Warning: The beneath story accommodates a possible spoiler for Persona 3 and Persona 3: Reload.
The Persona sequence has lengthy had points with homosexual and trans panic, however Persona 3: Reload at the least removes the transphobia from one scene specifically.
The Persona 3 scene in query had the social gathering attempting to hit on ladies on the seashore, with Akihiko, Junpei, and the protagonist approaching a personality known as “Lovely Woman.” After some back-and-forth, Akihiko factors out a little bit of facial hair on her chin, to which Lovely Woman responds, “I-I missed a spot?!” Junpei then exclaims “she’s a he?!”
The dialogue is very barely modified in Persona 3 Transportable (the character is known as “Fairly Woman” as a substitute of “Lovely Woman”), however nonetheless consists of the identical trans panic.
As first reported by Kotaku and verified by IGN, nevertheless, Persona 3: Reload modifications the dialogue fairly a bit. The top outcome is similar – the social gathering operating away from the lady – however as a substitute of it being on account of her being trans, it is as a result of she’s really a conspiracy theorist attempting to promote them sunscreen.
Within the new scene, the dialog begins to go awry after “Fairly Woman” tells them, ” that solar within the sky is not actual, proper? That is a synthetic solar that obtained despatched into house again into the Eighties.”
Her character title then modifications to “Delusional Woman” as she tells them that “regular sunscreen does not” work” towards that pretend solar, and tries to promote them “particular” sunscreen for 300,000 yen. The gang figures out this character is somewhat off, and scurry. The scene’s nonetheless somewhat odd, however the transphobic facet, at the least, is gone on this new model.
This is not the primary time Altus has made a change primarily based on homophobic or transphobic content material within the Persona sequence. In 2020, Altus modified sure scenes in Persona 5 that have been thought of offensive and homophobic by followers for the Western launch of Persona 5 Royal.
For extra on Persona 3: Reload, try our overview, the place Michael Higham gave the remake a 9/10. With a stellar visible overhaul and numerous small however impactful modifications, Persona 3 Reload tells a timeless story of tragedy and hope with sharp emotional sincerity,” Higham wrote.
Alex Stedman is a Senior Information Editor with IGN, overseeing leisure reporting. When she’s not writing or enhancing, you could find her studying fantasy novels or enjoying Dungeons & Dragons.