The cure to the stop-and-go storytelling is to play the female MC. It's a huge misstep that the male MC wasn't given social links with his male party members, and his links with his female party members always end up explicitly romantic. By having social links with every party member, the female MC can continue to have story development with the core cast between the game's major story beats. It also helps to make that core cast feel like they have something in common other than being in the same student club. It turns them from co-workers into friends.
@@AtomicWhiskers There really isn't a "better" one. It's mostly preference. The FemMC is slightly more upbeat and allows you to save characters that otherwise couldnt be saved, whole the M!MC hits the point of the story home harder. Both are fine, so really it's a matter of if you want to play as a male or female.
@@AtomicWhiskers For the first time, go with the male MC. His route makes the story hit harder and the game recommends the female MC for those who are familiar with the game, but want a different experience.
I feel like the problem with Persona 3 is that unlike Persona 4 and 5, there is no one definitive Persona 3 that has everything. Persona 3 Portable gives you the female protagonist, controllable party members, and more social links in that story, but you lose out on every cutscene and exploring anything that isn't Tarturus. Persona 3 FES gives you the epilogue story, actual cutscenes, and explorable areas that isn't Tarturus, but you have basically no social links with your male party members and no controllable party members.
Yeah this was such a missed opportunity, they could've done a definitive edition combining Persona 3/FES/Portable. But instead did an half assed port, they know that their franchise is big and it will sell well no matter what they do.
@@FABIOZITO11 so in this case, either get the game at a good discount or skip it? I’m new to Persona. Was told 3-4-5 are in the same universe so I thought it might be best to start P3P? Maybe I should just play 4 …
@@ShMartinJo I don't like the third one because I started with 4 and playing the third after was such a downgrade, every version of persona 3 has something missing that is essential, that's why they should merge every version in to one game. I would give the third a try but don't spend money on it,just emulate it on pc, but if you want to buy one start with 4. They are all in the same universe but the stories are unrelated.
The story and soundtrack alone make this game worth the playthrough. Burn My Dread played on a loop in my mind for months after finishing it on my P3FES playthrough.
Burn my Dread is amazing! Honestly my favorite tracks from P3 are P3FES's intro (which for obvious reasons isnt included in P3P) and Changing Seasons. Changing Seasons is such a bop it's insane
P3P is a pretty decent starting point for P3 first-timers. It was my entry point to P3, and it had the same emotional impact as the original would've. Most emotional moments are not in the animated cutscenes, anyway. They happen in-game.
which is why P3P isn't really an ideal way to play it the first time. The animated cutscenes and 3D scenes hit way harder than a visual novel telling you what's happening
@@Windermed they do hit harder. But in 2022 not being able to control your party members really is a deal breaker. Though i dont mind. Plus there is little stuff like not being able to reject any female social links and no social links between male party members really take a bit out of it. It makes your male party member seem less alive (though still great) while the female one seem like pick your fantasy girl.
@@Partiotofgaming Persona 3 is easy enough that aside from a handful of bosses you shouldn't have much trouble even without full party control. Losing the 3d world kills the game's mood, especially towards the end. I would honestly have rather had vanilla P3 if FES was a no go.
@@statesminds that's different though. I like visual novels myself and i have played alot before. It's just that i dislike the way P3P handled it because it's clear that the story presentation fits better in a 3D formula than a visual novel. (Not to mention P3P butchered the impact of the original opening where the protag goes to the dorm for the first time unlike FES)
This game was so worth it for the OLED Switch. The games style and all it’s colors, are very much perfect for the system also since it’s portable with the switch.
I sold my old V1 model for an oled yesterday exactly for this game and I have to say it was indeed a great investment. Those pitch black scenes and bright colors really make this game pop out like no others on the console.
I played persona 3 fes on ps2 for first time in 2017 and it changed my life forever and the characters and music to this day are stuck in my mind and I’m excited to go back to portable version on ps5 or switch.. persona 3 is my favorite persona game over all, soundtrack and atmosphere is amazing and I love how they still perform the music at concerts in Japan after all these years
I definitely am still going to pick this up but I understand that this version isn’t like the other Persona games. I’m a bit disappointed in Atlus for not making a definitive version for such an overlooked game in their franchise. I adored how P3 was so much more darker in tone and was one of the reasons I really enjoyed FES. I’d still suggest this game to people who have played 4 and 5, but with the warning of adjusting their expectations to a visual novel-esque gameplay than 3d. Thanks for the review Zion and Mitch. Y’all did a great job!
As someone who never played any Personas, this will be a good first step then? Sad shame to hear that this isn’t the true definitive version after so many years.
I actually like it. Granted, I played Portable before FES, so that may be why. I'll admit that FES has a cinematic quality that is superior. But also, when I think of how I play P5... Like I don't manual travel, I hit that fast travel menu every time I can. And yea you walk around neighborhoods but that's hardly my favorite aspect. I kinda liked it in 4 but in 5 some of the city streets get kinda samey, and I don't like the whole subway and mall areas. I'd gladly take a menu select to get to houses and shops lol. Also, visual novel style convos are normal for the series. What Portable loses the most IMO is that there's a lot of personality in the 3D models AROUND those VN style convos, with characters moving and emoting.
I will keep hoping and waiting for a full remake then. I never finished P3P and would love to revisit it but I think I'm going to prioritize new-to-me games over replaying the same port.
This is my favorite Persona game. I wish we got a definitive edition with FES and Portable content combined but this a great game. Only wish you could see the cutscenes for stuff. I don’t mind not being able to run around town though.
That would have been cool. Butmthen the game would have been at least twice the price probably, because they actually had to do something instead of just porting it 🤔
@@Seydrey if they actually put in work and combined the best of both versions it would be worth paying more. Im sure me and many others wouldnt care. This lazy. This game if it had a physical and had that content id pay $70 for
Kinda glad I had the chance to play these in order of release date. The progression from p3 to 4 then 5 felt nice you can see just how much improvement and innovation was going into the mechanics and story telling. Going from 5 or even 4 back to p3p is incredibly jarring probably more so because you're going into it knowing that it isn't the definitive version that it could have been. I still have a psp go and a Vita so I'll just keep playing p3p on those systems and wait for her day that it finally gets remade.
I played persona 5 Royal first, loved it so went back and played Persona 4. Loved it almost as much. Then I went back and played persona 3 FES. A great game for sure despite its flaws, it just aged more poorly than the other ones but that’s understandable. P3 arguably has the best “vibe” of all of them. I loved the darker tone. I will say though, I think SMT blows any persona game out of the water though except for 5.
My first persona was p5. I just finished p4g and picked this up. Jarring isn't exactly the word I'd use. I can simply tell it's an earlier game, and it's fine. Though, I'm also an older person that started gaming with NES so these "older" (though truly not old) games are still great in my mind. All perspectives I guess. Could be better with newer conveniences, sure, but it's still great.
I should have said that p3 is still my favorite persona. I'm still disappointed that we don't have a definitive version of 3. I recently restarted P3P on my pspgo after I found it in my bin of electronics.
Not being able to control your party members in FES isn't really a big issue, I played it on PS3 and the gameplay is simple enough that assigning a combat role will just automate whatever you would do anyways (like Yukari on heal, Jumpei on physical attacks & you doing the magic damage). The team mostly plays smart, like Yukari prioritizes keeping your health up (it's game over if the MC dies) and everyone exploits elemental weakness if they can. It's not perfect, but I never felt like I was struggling because they weren't using their skills efficiently.
Feels like a missed opportunity to miss out on injecting the anime cutscenes of the PS2 port, and adding Fez, to really make this the definitive edition
My guess is that the PSP version was the cleanest codebase to work with. If it sells well, they will probably try to release the content from the other versions as DLC, or they might do a high resolution remaster using the cleaned up code here as a reference to map into the P5 engine.
This video brings up a good point, I wish Atlus put some more effort into p3p even if it meant a delay or a higher price point. This'll be my first time playing this one specifically(I played p4g, p5 and p5r) so I am excited regardless but yeah it should have had more love put into it.
It mainly comes down to sales. P3P sold far better than P3/P3FES. Also, combining the two games would be too much work as the P3P team had to recreate quite a lot of assets from P3/P3FES to work with the smaller file sizes of the PSP. It would mean recreating assets all over again. They may as well just go down the full remake route rather than doing that. In the meantime, releasing P3P is the best option at this point in time.
@John Doe Yes but P4G was made for the PSVITA which meant they had bigger file sizes to work with/more powerful hardware and so didn't have to squish it all down/lower the polygon count for models. It's a different situation altogether.
The best review I've seen on this game! I'm new to the series and loving P5R but have heard fans advocate for P3 or P4 as their favorite. You gave context to this and answered for me which one I'll be playing next. Awesome job!
I would honestly buy the P4G port as you really can’t go wrong with it. Much closer to P5R in terms of quality. Then emulate P3FES or P3P with one of the fanmade hd texture packs. Those are what we deserved for ports
I agree with this review with pretty much everything even I'm kind of disappointed that they didn't merge both of the persona 3 because all they would have to do is add all the improvement and extra additions to The Fez and it would have made it the best version of the game to be perfectly honest if if they did that my own personal opinion of the game would have been either a 9 out of 10 or 10/10 I just don't think they did this game Justice
I remember playing this on my PSP GO back in 2012 in 9th grade. This is what made me like the persona games now i can relive it on my switch and i love that.
It's very clear they didn't make any changes to the actual game design code for this one. Just swapping out art assets with higher quality versions and increasing the resolution of the 3D rendering is significantly easier than dismantling PS2 FES code and shoving parts into P3P.
This was always advertised to be a port and then surprised when it’s a port. The idea that a Frankenstein game could just be made is unrealistic from a financial standpoint. With the price of the physical P3P being insanely expensive, I’m just happy people who haven’t played it, now get the chance to without having to emulate it. Here’s hoping for an Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment port.
Probably the reason why atlas didn't combine elements of the game is probably of the code of the game on top of that, they probably had to add scenes, dialogue, and interactions that they either don't have the original code or they don't use the software for it since persona 5 was in a whole different engine comparing to its predecessors. I feel that the question here shouldn't be "why didn't they add xyz?" But "why didn't make a remake rather than a remaster?" That way, they can add elements people are comfortable from persona 4 and 5
As someone who purely loved yugioh gx spirit caller that plays just like this. I always liked this style of art work and menu options. Its a harder style gameplay because of the lack of being able to choose your skills the fusion for sure
Well, not being able to choose your skills in fusion is not entirely accurate; it just involves going into the fusion preview and backing out into the Persona selection menu until you get the desired result which can be time consuming due to the RNG. Triad fusions just require selecting and deselecting the second Persona in the fusion combo.
@@zgoaty9235 So, basically what I tried to do with Persona 5 Royal: backing in and out of the fusion menu for making sure I have the desired outcomes, even though it doesn't really matter there. It does matter in Persona 3 Portable though as you said
I already own P3P on my PSP so I'll probably just get the stream version. Once a mod comes out to allow you to select what skills you want your personas will inherent. It's was tedious to go in and back out of the fusion menu hoping the the RNG would roll you some good skills. Also it's rumored that Altus will be remaking P3. So it would make sense that they released P3P, so they could more easily double dip with P3 buyers
I have P3P on PSP already as well, but I lost the charger and battery pack of my PSP (don't ask how I lost the battery pack of my PSP, it fell out of it somewhere, and I have no clue where), so I can't really play it anymore. Getting this on Switch may be my second chance to actually finish the game, as I got stuck in Tartarus due to cheap one hit kill moves from Shadows blocking my way forward. Cheap one hit kill AoE moves to be exact.
The insider claiming that P3 is being remade has an excellent track record. I'm honestly believing it. And it makes sense not to combine p3p with FES elements here for two reasons. It'd be more work, and it'd cannibalize sales of the remake to some degree. That's not to say the remake will come out any time soon, but if people invested into this current game, assuming they gave us the hybrid we wanted, there are some who might not wanna double dip
@Jacob Otero That and portable has some pretty distinctive differences from other installments in the persona series. Really hope should a FES remake exist it gets some modern touches (some skill choice on inheritance during fusion would be a serious nice touch). Party member control was a cheat albeit the game would have to be designed with it during development (more involved).
I got P3P and Fes on their respective console. But I completely forgotten how strip down P3P was. Wasted 20 bucks. Might as well bust out my PS2 and just play on my Fes for the nostalgia since it more superior to P3P.
I think I’d play it and watch the cut scenes along side it, I’m sure there on UA-cam and you can probably find a breakdown somewhere. Maybe after I finish Golden.
This was my first Persona game, specifically, this version of Persona 3, because the only Sony-made console I ever owned was the PSP, not even the Vita, one of the models of the original PSP. Let me give you some insight what changes in Persona 3 Portable if you play as a girl instead: Your starting Persona takes upon abit of a different look than the one of the male protagonist. Some minor story details are different, like how Junpei acts towards you on the beach, basically saying you look great with that swimsuit. You get most of your Social Links from different people than the male protag. The female protag I believe can wear the feminine-focused costumes that if you play as a guy, obviously cannot equip, to avoid crossdressing trouble. Those are the differences by choosing the female protag instead that immediately comes to my mind. There may be more, but I haven't touched this game in forever, and never ended up finishing it, so I may have not told EVERY difference between the male and female protags. Honestly, I welcome the "visual novel"-styled navigation. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I got lost in 5 Royal because I could not remember where everything leads to. People say that the protag doesn't get clarification that shooting themself with the Evoker is safe for them, in the Portable version of Persona 3, where a previous version did by someone teaching them in a way, but I faintly remember that when I played as the female protag, she got a flashback to that scene, although it's not a complete flashback to that scene, it instead shows her hesitation to use the Evoker from my understanding, but that does show she did have that moment. I never played as the male protag of this game though, so I cannot say for him. Though, my mind has been known to forge false memories at times, so I could be wrong about that scene from the Portable version. I still need to buy this game on Switch. And thankfully, ATLUS doesn't have the nerve to bump the price up to full retail with only minor changes, unlike Nintendo has done with some of their "deluxe" versions of games that released on previous hardware. I love Nintendo, but I'm not blind that they've made some questionable and sometimes greedy, decisions in the past. Honestly, we may have Persona 3 Portable to thank that later Persona series games allows you to control your party members. btw, many people seem to forget/not know this fact about Persona: It's a spinoff series of games, not mainline games. Shin Megami Tensei are the mainline games in the series, where many demons you recruit in there, are alternate Personas for the protags of Persona to obtain. The "Skill Card" mechanic that kinda acts like in function to Pokemon's "Technical Machines" or TMs for short, in the way that the Skill Cards allows you to teach a skill to a Persona, I believe also originated from Persona 3 Portable. Mainline Shin Megami Tensei games might've had it before then, but I don't know, despite my love for Shin Megami Tensei, my knowledge of it in general as a franchise, is limited
P3P was my first Persona game, I liked it enough, so I'll most likely grab the remaster for nostalgia sake plus I never did play as the Female MC, so I wonder how different the changes will end up being.
I'm glad he spoke about the monotonous floor design, I love all persona games. But P5 really wins the titles for me due to how interesting the dungeons are compared to rest of the series.
To be fair though, they're learning as each sequel comes out so of course P5 dungeons are the best design wise. It makes sense that the dungeons in P3 were dull since it was their first try on a new direction for the game. Persona 6 will more than likely have even better dungeon design than 5 as well as fix some of the short comings.
My take on this PSP port coming to switch is this: If you own Persona Q, or Persona Q2 getting access to the play the lesser portable version of Persona 3 is far more ideal then having to deal with a partly spoiler character guide and summery of the characters in the franchises to understand and enjoy those EO style dungeon crawler RPG's. I own a PSP and have played this version... a little, something like 15 years ago. In fact I own P2 Innocent Sin, P2 Eternal Punishment, P3P, P4G and P5R. And haven't been able to really get into them and enjoy them. I don't know if it's my learned RPG OCD of fully exploring a dungeon floor before moving on, but P3P punishes the player for taking too long in Tartaours when you first start. Leading to a chain reaction of waisted game time. Which in turn weakens the player if done more than twice in a row, and makes you miss out on some events. Maybe now that I have 15 more years of experience playing other games, I will be able to better enjoy this game series... But I keep on buying them and then putting off starting them and just leaving them in my back log. I like most of the SMT games I have tried out. 4, Strange Journey, and 5.
my brother introduced me to the persona games and i played this game when it got ported onto current gen and this game changed my perspective on life and i will never forget the experience i had with this game and i’ll never forget how depressed this game made me after i beat it i appreciate my brother for getting me into these games
They cut way too much stuff from FES that made it great. The loss of the anime cut scenes, 3d explorable spaces diminish the game a lot for me. I wish they'd either just released FES or blended the two together in some way if that were possible or both. If I could only have one version, this isn't it.
Not getting FES content hurts but I'd personally give that away for control of the party. Being able to control all the characters in battle is just straight up a lot more fun.
I will probably get it when it goes on sale. In total I beat Persona 4 original, Persona 5 twice and P5R as well. I did play parts of P3P and P3FES but as you said there are too many long stretches of nothing where you skip all the days by advancing social links (that dont feel as fun as P4 or P5). I want to finish this game too, but I think I would rather wait until I beat P4G on the switch.
It's unfortunate we don't have a definitive version of P3 yet. But it's still a good version of the game. I like P3, but my biggest problem with all versions of P3 is the pacing of the game. I agree with the reviewer there. Some parts of the game drag. It's rougher and more uneven compared to previous games, but it's definitely worth picking up if you enjoyed P4 and P5 and want more.
My thought - I have finished P4G severak tunes on multiple difficulties (also NG+, Very Hard, Kaguya only, but I did this run for trophies only, unfrotuntally even after 3-4 playthroughs I am still missing 1-2 lines from Rise, so this is the platinum I am missing on my PS Vita) and I loved it. Than I played P3P which I finished as well. My last entry is P5 Royal (canot remember my progress on PS5, on switch I have conqured recently first castle) and tbh... I would recommend tthe same as in this video - P4G as a first entry, than P5 Royal. As for P3P, the fact that this video plus some other showed me how much did I forgot about the game - I am probably not going to replay this game on Switch (really a shame that they did not use the PS2 version).
while i started with p3p i prefer fes and highly recommend just playing that on the aethersx emulator on your phone, p3p actually feels more inline with persona 1 and 2 which were very visual novel esc aswell
I'm in agreement. They had the opportunity to literally release FES with the added content of P3P (fem char, control all party members). Missed chance. Hope the P3 remake rumours are true.
It’s unfortunate that P3P is currently the most accessible version of P3. While I have been greatly encouraged to play FES before Portable, that’s not very doable, except through an emulator which I don’t want to do personally, and others may not be able to do regardless. So if you went to experience P3 at all, it’s kinda like Portable is your take it or leave it. It’s unfortunate, but at least it’s reassuring to hear the story will be the same regardless.
I agree with a lot of folks-this version would've been a no-brainer purchase had Atlus opted to remake P3P to include more of the FES experience. That being said, though, given the choice between FES's 3D assets and movies versus P3P's new main character and full party control in combat, I'd take the P3P experience each and every time just for full party combat alone. Rarely have I been angrier at a game than I was playing FES back in the day-my AI party members made some of the absolute worst choices one could ever make during combat, and there was nothing I could do about it at the time. Since I already own this game on PSP/Vita, I'm not sure if I'm going to wind up double-dipping with this version on Switch-at least not at full price. Now, if there were a physical version, the prospect of buying this again would be a lot more enticing...
I didn’t know what was this series at all, until I was looking for an rpg game to play when the psp was out, I remember I asked the GameStop employee what she recommends n she told me this game came out today I highly recommend it n the whole series, she showed me persona 3 portable I took a shot at it n I could not put it down after I beat that game I became a big fan n looked for the rest of the games. Everyone was an epic play through. I love persona 4 n 5 but p3p was my first persona game n it’s my favorite one out of all of them.
The original p3p version is worth over 100 dollars on psp which is actually more than fes version on ps2, even if fes is better than psp version. This release is the better value in comparison
I haven't really played a Persona game before as from a little P4G and find it confusing where to start. On one hand, playing from 3 working forward makes you appreciate how each game improved. On the other hand, playing 4G or 5R it's more accessible and palatable compared to P3P. Going with the other 2 titles might make you love the series so much that you can look past the flaws of 3 but could also turn you off if so used to the more refined titles. I know there's no official order but interesting how the evolution changed to the point that there's constant debate which to start.
Just play whichever one appeals you to more. You don’t need to play it in chronological order since each entry is different and with Persona, that’s a lot of hours of investment you’re gonna have to put in for one game. From my recommendation, P5R is an amazing game and that was my first JRPG also that made me fall in love with the genre. That’s not a bad start at all.
@@Spider-Complexion Yeah, like how Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy typically are, each entry in the Persona series is their own contained universe and story, no games in the series have direct ties to one another, like mainline Shin Megami Tensei games are. You can play any of those games in any order, and you won't be missing out on past story details, nor will you have spoilers of past games' plot by playing the later games
@@zigazav1 I mean pretty much all JRPGS are like that, especially the eldest ones. They can’t expect people to get on par with 15+ games starting since the NES days
Oh man, this was the game i was thinking of getting because it's the one i haven't played yet. But now, I'm kind of on the fence since I don't like visual novels. And i looked up p3 fes, and i think i have to agree, they should've released the fes version, or if not, atlus should have merged the 2 together
Someone’s probably commented this already but apparently atlus lost like half the code for p3 and fes so they used portable since it was easier to transfer over
I liked it more on the PSP/Vita because of the audio compression and background in the ports, but if you have not played Persona 3 before and don't own a PSP or a Vita it's a good way of experiencing the game. (Atlus should def put more effort into these ports though).
Even with the cuts from Persona 3 PES, this game is still great. The original PS2 release for me would be a 9/10, so I would be ok giving this an 8/10. That being said, I also wish they'd release a version with the PES content and all subsequent improvements/additions. It's actually baffling that they didn't do this to begin with.
Look the reason I prefer P3P over Fes is gameplay alone. The fact my dumbass party members can't be controlled and have to hope the ai does something good just reminds me of Donald from KH2 and him just not doing the right actions.
@@TimurSokol yes! I wish they did the remake of FES where you can play as female protagonist and control your party. it would basically be a new game, but it would be awesome.
hello I’m interested in playing persona 3 and am thinking of getting P3P. I have heard that the modded FES is the better experience but am not good with computers at all and trying to emulate FES with the mods seems too complicated for me. Is there any easy guide to do so? Or should I just go with P3P
Was my first persona game and I absolutely fell in love! Theo is my husbando 😍😍😍 Wish future titles allowed romancing the guys. Such a missed opportunity :(
I'm kind of intrigued by this franchise, though I haven't played a single one. The reviews are always nice but I feel like it'll be too overwhelming for me.
Start with P5 Royal. It seems daunting at first, I know, but the pieces fit together beautifully, so much so that for a while I considered P5 to be my favorite game of all time based purely on the addicting as _fuck_ gameplay loop of dungeons and life sim. It put me in a flow state that sucked hours of my day away in a flash like no other game has before, and yes, that is very much a compliment.
well each game is independent from one another so it's not really too much, plus persona3 probably has one of the best stories i've ever experienced from a jrpg, it's really good
Like any other RPG/JRPG, it’s a really long game so I think that’s a good heads up for what to expect. The story, the characters, combat, the unique style, and especially the music though is what sets Persona apart
I honestly felt the same way as you. I thought that it would be too overwhelming for me when I bought Persona 5 Royal back in November. But it honestly is executed gracefully. It's not overwhelming at all, the game doesn't throw everything at you and gives you enough options to achieve the same result you want. It's very fun too, funnily enough, to plan your days and see what you'll do that day. Just that... Yeah Persona 5 Royal is quite, quiiiite long. Maybe too much if I am honest.
P3P looks really rough and tough to go back to after P4G and P5R. P3P really does have that “gutted PSP port” presentation instead of an actual definitive edition that the other two games were.
lets face it, atlus just did a lazy port of P3, they shouldve combine the social links and girl protagonist for P3 Portable with the free exploration and cutscenes from Person 3 FES. they can do that, btu decided they dont want to. lol
Fans talk a lot of shit on the portable version of this game and honestly they are just wrong. It's a genuinely great version, and was my introduction to the series. I feel very little need to go back to the PS2 version just to walk around some drab looking PS2 environments
I'm curious if Atlus will make that P3 remake. Maybe if this port sells well then they'll consider it but it would be nice. To Hannah Montana Persona 3 with having the best of FES and Portable maybe lol
I only ever played (and finished) Persona 3 Portable on PSP. Loved it. Static backgrounds or not, I think a 7, to me personally, is a little harsh though the reviewer gave a good justification and I get it. Enough can't be said about the soundtrack though: absolutely awesome!
Bottom line: it's not fes there's no walking on the map, theres no after story and everything is watered down And the only good thing about it is the opening theme which is honestly sad since that all it has to brag for it. I don't care what anyone says, if you prefer persona 3 portable then you aren't a persona 3 kind of person. Most people who play portable probably new players anyway and don't get the original point of the game. I personally wish that fes came to the switch with updates
For me it's not worth it, true the game graphics are a lot better but there's just some... Nitpicking aspect to it like some crunchy sound when swapping persona which is different, they removed the wailing Shadow sound (the one where the shadow ran away from you). Despite the nitpicking aspect the custom difficulty setting is fun for challenges that's the good stuff. Other than that P3P is still worth to play the remaster though not so much as the gameplay and content are basically the same (well duh it's a remaster not a remake)
Sounds more like this is where you should start if you are just getting into the series. That way you don't feel the disappointment off what later games do better.
Atlus fumbled the bag by not giving the fans the definitive version of Persona 3 (P3P + FES). Hopefully there's a complete remake somewhere down the line.
@hanging_with_my_normies916 yeah. It does. That's why I specifically mentioned the modern Persona series. Most gamers will be thrown off that 1&2 were traditional JRPGs without the dating sim/social aspects
@@nahte123456 No not at all there is so much cut stuff that your really missing out on the best way to play the game. If anything i wish they released FES and had the girl route as dlc or something but hey at least we got golden in its full form.
@@frankshin401 what cut content? The Answer that no one ever seemed to like? Yeah, it's cool but also if they aren't going to completely remake it than it sucks. It's constant battling with no SLs, story only in the back bit, and most people have to grind to get through it.
@@kindahangingoutwaiting1922 4 is slow. It has better character development but it's slogged down by a lot of boring sections that are unnecessary to the overall plot. The games are all good but saying 3 is skippable when it easily has the best overall story of the 3 is laughable. That's what I take issue with. 4's AI is bullshit too and portable has the stupid AI from it too.
I love this, just wish it would have been P3FES instead of portable, I miss running around on the map instead of clicking location for events, still.... great game!
I’ve watch the full FES play through. So I’ve seen all of what’s missing here. Sad that it’s not here yes. But I am finding the picture book style a neat little way to play. That blue cursor is just so off putting though… Sadly, if Atlus doesn’t see the sales they may not think about giving us that rumored remake. That is if that’s even a real thing…
I’m not getting this because they didn’t use FES. The visual novel approach just doesn’t work for me, I’ve tried a few times to get into this game but it’s just not enough
Never played any of the Persona game and I'm interested to get this up through 5. Help rank best to worst in terms of storyline, gameplay, and how much the playtimes are Many thanks
These games are extremely long, you don't want to commit to playing them in order. Maybe try 4 first since it's $20 and considered by many to be the best.
I would just go straight in with P5 Royal as it’s a good balance of everything. If you want to spend less money, get a slightly shorter experience and don’t care about graphics, I agree that P4 Golden is a good choice. The gameplay quality is pretty much in number order with 1 being worst and 5 being best, and 3-5 is basically the same formula improved upon each time (P3P being an odd one out with its visual novel style that’s different from the original, so personally would not recommend playing that first). Characters and story in 3-5 are all good enough that I wouldn’t comment on that. I have to say P2 is the best story, but the gameplay is archaic and different to the newer games, and the games are limited to older consoles.
The cure to the stop-and-go storytelling is to play the female MC. It's a huge misstep that the male MC wasn't given social links with his male party members, and his links with his female party members always end up explicitly romantic. By having social links with every party member, the female MC can continue to have story development with the core cast between the game's major story beats. It also helps to make that core cast feel like they have something in common other than being in the same student club. It turns them from co-workers into friends.
Do you recommend playing as female for the first time players? I also feel that female route has better music from what I've heard
FeMC has her own problems with her social links which I won't go into here because of spoilers.
@@SonicTheCutehogso who is better to play then?
@@AtomicWhiskers There really isn't a "better" one. It's mostly preference.
The FemMC is slightly more upbeat and allows you to save characters that otherwise couldnt be saved, whole the M!MC hits the point of the story home harder.
Both are fine, so really it's a matter of if you want to play as a male or female.
@@AtomicWhiskers For the first time, go with the male MC. His route makes the story hit harder and the game recommends the female MC for those who are familiar with the game, but want a different experience.
I feel like the problem with Persona 3 is that unlike Persona 4 and 5, there is no one definitive Persona 3 that has everything. Persona 3 Portable gives you the female protagonist, controllable party members, and more social links in that story, but you lose out on every cutscene and exploring anything that isn't Tarturus. Persona 3 FES gives you the epilogue story, actual cutscenes, and explorable areas that isn't Tarturus, but you have basically no social links with your male party members and no controllable party members.
Yeah this was such a missed opportunity, they could've done a definitive edition combining Persona 3/FES/Portable. But instead did an half assed port, they know that their franchise is big and it will sell well no matter what they do.
@@FABIOZITO11 so in this case, either get the game at a good discount or skip it? I’m new to Persona. Was told 3-4-5 are in the same universe so I thought it might be best to start P3P? Maybe I should just play 4 …
@@ShMartinJo I don't like the third one because I started with 4 and playing the third after was such a downgrade, every version of persona 3 has something missing that is essential, that's why they should merge every version in to one game.
I would give the third a try but don't spend money on it,just emulate it on pc, but if you want to buy one start with 4. They are all in the same universe but the stories are unrelated.
@@FABIOZITO11 fes sounds like the best. What are social links?
@@ivanvargas2425 social links are social links, just like 4 and 5
The story and soundtrack alone make this game worth the playthrough. Burn My Dread played on a loop in my mind for months after finishing it on my P3FES playthrough.
No tucking doubt
Burn my Dread is amazing! Honestly my favorite tracks from P3 are P3FES's intro (which for obvious reasons isnt included in P3P) and Changing Seasons. Changing Seasons is such a bop it's insane
P3P is a pretty decent starting point for P3 first-timers. It was my entry point to P3, and it had the same emotional impact as the original would've. Most emotional moments are not in the animated cutscenes, anyway. They happen in-game.
which is why P3P isn't really an ideal way to play it the first time.
The animated cutscenes and 3D scenes hit way harder than a visual novel telling you what's happening
@@Windermed they do hit harder. But in 2022 not being able to control your party members really is a deal breaker. Though i dont mind. Plus there is little stuff like not being able to reject any female social links and no social links between male party members really take a bit out of it. It makes your male party member seem less alive (though still great) while the female one seem like pick your fantasy girl.
@@Partiotofgaming Persona 3 is easy enough that aside from a handful of bosses you shouldn't have much trouble even without full party control. Losing the 3d world kills the game's mood, especially towards the end. I would honestly have rather had vanilla P3 if FES was a no go.
@@Windermed some of the most hard hitting stories are visual novels so idk if that’s the best argument. I get it may be a turn off for some people tho
@@statesminds that's different though.
I like visual novels myself and i have played alot before. It's just that i dislike the way P3P handled it because it's clear that the story presentation fits better in a 3D formula than a visual novel. (Not to mention P3P butchered the impact of the original opening where the protag goes to the dorm for the first time unlike FES)
This game was so worth it for the OLED Switch. The games style and all it’s colors, are very much perfect for the system also since it’s portable with the switch.
Dude I was blown away with P4G's intro on the oled. Can't wait to play 4 again and 3 for the first time!
P3P is on the vita, it's not too bad in OLED.
Fr persona 4 looks so good on the oled switch
I sold my old V1 model for an oled yesterday exactly for this game and I have to say it was indeed a great investment. Those pitch black scenes and bright colors really make this game pop out like no others on the console.
Man, look at all that *cope*
I played persona 3 fes on ps2 for first time in 2017 and it changed my life forever and the characters and music to this day are stuck in my mind and I’m excited to go back to portable version on ps5 or switch.. persona 3 is my favorite persona game over all, soundtrack and atmosphere is amazing and I love how they still perform the music at concerts in Japan after all these years
I definitely am still going to pick this up but I understand that this version isn’t like the other Persona games. I’m a bit disappointed in Atlus for not making a definitive version for such an overlooked game in their franchise. I adored how P3 was so much more darker in tone and was one of the reasons I really enjoyed FES. I’d still suggest this game to people who have played 4 and 5, but with the warning of adjusting their expectations to a visual novel-esque gameplay than 3d.
Thanks for the review Zion and Mitch. Y’all did a great job!
I’m kind of liking the visual novel vibe of the game surprisingly. 😭 I am halfway through Golden and 5 Royal but I want to finish this one first now.
As a Persona 1 and 2 fan, I hope they remake those games soon
As someone who never played any Personas, this will be a good first step then? Sad shame to hear that this isn’t the true definitive version after so many years.
I actually like it. Granted, I played Portable before FES, so that may be why. I'll admit that FES has a cinematic quality that is superior. But also, when I think of how I play P5... Like I don't manual travel, I hit that fast travel menu every time I can. And yea you walk around neighborhoods but that's hardly my favorite aspect. I kinda liked it in 4 but in 5 some of the city streets get kinda samey, and I don't like the whole subway and mall areas. I'd gladly take a menu select to get to houses and shops lol.
Also, visual novel style convos are normal for the series. What Portable loses the most IMO is that there's a lot of personality in the 3D models AROUND those VN style convos, with characters moving and emoting.
I will keep hoping and waiting for a full remake then. I never finished P3P and would love to revisit it but I think I'm going to prioritize new-to-me games over replaying the same port.
same. I also hoped that it'll be a proper remake
Honestly there's a bunch of SMT games that need a remake including P1 and P2
Well boy do I have news for you
Your prayer answered!
Picked up 3 and 4 immediately upon release. I LOVE both games!!!
This is my favorite Persona game. I wish we got a definitive edition with FES and Portable content combined but this a great game. Only wish you could see the cutscenes for stuff. I don’t mind not being able to run around town though.
haha you got the wrong version
That would have been cool. Butmthen the game would have been at least twice the price probably, because they actually had to do something instead of just porting it 🤔
@@Seydrey if they actually put in work and combined the best of both versions it would be worth paying more. Im sure me and many others wouldnt care. This lazy. This game if it had a physical and had that content id pay $70 for
@@knuclear200x what
Kinda glad I had the chance to play these in order of release date. The progression from p3 to 4 then 5 felt nice you can see just how much improvement and innovation was going into the mechanics and story telling. Going from 5 or even 4 back to p3p is incredibly jarring probably more so because you're going into it knowing that it isn't the definitive version that it could have been. I still have a psp go and a Vita so I'll just keep playing p3p on those systems and wait for her day that it finally gets remade.
I played persona 5 Royal first, loved it so went back and played Persona 4. Loved it almost as much. Then I went back and played persona 3 FES. A great game for sure despite its flaws, it just aged more poorly than the other ones but that’s understandable. P3 arguably has the best “vibe” of all of them. I loved the darker tone. I will say though, I think SMT blows any persona game out of the water though except for 5.
@@countryboyred persona 3 definitely has elements that still made it feel like a SMT game. FES is still my go to.
@@dairykingofthemidwest4544 same. I’m playing through FES again right now actually
My first persona was p5. I just finished p4g and picked this up. Jarring isn't exactly the word I'd use. I can simply tell it's an earlier game, and it's fine. Though, I'm also an older person that started gaming with NES so these "older" (though truly not old) games are still great in my mind. All perspectives I guess. Could be better with newer conveniences, sure, but it's still great.
I should have said that p3 is still my favorite persona. I'm still disappointed that we don't have a definitive version of 3. I recently restarted P3P on my pspgo after I found it in my bin of electronics.
Not being able to control your party members in FES isn't really a big issue, I played it on PS3 and the gameplay is simple enough that assigning a combat role will just automate whatever you would do anyways (like Yukari on heal, Jumpei on physical attacks & you doing the magic damage). The team mostly plays smart, like Yukari prioritizes keeping your health up (it's game over if the MC dies) and everyone exploits elemental weakness if they can. It's not perfect, but I never felt like I was struggling because they weren't using their skills efficiently.
Feels like a missed opportunity to miss out on injecting the anime cutscenes of the PS2 port, and adding Fez, to really make this the definitive edition
My guess is that the PSP version was the cleanest codebase to work with. If it sells well, they will probably try to release the content from the other versions as DLC, or they might do a high resolution remaster using the cleaned up code here as a reference to map into the P5 engine.
You Nailed It!!
This video brings up a good point, I wish Atlus put some more effort into p3p even if it meant a delay or a higher price point. This'll be my first time playing this one specifically(I played p4g, p5 and p5r) so I am excited regardless but yeah it should have had more love put into it.
It mainly comes down to sales. P3P sold far better than P3/P3FES. Also, combining the two games would be too much work as the P3P team had to recreate quite a lot of assets from P3/P3FES to work with the smaller file sizes of the PSP. It would mean recreating assets all over again. They may as well just go down the full remake route rather than doing that. In the meantime, releasing P3P is the best option at this point in time.
I agree, and plus, a female character is basically a second game in one game, too. Plus the quality of life features, too.
Tbf atlus also said they have several games to be announced this season so we may full we get a remake of fes for sure
If it’s about sales then P4G still sold better then P3P. P4G was an actual definitive edition unlike P3P.
@austinmull8515 I mean, a leak did come out that persona 3 was getting a remake, but I'll take that with a grain of salt
@John Doe Yes but P4G was made for the PSVITA which meant they had bigger file sizes to work with/more powerful hardware and so didn't have to squish it all down/lower the polygon count for models. It's a different situation altogether.
The best review I've seen on this game! I'm new to the series and loving P5R but have heard fans advocate for P3 or P4 as their favorite. You gave context to this and answered for me which one I'll be playing next. Awesome job!
Persona 4 is still the best one
@@maccamachine fax
@@maccamachine nah. 3
It’s the moody dark themes these had that 5 is missing. Great games, can’t wait to replay them with my daughter now.
I would honestly buy the P4G port as you really can’t go wrong with it. Much closer to P5R in terms of quality. Then emulate P3FES or P3P with one of the fanmade hd texture packs. Those are what we deserved for ports
I agree with this review with pretty much everything even I'm kind of disappointed that they didn't merge both of the persona 3 because all they would have to do is add all the improvement and extra additions to The Fez and it would have made it the best version of the game to be perfectly honest if if they did that my own personal opinion of the game would have been either a 9 out of 10 or 10/10 I just don't think they did this game Justice
I remember playing this on my PSP GO back in 2012 in 9th grade. This is what made me like the persona games now i can relive it on my switch and i love that.
It's very clear they didn't make any changes to the actual game design code for this one. Just swapping out art assets with higher quality versions and increasing the resolution of the 3D rendering is significantly easier than dismantling PS2 FES code and shoving parts into P3P.
P3P is great if you love to live in a perpetual Halloween-like state.
This was always advertised to be a port and then surprised when it’s a port. The idea that a Frankenstein game could just be made is unrealistic from a financial standpoint. With the price of the physical P3P being insanely expensive, I’m just happy people who haven’t played it, now get the chance to without having to emulate it. Here’s hoping for an Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment port.
Probably the reason why atlas didn't combine elements of the game is probably of the code of the game on top of that, they probably had to add scenes, dialogue, and interactions that they either don't have the original code or they don't use the software for it since persona 5 was in a whole different engine comparing to its predecessors. I feel that the question here shouldn't be "why didn't they add xyz?" But "why didn't make a remake rather than a remaster?" That way, they can add elements people are comfortable from persona 4 and 5
As someone who purely loved yugioh gx spirit caller that plays just like this. I always liked this style of art work and menu options. Its a harder style gameplay because of the lack of being able to choose your skills the fusion for sure
Well, not being able to choose your skills in fusion is not entirely accurate; it just involves going into the fusion preview and backing out into the Persona selection menu until you get the desired result which can be time consuming due to the RNG. Triad fusions just require selecting and deselecting the second Persona in the fusion combo.
@@zgoaty9235 So, basically what I tried to do with Persona 5 Royal: backing in and out of the fusion menu for making sure I have the desired outcomes, even though it doesn't really matter there. It does matter in Persona 3 Portable though as you said
I already own P3P on my PSP so I'll probably just get the stream version. Once a mod comes out to allow you to select what skills you want your personas will inherent. It's was tedious to go in and back out of the fusion menu hoping the the RNG would roll you some good skills.
Also it's rumored that Altus will be remaking P3. So it would make sense that they released P3P, so they could more easily double dip with P3 buyers
I have P3P on PSP already as well, but I lost the charger and battery pack of my PSP (don't ask how I lost the battery pack of my PSP, it fell out of it somewhere, and I have no clue where), so I can't really play it anymore. Getting this on Switch may be my second chance to actually finish the game, as I got stuck in Tartarus due to cheap one hit kill moves from Shadows blocking my way forward. Cheap one hit kill AoE moves to be exact.
I have P3P on vita but yea I’m in the same mindset, I’d rather get it on PC for cool mods
The insider claiming that P3 is being remade has an excellent track record. I'm honestly believing it. And it makes sense not to combine p3p with FES elements here for two reasons. It'd be more work, and it'd cannibalize sales of the remake to some degree. That's not to say the remake will come out any time soon, but if people invested into this current game, assuming they gave us the hybrid we wanted, there are some who might not wanna double dip
@Jacob Otero That and portable has some pretty distinctive differences from other installments in the persona series. Really hope should a FES remake exist it gets some modern touches (some skill choice on inheritance during fusion would be a serious nice touch). Party member control was a cheat albeit the game would have to be designed with it during development (more involved).
I got P3P and Fes on their respective console. But I completely forgotten how strip down P3P was. Wasted 20 bucks. Might as well bust out my PS2 and just play on my Fes for the nostalgia since it more superior to P3P.
I can never get tired of P3, I've seriously never gotten tired of replaying it over and over again!
I think I’d play it and watch the cut scenes along side it, I’m sure there on UA-cam and you can probably find a breakdown somewhere. Maybe after I finish Golden.
I have been a fan since discovering Persona 5 and have been waiting to play this! However, I think I’ll wait for the rumored remastered edition lol
Hopefully they held this one back so they can do a full remake with all the features together
I think if this one sells well enough they might do a proper remake for the next gen. If this flops I doubt they will want to spend that money
i think thats what happened. see that rumor a lot so it'd make sense.
Boy do I have news for you.
@jingx3336 absolutely, even dlc. Good stuff
This was my first Persona game, specifically, this version of Persona 3, because the only Sony-made console I ever owned was the PSP, not even the Vita, one of the models of the original PSP. Let me give you some insight what changes in Persona 3 Portable if you play as a girl instead: Your starting Persona takes upon abit of a different look than the one of the male protagonist. Some minor story details are different, like how Junpei acts towards you on the beach, basically saying you look great with that swimsuit. You get most of your Social Links from different people than the male protag. The female protag I believe can wear the feminine-focused costumes that if you play as a guy, obviously cannot equip, to avoid crossdressing trouble. Those are the differences by choosing the female protag instead that immediately comes to my mind. There may be more, but I haven't touched this game in forever, and never ended up finishing it, so I may have not told EVERY difference between the male and female protags.
Honestly, I welcome the "visual novel"-styled navigation. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I got lost in 5 Royal because I could not remember where everything leads to. People say that the protag doesn't get clarification that shooting themself with the Evoker is safe for them, in the Portable version of Persona 3, where a previous version did by someone teaching them in a way, but I faintly remember that when I played as the female protag, she got a flashback to that scene, although it's not a complete flashback to that scene, it instead shows her hesitation to use the Evoker from my understanding, but that does show she did have that moment. I never played as the male protag of this game though, so I cannot say for him. Though, my mind has been known to forge false memories at times, so I could be wrong about that scene from the Portable version. I still need to buy this game on Switch.
And thankfully, ATLUS doesn't have the nerve to bump the price up to full retail with only minor changes, unlike Nintendo has done with some of their "deluxe" versions of games that released on previous hardware. I love Nintendo, but I'm not blind that they've made some questionable and sometimes greedy, decisions in the past. Honestly, we may have Persona 3 Portable to thank that later Persona series games allows you to control your party members. btw, many people seem to forget/not know this fact about Persona: It's a spinoff series of games, not mainline games. Shin Megami Tensei are the mainline games in the series, where many demons you recruit in there, are alternate Personas for the protags of Persona to obtain. The "Skill Card" mechanic that kinda acts like in function to Pokemon's "Technical Machines" or TMs for short, in the way that the Skill Cards allows you to teach a skill to a Persona, I believe also originated from Persona 3 Portable. Mainline Shin Megami Tensei games might've had it before then, but I don't know, despite my love for Shin Megami Tensei, my knowledge of it in general as a franchise, is limited
I freaking LOVED this game on PSP. Put a lot of hours into it and now I may have to do it alllll over again
I liked the sneaky Persona 3 Easter Egg you worked in here where your S's sound exactly like Mitsuru's S's in game. Lol
P3P was my first Persona game, I liked it enough, so I'll most likely grab the remaster for nostalgia sake plus I never did play as the Female MC, so I wonder how different the changes will end up being.
I'm glad he spoke about the monotonous floor design, I love all persona games. But P5 really wins the titles for me due to how interesting the dungeons are compared to rest of the series.
To be fair though, they're learning as each sequel comes out so of course P5 dungeons are the best design wise. It makes sense that the dungeons in P3 were dull since it was their first try on a new direction for the game. Persona 6 will more than likely have even better dungeon design than 5 as well as fix some of the short comings.
@@soulreaperx7x yeah I do agree, I really hope p6 is great, its alot to live up to.
@@riyuphoenix4533lol persona 6 is just persona 3 remake so same shit dungeon
My take on this PSP port coming to switch is this:
If you own Persona Q, or Persona Q2 getting access to the play the lesser portable version of Persona 3 is far more ideal then having to deal with a partly spoiler character guide and summery of the characters in the franchises to understand and enjoy those EO style dungeon crawler RPG's.
I own a PSP and have played this version... a little, something like 15 years ago. In fact I own P2 Innocent Sin, P2 Eternal Punishment, P3P, P4G and P5R. And haven't been able to really get into them and enjoy them.
I don't know if it's my learned RPG OCD of fully exploring a dungeon floor before moving on, but P3P punishes the player for taking too long in Tartaours when you first start. Leading to a chain reaction of waisted game time. Which in turn weakens the player if done more than twice in a row, and makes you miss out on some events.
Maybe now that I have 15 more years of experience playing other games, I will be able to better enjoy this game series... But I keep on buying them and then putting off starting them and just leaving them in my back log.
I like most of the SMT games I have tried out. 4, Strange Journey, and 5.
my brother introduced me to the persona games and i played this game when it got ported onto current gen and this game changed my perspective on life and i will never forget the experience i had with this game and i’ll never forget how depressed this game made me after i beat it i appreciate my brother for getting me into these games
They cut way too much stuff from FES that made it great. The loss of the anime cut scenes, 3d explorable spaces diminish the game a lot for me. I wish they'd either just released FES or blended the two together in some way if that were possible or both. If I could only have one version, this isn't it.
I like visual novels, and was into RPGs, so my brother recommended P3P to me, and I really enjoyed it! It will be fun to play it again.
Not getting FES content hurts but I'd personally give that away for control of the party. Being able to control all the characters in battle is just straight up a lot more fun.
How does no one look at the bad upscale and not think to fix it
When I got portable on vita no one was talking about the static image thing and it was such a bummer.
because it's really not a big deal lol
@@jesusarmandoholguinsaenz7171 Not for you
I still feel like they should've done P3 FES, but hey I never got to play this on PSP so I finally get to jam out FEMC's theme!
I will probably get it when it goes on sale. In total I beat Persona 4 original, Persona 5 twice and P5R as well. I did play parts of P3P and P3FES but as you said there are too many long stretches of nothing where you skip all the days by advancing social links (that dont feel as fun as P4 or P5). I want to finish this game too, but I think I would rather wait until I beat P4G on the switch.
It's unfortunate we don't have a definitive version of P3 yet. But it's still a good version of the game.
I like P3, but my biggest problem with all versions of P3 is the pacing of the game. I agree with the reviewer there. Some parts of the game drag. It's rougher and more uneven compared to previous games, but it's definitely worth picking up if you enjoyed P4 and P5 and want more.
My thought - I have finished P4G severak tunes on multiple difficulties (also NG+, Very Hard, Kaguya only, but I did this run for trophies only, unfrotuntally even after 3-4 playthroughs I am still missing 1-2 lines from Rise, so this is the platinum I am missing on my PS Vita) and I loved it. Than I played P3P which I finished as well. My last entry is P5 Royal (canot remember my progress on PS5, on switch I have conqured recently first castle) and tbh... I would recommend tthe same as in this video - P4G as a first entry, than P5 Royal. As for P3P, the fact that this video plus some other showed me how much did I forgot about the game - I am probably not going to replay this game on Switch (really a shame that they did not use the PS2 version).
Picking it up when I finish FE Engage weeks later. I wish there was a physical release
while i started with p3p i prefer fes and highly recommend just playing that on the aethersx emulator on your phone, p3p actually feels more inline with persona 1 and 2 which were very visual novel esc aswell
I'm in agreement. They had the opportunity to literally release FES with the added content of P3P (fem char, control all party members). Missed chance. Hope the P3 remake rumours are true.
It’s unfortunate that P3P is currently the most accessible version of P3. While I have been greatly encouraged to play FES before Portable, that’s not very doable, except through an emulator which I don’t want to do personally, and others may not be able to do regardless. So if you went to experience P3 at all, it’s kinda like Portable is your take it or leave it. It’s unfortunate, but at least it’s reassuring to hear the story will be the same regardless.
This will be my first Persona, wish me luck!
I enjoyed fes, walking all over the place getting lost in school, the music and the mmo thingy on the laptop :)
I agree with a lot of folks-this version would've been a no-brainer purchase had Atlus opted to remake P3P to include more of the FES experience. That being said, though, given the choice between FES's 3D assets and movies versus P3P's new main character and full party control in combat, I'd take the P3P experience each and every time just for full party combat alone. Rarely have I been angrier at a game than I was playing FES back in the day-my AI party members made some of the absolute worst choices one could ever make during combat, and there was nothing I could do about it at the time.
Since I already own this game on PSP/Vita, I'm not sure if I'm going to wind up double-dipping with this version on Switch-at least not at full price. Now, if there were a physical version, the prospect of buying this again would be a lot more enticing...
I brought this yesterday and this explains a lot of weird stuff I've found in the game, namely why everything felt so stiff.
I didn’t know what was this series at all, until I was looking for an rpg game to play when the psp was out, I remember I asked the GameStop employee what she recommends n she told me this game came out today I highly recommend it n the whole series, she showed me persona 3 portable I took a shot at it n I could not put it down after I beat that game I became a big fan n looked for the rest of the games. Everyone was an epic play through. I love persona 4 n 5 but p3p was my first persona game n it’s my favorite one out of all of them.
The original p3p version is worth over 100 dollars on psp which is actually more than fes version on ps2, even if fes is better than psp version. This release is the better value in comparison
I haven't really played a Persona game before as from a little P4G and find it confusing where to start. On one hand, playing from 3 working forward makes you appreciate how each game improved. On the other hand, playing 4G or 5R it's more accessible and palatable compared to P3P. Going with the other 2 titles might make you love the series so much that you can look past the flaws of 3 but could also turn you off if so used to the more refined titles. I know there's no official order but interesting how the evolution changed to the point that there's constant debate which to start.
Just play whichever one appeals you to more.
You don’t need to play it in chronological order since each entry is different and with Persona, that’s a lot of hours of investment you’re gonna have to put in for one game.
From my recommendation, P5R is an amazing game and that was my first JRPG also that made me fall in love with the genre. That’s not a bad start at all.
@@Spider-Complexion Yeah, like how Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy typically are, each entry in the Persona series is their own contained universe and story, no games in the series have direct ties to one another, like mainline Shin Megami Tensei games are. You can play any of those games in any order, and you won't be missing out on past story details, nor will you have spoilers of past games' plot by playing the later games
@@zigazav1 I mean pretty much all JRPGS are like that, especially the eldest ones. They can’t expect people to get on par with 15+ games starting since the NES days
I never played P3P but I plan on getting the bundle.
Oh man, this was the game i was thinking of getting because it's the one i haven't played yet. But now, I'm kind of on the fence since I don't like visual novels. And i looked up p3 fes, and i think i have to agree, they should've released the fes version, or if not, atlus should have merged the 2 together
Someone’s probably commented this already but apparently atlus lost like half the code for p3 and fes so they used portable since it was easier to transfer over
not havin FES is bummer but its a conclusion that may interest alot especially when you also follow Persona 4 Arena
I’m glad I get to play Persona 3 again but I do miss playing FES! Also I remember FES had an extra story to go through aswel.
Great honest and informative review. Most disappointed with the lack of full anime cutscenes. But gameplay wise should be a fun time.
I liked it more on the PSP/Vita because of the audio compression and background in the ports, but if you have not played Persona 3 before and don't own a PSP or a Vita it's a good way of experiencing the game. (Atlus should def put more effort into these ports though).
Got this blind after growing up with it on PS2 and was seriously disappointed. So much was cut out.
Even with the cuts from Persona 3 PES, this game is still great. The original PS2 release for me would be a 9/10, so I would be ok giving this an 8/10. That being said, I also wish they'd release a version with the PES content and all subsequent improvements/additions. It's actually baffling that they didn't do this to begin with.
Look the reason I prefer P3P over Fes is gameplay alone. The fact my dumbass party members can't be controlled and have to hope the ai does something good just reminds me of Donald from KH2 and him just not doing the right actions.
The problem with p3 fes was the code it was so messy of a code that it was to dificult to port the game with out any problems
To anyone interested I highly recommend playing a modded version of p3 fes in an emulator like arthersx2. To me, it’s the best way.
Dude arthersx2 is dead. PCSX2 is the emulator everyone use these days
@@TimurSokol I don't care what emulator you use, basically all I'm saying is play a modded version of p3fes. I think it is better than p3p
@@jostafro4967 Yeah I agree, P3P should be played after the original or FES and it's a shame that ATLUS didn't make a remake
@@TimurSokol yes! I wish they did the remake of FES where you can play as female protagonist and control your party. it would basically be a new game, but it would be awesome.
hello I’m interested in playing persona 3 and am thinking of getting P3P. I have heard that the modded FES is the better experience but am not good with computers at all and trying to emulate FES with the mods seems too complicated for me. Is there any easy guide to do so? Or should I just go with P3P
Was my first persona game and I absolutely fell in love! Theo is my husbando 😍😍😍 Wish future titles allowed romancing the guys. Such a missed opportunity :(
I was disappointed that Atlus didn't take advantage of the long wait between P5R in PS and Switch to make Persona 5 Portable, with a female MC.
This is still my favorite cast of characters in the persona series.
As someone who wants to get into Persona, Is P3P’s Tartarus essentially KH Chain of Memories?
Thanks for this review, I had no idea about the downgrades made for the PSP! Sounds like maybe I should just stick with my PS2 copy...
This game is EVERYTHING ! It looks so good upscaled ! The female route is the best !!!
@Mu I’ll take it honestly lol I stan the female route.
If we got also persona 1 and 2,the switch well become a persona macchine
I mean I did want to read more this year so a visual novel doesn't seem too bad lmao
I'm kind of intrigued by this franchise, though I haven't played a single one. The reviews are always nice but I feel like it'll be too overwhelming for me.
Start with P5 Royal. It seems daunting at first, I know, but the pieces fit together beautifully, so much so that for a while I considered P5 to be my favorite game of all time based purely on the addicting as _fuck_ gameplay loop of dungeons and life sim. It put me in a flow state that sucked hours of my day away in a flash like no other game has before, and yes, that is very much a compliment.
well each game is independent from one another so it's not really too much, plus persona3 probably has one of the best stories i've ever experienced from a jrpg, it's really good
Like any other RPG/JRPG, it’s a really long game so I think that’s a good heads up for what to expect.
The story, the characters, combat, the unique style, and especially the music though is what sets Persona apart
I honestly felt the same way as you. I thought that it would be too overwhelming for me when I bought Persona 5 Royal back in November. But it honestly is executed gracefully. It's not overwhelming at all, the game doesn't throw everything at you and gives you enough options to achieve the same result you want. It's very fun too, funnily enough, to plan your days and see what you'll do that day. Just that... Yeah Persona 5 Royal is quite, quiiiite long. Maybe too much if I am honest.
Maybe they’ll remaster the Q games. I had fun with those but never finished 2 once I tracked down a switch in the wild.
P3P looks really rough and tough to go back to after P4G and P5R. P3P really does have that “gutted PSP port” presentation instead of an actual definitive edition that the other two games were.
Inversely P3P has the best story and characters, and I much prefer the gameplay.
Idk I like it so much lmao
lets face it, atlus just did a lazy port of P3, they shouldve combine the social links and girl protagonist for P3 Portable with the free exploration and cutscenes from Person 3 FES. they can do that, btu decided they dont want to. lol
Sooo happy that persona games are coming to the switch
Fans talk a lot of shit on the portable version of this game and honestly they are just wrong. It's a genuinely great version, and was my introduction to the series. I feel very little need to go back to the PS2 version just to walk around some drab looking PS2 environments
I'm curious if Atlus will make that P3 remake. Maybe if this port sells well then they'll consider it but it would be nice. To Hannah Montana Persona 3 with having the best of FES and Portable maybe lol
Hope the rumour of a remake is true because not releasing a FES versión with Mobile improvements is a shame, tho i wonder if modders can fix that 🤔
I only ever played (and finished) Persona 3 Portable on PSP. Loved it. Static backgrounds or not, I think a 7, to me personally, is a little harsh though the reviewer gave a good justification and I get it. Enough can't be said about the soundtrack though: absolutely awesome!
Bottom line: it's not fes there's no walking on the map, theres no after story and everything is watered down
And the only good thing about it is the opening theme which is honestly sad since that all it has to brag for it. I don't care what anyone says, if you prefer persona 3 portable then you aren't a persona 3 kind of person. Most people who play portable probably new players anyway and don't get the original point of the game. I personally wish that fes came to the switch with updates
For me it's not worth it, true the game graphics are a lot better but there's just some... Nitpicking aspect to it like some crunchy sound when swapping persona which is different, they removed the wailing Shadow sound (the one where the shadow ran away from you). Despite the nitpicking aspect the custom difficulty setting is fun for challenges that's the good stuff. Other than that P3P is still worth to play the remaster though not so much as the gameplay and content are basically the same (well duh it's a remaster not a remake)
I think it’s a fine port the game is fine. I really think they’re gonna give us a ground up remake of p3 that’s why they did it like this.
Hearing people call Persona 3, P3P or not “skippable” just… just nails on a chalkboard to my ears.
Sounds more like this is where you should start if you are just getting into the series. That way you don't feel the disappointment off what later games do better.
Atlus fumbled the bag by not giving the fans the definitive version of Persona 3 (P3P + FES). Hopefully there's a complete remake somewhere down the line.
I hope so. I haven't played through FES because I only finished P3 in P3P. 😭
TLDR for the modern Persona series:
3 has the best story
4 has the best characters
5 has the best gameplay
@hanging_with_my_normies916 yeah. It does. That's why I specifically mentioned the modern Persona series. Most gamers will be thrown off that 1&2 were traditional JRPGs without the dating sim/social aspects
This is what got me into Shin Megami Tensei. These games are so amazing!
It makes me so sad they just didn't release FES. Portable is a dollar store version of FES
Portable is better than FES in everyway though?
@@nahte123456 No not at all there is so much cut stuff that your really missing out on the best way to play the game. If anything i wish they released FES and had the girl route as dlc or something but hey at least we got golden in its full form.
@@frankshin401 what cut content? The Answer that no one ever seemed to like? Yeah, it's cool but also if they aren't going to completely remake it than it sucks. It's constant battling with no SLs, story only in the back bit, and most people have to grind to get through it.
This is not skippable though. 4 is. This is the game that started it Al and got most of it right out of the gate.
Lol you must be joking. 3 is very unpolished and 4 does pretty much every thing better.
@@kindahangingoutwaiting1922 4 is slow. It has better character development but it's slogged down by a lot of boring sections that are unnecessary to the overall plot. The games are all good but saying 3 is skippable when it easily has the best overall story of the 3 is laughable. That's what I take issue with. 4's AI is bullshit too and portable has the stupid AI from it too.
I love this, just wish it would have been P3FES instead of portable, I miss running around on the map instead of clicking location for events, still.... great game!
I’ve watch the full FES play through. So I’ve seen all of what’s missing here. Sad that it’s not here yes. But I am finding the picture book style a neat little way to play. That blue cursor is just so off putting though… Sadly, if Atlus doesn’t see the sales they may not think about giving us that rumored remake. That is if that’s even a real thing…
this month started and zion woke up with the Biggest pile of work dropped on his "the anime guy" desk
Kinda wish they did FES
I’m not getting this because they didn’t use FES. The visual novel approach just doesn’t work for me, I’ve tried a few times to get into this game but it’s just not enough
Never played any of the Persona game and I'm interested to get this up through 5.
Help rank best to worst in terms of storyline, gameplay, and how much the playtimes are
Many thanks
These games are extremely long, you don't want to commit to playing them in order. Maybe try 4 first since it's $20 and considered by many to be the best.
I would just go straight in with P5 Royal as it’s a good balance of everything. If you want to spend less money, get a slightly shorter experience and don’t care about graphics, I agree that P4 Golden is a good choice. The gameplay quality is pretty much in number order with 1 being worst and 5 being best, and 3-5 is basically the same formula improved upon each time (P3P being an odd one out with its visual novel style that’s different from the original, so personally would not recommend playing that first). Characters and story in 3-5 are all good enough that I wouldn’t comment on that. I have to say P2 is the best story, but the gameplay is archaic and different to the newer games, and the games are limited to older consoles.