Persona 3 Reload Review (PS5)

Persona 3 is widely considered the best of the series, despite the fact that the fifth episode is the one that most people are familiar with. But, thanks to the fact that Persona 5 made so visible the project that started out as a Shin Megami Tensei offshoot, the flood gate of remasters has opened. After Persona 4 Golden, now we have the chance to play a remaster that promises to be even better than the original.

It is undeniable that Persona 5 was a breakthrough moment for the whole series, making an already successful franchise widely known to the western public. This of course led to Atlus trying to bank the newly found popularity and churning out not just sequels, but also attempts to cash dusted off versions of the previous episodes.

From all those attempts Persona 3 Reload stands the tallest since it is a complete remake, that transplants the story and characters of the third episode into the modern looks and mechanics of the fifth. The result is inspiring and brings to life a legendary game, offering all the amenities of a modern title.

When working on Reload, you have to walk a thin line between what to keep and what to update. Fortunately, the developers knew this very well and took the story without altering its course but adding plenty of new cutscenes and dialogues to better explain the narrative. In order to mend the cracks, the dialogues themselves were rerecorded using new voice actors.

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As a result, the story about the bravery of students from Tatsumi Port Island feels like a modern thriller, in which the city is haunted by the Dark Hour. This twilight zone is the playground of the shadows that pray on unsuspecting humans. Only a handful of students seem to have the power to save the world through their unique ability to manifest Personas.

As a transfer student arriving at Gekkoukan High School you get tangled up in all these weird phenomena, that is the result of unfortunate events that happened over 10 years ago. Going through the story you will discover what is the common thread that ties together the inhabitants of the Iwatodai Dorm and figure out how all the weird characters fit into the story.

Your teammates from S.E.E.S. are the only ones who fully understand your struggle to balance your academic life with the web of social interactions, while also playing vigilante during the secret 25th hour of the day. Each of them has a well-designed personality and their own story arc, and as a result you will feel emerged in their lives choosing the ones you prefer over the others. There are even some romantic options you can explore.

If you played Persona 5, you would feel right at home with the gameplay that offers you a limited number of days to solve not only the supernatural aspect, but also to make sure that your avatar has a successful and fulfilling life as a normal teenager. The duality in the tone of the game is a direct result of this: the activities in the “real” world feel almost like a teenage drama, while the expeditions into the world of shadows feel like psychotic nightmares.

There are some things missing though, that the veterans of the series will notice. The most noticeable cuts made by the developers are the epilogue of the PS2 version, called the Answer, and the female protagonist from the PSP version. Although they would have been nice to see, they would have complicated the events, fracturing the story that in its current form flows perfectly.

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The biggest change for those who have only played Persona 5 before is the lack of Palaces. Instead of various themed dungeons we now have a tower that seems to go on forever, called Tartarus. The bulk of the fights take place here, the players being able to advance from one small level to the next in a maze of endless floors. Of course, each time you enter the layout is slightly different.

This Mementos like system is combined with the 12 major shadows that are treated like boss battles. During full moon these especially powerful shadows have the power to manifest in the real world of the game, instead of Tartarus, offering a welcome change of scenario compared to the monotony of the 264 levels of the tower. Because if we are honest, farming Tartarus can become tedious after the first 10-15 hours.      

This is balanced out by the streamlined and simplified social interactions of the game. It is easier to keep track of your Social Links, to spend time with your friends and enjoy activities like reading or cooking together. You have to pay attention to leveling up only three stats of your hero: Courage, Charisma and Academics. And just as in Persona 5, there are some minor actions like selling loot, crafting or fusing Personas that do not advance the daytime. All the others make the time fly by, so you will need to keep an eye on your schedule.

Overall, Persona 3 Reload with all the old elements, new gameplay mechanics and things inspired by Persona 5 is less complex, but just as enjoyable as the best-known episode. It truly feels like a predecessor, that has been fine tuned to modern expectations. And that can be seen on the technical level as well, with the distinctive visual style that now shines using blue highlights, quick loading times and polished game experience.

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The Good

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Conclusion