Persona 3

Persona 3
Persona 3 JP Case Cover.
Developer(s)	Atlus Co.
Publisher(s)	Atlus Co.
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release	JPN July 13, 2006 NA Q2, 2007
Genre(s)	Role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single player

Persona 3 (ペルソナ３, Perusona 3) is the fourth game in the Persona series. (Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment being separate games) The game was developed and published by Atlus Co. for the PlayStation 2 console system. Persona 3 is currently in release in Japan, and will be released in North America in Summer 2007.

Gameplay

Persona 3 is a departure from its predecessors in that the story moves in a slow, day-to-day pace over the span of a year rather than jumping from event to event in typical console RPG fashion. Like in previous installments, the main character attends high school, but now school activities (studying, building a social life, etc.) are important to building up statistics, and half of the game is dedicated to participating in school activities; the other half involves fighting demons in Tartarus at night. This "day in the life" style of gameplay is similar to The Sims and especially Bully, or Japanese RPGs with dating sim elements, like Harvest Moon or Azure Dreams.

The battle system is a turn based-style interface called Once More, similar to the Press Turn battle system used in other recent Shin Megami Tensei games such as Digital Devil Saga. However, instead of rewarding the entire party for exploiting weaknesses, extra turns are given on an individual basis. There also appear to be special attacks that can be used when all enemies are knocked out from their weaknesses, such as where all characters rush at the enemies in a cartoon-style dust cloud. However, only the protagonist is controllable in battle, while the numerous allies that join your party are governed by AI, which the player can influence somewhat with preset "Tactics." At the beginning of the game, the player has a few basic Tactics to choose from, but more can be learned as one gets further into the game.

Main Characters

• Main Character

Persona: Orpheus, Thanatos

The player controls this character. He is a transfer student and is able to switch his persona, unlike the other characters. Like the protagonist in the first Persona game of the series, he is a silent protagonist: his 'voice' is dictated by the various decisions the player makes in response to other characters. This device theoretically "puts the player in the character's shoes" in order to feel a more intimate connection with the game. He is known in Japanese fandom as Shūjinkō (主人公, Shuujinkou). In manga version authored by Sōkabe Shūji, he is named Minato Arisato (有里 湊, Arisato Minato).

• Yukari Takeba (岳羽 ゆかり, Takeba Yukari)

Persona: Io, Isis

Lives in Main Character's dorm building. Very cheerful in general.

• Junpei Iori (伊織 順平, Iori Junpei)

Persona: Hermes, Trismegistos

Another student who was also recently transfered to Gekkoukan High School. His most notable features are his cheerful nature and his baseball cap.

• Mitsuru Kirijou (桐条 美鶴, Kirijou Mitsuru)

Persona: Penthesileia, Artemisia

The Student Council President and born into a wealthy business family. She is also the daughter of the man who founded Gekkoukan High School.

• Akihiko Sanada (真田 明彦, Sanada Akihiko)

Persona: Polydeucus, Caesar

The Captain of the Boxing Club, and is considered to be a lone wolf. He is somewhat uptight and does not get along with Junpei.

• Fuka Yamagishi (山岸 風花, Yamagishi Fuka)

Persona: Lucia, Juno

Supports the other character during combat via radio while exploring Tartarus, and does not fight.

• Aegis (アイギス, Aigisu)

Persona: Palladion, Athena

Humanoid (android) anti-shadow weapon, who also attends Gekkoukan High School.

• Ken Amada (天田 乾, Amada Ken)

Persona: Nemesis, Kala Nemi

The youngest out of the whole party, and attends elementary school.

• Koromaru (コロマル, Koromaru)

Persona: Cerberus

An albino dog who can use persona.

• Shinjirō Aragaki (荒垣 真次郎, Aragaki Shijirou)

Persona: Castor

A friend of Akihiko Sanada, he is another student who likes to cook.

Persona 3: Fes

Atlus announced that on April 19th an add-on disk for Persona 3 will be released called Persona 3: Fes (ペルソナ3フェス, Perusona 3 Huesu). There will also be a "Directors Cut" version, which includes both Persona 3 and Persona 3: Fes. "Fes" is said to come from the word "festival." Fes claims to add another 30 hours of gameplay to the Persona 3 game. It includes a chapter after you defeat the main boss, called the Aegis chapter. Unfortunately, the U.S. will not receive the FES Append disc as stated in a recent Atlus USA press release of the game.

Mysterious Character from Fes:

• Metis (メティス, Meteisu)

Persona: Psyche

Rumors said, she is Aegis' sister.

Media Releases

There has been several media releases for Persona 3. A soundtrack for the Japanese version has been released, while there the Persona 3 Fes Original Soundtrack is scheduled to be released on May 2007. An arranged album also scheduled to be released in 2007. All music are composed by Shoji Meguro.

Audio CD

• Persona 3 Original Soundtrack (SVWC-7380~81) (July 19, 2006)
• Persona 3 Drama CD Vol. 1 - Daylight (FCCT-0050) (March 21, 2007)
• Burn My Dread - Reincarnation: Persona 3 (SVWC-7460) (April 18, 2007)
• Persona 3 Drama CD: A Certain Day of Summer (LACA-5635} (April 25, 2007)
• Persona 3 Fes Original Soundtrack (SVWC-7464)(May 2, 2007)
• Persona 3 Drama CD Vol. 2 - Moonlight (FCCT-51) (May 25, 2007)

See also

• Persona
• Persona 2

External links

• Official Japanese Persona 3 and Persona 3: FES site
• Persona 3 Playtest
• Digital Devil Database: Info and media for Persona 3 and other related Megami Tensei games.
• RPG Fan - Persona 3: Fes