Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (PlayStation 2, 2007)

I have been an avid RPG for more than ten years and have played all the biggest releases in the genre and I have to say that Persona 3 very easily ranks amongst the best. So if you're even thinking about getting this game stop hesitating and get it now!!

This game is just incredible it's one of the best new rpg's I've ever played. It's up there in the echelon of Final Fantasy, Xenogears and Chronotrigger. This game is easily 50-70 hours+ and it is hard. Honestly I played it on easy because I saw it said 70 hours else where and wanted to minimize the time commitment but it still took that long to beat. I was going to pick hard and googled to see how hard the game was and most people said even on normal it was ridiculously hard. So this isn't a care bear RPG.

The only fault I've found in the game and this isn't particularly there fault it's more from the fact it's a PS2 game is that the game has a load screen every single time you change an area whether it be your room to the hallway or a class room to the hallway, every single door triggers a 3-5 second loading screen. After I started playing this on my PS3 it did feel like the loading was a little bit faster but I'm not sure if it really was or it just felt it was because of how colossal the PS3's hardware is and I had that connotation.

Game's Premise:
As it turns out there is an extra hour in every day. This hour is hidden between 12 AM and 1 AM... the 'dark hour'. Normal people aren't aware of this hour because they turn into coffins. Only those with 'special powers' are able to remain in their human form and aware during this hour. Some of those people can also summon an alternative forms of themselves. This form is like your inner mask, it is made from the stimulations that you receive from the world around you. The connections that you build with different people influences your inner persona.

Pros:
The story is very well written and intriguing. The monsters in the game are very creatively done. Some of these monsters were taken straight from the other Shin Megami Tensei games.... yea I'm looking at you Jack Frost. Than again there is an overwhelming amount of new monsters here too. The game has voice acting for most of the dialogue! Random encounters have been updated, now you are able to see your enemies and avoid them if you wish. The battles have a nice flow to them and are both quick and decisive. Persona 3 is a very meaty RPG with a lot of content. The normal school life is balanced well with the super natural. You can join a club, make few friends. The choices that you make early on will effect your game at later point. This gives the game a huge replay value. The game has a distinct anime flavor. In fact all in-game cutscenes are hand drawn anime! The anime's quality is excellent, however, and it does not disappoint. The game is teeming with bonus content waiting to be unlocked.

Cons:
The in game graphics will not blow anyone away. While the environment are fully rendered in 3D, but they look blend. The character models don't have as many polygons as in some of the other titles in the series. The gameplay can get repetitive at times. Also, the anime look and feel of the game may not be for everyone.

Bottom Line:
If you are a Shin Megami Tensei fan, or a fan of Adult RPGs than you already own this title and don't need to bother reading this. If you are new to the series and you like Jap. anime this game will appeal to you as well. I am enjoying this game a lot, it is a good step above Devil Summoner (the previous entry in the series).

Honestly this is the First in the PERSONA series I have played!
The art in this game is just really intriguing and good!
The game is pretty interesting it's sort of a SIM as well. You have to keep your character in a "great" condition by using restroom or what not and you get to socialize and form friendships with other characters which is an important role in the game. You even get to date a couple characters which is highly amusing. You choose your own responses and choices throughout the game. There are a WIDE variety of Personas to create and use for your battles. I honestly don't have any dislikes in this game. I am going to play Persona 3 FES next because of how much I loved this game. It really captivated me from the beginning and trust me it's been a long while since I wanted to play through a whole game and complete it! Couldn't get enough of it ;]

The game is also interesting in how it incorporated Arcanas, if you know anything about tarots ~

Definately a must try for an rpg gamer! I also loved how the characters curse. haha it's a very realistic game in how the characters socialize and respond.

This is an absolutely incredible game. Unfortunately, because it is not a Final Fantasy game or by an extremely well known RPG company, it does not get the recognition it deserves.

Atlus has really outdone themselves here. Every aspect of the game is simply enthralling. From the day to day highschool life to the battles in Tararus. The contrast between the brightness of the protagonist's school life and the darkness of the game's night levels is really refreshing.

The graphics are stylish and the anime cutscenes are beautiful.

Basically, I can't say enough about this game. Everyone looking for a DIFFERENT RPG should get this game. Thanks! :]

My 23 yr old and 16 yr old son both love playing this game. A great find and deal! So much so they are buying the other editions as well now.

This game is so awesome and i'm so hooked.
I always like RPG's such as FF.
I saw this game as i was looking for good RPG games on some
games sites. I saw the trailer and BAM...Cool....i liked
the character and even the music in this game...
NOw that i got this game in such a good deal in ebay.. I'm a happy camper..
in my room..lmao.
I haven't finished it yet but i love enjoying my game to the fullest..
if that even make sense in some of the gamer crazy out there!!!
The End

Amazing game, storyline wise it's all it's own and the characters are thought-out as well. Development throughout the game between characters is through Social Links; the more time you spend with them, the stronger a bond becomes. There's a variety of characters from a guy who's into older women, to the old couple down at the use bookstore. That's just including the side characters though, the characters you mostly see have their own little quirks as well.

A rather dark storyline if you think about it, but wonderful nonetheless. I can't say much without giving any spoilers but if you're looking for a game, pick this one up. You also might wanna try the ones before it, Nocturne and such. Not many things I don't like about this game.

I do wish they'd give the main character a few more lines rather than the grunts and cries he gives during battle. :<

Having fun with it. The characters are great. The voice acting is a little cheesy. There are a couple of annoying nuances but over all, it's pretty fun.

I played this game back in the summer of 2007,since it's an Atlus game,we have to thank them for bringing this game to the west and NA Market.however,since it's an Atlus game we also have to "Thank" them for their weird habit of bringing scarce quantities of quality games

This is one heck of an RPG,instead of just fighting and going on in a linear or non/linear story,you have to build up your character over the course of a year by means of everyday activities,studying and bonding to gain new allies.
the battle system is very similar to Shin Megami tensei:Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga (the press system with a twist)
,So Veteran Megaten and Traditional RPG Fans will feel right at home.
Set in the Megaten Universe where "Religion comes to life" this one has a unique atmosphere and a different Art director for the Artistic Twist,don't miss out on this rare gem and its bonus material that includes a beautiful artbook with over 40 pages of the bizzare world of Megaten and the OST
4.5/5

Half roguelike dungeon and half school simulation with dating sim elements, the game is a truly odd but addicting experience. Anyone familiar with the Shin Megami Series will notice the psychological and demonic themes central to the plot and gameplay. The demon compendium, fusing and capturing from previous MegaTen games makes a reappearance in this game but demons are referred to as Personas and can be won after battles through a mini card shuffle game rather than through negotiation as in SMT Nocturne. Be advised though that the game has a tendency to be repetitive as there is technically only one dungeon with randomly generated floors and if you don't like quirky pop/techno music your screwed cause that is the whole soundtrack, don't put it on mute though as there are some examples of great voice acting in there. Another issue is that you can't control the other characters directly in battle and this causes some problems as the dungeon requires a lot of time and if your main character dies the game ends regardless of your team mates health, thankfully the difficulty curve is much gentler than SMT Nocturne and the battle AI for your allies isn't stupid. You will also learn more strategic commands over the course of the game to fine tune their fighting behaviors. Overall most will like it, some will loath it and if your a fan of the Shin Megami Series you'll probably want to have children with it.

Guys, this game rocks!
Let me tell you why, in my opinion: First,the plot of this atlus' serie is oringinal, not the usual green wood with many cute cannibal mushrooms.
Second,the typical "cold" design of the serie, this time is in the hands of a great manga artist, able to fully depict the peculiarity of each charachters, if not, at least not fully, that of the ambient.
Third:the game is suffed with options, subquests, ongame unlockables that'll make you crave the advancement in level, so to experiment new fusions, monster, weapons and so on.
Fourth: after the big score made by the sims and similar titles, the idea to meld that concept with classic rpg style is unique.
You won't have the technical peaks of a Final Fantasy XII, but the graphic is enjoyable as is and you'll get much more depht in the plot and charachters' personalization. Plus the hardcover artbook and the soundtrack(this time, first in megami tensei serie, you'll have plenty of voice acting).
A must have!

sent the wrong item ordered persona 3 recieved persona 3 fes need to return item
the pictue on the item is persona 3

Just got it today and it looks in almost perfect condition. I bought it for a friend but have to test it out first and can hardly wait

I love every Megaten game that Ive played and thanks so much for getting it to me in such a fast manner :)

This game is so much fun!! It's veeerrryy long unlike most games and all the characters are likable, and in the game you can go to school and hang out with
your friends while at night you fight monsters!XD I flippin love this game BUY IT!!

Love the dialogue throughout the game. Great character design which helps you become immersed in the world. Great gameplay with 100 plus hours to complete it. Definitely a game for the hardcore jrpg fans, if you fit in this category this game is for you

Came in great condition. The CD soundtrack was MINT. Booklet was perfect. Only minor inconvenience was the Persona 3 cardboard box had nothing to keep it from getting squashed (there is space for the booklet and game, but this purchase came without the game, so there was an empty slot). It was still in a pretty good condition though. Description accurate and shipping was speedy. Would definitely do business with again!

An AMAZING game! Waiting till I could get a hold of both the Art-Book and the soundtrack was definitly beneficial! The condition of the game was marvelous, and I still really enjoy playing it. An excellent game, I recomend it fully!♥

High school simulation? Check. Healthy dose of monster slaughtering? Also check. Putting a gun to your characters head and watching your closest friends follow suit? Big check.

Persona 3 promises to be a satisfying disturbing adventure just from the opening cinematic and song. In–fact, not only does it hold claim to that the entire way through, it shines with a perfect balance between Japanese humor and serious gruesome fun. It throws you into the action, and before you can say, "What the heck is going on?" your dorm will be under attack by "Shadows" (Persona 3's equivalent for monsters) and you will be thrust into battle from the get go after a rather beautiful cut scene. Your day to day activities include (and there a lot of days): attending high-school at day light hours, beating the crap out of monsters at night, and making friends all the while between those two.

Story: 8.6 At best, the story is darkly entertaining, but at worst it's only a little misguided and the ending is a bit too "friendship" oriented (Kingdom Hearts, anyone?). However, those are all but small complaints in quite a large otherwise masterpiece.

Voices: 8.5 Not bad, but in need of improvement. While most of the voices do a good job presenting their case, only a select few really sound spot on.

Characters: 8.5 A mixed bag of sorts. Some you will fall in love with, some you will relate to, and some you will stare at with complete annoyance. Take it or leave it.

Music: 8.5 Speaking of mixed bags… again, with the music. Fortunately, you needn't worry about the music ruining the mood of any important parts in the game, but there have been better fitting scores.

Script: 9.5 This has been the only game, as of this date, that actually had me dying on purpose to see the quote about death which is not only fitting, but down-right awe inspiring as well.

Battle: 8.4 Battling is a turn-based affair with chosen encounters and strategic strong/weak elements.

Party AI: 8.5 Like most RPG party AIs… nothing is really outstanding about it. It's functional, easy to get the hang of, and for the most part, decently reliable.

Enemy AI: 8 This is a hit and miss thing. Enemies can often be too forgiving and too cruel, all at the same time.

Tutorial: 8 My only real complaint (and I assure you it's minor, but irritating) is the understanding of the spell system. Only people who read the manual and Shin Megumi veterans will understand that bufu means ice, and so on.

Environment: 8 The environment is easily Persona 3's weakest link, as Tartarus is "basically" the only dungeon you're going to see, and get tired of, very quickly. Graphics aren't going to win any awards, not enough interaction in cities, and dungeon is seriously lacking.

Duration: 9.5 If you're like me, (comfortable pace grabbing 85% of the items), you're going to finish at around 80 hours.

Replay Value: 9.5 New Game + mode in one word: Amazing. A ton of content to explore and collect will hook you.

Now for the big question, is this for you? Well, that's settled with a simple question: Do you like RPGs? If you answered yes, this game, without a doubt is definitely for you. While there is a fair degree of repetition in the dungeons and months, the simulation during the day, combat at night, and the engaging horrific storyline will keep you till the very end. My only hope is that you enjoy it as much as I did.

For the full review, contact me at SitterofSidewalks@hotmail.com

At first I was hesitant to get Persona 3 because it was $50. I thought that was a little pricey for a Playstation 2 game, which now is an old generation system. When I did decide to get it I wasn't disappointed. The game is a great game and worth the money I paid for it. It incorperates elements from the first two games with new ones. The social link system is neat and adds to the gameplay. I would definitely recommend this game to anyone that is considering an rpg to play for the summer. Persona 3: FES is out and that has a full version of the game if you don't want to pay for the original that came with the art book and music cd.

This game is one of my favorite dungeon crawler/RPG's. It is extremely in depth and has HOURS upon HOURS of game play :). I would not recommend it for younger people though, as it has some aspects that are not suited for a younger audience.

HAVENT ACTUALLY PLAYED IT BUT THE BOX LOOKS NICE, I LIKE POTATOES THOUGH, I SOMETIMES EAT CARROTS AND NEVER EAT CAULIFLOWERS, HOPE THIS HELPS AND YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY NOW YOU HEAR!!