Persona 3 Portable & Persona 4 Golden Bundle Review

Atlus’ latest ports of Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden are confusing. On one hand, they offer intriguing plots filled with mystery, humor, and a cast of characters that range from endearing to downright bizarre. On the other hand, they demand a significant time investment, with over 80 hours of gameplay that still won’t allow you to see everything the games have to offer.

Each game expands its content in unique ways. For instance, even if you manage to max out your social links and achieve the true ending in your first playthrough of P3P, there’s still another protagonist’s route to explore. P4G, on the other hand, offers six potential endings, but achieving the true ending and revealing the real culprit requires maxing out all social links, a feat impossible in a single playthrough.

The quality of a port is not solely determined by the quality of the original game. A good port must also run smoothly on various platforms. Fortunately, both P3P and P4G pass this test with flying colors. Despite the dated graphics, blocky characters, and less detailed environments, the games look surprisingly clean and play flawlessly. The chibi-style 3D character models even add a certain charm.

In my review, I started with P3P, a game that plunges you into a world where you and your team must unravel the mystery of the Dark Hour and the labyrinthine Tartarus, all while dealing with a zombifying population. Persona 3 is arguably the darkest in the series, with a narrative that explores death in various ways and leaves a lasting impact. The stakes are high, with the entire world at risk, and this sense of impending doom is constantly reinforced by the presence of the Lost, zombified NPCs scattered across the town map.

Persona 3’s darker tone is further emphasized by the fact that characters summon their personas by shooting themselves in the head. The game also offers fewer extracurricular activities than later titles, which serves to highlight the grim plot rather than dilute it with too much slice-of-life gameplay.

The game offers different experiences depending on whether you play as the male or female protagonist. It’s surprising how much a change in perspective can affect the game. For example, Junpei, who comes across as a reliable friend when playing as the male protagonist, can be downright irritating when playing as the female protagonist due to his sexist remarks and insinuations about your leadership abilities. This difference in perspective alone makes a second playthrough worthwhile.

Persona aficionados are well-acquainted with the series’ penchant for questionable dialogue and scenarios. The appropriateness of these elements often depends on the specific instance. For example, the idea of a 17-year-old female protagonist romancing a ten-year-old boy in P3P is unequivocally inappropriate. However, when male characters make sexist or misogynistic comments towards the female protagonist, it’s less clear-cut. Are these remarks a reflection of the character’s personality or simply ill-conceived content? It’s worth noting that many of us made poor judgments in our teenage years, and Japanese media has a long-standing issue with gender equality. So, is it really surprising to find such elements in a game set in 2009 Japan? Especially considering that Persona 5 continues to grapple with these issues?

While I don’t have definitive answers to these questions, I can say that such moments in the game often made me cringe, detracting from my overall enjoyment. Although ports typically don’t alter the original content significantly, I can’t help but wonder how difficult it would have been to revise a few lines or remove an entire romance subplot.

Now, let’s talk about P4G, which, as Teddie would say, is “unbearlievably good.” Once again, you’re thrust into a diverse group of students and persona users, but this time, you’re hot on the trail of a serial killer, unraveling the mystery of the Midnight Channel urban legend, and venturing into a bizarre shadow world accessed through a TV. As the saying goes, “Video killed the radio star,” or in this case, the last person you saw on TV.

Despite P4G being my favorite Persona game to date, it’s not without its flaws. Specifically, it fails to fully capitalize on its potential. P4G initiates numerous compelling narrative arcs, forcing its main characters to confront issues related to gender, stereotypes, sexuality, and familial expectations. The game has ample opportunities to deliver a profound message, but it often seems to lose its nerve at the last moment, allowing the characters’ development to stagnate. Without spoiling any plot points, it’s safe to say that this feels like a missed opportunity on several fronts.

What I appreciate most about the P4G cast is their deviation from typical character tropes, so it’s disappointing when these unconventional characters don’t receive the development they deserve. The murder mystery aspect is another highlight for me, particularly when you’re tasked with identifying the true culprit. In fact, the multi-layered ending of P4G is quintessential Persona, a veritable “chef’s kiss.”

Both games boast iconic soundtracks that you can enjoy for hours on end, a staple of the series, and offer both English and Japanese voiceovers, allowing you to choose your preference. However, due to their age, both games understandably fall short of Persona 5/Royal, with P3P offering the most limited gameplay.

There are fewer social stats, extracurricular activities, and jobs. The combat, shadows, and personas are also more restricted than what you might be accustomed to. The most significant limitation is exploration. Tartarus is the only location where you can move around in 3D space; elsewhere, you select locations from a menu and interact using a cursor, akin to visual novel games. P4G raises the bar, offering full 3D exploration in towns and dungeons, more extracurricular activities and jobs, a larger persona roster, and enhanced persona features, among other improvements. In essence, it’s more visually appealing and offers a wider array of activities.

VERDICT

Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden stand as shining exemplars of how to execute a port correctly. While they may not boast the most cutting-edge graphics or features, the compelling narratives they weave, the engaging gameplay they provide, and the sheer volume of content available for exploration ensure that these games remain pertinent and competitive, even when pitted against contemporary titles. The passage of time has only served to enhance their appeal, warranting a second look from long-time fans. Moreover, their release across all platforms has significantly broadened their accessibility, paving the way for a new cohort of players to discover and appreciate these games for the first time.

8/10 GREAT

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