FES well , think no more ! FES at a mere release price of 29.99 makes this package a true deal for newcomers to the persona games and to veterans alike . Veterans I recommend a rental if you have SE unless a HUGE fan and have to have it but for fans Grab this title NOW ! before it is out of print !
I must also point out that while this game does a great job with the school aspects of the gameplay and while not as interesting ( or annoying depending on your point of view ) as they are in bully where each class is a mini game , here we see only a single question needing an answer and a correct one givin raises a stat such as charm or academics . I liked the way they didn't bog down the game with the school aspect and slowly lure you into battle . the old school turn based battles feel a little fresher here with the strength / weakness system of combat . I really am impressed with this title and would recommend it to every RPG fan out there .
Graphics : anime style flair and Excellent artwork 5 Stars .
Sound : unusual techno metal soundtrack cool sound effects Excellent Voice Acting 5 stars .
Overall : a blast from the first time you see the persona gun go off and your persona comes forth , you will be hooked into this game like me and I Strongly recommend looking into the rest of the series . with all the bonus content I can not help but Give this title 5 Stars ! ( sad No soundtrack this time )
Links Below
Buy Persona 3 SE here
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3
Or Persona 3 FES here
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES
NOCTURNE DDS 3
Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne
or Digital Devil Saga 1 here
Shin Megami Tensei : Digital Devil Saga
DDS 2 here
Shin Megami Tensei Digital Devil Saga 2
Devil Summoner here
Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner
* * * * Review and above titles are PS2 ONLY * * * *
036 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
I really liked this game when I first started playing it . It has great graphics for a PS2 game . The music is really good and draws you into the mood of the game . The characters are well developed . The general mood and theme of the game are really good ranging from the light and bouncy NPCs to the dark battle areas . However , I've never been a fan of games like The Sims where you have to build up relationships and such over time and you only get to do one or two things a day . There's not much immediate gratification from those kinds of things . That would be OK though if the battle system were more interesting . However , it's like one of those old random dungeon crawlers . You wander through some non-distinct areas with enemies that are not very creative and mostly just upgrades from past levels and then you hit a road block . Once you get to a certain level of the dungeon you can't go any further until the right day where you can fight a boss and then the levels open up again . This leads to not really needing or desiring to go back since there's not going to be anything new to do or any new goals . So most of the days you just go do the sim stuff and it gets a little boring . I really want to go back to playing it because I enjoyed the main story line and the creating new personas , but I can't get myself to go back to it for more than a couple of hours at a time and there are so many other good games for the PS2 that I haven't played .
So , if you are a fan of The Sims then you may like this since the battles are really not even that hard or important to the storyline . But if , like me , you got bored of The Sims after a few days of playing it , then you'll get bored of this game too .
037 4 I really liked this game when I first started playing it . It has great graphics for a PS2 game . The music is really good and draws you into the mood of the game . The characters are well developed . The general mood and theme of the game are really good ranging from the light and bouncy NPCs to the dark battle areas . However , I've never been a fan of games like The Sims where you have to build up relationships and such over time and you only get to do one or two things a day . There's not much immediate gratification from those kinds of things . That would be OK though if the battle system were more interesting . However , it's like one of those old random dungeon crawlers . You wander through some non-distinct areas with enemies that are not very creative and mostly just upgrades from past levels and then you hit a road block . Once you get to a certain level of the dungeon you can't go any further until the right day where you can fight a boss and then the levels open up again . This leads to not really needing or desiring to go back since there's not going to be anything new to do or any new goals . So most of the days you just go do the sim stuff and it gets a little boring . I really want to go back to playing it because I enjoyed the main story line and the creating new personas , but I can't get myself to go back to it for more than a couple of hours at a time and there are so many other good games for the PS2 that I haven't played .
So , if you are a fan of The Sims then you may like this since the battles are really not even that hard or important to the storyline . But if , like me , you got bored of The Sims after a few days of playing it , then you'll get bored of this game too .
038 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Persona 3 FES soups up science fiction with high school life in one of the most addicting RPGs ever made .
For a game , Persona 3 is hardly the usual role-playing routine . Players take control of a high school boy who must balance his high school life with his other job as a shadow hunter . Unlike other RPGs , you actually live out your life in school by making decisions , studying for tests and socializing with other characters .
At first , it seems like a joke . You shop for weapons at the police department and healing items at the pharmacy . You can play arcade games in the mall to increase your charm and courage meters . However , this simulation is exactly what makes Persona 3 an epic experience based on the pressure of high school life . Your relationships actually builds the power of the Personas , the guardian spirits you summon in battle .
This also ties in seamlessly with the dark , animated sequences in the game . You plays as a teenage boy who sees floating coffins on the way to his dorm . When he first arrives , a frightening girl reaches for a pistol . After a few days , black tentacle monsters attack his dorm .
However , he learns how to defend himself with a sword and a special pistol called an Evoker . By shooting himself in the head with the Evoker , he releases a Persona to defend himself from enemies . He learns from his roommates that he was chosen to lead them to explore a dungeon in an alternate world , known as Tartarus .
Although anyone would get disturbed from watching these kids shoot themselves in the head so many times , the fighting system is surprisingly simple and easy to learn . The randomly-generated dungeons may look somewhat boring with dull , monochrome environments , but the floor design allows players to hide against walls to surprise the monsters from behind .
The game becomes a surprisingly deep game , focusing more on the characters ' life outside of dungeon-crawling . It becomes an experience in itself , rather than a typical game based on exploration . The FES edition adds even more features , such as side quests from one of the characters in the game . Experts of Persona 3 can challenge themselves with the hard mode , or they can play the new chapter , The Answer , after beating the main game .
This is one of the best JRPGs of the decade . It literally reaches above and beyond the limitations of the Final Fantasy games with a high school environment and an eclectic blend of anime and J-pop . The game is now pretty tough to find , but it's still worth every penny .
039 4 Persona 3 FES soups up science fiction with high school life in one of the most addicting RPGs ever made .
For a game , Persona 3 is hardly the usual role-playing routine . Players take control of a high school boy who must balance his high school life with his other job as a shadow hunter . Unlike other RPGs , you actually live out your life in school by making decisions , studying for tests and socializing with other characters .
At first , it seems like a joke . You shop for weapons at the police department and healing items at the pharmacy . You can play arcade games in the mall to increase your charm and courage meters . However , this simulation is exactly what makes Persona 3 an epic experience based on the pressure of high school life . Your relationships actually builds the power of the Personas , the guardian spirits you summon in battle .
This also ties in seamlessly with the dark , animated sequences in the game . You plays as a teenage boy who sees floating coffins on the way to his dorm . When he first arrives , a frightening girl reaches for a pistol . After a few days , black tentacle monsters attack his dorm .
However , he learns how to defend himself with a sword and a special pistol called an Evoker . By shooting himself in the head with the Evoker , he releases a Persona to defend himself from enemies . He learns from his roommates that he was chosen to lead them to explore a dungeon in an alternate world , known as Tartarus .
Although anyone would get disturbed from watching these kids shoot themselves in the head so many times , the fighting system is surprisingly simple and easy to learn . The randomly-generated dungeons may look somewhat boring with dull , monochrome environments , but the floor design allows players to hide against walls to surprise the monsters from behind .
The game becomes a surprisingly deep game , focusing more on the characters ' life outside of dungeon-crawling . It becomes an experience in itself , rather than a typical game based on exploration . The FES edition adds even more features , such as side quests from one of the characters in the game . Experts of Persona 3 can challenge themselves with the hard mode , or they can play the new chapter , The Answer , after beating the main game .
This is one of the best JRPGs of the decade . It literally reaches above and beyond the limitations of the Final Fantasy games with a high school environment and an eclectic blend of anime and J-pop . The game is now pretty tough to find , but it's still worth every penny .
040 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
(
What's this ?
)
This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
If you do not know whether to buy persona 3 or persona 3 Fes , you should buy persona 3 fes . It contains the original storyline and everything else from Persona 3 ; but it also includes upgrades such as more social link and personas . There is also an additional 30 + hours to let you know what happened at the end of the journey .
041 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
If you do not know whether to buy persona 3 or persona 3 Fes , you should buy persona 3 fes . It contains the original storyline and everything else from Persona 3 ; but it also includes upgrades such as more social link and personas . There is also an additional 30 + hours to let you know what happened at the end of the journey .
042 4 If you do not know whether to buy persona 3 or persona 3 Fes , you should buy persona 3 fes . It contains the original storyline and everything else from Persona 3 ; but it also includes upgrades such as more social link and personas . There is also an additional 30 + hours to let you know what happened at the end of the journey .
043 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
(
What's this ?
)
This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
This is a thinking mans game and the last of the best for PS2 . The whole series of these games were little known at first but more gamers are discovering them . Amazon has them all at great prices .
044 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
This is a thinking mans game and the last of the best for PS2 . The whole series of these games were little known at first but more gamers are discovering them . Amazon has them all at great prices .
045 4 This is a thinking mans game and the last of the best for PS2 . The whole series of these games were little known at first but more gamers are discovering them . Amazon has them all at great prices .
046 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
(
What's this ?
)
This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Persona 3 : FES was my first ever experience with any game in the Persona / SMT series and prior to playing it I had already heard most of the hype surrounding it ( lengthy gameplay , Emo characters and storylines , demon fusion based combat , etc ) so I thought I had a fairly good idea on what to expect . While the game does indeed live up the hype it did exceed my expectations and ultimately turned out to be one of the most innovative JRPG's that I've played in years - and this is including most of the JRPG's that have appeared on the 360 over the past few years .
What really impressed me right off the bat with this game is the freshness of its overall presentation . The entirety of P3 is wrapped in a funky , upbeat chic of a neon-lit Tokyo with all of its trappings . Everything from menu design , pacing , soundtrack has a glossy , snazzy , modern hue to it and gives this rpg a whole new vibe that one typically does not encounter when playing games in this genre . The game is also packed with a surprisingly serviceable storyline and a smattering of memorable and compelling characters . The way the game time is structured is also worth mention . Basically the game takes place over an entire calendar year and players will play through each and every day within this year ultimately deciding how to utilize their time each day ( study at school ? Pursue friendships to build up S-links ? Dungeon Grind ? Rest up for a big fight ? ) . This timeline structure allows the game and its settings to evoke the mood and seasons of a Tokyo high school along with its accompanying seasonal festivities and other important events .
Recently finishing my first play through , my game clocked in at about 117 hours ( I tend to take my time and like to explore everything possible ) and I have yet to finish the additional storyline added to this ' FES ' edition of the game . My only nitpick on this title is that the dungeon grind aspects of this game tend to become tedious at a certain point but thanks in parts to the strong story / character arcs that comprise a good deal of your game time the positives ultimately far outweigh this one hassle . This game is a must buy for anyone who enjoys JRPG's or for those with a curiosity and fondness for modern Tokyo culture .
047 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Persona 3 : FES was my first ever experience with any game in the Persona / SMT series and prior to playing it I had already heard most of the hype surrounding it ( lengthy gameplay , Emo characters and storylines , demon fusion based combat , etc ) so I thought I had a fairly good idea on what to expect . While the game does indeed live up the hype it did exceed my expectations and ultimately turned out to be one of the most innovative JRPG's that I've played in years - and this is including most of the JRPG's that have appeared on the 360 over the past few years .
What really impressed me right off the bat with this game is the freshness of its overall presentation . The entirety of P3 is wrapped in a funky , upbeat chic of a neon-lit Tokyo with all of its trappings . Everything from menu design , pacing , soundtrack has a glossy , snazzy , modern hue to it and gives this rpg a whole new vibe that one typically does not encounter when playing games in this genre . The game is also packed with a surprisingly serviceable storyline and a smattering of memorable and compelling characters . The way the game time is structured is also worth mention . Basically the game takes place over an entire calendar year and players will play through each and every day within this year ultimately deciding how to utilize their time each day ( study at school ? Pursue friendships to build up S-links ? Dungeon Grind ? Rest up for a big fight ? ) . This timeline structure allows the game and its settings to evoke the mood and seasons of a Tokyo high school along with its accompanying seasonal festivities and other important events .
Recently finishing my first play through , my game clocked in at about 117 hours ( I tend to take my time and like to explore everything possible ) and I have yet to finish the additional storyline added to this ' FES ' edition of the game . My only nitpick on this title is that the dungeon grind aspects of this game tend to become tedious at a certain point but thanks in parts to the strong story / character arcs that comprise a good deal of your game time the positives ultimately far outweigh this one hassle . This game is a must buy for anyone who enjoys JRPG's or for those with a curiosity and fondness for modern Tokyo culture .
048 4 Persona 3 : FES was my first ever experience with any game in the Persona / SMT series and prior to playing it I had already heard most of the hype surrounding it ( lengthy gameplay , Emo characters and storylines , demon fusion based combat , etc ) so I thought I had a fairly good idea on what to expect . While the game does indeed live up the hype it did exceed my expectations and ultimately turned out to be one of the most innovative JRPG's that I've played in years - and this is including most of the JRPG's that have appeared on the 360 over the past few years .
What really impressed me right off the bat with this game is the freshness of its overall presentation . The entirety of P3 is wrapped in a funky , upbeat chic of a neon-lit Tokyo with all of its trappings . Everything from menu design , pacing , soundtrack has a glossy , snazzy , modern hue to it and gives this rpg a whole new vibe that one typically does not encounter when playing games in this genre . The game is also packed with a surprisingly serviceable storyline and a smattering of memorable and compelling characters . The way the game time is structured is also worth mention . Basically the game takes place over an entire calendar year and players will play through each and every day within this year ultimately deciding how to utilize their time each day ( study at school ? Pursue friendships to build up S-links ? Dungeon Grind ? Rest up for a big fight ? ) . This timeline structure allows the game and its settings to evoke the mood and seasons of a Tokyo high school along with its accompanying seasonal festivities and other important events .
Recently finishing my first play through , my game clocked in at about 117 hours ( I tend to take my time and like to explore everything possible ) and I have yet to finish the additional storyline added to this ' FES ' edition of the game . My only nitpick on this title is that the dungeon grind aspects of this game tend to become tedious at a certain point but thanks in parts to the strong story / character arcs that comprise a good deal of your game time the positives ultimately far outweigh this one hassle . This game is a must buy for anyone who enjoys JRPG's or for those with a curiosity and fondness for modern Tokyo culture .
049 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
It's hard to justify purchasing a special edition of a game that was released less than a year after the original version , but Persona 3 FES is a rare exception , and absolutely worth purchasing by fans new and old .
I played through the original release of Persona 3 exhaustively ( over 100 hours were devoted to one play-through ) , and loved every moment of it . When I heard about FES , my natural reaction was annoyance , assuming that Atlus was merely milking fans in order to sell the game to completionists a second time . Whether or not this was the intent is irrelevant at this point ; Persona 3 FES has more than enough content to justify replaying the game , AND it includes a mode that continues the storyline past the game's ending .
Persona 3 is an incredible game that does everything right , and I couldn't resist playing through the definitive version of the game . I replayed the majority of the main story before moving onto and completing the additional content , and when all was said and done , I had invested another 100 + hours into Persona 3 . The budget price , along with the convenience of having ALL of the content on one disc , helped me to have no regrets about buying FES on top of the original release .
I have a hard time deciding whether I prefer Persona 3 or
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 4
, but the bottom line is that any fan of Japanese RPGs should play both . Persona 3 FES is a great starting point for anyone interesting in the series , and it receives my highest recommendation .
050 4 It's hard to justify purchasing a special edition of a game that was released less than a year after the original version , but Persona 3 FES is a rare exception , and absolutely worth purchasing by fans new and old .
I played through the original release of Persona 3 exhaustively ( over 100 hours were devoted to one play-through ) , and loved every moment of it . When I heard about FES , my natural reaction was annoyance , assuming that Atlus was merely milking fans in order to sell the game to completionists a second time . Whether or not this was the intent is irrelevant at this point ; Persona 3 FES has more than enough content to justify replaying the game , AND it includes a mode that continues the storyline past the game's ending .
Persona 3 is an incredible game that does everything right , and I couldn't resist playing through the definitive version of the game . I replayed the majority of the main story before moving onto and completing the additional content , and when all was said and done , I had invested another 100 + hours into Persona 3 . The budget price , along with the convenience of having ALL of the content on one disc , helped me to have no regrets about buying FES on top of the original release .
I have a hard time deciding whether I prefer Persona 3 or
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 4
, but the bottom line is that any fan of Japanese RPGs should play both . Persona 3 FES is a great starting point for anyone interesting in the series , and it receives my highest recommendation .
051 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
I owned the original P3 game , but lost it so I decided to buy it . I was right to buy it . It is an amazing game . Even though I wanted to go straight to The Answer where you play as Aigis , I didn't so I played The Journey first to see the changes . I absolutely love the new Persona's you get . Like Hell Biker , Empusa , Alp , and Helel / Lucifer . I also love Elizabeth's new requests , like you can take her out for dates in your world outside the Velvet Room . I am so glad I got this game . I cannot wait to complete The Journey and play The Answer . : D
052 4 I owned the original P3 game , but lost it so I decided to buy it . I was right to buy it . It is an amazing game . Even though I wanted to go straight to The Answer where you play as Aigis , I didn't so I played The Journey first to see the changes . I absolutely love the new Persona's you get . Like Hell Biker , Empusa , Alp , and Helel / Lucifer . I also love Elizabeth's new requests , like you can take her out for dates in your world outside the Velvet Room . I am so glad I got this game . I cannot wait to complete The Journey and play The Answer . : D
053 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
This is the best game i have ever played . There is so much story and its really fun to be able to choose your own path and not have a set storyline . It is amazing . If you want a game that will last you forever buy Persona 3 FES . I have had this game for about a month and have put in over 90 hours of gameplay , and thats just the main game . The FES version has a second chapter called The Answer ( the main story is called The Journey ) that has an extra 30 to 40 hours of extra gameplay . BUY THIS GAME ! ! !
054 4 This is the best game i have ever played . There is so much story and its really fun to be able to choose your own path and not have a set storyline . It is amazing . If you want a game that will last you forever buy Persona 3 FES . I have had this game for about a month and have put in over 90 hours of gameplay , and thats just the main game . The FES version has a second chapter called The Answer ( the main story is called The Journey ) that has an extra 30 to 40 hours of extra gameplay . BUY THIS GAME ! ! !
055 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
This game is incredibly addicting , as it is really two games seamlessly melded into one . There is the visual novel aspect of the game , through which you can go through your school life and visit areas to raise friendship points and other personality stats . However , there is also a randomized dungeon system that keeps itself from becoming dull by providing you with an ever-changing arsenal of fighting tactics and increasingly difficult monsters to try them out on .
One can choose to focus on one aspect of the game or the other , but to enjoy the game to its fullest one should delve into both sides . Each side has a significant impact on the other . The storyline can not continue unless you have trained in the dungeon enough to at least face the event bosses . However , if you have built up friendship points with others , you are bestowed stronger weapons than your level merits , which is always a rewarding feeling .
That is not to mention its queer plotline and style . It also incorporates a range of mythic creatures from a variety of cultures and religions .
This is definitely not a game to be missed and sure to provide gamers who haved enjoyed other games games of its two aspects ( of visual novel and RPG ) hours of enjoyment .
056 4 This game is incredibly addicting , as it is really two games seamlessly melded into one . There is the visual novel aspect of the game , through which you can go through your school life and visit areas to raise friendship points and other personality stats . However , there is also a randomized dungeon system that keeps itself from becoming dull by providing you with an ever-changing arsenal of fighting tactics and increasingly difficult monsters to try them out on .
One can choose to focus on one aspect of the game or the other , but to enjoy the game to its fullest one should delve into both sides . Each side has a significant impact on the other . The storyline can not continue unless you have trained in the dungeon enough to at least face the event bosses . However , if you have built up friendship points with others , you are bestowed stronger weapons than your level merits , which is always a rewarding feeling .
That is not to mention its queer plotline and style . It also incorporates a range of mythic creatures from a variety of cultures and religions .
This is definitely not a game to be missed and sure to provide gamers who haved enjoyed other games games of its two aspects ( of visual novel and RPG ) hours of enjoyment .
057 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
The original Persona 3 was an absolute unqualified masterpiece of a game . FES is the entirety of P3 with several added new features , the biggest of which is an entire additional dungeon and scenario that takes place following the end of the prior game .
That makes FES really , really difficult to rate . Because while the game itself is excellent , the extras cover quite a range . One of the biggest-touted features of the FES edition is the inclusion of new costumes for the characters . . . about four per character , specifically , and each of them as a piece of armor preventing you from using any better pieces . ( This would be less of an issue except for the fact that some of them are obsoleted very quickly from when you get them . ) There are a large number of additional quests , which are as unclear as ever and frequently exist just to facilitate the costumes . They reduced the grinding needed for Social Links , a positive thing but depriving of some of the inticacies in the game .
And then there's the big difference , the addition of The Answer , with the main game now subtitled The Journey . That's the most exciting part of the game , for most , and with good reason - except that The Answer is kind of a weak addition . No , let's not mince words - The Answer is everything that a good follow-up shouldn't be . Characters are mis-written , the story premise is thin , and the only aspect of gameplay left is tedious , endless grinding in dungeons that are designed to be far more frustrating than those of the main game . What it adds to the experience is massively unsatisfying .
So why is the game still five stars ? Because if you don't own Persona 3 , it is an easy five-star game , and a few optional additions and enhancements of varying worth doesn't drag down excellence . You have no reason not to own the game , and FES is the most complete version you can own . However , if you already own P3 and are wondering if you should buy FES in addition , that rating loses a lot of points . I'd recommend keeping the original if you have it , but snap this up if you don't .
058 4 The original Persona 3 was an absolute unqualified masterpiece of a game . FES is the entirety of P3 with several added new features , the biggest of which is an entire additional dungeon and scenario that takes place following the end of the prior game .
That makes FES really , really difficult to rate . Because while the game itself is excellent , the extras cover quite a range . One of the biggest-touted features of the FES edition is the inclusion of new costumes for the characters . . . about four per character , specifically , and each of them as a piece of armor preventing you from using any better pieces . ( This would be less of an issue except for the fact that some of them are obsoleted very quickly from when you get them . ) There are a large number of additional quests , which are as unclear as ever and frequently exist just to facilitate the costumes . They reduced the grinding needed for Social Links , a positive thing but depriving of some of the inticacies in the game .
And then there's the big difference , the addition of The Answer , with the main game now subtitled The Journey . That's the most exciting part of the game , for most , and with good reason - except that The Answer is kind of a weak addition . No , let's not mince words - The Answer is everything that a good follow-up shouldn't be . Characters are mis-written , the story premise is thin , and the only aspect of gameplay left is tedious , endless grinding in dungeons that are designed to be far more frustrating than those of the main game . What it adds to the experience is massively unsatisfying .
So why is the game still five stars ? Because if you don't own Persona 3 , it is an easy five-star game , and a few optional additions and enhancements of varying worth doesn't drag down excellence . You have no reason not to own the game , and FES is the most complete version you can own . However , if you already own P3 and are wondering if you should buy FES in addition , that rating loses a lot of points . I'd recommend keeping the original if you have it , but snap this up if you don't .
059 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
The replay value is great on this game . It is a rock solid RPG with all the bells and whistles that you would expect from a SMT game . I have over 100 hours into this game so far and I am about 50% though my first playthough , thats by design . Any RPG'er with be happy to hear it has NewGame + one I my favortie aspects of RPGs . I look foreward to employing it on my second playthrough .
060 4 The replay value is great on this game . It is a rock solid RPG with all the bells and whistles that you would expect from a SMT game . I have over 100 hours into this game so far and I am about 50% though my first playthough , thats by design . Any RPG'er with be happy to hear it has NewGame + one I my favortie aspects of RPGs . I look foreward to employing it on my second playthrough .
061 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
I must say that for the price , you are essentially getting 2 great games for the price of one . The original Persona 3 , and a sequel called the Answer . Also , a few things have been added to the original to mix it up a bit for those who played it already .
The game is very well done . The story is slightly above average , the music is solid , and the battles are quite enjoyable , and challenging . The only complaint about the battles is that you only control your main character . The AI controls the others , and that can be a problem during boss battles .
The reason I give the game 4 stars instead of 5 is because frankly most of the fighting takes place in a dungeon like world called Tartarus . The look on this area rarely changes , and since you will spend hours there it will be a test of your patience .
Overall I highly suggest this game to those who love a good challenging rpg . I am currently playing persona 4 and will have a review up when finished .
062 4 I must say that for the price , you are essentially getting 2 great games for the price of one . The original Persona 3 , and a sequel called the Answer . Also , a few things have been added to the original to mix it up a bit for those who played it already .
The game is very well done . The story is slightly above average , the music is solid , and the battles are quite enjoyable , and challenging . The only complaint about the battles is that you only control your main character . The AI controls the others , and that can be a problem during boss battles .
The reason I give the game 4 stars instead of 5 is because frankly most of the fighting takes place in a dungeon like world called Tartarus . The look on this area rarely changes , and since you will spend hours there it will be a test of your patience .
Overall I highly suggest this game to those who love a good challenging rpg . I am currently playing persona 4 and will have a review up when finished .
063 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
This game is pretty fun . Plus you get the extra 30 hours with this version . Totally worth it .
065 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
This game is bar-none one of the most unique and best rpg experiences you will ever purchase ( I will not call this a JRPG as I've been playing rpg's since nintendo and I , like many , feel the term is some stupid creation by some bored tech-geek who just happened to think enough to add a letter to the acronym . . . an rpg is an rpg people and JRPG's are what began what I suppose people call simply , rpg's ) .
Persona 3 is the third game in a series I've loved since PS1 , but mostly people either never bothered to play it or simply couldn't find them due to severe rarity . It is your basic rpg in that it involves a small group of characters trying to save the world from some sort of catastrophe , you fight random battles , you gain levels , you buy gear , and you trudge through 60 + hours of gameplay to come to the conclusion of a sureal storyline .
Features unique to it include its settings in Japan and a typical Japanese high school ( playing somewhat like a japanese teenage-life simulator as it were ) , an intricate and involved set of extra goals that not only lead to a better story , but a stronger group of allies in the battle against evil , and it is probably more dark and somewhat twisted in terms of story content than most typical rpg's these days . Anyone who has played any of the Shin Megami series will already know this , however .
To put it plainly , I don't feel the need to go through every aspect of it to give you any indication as to whether you will love it as much as I do , but I will say this . I have played rpg's for over 20 years now , on all formats and systems , or all shape , color , and size , and Persona 3 instantly jumped to somewhere between #3 and #5 on my alltime list . This game is a must play for rpg fans , easily on par with ps2 greats such as FFX , Kingdom Hearts , or Star Ocean .
066 4 This game is bar-none one of the most unique and best rpg experiences you will ever purchase ( I will not call this a JRPG as I've been playing rpg's since nintendo and I , like many , feel the term is some stupid creation by some bored tech-geek who just happened to think enough to add a letter to the acronym . . . an rpg is an rpg people and JRPG's are what began what I suppose people call simply , rpg's ) .
Persona 3 is the third game in a series I've loved since PS1 , but mostly people either never bothered to play it or simply couldn't find them due to severe rarity . It is your basic rpg in that it involves a small group of characters trying to save the world from some sort of catastrophe , you fight random battles , you gain levels , you buy gear , and you trudge through 60 + hours of gameplay to come to the conclusion of a sureal storyline .
Features unique to it include its settings in Japan and a typical Japanese high school ( playing somewhat like a japanese teenage-life simulator as it were ) , an intricate and involved set of extra goals that not only lead to a better story , but a stronger group of allies in the battle against evil , and it is probably more dark and somewhat twisted in terms of story content than most typical rpg's these days . Anyone who has played any of the Shin Megami series will already know this , however .
To put it plainly , I don't feel the need to go through every aspect of it to give you any indication as to whether you will love it as much as I do , but I will say this . I have played rpg's for over 20 years now , on all formats and systems , or all shape , color , and size , and Persona 3 instantly jumped to somewhere between #3 and #5 on my alltime list . This game is a must play for rpg fans , easily on par with ps2 greats such as FFX , Kingdom Hearts , or Star Ocean .
067 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
I think anyone could enjoy this though , a note to parents : there is a lot of violence and the characters make use of triggers shaped like shotguns which they turn on themselves to activate their special powers . This is not an ideal game for young children who could view this type of behavior and mimic it in real life . There is also large amounts of cursing and some sexual themes .
Those of you wondering the difference between this version and the regular Persona 3 , this has some small additions from the original game which were taken out for the American version .
This is a spectacular game , one of the best RPGs I have ever come across in my 15 odd years as a gamer . For the older crowd , if you enjoy turn based RPGs this is by far the best I've played in years . You have an ever changing cast of characters you can choose to play with , the art is spectacular ( even for those non-anime fans like myself ) and the character voices are believable . The gameplay is great , you get a lot of side-games and quests which are fun as well and actually serve a purpose within the fighting-side of the game . There isn't a bad thing I could say about Persona 3 FES . It does get a little repetitive as all dungeon based games , but outside fighting in the dungeons there is enough to do so you're never bored .
068 4 I think anyone could enjoy this though , a note to parents : there is a lot of violence and the characters make use of triggers shaped like shotguns which they turn on themselves to activate their special powers . This is not an ideal game for young children who could view this type of behavior and mimic it in real life . There is also large amounts of cursing and some sexual themes .
Those of you wondering the difference between this version and the regular Persona 3 , this has some small additions from the original game which were taken out for the American version .
This is a spectacular game , one of the best RPGs I have ever come across in my 15 odd years as a gamer . For the older crowd , if you enjoy turn based RPGs this is by far the best I've played in years . You have an ever changing cast of characters you can choose to play with , the art is spectacular ( even for those non-anime fans like myself ) and the character voices are believable . The gameplay is great , you get a lot of side-games and quests which are fun as well and actually serve a purpose within the fighting-side of the game . There isn't a bad thing I could say about Persona 3 FES . It does get a little repetitive as all dungeon based games , but outside fighting in the dungeons there is enough to do so you're never bored .
069 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Split your days building a social network ( which boosts your combat capabilities ) , improving your own stats , and dungeon crawling in this stylish JRPG . Lots of repetition , so not for the casual gamer . Those willing to do the ( considerable ) time will be well rewarded with an intriuging story and addictive gameplay . Highly recommended .
070 4 Split your days building a social network ( which boosts your combat capabilities ) , improving your own stats , and dungeon crawling in this stylish JRPG . Lots of repetition , so not for the casual gamer . Those willing to do the ( considerable ) time will be well rewarded with an intriuging story and addictive gameplay . Highly recommended .
071 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
If you liked Persona 3 , FES is a refreshing addition to your collection .
While you might be saying Oh , I've beaten it already the disc adds hours of bonus content as well as a bonus second chapter of the game introducing a new character .
You can also upload your save data from Persona 3 , bringing certain stats over , making things slightly easier .
For those who have yet to play Persona 3 , FES includes the main game . ( plus the aforementioned extras such as new quests , personas , etc . )
072 4 If you liked Persona 3 , FES is a refreshing addition to your collection .
While you might be saying Oh , I've beaten it already the disc adds hours of bonus content as well as a bonus second chapter of the game introducing a new character .
You can also upload your save data from Persona 3 , bringing certain stats over , making things slightly easier .
For those who have yet to play Persona 3 , FES includes the main game . ( plus the aforementioned extras such as new quests , personas , etc . )
073 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
So , the best RPG I played all last year gets an awesome special edition .
This comes with an expanded edition of the original ( new character costumes , Personas , and social links ) 100 hour + RPG . t also comes with the , previously only in Japan , Expansion disc with another 50 + hours f gameplay . That's 150 + hours of gameplay from this little collection , of one of the most interesting and unique RPGs to come out EVER for the PS2 .
Needless to say , I was Very Impressed
074 4 So , the best RPG I played all last year gets an awesome special edition .
This comes with an expanded edition of the original ( new character costumes , Personas , and social links ) 100 hour + RPG . t also comes with the , previously only in Japan , Expansion disc with another 50 + hours f gameplay . That's 150 + hours of gameplay from this little collection , of one of the most interesting and unique RPGs to come out EVER for the PS2 .
Needless to say , I was Very Impressed
075 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
I'll keep this short so . .
It's the little things that Atlus / SMT added that make this game so much better than the original . The costumes , the dialog , Elizabeth ! ! Oh man , she is so cool . The fact that you can import your demons and social attributes ( even if you didn't beat P3 ) is pretty nice as well . All the times you wished that the arcade was open or the train station was a little bigger : Fulfilled . Buy this game , and never trade it in .
076 4 I'll keep this short so . .
It's the little things that Atlus / SMT added that make this game so much better than the original . The costumes , the dialog , Elizabeth ! ! Oh man , she is so cool . The fact that you can import your demons and social attributes ( even if you didn't beat P3 ) is pretty nice as well . All the times you wished that the arcade was open or the train station was a little bigger : Fulfilled . Buy this game , and never trade it in .
077 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Hands down P3FES is one of the best RPG games to grace the PS2 console . The story is deep and the characters I got attached to . Soundtrack is great too . For the 29.99 price tag this game is a bargain . So those of you who haven't bought this game get out and get it before it's gone . Let's hope Atlus makes the right decision and releases Persona 4 in the US as well . Really hope that game makes it stateside ! ! Anyhow , buy this game . . you will NOT regret it ! ! !
079 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
This game is simply amazing . It's psycological nature forces you to think and feel the game , and even 70 + hours through , I was still having tons of fun ( and still amazed by the story ) .
Thank You , Atlus .
080 4 This game is simply amazing . It's psycological nature forces you to think and feel the game , and even 70 + hours through , I was still having tons of fun ( and still amazed by the story ) .
Thank You , Atlus .
081 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
p3 : fes is truly one of the best offerings the playstation 2 has to offer in both quality and price . not only are you getting an enhanced version of persona 3 ( which was originally $50 ) but you're also getting the expansion-like continuation of the story that can be played on it's own from the start .
given that a must recommendation for a game is something i wouldn't toss around lightly , i want to make it clear that this game earns just that for anyone who enjoys turn-based rpg games .
082 4 p3 : fes is truly one of the best offerings the playstation 2 has to offer in both quality and price . not only are you getting an enhanced version of persona 3 ( which was originally $50 ) but you're also getting the expansion-like continuation of the story that can be played on it's own from the start .
given that a must recommendation for a game is something i wouldn't toss around lightly , i want to make it clear that this game earns just that for anyone who enjoys turn-based rpg games .
083 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES
I conFESs that I am not familiar with the earlier game , however , I bought this game today and I love it . My summer fun has begun early . Most Atlus games are great and this one does not disappoint . Every aspect of a video game that you can analyze and comment on , is great . Please excuse me for being abrupt , but I have to get back to my game . . . : D
084 4 Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES
I conFESs that I am not familiar with the earlier game , however , I bought this game today and I love it . My summer fun has begun early . Most Atlus games are great and this one does not disappoint . Every aspect of a video game that you can analyze and comment on , is great . Please excuse me for being abrupt , but I have to get back to my game . . . : D
085 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
This is an awesome game that while isn't for everyone is one of the best games I've played and now up there in my favorite category .
I would say the one turnoff is that a bit of grinding can be involved but other than that I love this game .
086 4 This is an awesome game that while isn't for everyone is one of the best games I've played and now up there in my favorite category .
I would say the one turnoff is that a bit of grinding can be involved but other than that I love this game .
087 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
It is like the sims life stories with action . A role playing game that isn't all battle , to be successful you have to manage the main characters personal life .
I an hooked
088 4 It is like the sims life stories with action . A role playing game that isn't all battle , to be successful you have to manage the main characters personal life .
I an hooked
089 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
A nice RPG that goes for a nice presentation in characters and game design , the history I havent see it all since this is a LONG game , I think around 100hrs .
Dont be afraid of the teens pointing fake guns to their heads , that is just the way they summon the Personas , and that happens so often that you get to not notice it , and is not that disturbing .
The Personas , there are so many and you can fuse them to make even stronger personas is a nice touch .
The social links and the live at school is other nice touch that improves your character towards the nights of fighting .
Its a nice RPG that I recomend , maybe the weakest point is that the game is so long ( that is good ) , that the story develops very slow pace ( this is bad ) .
090 4 A nice RPG that goes for a nice presentation in characters and game design , the history I havent see it all since this is a LONG game , I think around 100hrs .
Dont be afraid of the teens pointing fake guns to their heads , that is just the way they summon the Personas , and that happens so often that you get to not notice it , and is not that disturbing .
The Personas , there are so many and you can fuse them to make even stronger personas is a nice touch .
The social links and the live at school is other nice touch that improves your character towards the nights of fighting .
Its a nice RPG that I recomend , maybe the weakest point is that the game is so long ( that is good ) , that the story develops very slow pace ( this is bad ) .
091 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
Is an excellent game , it adds a bunch of good playing hours to the original shin megami tensei : persona 3 , is a must buy if you really liked the original
092 4 Is an excellent game , it adds a bunch of good playing hours to the original shin megami tensei : persona 3 , is a must buy if you really liked the original
093 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
If you've played the original Persona 3 , FES edition expands some of the character interactions and adds a lot more personas and even a few new skill sets . Divided into The Journey ( your character ) and The Answer ( Aegis ) both solid parts and I'm loving the game . I hope that Japanese developers like Square Enix take note that people want these kinds of games outside of Japan . Also if you've played the first Persona 3 you're personas carry over but reset to basic stats , no weapons or items other than from maxing social links carry over . You have to start at level 1 all over again , but not that bad considering all the new personas , items , skill sets , and even a new social link . A must buy for anyone who likes RPGs . My only complaint is that modified personas don't carry over , I spent a lot of time leveling up and adjusting skills through fusion , but really that's minor .
094 4 If you've played the original Persona 3 , FES edition expands some of the character interactions and adds a lot more personas and even a few new skill sets . Divided into The Journey ( your character ) and The Answer ( Aegis ) both solid parts and I'm loving the game . I hope that Japanese developers like Square Enix take note that people want these kinds of games outside of Japan . Also if you've played the first Persona 3 you're personas carry over but reset to basic stats , no weapons or items other than from maxing social links carry over . You have to start at level 1 all over again , but not that bad considering all the new personas , items , skill sets , and even a new social link . A must buy for anyone who likes RPGs . My only complaint is that modified personas don't carry over , I spent a lot of time leveling up and adjusting skills through fusion , but really that's minor .
095 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
There was an inch long slash on the case , but other then that the CD was unharm . And as was told , the game was factory packaged .
097 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
this video game was a gift for my son in his birthday . He enjoy it until now . I am not fan of the video games . ( I Think is a waste of time ) but it keeps inside home to my family . Thank's AMAZON.COM
099 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
The game was fun and refreshing when I first started playing . However , both the non-combat portions and the battles became tiresome .
Furthermore , maybe it's because that I do not understand JRPGs , the storyline did not draw me into the game . Even the FF10 cut scenes made more sense to me .
Lastly , the frequently appearing loading screen drove me nuts .
Update .
I tried playing the Answer for 10 hours and gave up . At least 90 percent of the time was spend grinding .
101 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
The title says it all
first of all the game is way too confusing and complex with having to mix and fuse different persona's with fusion
there are like 22 types of personas and about a hundred or so fusions .
the game has only one dungeon ! yes thats right just ONE , UNO ! and it has like 100 floors or levels in it .
'
The Arcana description should be referred to as TYPE not ARCANA this makes new users very confused at the start
But the one thing i hate about this game is that its REPETITIVE and BORING ! not to mention there is a time system which causes the game to really drag and you have take a long time trying to beat this game and collecting all the items you need I have played a bunch of RPG games that are long but this one takes the CAKE ! its really long !
I have played long RPG games like Lunar , Lunar 2 , Final fantasy 7,10 etc . . . . . . . . .
I was really enjoying the game but after awhile I realized all of this and it was taking away too much time away from my social life and the game is REALLY REALLY LONG !
the characters in this game really take a long time to level up also
103 4 This review is from :
Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES ( Video Game )
I'm usually a fan of Anime style games , but this one eludes me . The story makes little sense , the art style is . . . not all that . Really wish I'd saved my money now , this game isn't my cup of tea .
Rap music of the Japanese / Engrish variety filled my ears 90% of the time I was playing , ( sorry , but that's just no good , I don't care for that kind of ' music ' , being pounded by lines that make no sense like ' Burn my dread ' over and over just got on my nerves ) .
The gameplay itself was about what you'd expect from a Final Fantasy RPG clone , nothing new there to keep you plugging away at it .
Top that off with ' random ' appearances of ' the Reaper ' , Death , which was at most levels unbeatable , and it turned into a real annoying game real fast for me . If you really need to play yet another Final Fantasy clone , just go play FF12 , or something , this game's nothing new or inspiring .
104 4 I'm usually a fan of Anime style games , but this one eludes me . The story makes little sense , the art style is . . . not all that . Really wish I'd saved my money now , this game isn't my cup of tea .
Rap music of the Japanese / Engrish variety filled my ears 90% of the time I was playing , ( sorry , but that's just no good , I don't care for that kind of ' music ' , being pounded by lines that make no sense like ' Burn my dread ' over and over just got on my nerves ) .
The gameplay itself was about what you'd expect from a Final Fantasy RPG clone , nothing new there to keep you plugging away at it .
Top that off with ' random ' appearances of ' the Reaper ' , Death , which was at most levels unbeatable , and it turned into a real annoying game real fast for me . If you really need to play yet another Final Fantasy clone , just go play FF12 , or something , this game's nothing new or inspiring .
