Ever since I beat P3FES, and after I beat P5R, I was so certain that this felt like the third game was the weakest in the new-gen trilogy, and a lot of it came down to how much of the game felt like a testing ground for the later, superior titles. However, one thing that never changed across these two titles was its story and characters, which is why I was so incredibly fond of FES even when the gameplay felt like an utter slog to batter through for almost 50 hours.
So when this remake comes along and bulldozes my biggest complaint about the game, and instead improves upon it in such a refined manner gameplay wise WHILE adding to the games best aspects, I completely fell in love with Persona 3 once more.
While it maintains some of the same issues from the original such as the weak social links and Tartarus still being inferior to Palaces...it didn't even remotely bother me. Getting to re-experience this story and its world once more with a fresh mind gave me a newfound love and appreciation for everything that it stood for. Originally I thought it had the weakest cast in the series compared to 4 & 5's. Now, it's my favorite friend group (though 5R still has the best overall characters). The growth they experience individually and together from a ragtag group of shadow fighters to people who genuinely care for one another through the hardships and loss they face...man, playing through P3R has made it more apparent to me than ever that I had held a bias to 4 & 5 that needed to be unclouded.
With new additions to Tartarus and the inclusion of Theurgies, the Great Clock, fortunes, the baton pass and even more, this game is far more enjoyable than before and I didn't even really feel like it was a struggle. It's also an easy game, but I'm completely fine with that. The new hangouts are an awesome idea that not only fleshed out members of the cast without links, but also just made me love the ragtag dorm crew even more than before. It just gives them the extra spark that they needed to not feel hollow.
The game is good looking and although it is easy to criticise the modernisation of the game taking away from the same charm FES had...frankly I don't care. The game looks amazing, the lighting is somewhat off, but turning down the brightness meant it never bothered me. It's slick, stylish and complete eye-candy from the new animated cutscenes, the general visuals and honestly, even the 3D animated scenes had their charm.
I just completely and utterly fell in love with P3 again and up until the end all I could think was...why was I downplaying it, even though it's been a 10 for me? Somehow, I don't think I did this beautiful game enough justice in the first place, but with all these new additions it's harder to criticise what it currently is and looking back at FES, I don't think I'd even remotely recommend FES over Reload.
P3 is the strongest story thematically of all the Persona titles (yes, including 1 & 2), and in conjunction with the game's exploration of its ideas of mortality and coming to terms on it on our own, it's also the most potent story in the franchise. It's the one that speaks to me the most and it's a story that I hold even closer than before.
All rambling aside, all I can say is as much as I love P5R, even playing through P3R has made me reflect upon P5R and made me realise where its shortcomings were and as a result...I have to say it.
Persona 3 Reload is my new favourite game of all time, and in turn, my new favourite work of all time.
So when this remake comes along and bulldozes my biggest complaint about the game, and instead improves upon it in such a refined manner gameplay wise WHILE adding to the games best aspects, I completely fell in love with Persona 3 once more.
While it maintains some of the same issues from the original such as the weak social links and Tartarus still being inferior to Palaces...it didn't even remotely bother me. Getting to re-experience this story and its world once more with a fresh mind gave me a newfound love and appreciation for everything that it stood for. Originally I thought it had the weakest cast in the series compared to 4 & 5's. Now, it's my favorite friend group (though 5R still has the best overall characters). The growth they experience individually and together from a ragtag group of shadow fighters to people who genuinely care for one another through the hardships and loss they face...man, playing through P3R has made it more apparent to me than ever that I had held a bias to 4 & 5 that needed to be unclouded.
With new additions to Tartarus and the inclusion of Theurgies, the Great Clock, fortunes, the baton pass and even more, this game is far more enjoyable than before and I didn't even really feel like it was a struggle. It's also an easy game, but I'm completely fine with that. The new hangouts are an awesome idea that not only fleshed out members of the cast without links, but also just made me love the ragtag dorm crew even more than before. It just gives them the extra spark that they needed to not feel hollow.
The game is good looking and although it is easy to criticise the modernisation of the game taking away from the same charm FES had...frankly I don't care. The game looks amazing, the lighting is somewhat off, but turning down the brightness meant it never bothered me. It's slick, stylish and complete eye-candy from the new animated cutscenes, the general visuals and honestly, even the 3D animated scenes had their charm.
I just completely and utterly fell in love with P3 again and up until the end all I could think was...why was I downplaying it, even though it's been a 10 for me? Somehow, I don't think I did this beautiful game enough justice in the first place, but with all these new additions it's harder to criticise what it currently is and looking back at FES, I don't think I'd even remotely recommend FES over Reload.
P3 is the strongest story thematically of all the Persona titles (yes, including 1 & 2), and in conjunction with the game's exploration of its ideas of mortality and coming to terms on it on our own, it's also the most potent story in the franchise. It's the one that speaks to me the most and it's a story that I hold even closer than before.
All rambling aside, all I can say is as much as I love P5R, even playing through P3R has made me reflect upon P5R and made me realise where its shortcomings were and as a result...I have to say it.
Persona 3 Reload is my new favourite game of all time, and in turn, my new favourite work of all time.