Persona 3 Reload PC Reviews: What Do Critics Say?

Atlus has finally released its long-anticipated Persona 3 Reload title, and today, we're here to summarize all the key tidbits you need to know about the game! A visual revamp of the original Persona 3 with some crucial gameplay and narrative upgrades, the game posits itself as the ultimate way to experience this story. Does it succeed, though? That's what we're going to answer today.

By default, Persona 3 Reload sits somewhere in the middle between your run-of-the-mill remaster, and a full-fledged remake. For those who might not've been interested in a regular upscale, that's great news. It does, however, imply some potentially big changes to the gameplay and story, and that's what we're very interested in here.

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What is Persona 3 Reload?

Before we begin, it's entirely possible that you're not quite sure what Persona 3 Reload is, exactly. If that's the case, we recommend our previous Persona 3 Reload explanation article! We go into considerable depth on what the game is, and what it is not right there, and we explain why even those who had already played the original should give the new game a shot as well.

With that out of the way, we've got just the thing for those who want the game and want to score a solid deal as well. Grab your copy of Persona 3 Reload for Steam via 2Game, then, and you'll get a sweet 11% early bird discount for a limited time only. Be sure to circle back to this link after you're done with review highlights!

Persona 3 Reload PC Reviews: A Full Summary

As always, our first consideration is whether the game is any good in the first place. To check that out, our first stop is always OpenCritic: a site that we heartily recommend for all of your game critique needs. Broadly, then, Persona 3 Reload has scored a 'Mighty' rating on OpenCritic, with an average aggregate score of 89/100 and a 100% recommendation rating. That's... stellar stuff right there. If you're not looking for any further mechanical and/or narrative spoilers, that's all you need to know.

If, however, you want to learn a tad more before spending your hard-earned money, it's time to look more closely. Let's get to the good stuff!

"...a more fully realized version of a beloved RPG." - IGN

As IGN's Michael Higham explains, Persona 3 Reload is a phenomenal franchise entry that very successfully revamps some of the original title's skeevier parts into a must-play experience. "Although still dated in some respects," says Higham, "quality of life improvements and new features refresh its exciting turn-based combat and add depth to its touching story moments."

Even though Persona 3's story is untouched in this re-release, key narrative beats are handled slightly differently to make them more palatable in the grand scheme of things. At the same time, all the important bits are present and accounted for, and some of the old version's worst aspects have been massively improved upon. Higham touches upon Tartarus, in particular: "Tartarus itself has been revamped to give it a sinister new vibe and a more distinct look for each block of floors. From Giger-like biomechanical labyrinths to shapeshifting industrial halls, Tartarus is at least more visually interesting than before, and the floors themselves are generally laid out less like tedious, sprawling mazes."

Higham concludes that "[Persona 3 Reload] is the kind of remake [he had] hoped for, and even after spending 70 hours to see it all the way to its conclusion, I still find it hard to believe it's real."

"...easier than ever to enjoy a truly special game about young people coming to terms with universal anxieties." - Eurogamer

Eurogamer's Kaan Serin had a similarly high opinion of Persona 3 Reload, with the game scoring 4 out of 5 stars on the site. "What still impresses me about Persona 3 is how thematically consistent it stays throughout its many, many side stories," he said. "Almost everyone, dog included, is touched by death differently and that focus lets the initially archetypal characters grow in unexpected ways. Persona 3's form, more so than any other in the series, feeds into its ideas too, making you actively fear/accept/march toward death in every single hour."

Serin wasn't too thrilled with all the aspects of Reload, however. He felt that the visual upgrades do not go far enough, and that this version of the game does not include all of the previous Persona 3 versions' respective content. Still, the overall experience was extremely positive regardless, with insightful conclusions to boot: "...in the end," he says, "it's still good because it's Persona 3, and Persona 3 is damn good. I'm unsure if Reload will be my go-to route to Gekkoukan High in the future, and for many it'll depend on how much tolerance you have for the original's Tartarus grind, but for me, the sometimes-jarring changes in presentation and mood (as well as omissions from previous editions) hold Persona 3 Reload back from being the way to experience Tatsumi Port Island's pleasures."

"One of the best entries in one of the most acclaimed modern role-playing franchises..." - Game Informer

For Game Informer, Brian Shea had stellar things to say about the game. "Even after nearly 100 hours, I was sad to part ways with my team," he says, "feeling as though I had formed bonds with them that transcend any kind of in-game Social Link metric. Even with some outdated and repetitive elements inherited through the 18-year-old structure of the original, Persona 3 Reload is one of the best entries in one of the most acclaimed modern role-playing franchises in video games."

Gameplay-wise, Shea was very happy with how Reload plays in general: "I love exploiting the combat system’s many quirks en route to victory. Landing a critical hit with one character before shifting to another to hit an elemental weakness, then polishing the foes off with a powerful All-Out Attack, is ceaselessly thrilling. Being able to directly control all characters in your party is a no-brainer by today’s standards and a huge quality-of-life improvement over the original base game," he explains.

And that's, really, the general gist of Persona 3 Reload. It's not a perfect game by any metric, and it's definitely retained some of the original title's faults. Those should've been resolved, in an ideal scenario, but even as it currently stands, we're looking at one of the best JRPGs you could possibly play in this day and age. With that in mind, will you be jumping in? Let us know, and remember: the coupon link above will net you a lovely discount to begin with!

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