One of the biggest reasons why everything comes together so powerfully in Reload, specifically, is the way the new voice cast brings its characters to life. I cannot overstate how the fantastic voice performances perfectly capture the original spirit of each party member, then elevate them to become even better versions of themselves. It’s impressive considering how distinct each voice was to begin with, but right from the jump, I knew this cast had nailed each role.

Persona games aren’t for everyone as they often feature strange premises that take a long time to get going, cutscenes with hours’ worth of dialogue, and atypical gameplay loops of balancing school life with dungeon crawling.

In July 2022, Atlus conducted a consumer-led survey in Japan gauging interest in potential remakes and re-releases of past games from the publisher, specifically in the Megami Tensei franchise.

If that doesn’t sound appealing, you’re better off looking for more traditional JRPGs with more grounded settings where you go off on a journey to explore the world and save it from evil villains.

And the original story stands the test of time because of how sharp it was in bringing those darker themes together. Several characters examine their will to live when there's so much suffering to endure, but Persona 3 fires back with fulfilling, bittersweet answers that it doesn’t always have to outright say.

With a stellar visual overhaul and countless small but impactful changes, Persona 3 Reload tells a timeless story of tragedy and hope with sharp emotional sincerity.

Following a variety of Persona 5 entries and spin-offs, along with re-releases of Persona 4, persona 3 reload gameplay both Persona 3 fans old and new will get to see the ATLUS classic with revamped visuals and modern gameplay fitting that which the current generation has come to know. 

Reload even makes a concerted effort to address the fact that none of the male party members previously had Social Link routes. While they're not traditionally structured, distinct opportunities to spend time with them now pop up throughout the story and eventually lead to revelatory moments for those characters. Since these are freshly written for Reload, there's a noticeable contrast in quality compared to the original social sim conversations, making me wish the old dialogue had been punched up to match the heights of these new interactions.

Harness the lethal precision of a bow and arrow to take down enemies from afar. Even better, utilize stealth and deception tactics to disorient your foes in strategic ambushes.

In August 2023, a further Famitsu interview was conducted between Wada, Niitsuma, Yamaguchi and composer Atsushi Kitajoh. They elaborated on the development process of remaking the game's assets, stating that the character models from Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight (2018), which marked the first time many Persona 3 elements were fully rendered in high-definition, were used as a base for corresponding models in Reload. However, the Reload assets were otherwise produced from scratch with various adjustments, such as Aigis having her proportions altered to emphasize her unique physical traits as a cybernetic being compared to the regular human characters.

Alas, it was not meant to be. So, for all you newcomers out there, make sure to keep the main character at all costs to prevent yourself from an unnecessary ‘game over’.

Your browser isn’t supported anymore. Update it to get the best YouTube experience and our latest features. Learn more

This was the first entry in the Persona series to use the school calendar system and social sim elements as a foundation to move through its story, planning activities during the day and going dungeon crawling at night.

Each of these can help boost your social links with your fellow dorm-mates but also increase stats such as Academics and Charm. This is all in addition to the social links from previous versions.