We traveled to New York to play a demo of Persona 3 Reload and get a close look at the changes it has compared to the original, as well as everything it retained from this classic JRPG that enamored many with the franchise. Unfortunately, we only got to play it for 1 hour, but it was enough to appreciate some novelties and leave us wanting to immerse ourselves in its world and interact with all the characters.
We also had the opportunity to interview Ryota Niitsuma and Takuya Yamaguchi, the producer and director of the title, respectively, who told us about the importance of this remake, their favorite part of the development, the essence of Persona 3 original, and the new direction the franchise could take with Reload. We'll tell you all about it in this preview.
The meaning of life
Something we noticed in the trailers that ATLUS has released and in what we played is that Reload takes some aspects from Persona 5, which is normal given that it's the most recent and popular game in the franchise. It also seems natural because the goal of this remake is to modernize a game that was released 18 years ago, and it shows.
We were a bit concerned that the dark tone of Persona 3 might be toned down to make it more accessible for new players. Fortunately, both from what we played and what Niitsuma and Yamaguchi told us, we confirmed that the central theme of the original title (death and how we make use of our lives) was fully preserved. This was very important to the developers.
In fact, Reload discarded the The Answer epilogue from FES and the female protagonist from Portable because they want to tell the original story to fans experiencing this adventure for the first time. In Niitsuma's words, the essence of Persona 3 is the time we have left in our lives and how we make use of it. So, even though they added new elements to the remake and removed some, that message remained intact.
A glimpse into the future
What do they mean by adding content? Despite the central story being the same as the original Persona 3, Reload introduces activities and conversations with characters to make the social aspect more similar to Persona 5. This allows players who have already experienced this adventure to have new experiences. We won't reveal names to maintain the surprise, but they mentioned that they significantly expanded some social links with important characters.
The aspect we liked the most in the demo was the integration of Theurgy, a special attack that can be performed at specific moments in battles. Each character will have a new energy meter (similar to Final Fantasy's Limit) and once it's filled and reaches the "climax" of their emotions, they can activate this superpower. Each has different effects and animations, and they are extremely badass.
Niitsuma and Yamaguchi mentioned that, just as they took elements from Persona 5 to integrate into the world of Reload, they also want this to be a new step for the franchise. After all, they see this remake as a major release for the saga. This means they want it to have the quality seal they have put on Persona for several years, aiming to meet the fans' expectations for it to be the beginning of a new direction.
Love at first sight
Another feature we really liked is that the game looks beautiful. Although playing any version of Persona 3 is still a delight, the visual limitations are noticeable, but Reload completely fixes that and makes it a title aesthetically worthy of 2024. Being a remake built from scratch, the character models, locations, backgrounds, and animations look incredible.
This greatly enhances immersion. Walking through the halls of Tartarus is amazing because it genuinely looks like a mysterious and terrifying place. Going out to eat at a restaurant with a friend is equally more enjoyable than in previous versions because the ambiance is so well-crafted that it feels like we are right there.
Doing social activities like going to a store, karaoke, taking a walk, eating something, and playing in arcades is more entertaining than in other versions of Persona 3 because now we can clearly see what the characters are doing, their reactions, and expressions. This was one of the keys to the success of Persona 5, and it transferred correctly to Reload.
Reload all your weapons
One of the biggest surprises was the quality-of-life improvements in combat. The menu of actions in the original wasn't exactly confusing or chaotic, but there were definitely occasions where we had to navigate for several seconds to select the movement, attack, or strategy we wanted. In Portable, this is very different, and for the better.
In this remake, each command is assigned to a button; so, instead of scrolling up and down to find the "Attack," "Item," or "Persona" option, we can simply press A, B, X, or Y (we played on Xbox Series X) and our character will act immediately. This makes the pace and dynamism of battles always high, and once we learn what each button does, it becomes even more engaging.
Another detail we loved them working on was the combat animations. This applies to both the movements and the images that appear once we perform a group attack or Theurgy. They are similar to those in Persona 5, so they have much more style and look updated to ATLUS's modern standards. This way, battles are always fun and appealing.
Same package, different wrapping
In summary, Persona 3 Reload left us very reassured and excited because it aims to be an almost perfect remake. On the onehand, it respects the essence of the original title, its message, and what it represented for the franchise at the time. On the other hand, it takes what has been done since then, polishes it, and positions it as a standard for the future and subsequent releases.
The only thorn we found is that it discarded the content from Persona 3 FES and Portable, but we forgive them because Ryota Niitsuma and Takuya Yamaguchi explained that it was a necessary sacrifice to tell the original story to new players as originally planned. Additionally, they compensated for this by adding new social links and more extra content, which makes us excited to see this new facet of the game.
Persona 3 Reload is the perfect opportunity for those who never played this masterpiece to finally do so and discover why it is so beloved by a large sector of fans. Its dark yet hopeful story, the endearing cast of characters, and the elements it takes from more modern releases are the ideal combination for it to be a success. Remember that it will be released on February 2nd on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S (Day 1 on Game Pass).
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