Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES

"The Ps2 isn't dead yet!"

Persona 3 is possibly the easiest to get into of the Series from what I've played so far. (Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2, and Nocturne.) With it being played out in a normal environment and having a pretty easy to follow but well done storyline this is definitely a good first experience for those looking to get into the series!

Graphics: 7
They're really nothing all that special. The art work is simply gorgeous, done by the same who did the art work for Stella Deus of course. Each character design is well detailed, and the environments are wonderfully drawn. However when put into 3D the graphics feel like someone spent a few hours toying with Maya and slapped them onto a disc. The concepts are wonderful, but they could have been executed much better.

Gameplay: 8
There's still no such thing as a perfect game to me, so 8 is a pretty high ranking. The gameplay involves wandering around a dungeon known as tartarus. This is more so a graphical thing but the dungeon looks very boring after awhile, and while the floors are random everytime you go they carry the same design structure until you get higher, and than that one remains the same for another 30-50 floors and repeat. The fun part is what you can do in the dungeons.

You can actually see your party members following you around, and you can talk to them to check how they're doing, and give them equipment. They give you a little thank you message or sometimes wont like what you give them. Im not sure if this effects gameplay at all, but its a nice touch.

You can also issue commands to them to split up or regroup, or specifically order them to split up and kill the enemy or hunt for items. Fun stuff.

Enemies are encountered via poking them on the map rather then random. You determine how the battle starts. Sneak up on them and give em a little poke with your trusty sword and you start out with an advantage sometimes distressing foes, making it easier. If they sneak up on you however, or catch you running it's their advantage!

In battle you can attack, issue tactics (as you cant control anyone but the main character,) use items and exploit enemy Weaknesses. The weakness system can make the game VERY easy as knocking an enemy over gives you another turn. If you spam and knock all enemies over you can perform an all out attack, which pretty much kills all monsters. you can summon your persona, which is basicaly a manifestation of some Mythological being. There are alot of them to collect, and each has an interesting background story. If you bother to learn them you can almost see how they fit with the character they belong to, and the social link.

The social link is like a dating sim, or a friendship sim. You meet people, you hang out with them and build your relationship. You don't need to do them all, but the stronger bond the stronger the persona you can build. Careful as you CAN make them mad at you, say hanging out with another girl when you're intimate with one of them. Bare in mind you must maximize your bond to be able to unlock the best personas in the game. They are WORTH the time.

Music/Sound: 6
The music really drags the game down. While some of the tunes are memorable towards the end of the game the usual dorm room music gets repetitive fast. You will usually hear the same four themes throughout the entire game, and they're just annoying loops. Also, tartarus our usual dungeon has the same boring theme throughout the entire travel. The voice acting is wonderful though, characters brought to life by their voice actors, there are a few exceptions to this wonderful cast, but for the most part the voice actors fir the bill.

Story: 10.
The story couldnt be any better to me. It's the heart of the game. Each character has a very deep rooted background story which makes you connect with them, and the religious references, (even a hippie Jesus,) add to the amusement. The game seems to revolve around death and the fact that Mankind is wishing for it's own end. There's also the fact that there's a mysterious hour inbetween midnight and 1am called the dark hour. Few know of it, and those that due either are persona users are targets of the shadows, our basic villain of the story. they're pretty much monsters that wander ouf ot the tower which by the way is your school during the dark hour. More than anything it's the characters that drive the story forward, and the little added bits of optional conversation that make the world of Persona 3 seem all the more believable.

Ending: 10
I couldn't have asked for a better ending. Why do I put this in a review? Ever ask how a movie is just to hear it was great but the ending pretty much ruins the entire movie for you? Just a tip. There's also an alternate ending.

Fes is of course different from the original and here's a short list of what it adds.
Weapon custimization using Persona
added social links plus more time to complete social links.
A higher difficulty setting.
Little subtle extras that aren't needed but add a nice touch to the atmosphere.
Extra sidequests
Alternate costumes for the characters, (Note party members might react funny to being asked to wear them! :D)
An additional 20-30 hours of gameplay, somewhat of an Epilogue, (Oh Lunar 2 I miss thee!)

Total: 8/10
The game has its flaws in terms of graphics and sound but the gameplay and the story which are the core of an RPG more than make up for it. Its definitely worth a go at! Dont rent, buy as it might disappear. Even Owners of the original version should find something new here.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/25/08

Game Release: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES (US, 04/22/08)