Persona 3 Reload Review

My Persona 3 review and why even though it has the best character writing in the series (by far) it still isn’t my favorite game:

This game feels the most different from the other two games in the trilogy. Sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes that’s a bad thing. I wouldn’t say any part of this game is bad per say, but it definitely has lower lows than 4 and 5, however the highs are the best in the series.

Tartarus (Dungeon)

Instead of having several smaller dungeons like in 4 and 5, this game has one huge dungeon called Tartarus. Almost every floor has a randomly generated layout, and there are rarely ever any interesting gimmicks or puzzles. The whole thing kind of feels like a monotonous slog. It doesn’t help that combat is mostly pretty easy. That doesn’t make the combat bad exactly, cuz the animations and one more system help it still feel satisfying. It really feels like something is missing here. I will talk about how Tartarus plays into the story and the game’s themes later, but from a gameplay perspective, it is a pretty big L, especially considering it takes up almost half of the game.

6.5/10

Social Links

The Social Link half also kind of feels like there is something missing. The stories and characters (for the most part) are not nearly as good as Persona 4’s and it doesn’t have the nearly as good of benefits or consistent intrigue that Persona 5’s confidants have.

0 S.E.E.S. (Fool)

As is the case for most automatic Social Links, this is kind of lame. I guess it is supposed to represent how the team bonds over time, but it doesn’t really work for me.

I Kenji Tomochika (Magician)

Hot take, I actually like Kenji. I like his voice acting and he has some great joke delivery. However, the social link story itself is really weird. It is so obvious that he is going to be rejected in the end, and you can’t really do anything to stop him. In fact, you should be able to stop him in the very beginning. C’mon. He really thought he had a chance with the teacher? Maybe if this was Persona 5, but not here. He’s a much more enjoyable character outside of the Social Link itself, and I wish his story was a little bit better. I also think that it is hilarious that Junpei of all people even thinks he’s weird. That’s when you know you’ve made some poor life choices.

II Fuuka Yamagishi (Priestess)

Fuuka is definitely my least favorite member of SEES, but her social link isn’t half bad. It doesn’t really have any relevance to the overall plot, but that is a good thing in my opinion. She is by far the least involved with the main plot, and she is by far the least developed (except for Koromaru, but he has an excuse because he is literally a dog). It’s nice that she can still have some depth and some development if you take the time to do her Social Link, so she doesn’t feel like a completely useless character. This Social Links upgrades her from almost Haru levels of pointless to an actually decent character.

III Mitsuru Kirijo (Empress)

The main problem I have with this Social Link is that it takes so long to unlock… which makes sense since she is the most closed off from the group, but I digress. She is pretty stiff for most of the main story, but she actually feels more like a real person as you break through her barriers and get to know her. She is MUCH more charming and important than Haru, so this story about helping her take over her dead father’s business and get out of her arranged marriage is much more effective. I don’t think she should be romanceable though, and I think that this story should have you push her towards Akihiko, but whatever, it’s hard to be perfect.

IV Hidetoshi Odagiri (Emperor)

This story is decent. It is pretty ridiculous that he has such a big ego from an American perspective, but I guess Student Council matters a lot more in Japan. Overall, I like that he overall overcomes his pride and does what is right, and it is a nice little character arc, but he is pretty unspectacular otherwise.

V Bunkichi and Mitsuko (Hierophant)

This one is just pretty nice. I like helping old people in real life, and I like helping them here. There isn’t much to say other than that it is probably the most wholesome social link in the game, which is a nice change of pace from the otherwise mostly overdramatic tragic stories elsewhere.

VI Yukari Takeba (Lovers)

This is one of the better social links in the game. This is a very natural progression from her character development in the main story, and her voice acting is fantastic. It really shows that it is possible to have both great character development in the main story and a great social link that still develops the character further while not being necessary to the plot. If only Persona 5 could have written characters like this.

VII Kazushi Miyamoto (Chariot)

Kaz is a chill guy. His story is alright, even if it is pretty unbelievable. He really was going to risk his health just to appease a kid? He should know kids are irrational, and he should have taken his health seriously. Luckily you help him reach that conclusion in the end, but it is a pretty stupid thing to get hung up on.

VIII Chihiro Fushimi (Justice)

I don’t care for this one. Fuuka fills the shy girl archetype way better and she is a part of the team, so this social link feels kind of pointless. Fuuka’s shyness is much more believable, as Chihioro doesn’t even feel like a real person. Sure, there are plenty of shy, awkward teenagers out there, but Chihiro feels like an over-exaggerated caricature rather than a real person that could exist in the real world.

X Keisuke Hiraga (Fortune)

This one is completely nothing for me. The story is okay, but the character has no charm or intrigue. This might be the most meh social link in the entire series.

IX Maya (Hermit)

I like this one. The story itself is alright, but the payoff is what makes it so great. When you finally confront Miss Toriumi in the end, and she finally realizes that you were the one she was talking to this whole time, it is hilarious.

XI Yuko Nishiwaki (Strength)

This would otherwise just be a decent little story, but the voice acting is some of the best I have ever heard in video games. Yuko feels so genuine and fun, that even though the story isn’t super impactful or anything (though a nice change of pace from the drama of many of the others), it is still my favorite in the game except for maybe Yukari’s because it has plot relevance. Yuko might be the best character in the series.

XII Maiko Oohashi (Hanged Man)

I like this one. Maiko is adorable, and it’s good that you get to be someone she can look up to. However, I really think you should be able to be able to really put your foot down better on keeping her from running away. This one definitely has the right amount of drama for me. Some of the other ones have some crazy situations that really suspend your levels of disbelief and prevent me from feeling any sort of sympathy, but this one works. Divorce is a very real thing that happens way too much, and this social link handles it well.

XIII Pharos (Death)

I don’t care too much for automatic social links, and this one isn’t much different. It is different from SEES because it is just one character, and it is pretty cool once it is revealed who this weird dude really is, but most of that is in the main story and not the social link events, so this one is kind of meh in the end.

XIV Bebe (Temperance)

I’ll just let it out there now. I don’t care for French people. On one hand, I can appreciate the fact that they went completely out there on the voice acting and the stereotypes that I get sufficient humor out of mocking his Frenchness, but on the other hand French people are really annoying. So ultimately, it’s a wash.

XV President Tanaka (Devil)

While Yuko might be my favorite character in the series, Tanaka might be a close second, at least for a social link character. He is so outrageous and malicious, that you can’t help but love him. He may be a twisted crook, but he’s OUR twisted crook.

XVI Mutatsu (Tower)

I like this one. I like dad stories, and this is a dad story, so I like it. It takes a little too long for my liking, but it ultimately has a pretty good payoff. He’s pretty funny too, so I can appreciate that in an otherwise pretty serious game.

XVII Mamoru Hayase (Star)

I like this one. As an athlete, I can appreciate the commitment to the grind that this guy has. He is a genuinely good guy, and he is in a really unfortunate situation. The ending is bittersweet, and I think more social links need something like that.

XVIII Nozomi Suemitsu (Moon)

This is the worst social link in the entire series. Suemitsu, “the Gourmet King”, as he likes to be called, is the most insufferable excuse for a fictional character ever created. That one time that he moon walks is the only time he is ever funny. I didn’t finish this social link not because it was boring, but because I didn’t want to help him. He deserves what’s coming to him.

XIX Akinari Kamiki (Sun)

This is the definition of melodramatic. I get why people think this is a masterpiece. The whole thing is very sad, and it plays to the game’s themes very well. Live life to the fullest, don’t spend too long feeling sorry for yourself, so on and so forth, but this just doesn’t work for me. IT IS SO DRAMATIC. I just can’t take it seriously. I wish you would have got to know this guy a little earlier so then you care about him before he gets existential, but unfortunately you don’t get to. Most overrated social link in the series.

XX Nyx Annihilation Team (Judgement)

The most boring automatic social link in the series. It doesn’t even work as plot device, they just needed something for the Judgement Arcana. Lazy.

XXI Aigis (Aeon)

This one is really good, and I honestly think this should be required. The foreshadowing and introspection is great. It is a little bit repetitive, but that’s fine because the message is so important to the game’s themes. This makes the end of the game hit SO hard. This really makes Aigis’ character go from good to great.

Social Link Ranking:

1. Yukari (Lovers)
2. Yuko (Strength)
3. Aigis (Aeon)
4. Tanaka (Devil)
5. Mitsuru (Empress)
6. Hayase (Star)
7. Maiko (Hanged Man)
8. Kenji (Chariot)
9. Fuuka (Priestess)
10. Maya (Hermit)
11. Mutatsu (Tower)
12. Kaz (Chariot)
13. Odagiri (Emperor)
14. Old Couple (Hierophant)
15. Akinari (Sun)
16. Bebe (Temperance)
17. Chihiro (Justice)
18. Keisuke (Fortune)
19. Pharos (Death)
20. SEES (Fool)
21. Nyx Annihilation Team (Judgement)
22. Suemitsu (Moon)

There’s some really good social links here, there’s some really bad ones, and there’s DEFINITELY too many automatic ones. Overall, this is the worst batch of Social Links in the series, but it is still very good when you look at it for what it is.

8/10

Story

At first, I really wasn’t a fan of Persona 3’s story. It is a very slow burn. I also didn’t really like any of the characters. Everyone was very selfish, and Junpei really got on my nerves. It was a stark contrast to the comradery of Persona 5’s Phantom Thieves. It seemed like something would only happen about once a month.

On that note, I’d like to talk about the full moon operations. They are pretty lame. You basically just go to some random location, fight a boss, and then leave. There is only one that I actually liked (at a conceptual level). The July 7 event in the Hotel where you fight the Hierophant and Lovers shadows. I like how it challenges each character (mostly just you and Yukari) in an interesting way. It would have been much more interesting if each event had a mini dungeon that challenged SEES in a unique way according to the Arcana of the shadow. Instead, we have one operation that is interesting and unique, and the rest is all slop. 

The slow burn of the story really works into the game’s themes well. The whole thing is very melancholy at first. SEES is just a job. You have the potential, so you have to go kill some shadows. The only reason you are with these people is because Ikutski is deceiving you. However, as you go through hardship and struggle together, you learn to become a family. That is something that this game captures above the other two.

The event that really gets all of this character growth started is Shinjiro’s death. I was NOT expecting that after all the plot armor that Ryuji had in Persona 5. You really feel for Ken and Akihiko. Ken, who was so sure that getting revenge would bring him closure only for Shinjiro to forgive him and treat him with love to the very end. Akihiko losing his best friend and having the guilt of not being able to help Shinjiro when he really needed it most. Junpei realizing this isn’t all fun and games. Mitsuru losing her friend and one of the original members of SEES. This is one the most impactful deaths I have seen in story telling. It truly affects every character in the game, and it can be felt throughout the rest of the story.

Chidori’s death doesn’t really affect the whole team as much as Shinjiro, but dang was it a good death. Junpei’s character development is so masterful throughout this whole game. He starts out as a selfish, annoying, cocky brat and eventually becomes a leader and a hero, just like he has always wanted to be. Losing Chidori was really the final event that turned him into the admirable character he is at the end, and that whole scene really is a masterpiece.

This story is very unique compared to the others. It is extremely melancholy and dark, with only small moments of levity, mostly brought by Junpei or Aigis being awkward. The story doesn’t have a complex murder mystery plot like Persona 4 or a crazy Inception-esque mind heist like Persona 5, it is purely driven by its masterful character development. Every single character (except Koromaru because he is literally a dog) has moments to shine and grow with the story, something that the other two games don’t do nearly as well. Part of why is because of how the social links are handled. The female characters have normal social links, but they enhance the character’s development, and they don’t outright replace it. Fuuka learns to come out of her shell. Mitsuru learns how to relax and forge her own path forward. Yukari learns how to forgive her past. Aigis learns the value and meaning of life. None of this is necessary to the plot, but it still has strong meaning, and it doesn’t feel out of place with the events of the story, especially because you don’t unlock Mitsuru and Aigis’ till near the end of the game. The male characters don’t have social links, and I think that was a very smart move. Junpei and Ken are completely different characters at the end of the game from where they start, so a social link would feel out of place. Shinjiro literally dies, so you wouldn’t have much time to really do anything with. Akihiko is also affected a lot by the plot, and doesn’t seem like the type to just stop and hang with the boys. What I love about Reload, is that they fill the void of these missing social links with linked episodes. They are special events that are kind of like social links, but they deal with recent events in the story. This is especially great for Ken’s character who is mostly sidelined down the stretch. I hope Persona 6 does this instead of social links for all of its party members, so that we can have real character development that lasts throughout the whole game.

The themes of this game are really what makes this story great. In a melancholy life full of death, despair, and trials, you must “burn your dread” and persevere. Tartarus is a great symbol of this. The constant, endless, monotonous wave of shadows with no end in sight. This is your job. Exploring Tartarus isn’t supposed to be fun. You’re just supposed to have faith that what you’re doing is right, and that it will all be worth it in the end. This game preaches again and again that you must live life to the fullest and not get hung up on the bad. The final moments of the game really hit hard with this message in mind. You (the protagonist) are on your death bed and Aigis is the only one there for you. She finally comes to terms with reality and accepts your death. It was a beautiful, bittersweet end to a very tragic story, and it is the best ending in the trilogy.

9/10

Characters

Villains

Takaya Sakaki/STREGA

I really don’t care for STREGA. They were trying to go for a moral foil to SEES, but it really just doesn’t make much sense. They are cartoonishly evil. Takaya is pretty forgettable, which is strange considering he has the toughest fight and kills both Shinjiro and Chidori. He just isn’t very interesting, and I don’t even remember the name of his little henchman.

Shuji Ikutski

Ikutski is alright. I knew something was up with him from the very start. Those jokes weren’t fooling me. I do wish you had more of a legitimate fight with him, and it wasn’t just a big cutscene. Him killing Mitsuru’s dad was a pretty good villainous moment I suppose. Just a very anti-climactic end with his death.

Ryoji

Is Ryoji a villain? Kind of. Well, Nyx is the final antagonist, and Ryoji is Nyx? Nyx’s messenger? Something like that. Whether or not he can be classified as a villain doesn’t really matter cuz I hate his guts regardless. He needs to back off of Yukari and Mitsuru. I feel like it is kind of weird that an evil deity is constantly trying to get some action when he’s about to end humanity. I don’t like that everyone automatically likes him either (except for Aigis). The choice at the end of the game was pretty tough. On one hand, I wanted to try to save the world by fighting Nyx, but on the other hand I wanted to kill Ryoji just for the heck of it.

SEES

Junpei Iori

Junpei is probably the best written character in the game. He goes from my least favorite to my favorite. He goes from wanting to help himself to wanting to help others, and that is one of the most rewarding character arcs to watch. It’s interesting that I almost feel obligated to always keep him in my party because SEES matters so much to him.

Yukari Takeba

While Yukari and Junpei are very different as people, they have very similar character arcs. She is very closed off and selfish at first, but she grows to be open and caring. Another selfish to selfless arc. I also really like her relationship with Mitsuru. Unlike in Persona 4 and 5, two characters have a personal conflict that doesn’t revolve around the protagonist. I don’t understand why they don’t do stuff like this anymore.

Fuuka Yamagishi

Fuuka is my least favorite member of SEES. She has literally nothing to do all throughout the story and is really only saved by her social link. Very rare misstep in the character department for Persona 3.

Ken Amada

Ken’s conflict with Shinjiro is fantastic as I explained before, but his relationships with Junpei and Akihioko are good as well. He is a really lonely kid, and he needs a big brother. I wish he had more to do after Shinji’s death, but the linked episodes make up for it.

Aigis

Aigis is basically the main character. She is mostly comedic relief before Ikutski’s betrayal, but her story really picks up after that. Her beef with Ryoji, her understanding of death, and her ultimate loyalty to the protagonist are all very endearing. I like that there is more to her than meets the eye because she could have easily just been the comedic relief combat powerhouse that takes the sideline to the more serious characters like Akihiko and Yukari.

Koromaru

Koromaru is just a dog, and I never used him in fights, so I don’t have much of an opinion on him. I’m just glad they didn’t make him talk like a certain cat in Persona 5.

Akihiko Sanada

Akihiko is a lovable dummy, which is a pretty consistent archetype. He may not crack many jokes, but he ends up being one of the funniest in the cast. He is one of my favorites to use in combat too. His story is maybe the most tragic outside of Ken’s. He has been used by Ikutski for years, only for his best friend to die. He doesn’t really get a silver lining either. At least Ken gets some sort of closure and grows up. Mitsuru gets to become her own woman and take charge of her life. Yukari gets to let go of the past and start living. Fuuka overcomes her anxieties and becomes a better person. Junpei gets to be the hero he always wanted to be. Aigis gets to understand what it is like to be human. But what about Akihiko? He just has to deal with it like a man. He’s already very mature and level-headed. He already has some direction in life. He is already strong, successful, and popular. His role is to be the rock of the group despite the hardship. He has to be an example to Ken and Junpei who look up to him. Akihiko is really an extremely underrated character.

Mitsuru Kirijo

Mitsuru isn’t my favorite, and that probably has something to do with her mostly stale voice acting, but that might be by design. She is cold and distant. SEES is her job, and she is basically the leader. Despite her cold demeanor, she still has to deal with a lot. Her father’s death, Shinji’s death, and her strained relationship with Yukari are all issues that I don’t think get enough of a spotlight. There is definitely some missed potential with her character, but she is still really good.

Shinjiro Aragaki

Shinji is great. You only get a little bit of time with him, but he really makes a huge impact. His struggle with drugs, his history with Ken, STREGA, and the original SEES, are all weighing on him. His final scene with Ken is really great emotional story telling, and really shows that he could have been a great man, he just made some poor decisions. Definitely one of my favorites.

SEES Ranking

1. Junpei Iori
2. Yukari Takeba
3. Akihiko Sanada
4. Aigis
5. Shinjiro Aragaki
6. Ken Amada
7. Mitsuru Kirijo
8. Fuuka Yamagishi
9. Koromaru

10/10

Soundtrack and Art

This is probably the weakest soundtrack in the series, but it is still phenomenal. It isn’t quite as atmospheric as Persona 5 and it doesn’t have the charm of Persona 4, but still has some bangers. I really like the duet element as well, especially when Lotus Juice gets more chances to sing.

The art is really good. The whole thing being themed around water and fluidity makes the UI seem buttery smooth (which it is).

Top 10 Music Tracks:

1. Color Your Night
2. Mass Destruction
3. It’s Going Down Now
4. Full Moon Full Life
5. Burn My Dread
6. When the Moon’s Reaching Out Stars
7. P3 Fes
8. Soul Phrase
9. A Way of Life
10. Deep Breath Deep Breath -Reincarnate-

9/10

Conclusion

The story and characters are so good, but the rest of the game just doesn’t stack up. Tartarus is mediocre, and that takes up a SIGNIFICANT portion of the game. If Tartarus was even close to as good as the character development and writing, this would be my favorite Persona game.