Persona 3 FES is one of the best RPGs in the gaming market. The game combines the aspects of a dating sim, turn-based battle systems, standard RPG elements, and simulated real-life situations that the many characters face. Along side of that, it has a really good soundtrack. Just like in real life, you can make friends with people, go to school, and just plain out have fun. But there's also another side which where P3 really shines, the Dark Hour. The Dark Hour is where you really start to fight the monsters in-game, and it's where the turn-based battles and the story really come into play. But also, just like in real life, you have to keep a balance of both going out to the Dark Hour and keeping up with your friendships and school work. The game has a calendar system, where when you do one thing, time will pass and the next day starts . The calendar follows the Japanese calendar, including special events only in Japan. The music in game is composed by a number of artists, vocals by Lotus Juice (a JP rapper) and Yumi Kawamura. Meguro Masashi, the sound director of the game, did a great job putting everything together. The music is a combination of Jazz, Rap and Pop. Although some people think it gets tiring after a while because it gets a little repetitive, in my opinion, I think it'll never get tired if you are into this genre. Overall, it feels like you really are inside the game, experiencing different things, such as putting your life on the line fighting monsters, while trying to do good in school. And adding to that, a really great soundtrack. This game is amazing. Get this!
22 of 23 found this review helpful.
Overall rating
5/ 5
Gameplay
5/ 5
Graphics
4/ 5
Sound
5/ 5
Lasting Appeal
5/ 5
IdontWantAnickName
This game is perfect for:casual gamers
Must Have for PS2!!
PostedFebruary 18, 2013
Easily one of the BEST games for PS2 and an amazing game in general. You will clock in about 70-80 hrs just breezing though it but without having to force yourself to finish. I clocked in around 100 hrs, because I like getting the most out of my games. If your looking for a great story, with awesome and addicting game-play, this is perfect for you. You will NOT regret buying this outstanding RPG.
Products related to my review
Persona 4 Arena
(34)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
(34)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable
(36)
Overall rating
5/ 5
Gameplay
5/ 5
Graphics
4/ 5
Sound
5/ 5
Lasting Appeal
4/ 5
bluefin
This game is perfect for:hardcore gamers
An Engaging and Exciting RPG
PostedOctober 30, 2012
Having never played a SMT game before, the opening of this game had me confused at first. The protagonist and several other characters who will later become his friends experience the dark hour. The dark hour is a "hidden" hour that occurs at midnight, during which shadows appear. Their main hangout is Tartarus, a huge labyrinthine tower that appears where the school stands during the day.
You and your comrades decide to enter this tower to fight the monsters with the power of Persona, aspects of your personality that fight with elemental abilities. It's something like a version of Pokémon, if the pokémon were all gods, demons, angels, and mythical creatures. The battles are turn-based, and most of the monsters have a weakness you can exploit.
The story continues from there, and throughout the year of gameplay you can level up, gather new personas, and explore Tartarus. During the day you must go to school. This can prove an unexpected challenge, because many of the questions are based on Japanese history and were not changed from the Japanese version of the game. You can also make friends in school and around the city, creating Social Links. Social links allow you to fuse more powerful personas and unlock interesting cutscenes.
While this game is without a doubt entertaining, it is not simple. Leveling up becomes increasingly difficult, fusing some personas is frustrating to figure out without help, and maxing all social links in one play-through (necessary for creating a special persona) is almost impossible without a guide. Even on the "easy" setting, this game is a challenge.
The Answer, a shorter epilogue of the main storyline, is even more difficult, and consists only of level-grinding. It is tedious, but the story is just as interesting as the main game.
The challenge of P3 gives it a high replay value, and the many unlockables will keep you interested long after you've finished the main storyline. This is a difficult game, but its characters and story are unforgettable
Overall rating
4/ 5
Gameplay
4/ 5
Graphics
4/ 5
Sound
4/ 5
Lasting Appeal
5/ 5
BunkerXCM
fromSan Diego, CA
This game is perfect for:casual gamers
Definitely worth the cost
PostedSeptember 12, 2012
I am amazed how many copies of this can be found used... who would return this game?! There is always room for improvement in any game, but even starting this game in 2012 I have found it addicting and very fun. The social mechanics are an interesting twist on the dungeon crawling RPG, and monster fusion is just complicated enough. Highly recommended to mature gamers of the genre, parents may not like that characters shoot themselves in the head to evoke their demons.
(34)
(34)
(36)
