It’s fairly common knowledge that the original Persona 3 was kind of a big deal. The idea of merging a “dating sim” with the typical grind-fest everyone associates with JRPGs was met with trepidation from virtually every angle. And yet, as more details came to light, people couldn’t help but wonder “What if…?” After all, the latest Mega Ten games at that time (Nocturne, Digital Devil Saga) were a huge hit with JRPG fans, and it had been far too long since anyone screamed “Persona!” Perhaps the time was right.

Then Persona 3 hit, and it punched a hole in the RPG world bigger than any Meteor ever could.

It was similar to and yet completely unlike any other RPG available; juggling your days between killing monsters for experience and items, studying for midterms and forging friendships that would stick with you long after the last of the credits scrolled on-screen. Persona 3 told a unique and engaging story with very mature themes, despite you playing the part of a high school student, and has received many (deserved) accolades because of it. It even had a “director’s cut” release in the form of Persona 3: FES, which included new Personas, new Social Links, new weapons and items as well as a second follow-up story, titled “The Answer.”

So what did they change in order to cram all of that into your hands, and how does that affect the game?

Quite simply, Persona 3 Portable is the version to own if you have a PSP.

First, the bad news: some content was indeed cut from the game in order to fit everything onto a UMD. The animated cutscenes are gone, replaced by a somewhat less effective (but still totally viable) method of combining still screens with text-based descriptions. “The Answer” is also MIA, though given its focus on combat over character interactions that may not be such a bad thing. To be certain, it’s a shame to see it go, but there are far worse things they could have taken out. Another missing feature is the ability to run around various locations and interact with people, which has been replaced by a static isometric view and a cursor used to select things. It sounds awkward but in actuality it’s not only completely functional, it’s preferable as it’s a huge time-saver. Lastly, and perhaps the most scandalous extraction; character models are no longer shown during dialogue cutscenes. This means you won’t see Mitsuru walking over to press you into Student Council or watch Yukari stamp her foot in frustration while scolding Junpei. And yet, it doesn’t matter. This is because all of the large character portraits shown during the various conversations are still present, and now incorporate the various anime-inspired iconography (e.g. sweat drops) associated with different reactions directly. After an hour or so, chances are good that you won’t even miss the small character models.

Now for the good news: Persona 3 Portable is an utterly fantastic game that’s every bit as heart-rending, goofy, touching, involving and fun as the original. Perhaps even more so. All of the spoken dialogue, music, impressive character portraits and more are present and accounted for. There have even been a slew of additions, ranging from new portraits for some bit-part characters (i.e. teachers and other NPCs) to the ability to use the Square button for fast-travel between different locations (which saves a ton of time). Loading times have been drastically reduced and are practically nonexistent if you opt to install the game to your memory stick. New difficulties have been added, including a “Beginner” setting for those less interested in a challenge and more in a good story, and a “Maniac” mode for masochistic Persona 3 veterans. And then there’s the highly-touted female protagonist, who offers up a new perspective on a story many are already familiar with.

Yeah, about that female protagonist. Just how different is her game? Well her story, which is to say the story of Persona 3, really isn’t any different from the male protagonist’s. The real differences lie in the subtleties. Of course, there are the expected minor changes, such as changing “he” to “she” and the like (which even carries through to the voice acting), but there are also some fairly significant ones. The most immediately noticeable difference (aside from the UI being very, very pink) is the music, as the female protagonist has a few tracks specific to her character (such as the school theme) which you won’t hear anywhere else. She also has access to new social links allowing players to, for example, go out with Akihiko (*swoon*) and other male characters. Even the social structure of your group of friends is a little different; rather than paling around with Junpei, now you’ll be Yukari’s BFF. It’s most certainly not a brand new adventure, but it’s different enough to draw anyone who’s beaten the original back in, and may even give players an excuse to start up a second game as soon as they finish their first playthrough.

Along with all of these changes to the social side of Persona 3 Portable are a decent number of tweaks to The Grind. All RPG players, especially JRPG players, know of it; fighting hordes of enemies over and over and over and over and over in an effort to strengthen your team and avoid being wiped out in the next major battle. In the original game, characters would tire after spending too much time in Tartarus (the game’s seemingly infinite and ever-changing dungeon), which would require players to leave, rest up and come back a few days later. This meant a lot of forced grinding when sometimes you just wanted to work on your relationships or raise one of your three core social stats (Academics, Charm and Courage). The issue was compounded by the fact that returning to the entrance to save or heal usually resulted in yet another lengthy trudge up the same several levels you’d just completed, unless you’d found one of those sparsely distributed two-way portals.

Fans of the series (and even nervous initiates) should be happy to know that these problems have been addressed. Your team can (and will) still tire the longer you stay in Tartarus, but the effects won’t kick-in until the following day. This means you can clear entire blocks in one trip, rather than spending the better part of an in-game week attempting to reach one of those coveted two-way portal checkpoints. Characters in your group may indeed become tired or sick as a result, but none of it will effect your current status. Even more exciting is the fact that you can return to the highest floor you’ve reached so far at any time. So if you make it to level 122 and need to go back to heal, fuse Personas or change party members, you can immediately return to level 122 as opposed to starting from level 115 and working your way back up. And finally, at long last, you’ve been given the option to micro-manage your party in combat. Just like Persona 4 you’ll be able to issue direct commands to each of your party members, avoiding those occasional “mishaps” brought about by a lapse in AI judgement. Thank you, Atlas! *tears of joy*

Of course, if you’re one of those people who just doesn’t care for RPGs, it’s highly unlikely that Persona 3 Portable will do anything to alter your opinion. The same goes for those who don’t like JRPGs, although the Persona series does change the formula enough that it may be worth a look. But if you’re a JRPG fan and own a PSP you owe it to yourself to play this game, especially if you’ve never played any of its former iterations. And if you’ve already played Persona 3 or FES on the PlayStation 2? Well if you liked it then, chances are pretty good that you’ll fall in love with it a second time. Only now you can take the adventure with you wherever you go.

—-

Things We Liked: Everything we loved from the original has been carried over. Plenty of new features and refinements. Having a ridiculous amount of things to do both inside and out of Tartarus. New music and voice work for the female protagonist’s story are nice touches and greatly appreciated. All of the various special outfits you can put on different characters (Hellooooo, Battle Panties!). The Square button.

Things We Disliked: Keeping the animated cutscenes would have been nice, but their omission makes sense. Some Tartarus bosses are still infinitely tougher than the “real” bosses. A few boss battles can be quite frustrating.

Target Audience: MegaTen fans. JRPG fans. RPG fans. People with a PSP and an attention span.

(Persona 3 Portable – Developer: Atlus. Publisher: Atlus. Available on PlayStation Portable. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Unfamiliar with CFD!’s review system? Read our newly revised explanation here.)