I’ve difficult emotions on how the Persona sequence (and the Shin Megami Tensei sequence at massive) handles its up to date “definitive editions.” Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal are undoubtedly one of the best variations of their respective video games, including dozens of hours of recent story, characters, relationships, and bangin’ songs. Nevertheless, Atlus has opted to incorporate all that scrumptious new shit woven all through the unique recreation, that means that to see a few of Royal’s greatest stuff, it’s important to play by way of the whole thing of Persona 5 once more. This implies little to those that wait till the definitive editions are out earlier than enjoying a Persona recreation—however for individuals like me who leap on a brand new one the second it’s out, enjoying all the recreation yet again has all the time been an enormous ask.
That’s why Persona 3’s The Reply seems like the best state of affairs, trying again on the unique PS2 recreation. As a substitute of weaving a brand new story into the principle recreation that may solely be found on the tail finish, The Reply provides a wholly separate marketing campaign set after the occasions of the principle recreation, and Persona 3 Reload, the from-the-ground-up remake of the RPG that launched earlier this yr, is lastly getting the epilogue on September 10. Although Atlus’ implementation has been controversial. The unique PS2 recreation’s “definitive version” included The Reply as a pack-in, whereas the remake is getting it as a $35 paid DLC as a part of an growth move. it’s, at the least, a greater model of the enterprise mannequin Atlus has adopted within the years since we first ascended the steps of Tartarus. Moderately than asking somebody to purchase and play the complete recreation once more, it’s good to have a playable epilogue accessible individually, and for cheaper than shopping for an up to date model would theoretically value.
Once I performed an hour of The Reply, I effortlessly put Persona 3 Reload again on like a glove with out all of the stress of replaying a 70-hour RPG to get there.
The Reply begins weeks after the occasions of Persona 3 correct. The demon-fighting highschool staff S.E.E.S. is mourning the lack of their chief following his sacrifice through the ultimate battle, and it looks like they’re able to go their separate methods. That’s, till Aigis, the shadow-killing android of the staff, meets one other android named Metis claiming to be her sister. She assaults the group, and Aigis awakens to the trademarked Persona protagonist energy of swapping between totally different summonable creatures at will to face any foe they may encounter.
Aigis turns into the hero of the story when a portal to a brand new, shadow-infested world opens under the dormitory, and S.E.E.S. is compelled to as soon as once more take up arms in opposition to the monsters. Because the group descends, hoping they will discover solutions for why they’re being dragged again into the battle, they discover a sequence of procedurally generated flooring overrun with shadows. It’s again to Persona 3’s normal dungeon crawling, however there are a number of tweaks that make Aigis really feel totally different than the unique protagonist.
The principle change is that Aigis, being an android who makes use of firearms, is ready to preemptively assault enemies from a distance, which Makoto from the bottom recreation can’t do as a swordsman. Nevertheless, it does really feel just a little imprecise and finicky in comparison with a easy sword strike within the base recreation. You don’t purpose down sights when enjoying as Aigis, you simply look ahead to her reticle to look on an enemy while you’re at a close-enough distance. It’s not a foolproof system, and maybe it’ll turn into extra manageable with follow, nevertheless it positively stands proud as an early complication.
Apart from that, nevertheless, a variety of The Reply looks like extra of what made Persona 3 Reload a profitable remake earlier this yr. It nonetheless feels as effortlessly fashionable as the principle recreation, its characters are nonetheless lovable (even when they’re possibly not as glad to see one another as they as soon as have been), and the chain-centric turn-based fight remains to be stuffed with challenges that it seems like newer Persona video games have gotten away from. I haven’t performed the unique Reply in over a decade, and I’m excited to revisit it with recent eyes. Persona 3 Reload brilliantly captured the hopeful melancholy of dwelling for those you like, even in opposition to horrible hardship. I’m desirous to revisit The Reply and see if S.E.E.S. discovered that lesson as soon as extra when the DLC launches on September 10.
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