What is Persona 3 Reload, and Should You Play It?

We'll say it right off the bat: there's never been a better time to be a Persona fan. Especially if you're a PC gamer, with virtually all of Atlus's contemporary flagship releases coming out on the platform on day one. That is precisely what's happening with next year's Persona 3 Reload! So, we invite you to take a few minutes away from Tactica to go over everything you need to know about the new title.

As its title may betray, Persona 3 Reload is not a totally new game. It is, as Atlus puts it, it's a "reimagining" of the original title, and we'll get to the bottom of what, exactly, this means in a short bit. The important part, for starters, is that those who enjoyed the original Persona 3 will know what they're about. Is the game worth the asking price for you, then? Or will your money be better spent on some other new Persona experience? Well, let's see!

Persona 3 Reload Explained

Let's start from the ground-up, then: Persona 3 Reload is the all-encompassing remake of the very first Persona 3 title. Indeed, we're talking about the pre-Portable days, before the female protagonist got added into the picture with her own social links, relationships, and narrative developments. Is this for the better, or for the worse, we'll let you decide. The important bit, however, is that Atlus is rebuilding the old title from the ground up, which means new assets, new UI, and new UX.

The balancing act between keeping the game in line with its source material, and accommodating the newer titles and their respective quality-of-life improvements is crucial here. Obviously, Atlus needs to modernize some aspects of Persona 3. The 2006 title is woefully out-of-date in this day and age, and it's a good thing that we're getting some updates aside from the graphics.

As per Polygon's preview from earlier this year, there's a wealth of gameplay loop improvements to choose from. Many of these are totally transformative, to boot, to the point that we believe Reload may be a must-play, even for those who have already experienced the old title and Portable both.

Pre-order Persona 3 Reload on PC via 2Game to get a discount!

What's Being Upgraded in Persona 3 Reload?

Obviously, Persona 3's entire visual schtick is being redone from tip to toe. The predominantly blue UI is still present and accounted for, yes, but virtually everything else is rebuilt anew. Exploration, too, has been changed up from a bird's eye view to a more traditional third-person camera, making this aspect of the game more engaging and interesting.

All the broad strokes are here, mind: from Tartarus to the real-world school sections, this is still the Persona 3 you know and love. It's just being rebuilt to accommodate the many, many gameplay loop improvements the franchise has received since 2006. For example, the baton pass and the ability to control each character in combat are now in, but at the same time, the game is retaining its Strike, Slash, and Pierce separation of Physical damage types, whereas these got rolled up into just one damage type later on.

It's mix of old and new, then, which implies some very interesting things for the game. The biggest question Atlus should be answering, however, is really simple...

Is Persona 3 Reload a good choice for new players?

Obviously, Atlus and Persona fans are going to jump at the opportunity to play a re-envisioning of one of the studio's most emblematic and popular games of all time. There's no question there, of course. The bigger concern is, perhaps, whether true newcomers and those looking to give Persona a shot for the first time will feel at home in Reload.

By combining key aspects of Persona games both new and old, Atlus runs the risk of not doing enough to bring this old classic to the new era. We'll have to wait and see until some more comprehensive gameplay overviews and previews to come out before making a more serious assessment.

In the interim, we are excited about the game, and more than eager to play it ourselves. This is, after all, a full-blooded Atlus production!

Things to Play While You Wait!

As Persona 3 Reload won't be coming out until early in February, it goes without saying that you'll need something to play while you wait! To that end, you may be thrilled to discover that 2Game now stocks all the modern Persona games that are officially available on PC. You can choose from the following titles, and play them right this instant:

On top of that, if you'd like something tangentially related but slightly different, we also have Shin Megami Tensei 3 in its HD edition, as well as Catherine and Soul Hackers 2. This sets you up with the full roster of Atlus games for PC, and should give you plenty to do over the holiday season, in particular. Have fun!

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We’ll say it right off the bat: there’s never been a better time to be a Persona fan. Especially if you’re a PC gamer, with virtually all of Atlus’s contemporary flagship releases coming out on the platform on day one. That is precisely what’s happening with next year’s Persona 3 Reload! So, we invite you to take a few minutes away […]

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