Must Play Games: Persona 3 Reload

The Persona series debuted in 1996 when Revelations: Persona was released on the PlayStation. It's taken the franchise a long time to rise to mainstream appeal, and it was in 2016 that Persona 5 was released and people began to talk about this fantastic series. Persona sees players taking on the role of a high school student who becomes involved in supernatural shenanigans and can wield the power of Persona — a physical manifestation of a person's subconscious. Persona 3 was a cult favourite which introduced players to the Dark Hour, a period where time stops for normal people, but Persona wielders can move freely through this space, with the ability to fight demons called Shadows. A tower known as Tartarus appears during this Dark Hour, and it's up to the protagonist and his friends to investigate strange occurrences, while during the day, go to school, have a social life, and hope they don't fail their high school exams.

If the premise hasn't sold you on the game yet, here are five reasons why you should check out Persona 3 Reload, whether you are new to role-playing games or even a veteran of them!

Intriguing Story & Characters — Who doesn't want to solve a midnight mystery? You're literally climbing a tower called Tartarus (which is super on the nose for Greek Mythology fans!), investigating the existence of a secret hour, while also dealing with a cult that worships Nyx, the goddess of night. Greek Mythology is woven in a lot of unique ways throughout the story, whether it's through the Personas that can be wielded, such as Orpheus, Hermes, or Penthesilea, to borrowing from the tragedies to tell a compelling tale. The story is an emotional rollercoaster and one that constantly keeps the player on its toes. Part of that is definitely because the main cast of characters is so complex and charming. From Junpei wanting to be a hero to Fuuka's desire to find self-worth, each party member has a story we can all relate to, making them a loveable bunch.

Flashy & Frentic Combat — Do you love flashy-looking turn-based combat? Persona 3 Reload offers a robust combat system wherein the main character and his team can summon their Personas in combat, each with their unique skills. For example, if a player hits an enemy weakness, they are granted a "One More Time!" which allows them to hit the enemy in succession. If all enemies have been knocked down, the party can unleash an "All Out Attack" to hit these foes for heavy damage. The "Shift" function allows the main character to pass their turn to another party member and is best used when exploiting enemy elemental weakness. Another welcome addition to the combat system is Theurgy skills for each party member, which absolutely can turn the tide of a tough battle. Combat in Persona 3 Reload is enjoyable, the animations are gorgeous, and there is nothing more satisfying than hitting an enemy's weakness and curb-stomping them to the ground. With over a hundred different Personas to collect, there is lots of room for experimentation.

It's a Social Simulator — While climbing Tartarus and exploring the Dark Hour is just one large aspect of the game, the other half is spent enjoying the protagonist's day-to-day life, whether it's at school answering testing questions, joining school clubs, meeting new friends, or even working a part-time job to build social skills. It's easy to fall into the game's loop of being social during the day to a vigilante at night. Dubbed "Social Links," these are ways the player can spend time, and in doing so, build not only personal skills but with each rank up, but also allow them to fuse new Personas. There is a lot of wonderful storytelling within these Social Links, from meeting a young man who is dying of cancer to fulfill his last wish to a young girl experiencing her parent's divorce. These tough subject matters are handled with a ton of care and compassion and are great story beats to encounter.

A Banger Soundtrack — The Persona series has always been fortunate to have the legendary Shoji Meguro compose each of the game's soundtracks. Every track in Persona 3 Reload spectacularly fits the tone of what is happening throughout the story. Moreover, the game's two main battle themes "Mass Destruction" and "Unavoidable Battle" are absolute bops. It's one of those soundtracks where you'll find yourself humming along to it or yelling at your spouse by screaming "BABY BABY BABY BABY WHOAAAAAA...." (which yes, I've done, many times.) A fantastic soundtrack helps keep players engaged, which Reload has in spades.

It's an addictive experience overall — Persona 3 Reload is a full-package game that is easy to sink time into without realizing it. I easily put over sixty hours into the game when it was released and was completely hooked on every element. If you love a good mystery with complex characters and don't mind returning to high school, there's so much to enjoy in Persona 3 Reload. It's one of those games where it easily sinks its teeth in and you'll find yourself going "just one more day..." only for it to be well past midnight and you end up going to bed later than you meant to. If you've never played a Persona game before, I urge you to start here, and if you're unsure, why not borrow it from our collection? Believe me, you'll be playing well into the Dark Hour.