The remastered versions of "Persona 3 Portable" and "Persona 4 the Golden," both of which went on sale today!

Persona 3 Portable

P3P" is an RPG created for the PSP and based on "Persona 3" released in 2006. Various aspects of the game have been improved, including the ability to choose the gender of the main character and the addition of "BEGINNER," an easier difficulty level, and "MANIACS," a more difficult level. The remastered version of the game also features higher resolution graphics and an "interrupted save" function that allows the player to save at any time.

Most importantly, "P3P" is now playable on current-gen consoles; unlike "P4G," which was released on Steam in 2020, "P3P" has never been ported since its 2009 release, requiring a PSP version of the game and a PSP console to play. The fact that the hurdle to playing P3P has been lowered significantly makes the release of this remastered version of P3P all the more significant.

The Mystery of Shadow Time at Midnight

The setting of this work is Gekkoukan Academy, located in a place called "Tatsumi Port Island. The main character, who for some reason is transferred to this school, is involved in a mysterious phenomenon the night he visits the student dormitory. Later, he is attacked by a deformed monster called "Shadow," but the hero, who has awakened the power of his "persona," survives.

The shadow appears at midnight, a time hidden between one day and the next. It is called "Shadow Time," and it threatens reality in an unknown way. When the protagonist learns of this fact, he joins the "Special Extracurricular Activities Club," which works to uncover the mystery of the Shadow Time, and aims to conquer a tower called "Tartaros" while defeating the Shadows. This is the general flow of this work.

In the story of this work, the existence of shadow time and Tartaros is important. As the story unfolds, various information is revealed, such as why shadow time occurs, what Tartaros is, and how to remove it. It is up to the player to find out what truth awaits him or her.

A year spent as a student at the school

While fighting shadows as a member of the Extracurricular Activities Club, the main character spends one year as a student at the school. It is up to the player to decide what kind of year he or she will have, whether it be taking classes, participating in club activities, or pursuing "communal" events that occur between specific characters. The player's "Academic Ability," "Attractiveness," and "Courage" can be increased according to their actions, and new elements will be released when each of these statuses reaches a certain level. In addition to enjoying school life to the fullest, it is also essential to improve oneself.

Players can visit a variety of facilities, including Tatsumi Port Island, where Gekkoukan Academy is located. There is a commercial facility called "Polonian Mall" that has antique stores, a shopping district in front of the station that has an octopus dumpling shop, and many other types of places that are fun just to visit. Some of the characters may even generate a comic, so these side trips are an important part of delving deeper into the story of "P3P".

Spending a year as a student is a familiar element of the "Persona" series and has been followed in later titles such as "Persona 4" and "Persona 5. The student spends one year as a normal student and the other fighting as a person who has awakened to his or her Persona abilities. This dual life is the real appeal of "Persona".

Various events are prepared for each season.

Fast-paced battles in which players fight by exploiting their weaknesses

Battles are turn-based command battles familiar to RPGs, but "P3P" adds the "1MORE" system to this. When a weapon or a persona under a player's command hits a weak point, the enemy goes down and the player can continue to fight. If all the enemies are down, it is a chance for an "all-out attack," inflicting massive damage on the enemy as a whole.

Personas have different weaknesses and different skills depending on the type.

As long as the weak point is hit, 1 MORE and the total attack can be unleashed as a set, so the enemy can be defeated quickly and easily. This makes it possible to proceed smoothly with the Tartaros strategy, etc., which is also attractive. However, the enemy can use 1 MORE as well, and if you hit their weak point, they will be allowed to perform a series of actions. It is reassuring if you know how to use it, but it will hurt you if you are not careful. It is both convenient and risky at the same time. These two systems have been carried over to the subsequent "Persona 4" and "Persona 5.

Selecting a female protagonist changes part of the storyline.

The biggest addition to "P3P" is a female version of the main character. The gender does not affect the main storyline, but if you choose a female protagonist, some of your comic partners will change, or a completely new character will appear, and other changes, large and small, will occur. The film is quite large in itself, as it spans a year, but it is even more so when you can play with two different patterns, one for men and one for women. The game offers a variety of ways to enjoy the game, such as comparing the changes in the development of each character, or catching a glimpse of a different side of the characters through their different dialogues.

Theodore, a character that appears only when the female protagonist is selected.

Persona 4 the Golden

P4G" is a title that adds various elements to "Persona 4" released in 2008. Compared to the original version, the volume of the story has been increased, and new characters and comics have been added. In this remastered version, the player can now choose the difficulty level from the first round, and an "interrupted save" function has been implemented, allowing the player to save the game at any time.

Rural Countryside and a Serial Murder Case

The setting of this work is the city of Inaba, surrounded by rich nature. The protagonist, who came to the city for the convenience of his parents who are posted abroad, spends a year attending a local high school under the supervision of his uncle, Ryotaro Dojima. Meanwhile, there is a rumor going around that at midnight on a rainy day, the man of one's dreams appears on the TV screen, and around the same time, a bizarre murder case occurs in which a body is found tied to a telephone pole.

After transferring to Yajigami High School, the protagonist wanders into the world inside the TV due to something that happened to him, but his persona ability is awakened during his search inside. His friend Hanamura Yosuke, who was with him, also acquires persona powers. After discovering a connection between the murders in Inaba City and the world inside the TV, the protagonists form a "self-proclaimed special investigation team" and begin chasing the murderer. This is the flow of the story.

The story of "P4G" is suspenseful, partly because of the sense of isolation of the rural city of Inaba and partly because of the objective of pursuing the murders that took place there. Who on earth is killing people and how in Inaba City, which is deserted compared to the city? As the case is investigated through the world of television, various people come up as candidates. The protagonist, in cooperation with his friends, is at the mercy of an unseen enemy, but gradually moves closer to the truth, which is not to be missed.

In addition, this title has a much brighter, more pop-like feel than "P3P," which had a more serious atmosphere overall. The menu screen is based on bright colors such as yellow, and there is also a mascot-like bear, a playful character, and the background music for battles has a cheerful tone.

Studying Hard and Pursuing Cases Behind the Scenes

The year-long school system is inherited from "P3P," in which the player spends his or her school life as a student at Yajigami High School while pursuing a serial killer who is terrorizing the world. School life is similar to that of "P3P," with classes and club activities, as well as the opportunity to develop relationships with specific characters.

However, some of the activities of the self-proclaimed special investigation team have deadlines, and if certain conditions are not met by then, the game may be over. The player should be aware of this, as he or she must make a reasonable schedule and not just spend each day aimlessly.

Depending on how the comic progresses, you may even become a lover with a particular partner.

The game is the same as the previous "P3P" game in that the player spends a year in a rural setting. There are plenty of activities that are unique to this work, such as fishing along a riverbank, strolling along a riverside, or touring a shopping district.

In addition, a new element that did not exist in the original version is the addition of a third semester following the second semester. In the original version, the story was supposed to end with the second semester, but now there is a continuation, and the volume of the story has been increased. Another feature is the introduction of motorcycles as a means of transportation, which can be used to reach new locations such as Okina Station and Nanasato Beach.

A new character, Marie, makes an appearance.

The biggest addition to "P4G" is the new character Marie. Not only is she deeply involved in the main storyline, but she also has her own comic, and frequently interacts with the protagonists and other members of the self-proclaimed special investigation team. Marie has lost most of her memories, and in the dedicated comic, the protagonist helps her to recall them. We hope you will follow the story to the end to find out what awaits you.

Events in the comic can be viewed at any time!

A new element in the remastered version is the ability to look back on the events of the past comic at any time in the protagonist's room. The emphasis in this title is on confronting oneself, and in the comic we were able to glimpse the feelings and anguish of not only the members of the self-proclaimed special investigation team, but also various other people, from the uncle at the residence to classmates in school club activities. These events are essential to the story of "P4G," but until now they could only be viewed once, so if you wanted to revisit them, you had to prepare your save data in advance or start the story over from the beginning.

The new feature eliminates this hassle and allows the user to look back at the event at any time. In addition, since the choices can be re-selected, it is possible to aim for a different response than the first time around. This is more of an element for those who have played through the game, but if there is even one character who has made it to the end of the comic, they will surely want to use this feature to look back on the content.

With the recent success of "Persona 5" and its upgraded version "Persona 5 The Royal," the "Persona" series is getting a lot of attention, and we are very happy to see remastered versions of past titles being released. In particular, "P3P" and "P4G" were released more than 10 years ago, and many people may only be familiar with the "Persona 5" series. For those who have never experienced the "Persona" series, the release of the remastered version will be a unique opportunity to experience the past works.

• Remastered versions of "Persona 3 Portable" and "Persona 4 the Golden
• Release date: January 19, 2023
• Compatibility: Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, PS4, Switch, Steam
• Number of players: 1
• Genre: RPG
• Price: 1,980 yen each (tax included)
• CERO: C (for ages 15 and up)
• Official website: ##

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