Let’s be honest here, I hold the original Persona 3 very close to my heart…and wallet. So much that I’ve purchased the game on three separate occasions: the original PS2 version, FES and now Persona 3 Portable (P3P). So you might be asking, what on Earth would possess me to buy it yet again? Simple answer, the brand-new female arc. After all, Persona 3 is among my top five video games list of all-time, right behind Xenogears, Ever 17 and Persona 4.
Although I could go on and give a complete review on why I think Persona 3 is still one of the best JRPGs that I’ve ever played, sorry Final Fantasy fans, I don’t think that I’d be able to add anything new as it’s a port of the original. If you feel inclined, you can read my review of it here at Gaming Target. So I’m going to stick with what’s new and help you determine whether or not it’s worth purchasing for those of you who’ve already played the original.
For veterans who are seeking a return to Gekkoukan High, you’ll be glad to know that everything is still in place. The dark story and endearing characters are still there along with Persona 4′s much-improved battle system. New social links, dialogue choices and music, mostly via the female arc helps bring a somewhat refreshing take on the game along with a few new Persona fusions. So if you’ve already played the original, you’ll feel right at home here.
As you run around Tarturus, you’ll notice that the game is based off of FES’ stronger P3 presentation as changing your character’s armor will reflect it on-screen. In battle, the game doesn’t seem to have lost any step from its console brethren and looks to be one of the better looking PSP titles in quiet some time. The effects, Persona changes among everything else are still there, bringing P3P to be the quintessential Persona 3, battlewise.
One of the largest changes Atlus had to make though was eliminating the free-roaming aspects of the game due to the hardware limitations of the PSP. No longer will you be running around the city or see character models during event scenes. Cutscenes are limited to a visual novel style presentation, which may or may not turn some players off, while traveling is done mostly via image maps as you guide your cursor to the location you want and click. That said, the game lends itself perfectly to the genre as it’s very anime-heavy and doesn’t lose any of its emotional impact in the process. Lastly, for those of you wondering whether or not P3P includes the bonus expansion the Answer, unfortunately no it doesn’t. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth the purchase. In fact, it’s quiet the opposite as it’s still a great recommendation for any PSP owner. Especially if you haven’t played the original.
Pros:
- One of the better looking PSP titles in quiet some time.
- It’s still Persona 3, no matter how you slice the bread, and that’s still better than 99% of JRPGs out there.
- The new music tracks by series composer Shoji Meguro are just as strong as the original.
- The updated battle system makes the game that much better.
- The female arc provides a fresh breath for those of you returning to the Dark Hour for the second, third or fourth time.
Cons:
- The visual novel interface takes some time to get used to and may turn some players off.
- The game doesn’t include FES’ the Answer.
