Persona 3 Reload retains its core hybrid of traditional role-playing and social simulation gameplay, but is overhauled aesthetically, graphically and mechanically to integrate systems and features that have been introduced to the Persona series since the original Persona 3's release, specifically deriving from quality-of-life improvements first implemented in Persona 5 (2016). In addition to foundational overhauls, Reload refines numerous elements of its graphical user interface to reflect the updated presentation of subsequent entries. For story-sensitive tasks, objective descriptions have been added below the display for the date, time of day and moon phase that list actions that must be performed to progress the narrative, which is functionally similar to Persona 5's heads-up display.

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The plot can be difficult to grasp at first due to its strange premise and the fact that it spends the first several hours setting the stage and the characters you will frequently interact with.

The new, upbeat battle theme “It’s Going Down” you hear when surprise attacking enemies during exploration complements the soulful classic “Mass Destruction” nicely, and I didn’t mind failing to jump the enemy so I could sing along with an enthusiastic "Ooooh yeah! Dada-dada, dada-dada!" the same as I did years ago. However, it’s the beautifully chill night time theme “Color Your Night” that sets the mood with familiar instrumentation and lyrics that wistfully reflect on the events of Persona 3 – I can guarantee it’ll become a fan favorite.

Two of these residents are Social Links, and failing to rescue them will prevent you from spending time with them the rest of the playthrough. If the Social Link has already been maxed beforehand, then they won't appear during the epilogue.

Something as simple as study sessions at the dorm help you upgrade your academic stat quickly, but more importantly, come with endearing scenes of the crew interacting with each other in believable ways, helping out with math formulas or just venting about the mundane.

In the input field, type a question that could be answered with "yes" or "no." You can ask up to 20 questions before the game is over

Largely, Persona 3 Reload follows the base game rather closely. As a member of the SEES, you will explore Tartarus, the altered form of the school that is now a dungeon that changes nightly.

Next up we have the addition of new combat mechanics such as Shift, which functions like the Baton Pass from Persona 5 Royal. After landing a critical hit or hitting an enemy’s weaknesses, you can activate the Shift mechanic to swap to another party member even if their turn has already passed to allow them to attack again.

Plenty is different back in the outside world, too. First and foremost, I can physically run around 3D city streets and classroom hallways, as opposed to moving a cursor to callout bubbles in a relatively static environment like in past Persona 3 iterations. In general, the camera maintains a tighter shot, making bouncing around locations feel more intimate and nearly first-person.

Additionally, for those who are looking for fearsome adversaries to reach an even greater glory, they can also look forward to player-versus-player battles persona 3 reload gameplay that will go down in the history books if they so choose to wage them.

As the calendar year progresses, you’ll also fight against tough bosses on set days, progressing the story and potentially unlocking new party members.

I was so glad the Fatigue system had been removed for Persona 3 Reload. This meant that as long as I had enough healing supplies to keep my characters’ health and Spirit Points full, I could spend as much time as I wanted in Tartarus without worrying about arbitrary systems forcing me to leave.

The story was more captivating thanks to the improved writing and new scenes and the characters were more endearing. Also, the combat system and dungeon crawling were faster-paced and more fun to play.