Summary
Persona 3 Reloadis breaking new ground for the beloved franchise. WhilePersonagames have more often than not received enhanced re-releases such asPersona 4 GoldenorPersona 5 Royal, never before has Atlus remade one of the games from the ground up.Persona 3,however, is the perfect candidate for doing so. While theGoldenversion ofP4andP5’s respective rerelease feel like the definitive iteration of each game,P3lacks that right now.FEScontains more story content, and the PSP re-release has a female protagonist with unique Social Links.Persona 3Reloadwill not have this extra content at launch, but it will modernize the title and hopefully prove to be the best way to play the game.
Persona 1andPersona 2are excellent games in their own right but share little resemblance to recent additions.Persona 3is where the foundation of modern entries started to form.P3added social simulation mechanics and brought combat closer to that of modern turn-based RPGs. The addition of social sim mechanics balanced against dungeon-crawling RPG combat has defined thePersonaseries since. WhilePersona 3added these mechanics, they were still rudimentary; among SEES, only female members had Social Links, making it harder to feel attached to male party members. Thankfully, some changes toPersona 3 Reloadremedy this.
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A recentPersona 3 Reloadtrailer showcased the Iwatodai Dormitory and some of the activities players can do there.P3Rwill hold onto the original soundtrack but is brightening up the space and making it a social hub. Not only will it be a headquarters for SEES, it will be a place to make friends. In contrast to the original, the player can spend time completing some of these activities with male classmates, accompanying the addition ofLink Episodes. Adding more activities for players to do in the dormitory, like gardening and watching movies, respects the intent of the original and leaves the experience intact, only adding to it.
This approach is echoed in some ofPersona 3 Reload’s other changes.All-Out Attacks inP3Rshare the original’s animation where the characters rush into a cloud of dust, but if the attack finishes the encounter, it will trigger aPersona 5-style character-specific win screen. These win screens are more subtle than those ofPersona 5, reflectingP3R’s tone. This sensibility extends to the rest of the game’s UI and soundtrack; they’ve been enchanced, but not replaced with totally new systems.
From what has been shown, Atlus seems to have taken what worked aboutPersona 5and effectively transformed it to work withPersona 3’s aesthetic sensibility. This, combined with the approach of adding content more than replacing things, is a model that can please players of the original while bringing in newer fans of the franchise that were won over byP5’s sense of style. This approach could work well for other remakes in the franchise, especially if Atlus were to remakePersona 4, which is incredibly similar in a number of ways. APersona 2remakemight require some more inventiveness due to its structure, but the model set byPersona 3 Reloadis one that would suit most remakes across the industry.
Persona 3 Reload’s trailers thus far depict a remake that seems to be doing almost everything right, even though some are disappointed by the recasting of voice actors and the omission ofPersona 3 Portable’s female protagonist. While the absence of added content fromPortableandFESis a shame, this content could be ripe for an enhanced version of the game or for DLC. Beyond the lack of content from previous revised releases,Persona 3 Reloadshaping up to be a strong example of a remake done right, as well as the definitive version ofP3.
Persona 3 Reloadwill be released on June 08, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
