This review contains spoilers
I 1st tried out this game 2 years ago, so I guess this is technically my 1st Megaten game. I didn't get very far, hell, I think I played 80% of the game within the last week, but there was something about this game that always stuck in my mind. And whether it be P3R coming out soon, or just having nothing else to do during my winter break, I finally committed myself to this game, and honestly, I'm really glad I did.
While dungeons aren't the most exciting thing in the world, there's more than enough to keep the RPG stuff engaging, from shuffle time, to Persona team building. But it's disappointing how easy the game becomes. I remember the 1st 2 dungeons being legitimately challenging for me. I remember running out of resources and having to leave to prepare myself for later floors. It felt like there was a balance between RPG and social elements I'd heard Persona did well... I plowed through every dungeon after. Probably both because I understand Megaten better and because shit like cavalry attacks, and Rise in general make the rest of the game a cake walk.
Overall, I'd say the game is pretty good from a gameplay perspective, but from a presentation/narrative perspective it's wonderful. Inaba feels like such a cozy and naturally nostalgic place to hang out in, the music is pure bliss, and the visuals... probably could be better. I hear the original had better fog and effects, so I might check that out sometime.
The story is pretty great overall, it's great to see they actually made character growth a part of the main quest, and the overarching murder mystery thing is really cool, but the endgame is pretty inconsistent. Like, is Adachi supposed to be a whatever villain? (I didn't max out his social link) Why is Mrs. Megami herself the actual antagonist? Why does she have the stupidest reveal? Did there need to be 3 final bosses? Did pacing need to abruptly stop in between them to make both original and added content feel like it was shoehorned in? I actually do like Marie, and think she actually makes the tsundere archetype work (even if her poems are stupid) and I actually think her dungeon is the best in the game from a gameplay perspective, but I could definitely play the original P4 and feel like I'm not missing out on anything
But anyway, to end off on a high note, I can tell the game absolutely shines with the characters. Even with the social links I didn't max out, I might be interested in them enough to actually play the game again, because the ones I did or almost did I absolutely loved. The sports duo are total bros, Hisano made me cry multiple times, Ayane was great, Nanako and Dojima are such an interesting family dynamic, and the entire Investigation Team is one of the best casts of party members I've seen (except for Teddie of course. I don't hate him as much as I used to, he has his moments, but he's mostly just an annoying little shit).
Overall, I do really like this game though, and if you haven't played it yet (why did you click on a spoiler marked review? Are you Stupid?) then you should definitely give it a shot.
While dungeons aren't the most exciting thing in the world, there's more than enough to keep the RPG stuff engaging, from shuffle time, to Persona team building. But it's disappointing how easy the game becomes. I remember the 1st 2 dungeons being legitimately challenging for me. I remember running out of resources and having to leave to prepare myself for later floors. It felt like there was a balance between RPG and social elements I'd heard Persona did well... I plowed through every dungeon after. Probably both because I understand Megaten better and because shit like cavalry attacks, and Rise in general make the rest of the game a cake walk.
Overall, I'd say the game is pretty good from a gameplay perspective, but from a presentation/narrative perspective it's wonderful. Inaba feels like such a cozy and naturally nostalgic place to hang out in, the music is pure bliss, and the visuals... probably could be better. I hear the original had better fog and effects, so I might check that out sometime.
The story is pretty great overall, it's great to see they actually made character growth a part of the main quest, and the overarching murder mystery thing is really cool, but the endgame is pretty inconsistent. Like, is Adachi supposed to be a whatever villain? (I didn't max out his social link) Why is Mrs. Megami herself the actual antagonist? Why does she have the stupidest reveal? Did there need to be 3 final bosses? Did pacing need to abruptly stop in between them to make both original and added content feel like it was shoehorned in? I actually do like Marie, and think she actually makes the tsundere archetype work (even if her poems are stupid) and I actually think her dungeon is the best in the game from a gameplay perspective, but I could definitely play the original P4 and feel like I'm not missing out on anything
But anyway, to end off on a high note, I can tell the game absolutely shines with the characters. Even with the social links I didn't max out, I might be interested in them enough to actually play the game again, because the ones I did or almost did I absolutely loved. The sports duo are total bros, Hisano made me cry multiple times, Ayane was great, Nanako and Dojima are such an interesting family dynamic, and the entire Investigation Team is one of the best casts of party members I've seen (except for Teddie of course. I don't hate him as much as I used to, he has his moments, but he's mostly just an annoying little shit).
Overall, I do really like this game though, and if you haven't played it yet (why did you click on a spoiler marked review? Are you Stupid?) then you should definitely give it a shot.