Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 - PlayStation 2

With Persona 3 FES behind me and Persona 5 on the horizon, I went into buying Persona 4 for the PS2 with high hopes. I was pleased to discover that I had not been let down. Everything about this game appeared to be well-thought-out, and it was a significant improvement over Persona 3 FES. The first point I'd like to make is that a Persona game's story has never flowed more smoothly than it has in this one. Back in the late 1990s, Revelations Persona was too preoccupied with laying the groundwork- Persona 2 was a near-from-the-ground-up attempt at resurrecting a by-then nearly-dead and buried series and reprogramming it for a new generation of audiences, and Persona 3 was a near-from-the-ground-up attempt at resurrecting a by-then nearly-dead and buried series and reprogramming it for a new generation of audiences, meaning that for all of the effort put into it Persona 4 tells its story at a realistic pace, taking into account things like a serial killer working at his own pace rather than yours and incorporating more than enough events for you to become attached to the cast, both the main cast and several of the characters you would otherwise only care about because of social ties. br>br>The most noticeable differences from the previous game in the series are the reduced downtime between plot-driven events and the ability to take direct control of everyone in your party. The majority of the soundtrack does not appeal to me, which is one of the game's drawbacks. Except for the bathhouse theme, the Marukyuu striptease theme, the panic music before anyone's shadow goes berserk, and "I'll Face Myself," I dislike almost every instrumental track, and I only like Reach Out to the Truth and the ending theme Nevermore among vocal tracks. and two, that once you have your original four party members, you will never need to change them because everyone covers the four basic elemental strengths and weaknesses, and the silent protagonist's wild card ability can cover the elements of light and darkness, which you won't be using much anyway because, as is customary for any Shin Megami Tensei game, spells with light and darkness attributes have a very low chance of working even under the most extreme circumstances. After Yukiko joins, I'll be able to ignore any new party members. In fact, it is strongly advised that you do not experiment because, as with Persona 3 FES, you will have a difficult time rebalancing your levels. Just hang in there if you come across a boss that you think would be easier to defeat if Yosuke, Chie, or Yukiko were replaced with Kanji, Teddie, or Naoto. Boost your level by three more points. Make sure Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko have accessories that cover their elemental weaknesses five times (while earning some extra cash in the process). Also, bosses have exploitable points in their attack patterns, so be strategic and aware of them. br>br>I have a lot of positive things to say about the characters and their individual growth, but I also have a few negative things to say about them. Teddie has a lot of it when it comes to character development. No- Teddie is the character who develops the most during the story. Despite the fact that I've never used him in battle, he's my second favorite character. Yosuke Hanamura, who also has a lot of character development, is my favorite character in this game, and possibly in the entire series. I'm furious at Atlus for removing the romantic path they'd created for Yosuke's social link, because I like Yosuke more than any of the other girls in the party. I found Kanji and Naoto's struggles with who they are and how society perceives them to be very relatable. able. Chie and Yukiko's friendship is heartwarming to witness, as is Chie and Yosuke's relationship. It's hilarious to watch sisters bicker. I also like Rise because she adds a different flavor to the team, and unlike Fuuka, she is not useless as an analyst type. It's wonderful to be able to connect with family members. Nanako is the sweetest little girl ever, and you'll have a hard time not feeling Dojima's pain at the loss of his wife as if it were your own, especially with the evidence of what her death has done to Nanako and her relationship with her father because he doesn't know how to approach her right in front of you. br>br>In terms of social link exclusive characters, I was particularly drawn to Eri Minami's and Kou Ichijou's, though I also enjoyed Ayane Matsunaga's. Despite the fact that I adore Ai Ebihara, I despise her social media presence. In comparison to the rest of the social links I was able to complete, it felt a little tedious. At rank 3, I became dissatisfied with Naoki Konishi's work and abandoned him. Unfortunately, I never got around to starting, much less finishing, Naoto's social link. I also had a couple of other social links that I never got around to starting or finishing, so a plus for replay value, but a minus for having too many social links in the game for comfort, though I thank you for making them easier to manage than in Persona 3 FES because they don't reverse as easily. br>br>The endings in this game are far superior to those in Persona 3 FES. For the true (canon) ending, you'll still have to face a terrifying final boss, but you won't be nearly as upset as you would be with Persona 3 FES' true ending. Finally, I'd like to make a plea to anyone who works for Atlus: please, for the love of all that is good, find a way to make the Persona games truly replayable. There is simply not enough of it in any of the existing titles, which is one of the series' major flaws. When you come across a series of games that are as good as this one, you want to play them again, but there aren't any incentives to do so.

Elina Weber

| Aug 30, 2021

It combines many of the things I enjoy in games, making it one of the greatest RPGs of all time. The characters are well-defined, and they all have the opportunity to develop and change throughout the story. Persona 4's characters become familiar to you in a way that few other games can, and even if you don't like them at first, they grow on you until they feel less like characters in a story and more like people you know. The plot is intriguing, with enough twists and turns to keep you wanting to keep reading. Every time you think you've figured something out, something else pops up to remind you that there's still a lot more to learn. It's a PlayStation 2 game in terms of graphics. Sure, it's a nice-looking PS2 game, but it still falls short of modern expectations. However, everything still looks good, and the graphics aren't so old that the game is difficult to play or immerse yourself in. Cutscenes in the style of anime are still enjoyable to watch. The game's soundtrack is fantastic, with a variety of quirky and catchy tunes that you'll find yourself humming along to whether you realize it or not. The voice acting is generally good, with only a few voices that feel out of place or are simply bad. Some lines are repeated far too often, especially in battle dialogue, but that's to be expected in a game of this nature. br>br>From a gameplay perspective, there are two distinct things going on. There's the social/school side of things, where you hang out with friends/acquaintances, study for school, assist town residents with their problems, and work part-time jobs. Some of these are merely beneficial to your character's stats, such as Knowledge or Courage, while others, known as social links, are more important. Social connections with your party members grant them additional combat abilities, and all social connections boost the power of certain Personas summoned by the main character during combat. Combat in this game isn't particularly unique or different from that of many other JRPGs. It isn't monotonous or boring, but you will grow accustomed to the various quirks and sub-plots. systems relatively quickly To level up, complete side quests, collect new Personas, and collect items, you'll have to fight a lot. In the end, depending on how you play, you'll spend roughly half of your time in dungeons and half of your time socializing or attending school. br>br>It took me about 80 hours to finish the game in the end. It wasn't a full social link run, which would have required a lot more planning and understanding of the game up front and would be better suited for subsequent playthroughs, but there's still a lot of value here even if you only play through twice.

Remington Haley

| Jul 25, 2021

To add to my game collection, I purchased this on Amazon. I first played Persona 4 Golden, which is the definitive version of the game, but I also wanted to play the original, which I am currently doing. The game is significantly more difficult than Persona 4 Golden because many bosses and enemies lack weak points, making it more difficult to defeat them and necessitating more grinding. One thing I should mention is that this game came with disc rot when I first got it. Yes, it was sealed, but I believe it developed disc rot as a result of how it was stored in the warehouses. Amazon was gracious enough to accept my defective product and promptly sent me a replacement at no cost. The copy I have now is fine, but anyone considering purchasing this should be aware that they are doing so at their own risk. This is, without a doubt, one of the best PS2 and PS Vita games ever. It comes highly recommended from me. In a single playthrough, it will make you laugh, cry, and rage. The character writing, as well as the social link system, dungeon crawling, and a memorable and awesome soundtrack, are all excellent.

Harry Ruiz

| Feb 26, 2021