A few months ago I finally took some time to play Persona 3 Reload, back when it was on Game Pass. It was my first real experience with this entry, though I had played Persona 5 on PS3 and watched the Persona 4 anime, so I had a general idea of what the series was about. Still, I wasn’t sure what kind of experience P3 would offer.
Well… let’s just say it was an average one for me. It just didn't stand the test of time overall and, while I still enjoyed my time with it, I didn't find it comparable to the most recent entries.
The story follows Makoto Yuki, who transfers to Gekkoukan High School and moves into a dorm in the city. There he becomes involved in the mysterious Dark Hour, a hidden 25th hour where monsters called Shadows appear and most humans transform into coffins until it ends. Only a small number of people can move freely during this time, and they use a power called Persona, the manifestation of one’s soul, to fight.
There are disappearances happening across the city and a strange syndrome where people become unresponsive, clearly tied to the Dark Hour. Makoto and the rest of the dorm’s residents form a team to investigate and put an end to it.
The main cast includes:
Yukari Takeba – My personal favorite. She is cheerful, energetic and one of the most extroverted members of the group. She has her share of trauma beneath the surface, but she was easily the most relatable and enjoyable character for me.
Junpei Iori – The “best friend” archetype. Loud, emotional, often rude, and honestly difficult to take seriously for a long time. He does get development later, but it felt too late to fully redeem him.
Mitsuru Kirijo – The stoic, strict student council president. She barely shows emotion and most of her social link happens late in the game, which made it hard for me to form any strong connection.
Akihiko Sanada – A boxer who loves fighting the Shadows. Straightforward, friendly and combat-driven from the start.
Fuuka Yamagishi – The team navigator. She was initially trapped in Tartarus but joins after awakening her Persona. Every Persona game has the “navigator role,” and she fills it decently.
Aigis – A combat android. Strong, loyal, completely unfamiliar with social customs, and often unintentionally funny. I liked her overall and her involvement later in the story was an highlight for me.
Ken Amada – An elementary schooler who joins the party. Honestly my least favorite character. His conflict with Aragaki didn’t feel worth the heavy focus it got.
Koromaru – A dog with a Persona. Mostly the mascot-type addition.
Spoilers below
The reveal that Ikutsuki was an antagonist was incredibly predictable. He had that “obvious traitor” aura from the very beginning. The fact that the entire phenomenon was human-made was also something I expected considering the hints left near the beginning.
What I didn’t expect was Makoto’s death at the end. It was sad for the sake of being sad, and it weakened the impact of the whole journey for me. I know there is an extra PSP epilogue story, but after skimming it, it didn’t feel like a meaningful continuation.
It is not that I disliked Persona 3 as a game. The soundtrack is amazing, the production quality of Reload is great, and the atmosphere is fantastic. But it still suffers from being a modernized version of an old game. Tartarus becomes extremely repetitive and turns into a complete chore near the end. The story and character interactions also felt thin compared to Persona 4 and 5, and while I really liked Yukari and Makoto in their social links, the ending left a bitter taste.
Overall, I would not recommend Persona 3 Reload unless you are already a fan of the franchise or deeply curious about the series’ history. For newcomers it is far better to play Persona 5 Royal, which is simply much stronger in almost every aspect
