Persona 3 FES
Developed by Atlus
Published by Tecmo Koei
Per-so-na…
The Story
Persona 3 FES is an extended version of the original Shin Megami Tensei persona 3 it takes place in a modern day tokyo where you as a newly transferred high school student are informed of a time that is not known to normal people this is known as the dark hour a time where people are transmogrified into coffins, there are some however that are allowed to stay awake during the dark hour and wouldn’t you know it you’re one of them. while under the effects of the dark hour the hero of the story is attacked by dangerous creatures that come alive during the dark hour called shadows Just before him and his friends are killed by the shadows the player awakens to the power of ” persona ” and proceeds to rip the shadows a new one I would go on more about the story but it is so long and full of twist that it would be impossible to talk about it all.
The Gameplay
Persona 3 FES plays out like a simulation game crossed with a turn based RPG, you’ll go to school, hang out with friends and explore a huge tower called Tartarus in which lies the shadows whom you will fight, the battle system is very simple you have your magic spells and physical attacks but the more interesting thing about the core gameplay is persona fusion, by fighting shadows you can obtain numerous persona’s and then you can switch them out on the fly during battle you can also fuse your weaker persona’s together to create a stronger persona, there is one major problem I have to address about the battle system and it’s your team members you have no real direct control over what they do, you can change their attack patterns do make them heal more but overall it is very frustrating when you know an enemy is immune to fire yet the A.I uses a fire spell anyway.
The Sound
Persona 3 FES has a very good soundtrack that is a bit unique in that it’s a blend between J Pop combined with Rap it works surprisingly very well but it can get very repetitive hearing the same music when going through the city, the voice acting is well done for the most part with only a few characters holding it back.
The Graphics
Persona 3 FES is not at all a bad looking game but don’t be expecting anything mind blowing the animations look stiff at times tartarus is very bland and unappealing, the persona designs however are are just so well done there are persona’s based of of gods and then there are some persona’s like Belphegor which is literally a gargoyle sitting on a toilet…. yeah, but moving on the anime cut scenes in the game look stunning and there are quite a few of them as well.
Lasting Appeal
Persona 3 FES is a long game…. a very long game indeed the main story will usually take up to 80-100 hours and not to mention the after story ” The Answer ” which will take an additional 20-40 hours the length of the game can be quite intimidating but Atlus made sure that you will always be doing something so you should never lose interest although I have to admit the beginning of the game can take while to get going.
Overall Persona 3 FES is a very unique and brilliant RPG that is a breath of fresh air from the norm.
My Score – 9.5/10
The Good:
The Bad:
So thats it for this edition of The Retro Corner but what did you think? Have you played Persona 3 FES? Are you a fan of Atlus? Do you like the Persona Series? Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments section below and be sure to stay tuned to UGNN for all your gaming news and reviews and remember to follow us on WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn & Reddit. Until next time, This is The Retro Corner.
Article by Jonnie Dixon
Foreword by Matthew McNamee
