Current Problems

Yahtzee discusses the issues and inconsistencies he found in Persona 3 Reload, despite enjoying the core gameplay loop. Learn what might be missing.

Okay, so you've jumped into Persona 3 Reload, and maybe you're wondering what the fuss is about, or perhaps you're a seasoned Persona fan checking out the remake. Let's talk about some of the things that might feel a bit off, even with all the shiny new polish. First up, the tone. Persona 3 Reload tries to blend the original's darker, more melancholic vibe with the slicker, more energetic presentation of Persona 5. Sometimes it works, but other times it feels a bit like trying to mix oil and water. You've got these super upbeat, flashy battle animations and menus, which are great, but then you remember you summon your Personas by, well, shooting yourself in the head. It's a jarring contrast that can pull you out of the experience, making it feel like a really bizarre Saturday morning cartoon premise. Then there's the pacing and plot delivery. Unlike Persona 4 and 5, where discovering the otherworld and your powers felt like a natural progression tied to intriguing events, Persona 3's protagonist just sort of... gets thrown into it. You transfer to a new school, and suddenly you're fighting shadows with Personas, and your friends are already awakened. It feels like a lot of the important character development and plot points happen off-screen while you're busy with school or other daily activities. You might find yourself playing for hours, going through the motions of dungeon crawling and social links, before the really impactful stuff starts to kick in. Speaking of dungeons, Tartarus, the main dungeon, can feel pretty samey. Even with new wallpaper every ten levels, the core crawling experience doesn't change much. This can make the gameplay loop feel repetitive, especially if you've maxed out the central stats early on. That leaves you with social links that, while a core part of the Persona experience, can sometimes feel a bit uninspired, focusing on characters with fairly standard issues. And about the party members: while adding characters like Ken Amada, Koromaru, and Aigis is fun, their introductions can feel a bit abrupt. You might find yourself thinking, "Oh, a sentient robot waifu? Cool, welcome aboard!" without much of the dramatic build-up you'd expect. It contributes to that feeling that the game is struggling to maintain a consistent tone and thematic focus. Finally, there's the whole idea of remaking older games. While Persona 3 Reload updates the game to feel more like its successors, there's an argument to be made that this homogenization erases the unique history and evolution of the series. Seeing how a concept like Persona developed over time has its own value, and smoothing out all the rough edges can sometimes mean losing a bit of that historical charm. It's like watching a tree grow versus just seeing the fully bloomed flower; you miss the process. So, while the core Persona gameplay is still enjoyable and engaging, Persona 3 Reload isn't without its quirks and areas where it feels a bit underbaked. If you're coming from Persona 4 or 5, you might not feel like you're missing a monumental amount by skipping this one, even with the modern upgrades.