This is a review of the base Persona 3, or the Journey of FES. I will review the Answer and Portable separately.
Persona 3 is the JRPG definition of "trust me bro, it gets good." Unlike Personas 2, 4 and 5, the pacing is unimaginably slow after the beginning arc for a lot of people until a few months from the end of the game. You grind 264 floors of similar-looking levels with probably the least fun battle system in the series until the story gets better. Fortunately, I am fine with slow-paced stories if I am intrigued and see the ambition.
Persona 3 lacks an issue I have with Personas 4 and 5, too. The social links in this game do add to characters, true, but unlike 4 and 5, the characters have arcs after their introductions in the main story no matter what. You don't have what I call "optional character development" that is completely skippable in 3.
Still, though, some of the music is definitely my favourite in the series (the final boss theme is the best, especially when it's a remix of an iconic track), the MC has a reason to be a silent one out of all the Nusona games, the tediousness of Tartarus and other aspects of the mid-game make sense thematically near the end, and the last part of the game stands out from most other games I played in terms of how thematically appropriate and satisfying it is. Most importantly though, Koromaru is a good boy and way better than Morgana or Teddie. Aigis is my favourite mascot, too.
Persona 3 is the JRPG definition of "trust me bro, it gets good." Unlike Personas 2, 4 and 5, the pacing is unimaginably slow after the beginning arc for a lot of people until a few months from the end of the game. You grind 264 floors of similar-looking levels with probably the least fun battle system in the series until the story gets better. Fortunately, I am fine with slow-paced stories if I am intrigued and see the ambition.
Persona 3 lacks an issue I have with Personas 4 and 5, too. The social links in this game do add to characters, true, but unlike 4 and 5, the characters have arcs after their introductions in the main story no matter what. You don't have what I call "optional character development" that is completely skippable in 3.
Still, though, some of the music is definitely my favourite in the series (the final boss theme is the best, especially when it's a remix of an iconic track), the MC has a reason to be a silent one out of all the Nusona games, the tediousness of Tartarus and other aspects of the mid-game make sense thematically near the end, and the last part of the game stands out from most other games I played in terms of how thematically appropriate and satisfying it is. Most importantly though, Koromaru is a good boy and way better than Morgana or Teddie. Aigis is my favourite mascot, too.