Gamescom 2023: Persona 3 Reload Impressions

Fans of the Persona series will be in for a treat in the coming months, as in addition to the spin-off Persona 5 Tactica (see impressions here), they can look forward to a remake of the very popular third installment. It was originally released in 2006, still for the PlayStation 2. A year later, a PS3 version of FES followed, and two years later, a portable version for the PSP. In January of this year, the game was released on all modern platforms, but the developers did not stop there, because Atlus is also working on a full-fledged remake.

I got to try it out at Sega’s Gamescom booth, where, as expected, there was a lot of interest in it. However, the demo was only about 15 minutes long and took place in one of the dungeons, where you and your party explore rooms, fight enemies, and climb a tower.

Unfortunately, its environment is very monotonous and definitely deserves more attention, but the quality of the graphic page is certainly on a completely different level than the original game. Of course, it is still a game for different generations, and it is far from the visual component that could give at least some work to current consoles, but I think it is enough for this genre. The game looks very beautiful, and although it is mainly based on the 7-year-old 5, it goes a little further in detail. At the same time, you can count on a very clear user interface and excellent animations.

In terms of gameplay, it’s a real A in almost every way, so if you’ve played it, you probably know what to expect. The combat is fun, and you have a lot of options, both classic attacks and using the Personas themselves. Of course, all of this is just one part of the whole game, there’s also another, “social” part, which takes place in the school and surrounding area. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to try it.

Anyway, like the Tactica spin-off, the sound system has to be highlighted. The remake has brand new English dubs, and from what I’ve heard, they’ve done a really good job. That’s important in a game like this, because you’ll be hearing their voices a lot. And of course, there’s the great soundtrack, which is based on the original but also includes new songs. It wouldn’t be Persona without some great songs.

The limited amount of content makes it hard for me to rate Persona 3 Reload yet, but I think it will live up to fans’ expectations. Atlus could definitely go further with the remake, but it still offers enough improvements to make the game accessible to modern audiences. The game will be out on February 2 next year on PC, old and new consoles.