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Please explain the Persona series to a n00b
- Thread starter FiveMinuteHero
- Start date
Aizo
Banned
I have trouble with the combat; I just don't think it's fun. I've played about 20 hours of P3P and 5 hours of P4, but the combat really turns me off. I enjoy going to my school club, meeting other characters, and raising my stats, but once I have to go grind, I can't stand it. I like JRPGs, but the awful environments in Persona 3 for the dungeon and how slow the battles often are stops me from continuing. I want to see what happens with the characters and stories, but I can't push myself through the terribly drab, atmospherically boring, and tired grind.
If it was really terrible, would so many people be hyped for it?
The jpop is mainly in P4, but the music is good and there are a lot of great non-vocal tracks.
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Eh, it's arguable. Socialization is a huge part of the games, and if you want access to certain Persona or get improved level up bonuses, you really do have to do the social link stuff. And in P3's case, the higher up you go with the potential romantic options pretty much means you're forced to date them. Not that it's necessarily better in P4, as you're not given the option to choose whether to go romantic or platonic until towards the end of those links.
Sure, you can completely ignore it, but you'd have to do a lot of Persona XP grinding to make up for it.
That doesn't necessarily mean these games would appeal to everyone. Opinions and all.
At least in Persona 4, can't you avoid it by simply not choosing the romantic options? I thought it was only in Persona 3 that the social links for the girls had to involve dating.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Yeah, seems like it.
These games seem like they're the anti-me, lol.Eh. Popularity never correlated with fun or quality in my mind.
Someone mentioned rap and jazz earlier. The only thing that makes me run away screaming more than jpop does is probably rap, so uh... yeah, as Patryn said, I'd be better off avoiding this. Even if there are good non-vocal tracks, having to endure a jpop-with-vocals battle theme is enough for me to stay away.
It sounds like this thread helped you make an informed decision about whether you should play games from this series.
Go GAF!
Yeah, seems like it.
Eh. Popularity never correlated with fun or quality in my mind.
Someone mentioned rap and jazz earlier. The only thing that makes me run away screaming more than jpop does is probably rap, so uh... yeah, as Patryn said, I'd be better off avoiding this. Even if there are good non-vocal tracks, having to endure a jpop-with-vocals battle theme is enough for me to stay away.
Personally I would hit up Youtube and listen to some tracks first if you haven't before judging...
If it makes you feel any better, I feel the same way about Hans Zimmer soundtracks.
King Tubby
Member
I'll just say I never cared for J-Pop (and still don't really) but I love the Persona soundtracks. I dig Jazz though. Same thing for anime actually.
In the end, it's not going to be something for everyone. For the people who do connect with it, they tend to fall in love. I'd just recommend giving it a shot before writing it off. If I didn't just jump into one and only went by how some of the people in this thread describe it (or all the waifu simulator garbage) I would've been turned off as well, but P4 is in my top 5 video games of all time at least.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Indeed.
They're supposed to make you understand what the games are. It's up to you to determine if this sounds appealing or not.
Not every game is for every person.
It's tough to explain. Persona 4 Golden grabbed me like few other games. There's something about it, the atmosphere, characters, music variety (rock, jazz, jpop -jpop that's is actually good too-, classic, electronic, etc.) and more that just comes together so well. It's more than the sum of its parts that's for sure. Just play it, or if you don't have a Vita just look up a few episodes of Giant Bomb's Endurance Run.
Bruh, what?
Is that actually a thing in Persona 3? I don't remember dating Fuuka.
Love Deterrence
Member
[post 132 intensifies]
You don't have to date anyone, ever. You can just stay friends with everyone. But if you do date every single possible ones in P4, Valentine's Day is hilarious (I wish had done so during my first play through).
Hm, I don't remember having that problem. Either way, I doubt this will happen again if it did happen back then.
It's been years since I played Persona 3, but my wife was playing through it recently and I remember her getting annoyed because she found she couldn't advance certain social links with girls because she'd start dating them, which would mean she'd be cheating with her current LI which would lead to a reversed social link.
While it's a GameFAQs link, here's confirmation that all 5 female social links in P3 are romantic.
Green Mamba
Member
In Persona 3, S.Links with dateable girls always end up with you dating them, there's no way around it.
Persona 4 gives you the choice in all of the situations, though all but two of them are simple yes no choices in like the second to last or so S.Link. The other two require you to jump through a few hoops first, so that's preferably how P5 should handle it in my opinion. Better than how the only way to max Rise's S.Link and not end up romantically attached requires you to just stand still and watch her cry like a dick.
Persona 4 gives you the choice in all of the situations, though all but two of them are simple yes no choices in like the second to last or so S.Link. The other two require you to jump through a few hoops first, so that's preferably how P5 should handle it in my opinion. Better than how the only way to max Rise's S.Link and not end up romantically attached requires you to just stand still and watch her cry like a dick.
RelentlessRolento
Member
Out of all the Persona: This one looks like the one I'll actually be interested in.
I tried to jump into P4 Golden, as well as P3P, but man... I really do not enjoy those games. I do love the style, but there's alot that turns me off from em.
I think I will like this more since I'm getting more of a Cathrine vibe than Persona.
I tried to jump into P4 Golden, as well as P3P, but man... I really do not enjoy those games. I do love the style, but there's alot that turns me off from em.
I think I will like this more since I'm getting more of a Cathrine vibe than Persona.
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
I mention it in the post you're quoting.
Yep, which annoyed me as I'd rather be able to choose sooner if I don't particularly care for a particular link going in that direction. It would mean some of those earlier S.Link encounters would have to feel less "date-simmy" and more platonic if you go that route. Instead of having it build up and then you have to choose "lol wat no way friendzoned" at the end and let the girl down.
I also hope P5 better addresses the whole "date everyone with no real serious consequences" thing in the earlier games. Yeah, P3 had the whole reversal thing, but once you maxed someone out there was nothing to worry about. And P4G's Valentine sequence was more of a throw-in than anything.
What was it about Persona 3 and 4 that turned you off? If it's just the visual vibe, remember that you admit you liked the style of 3 and 4 and it wasn't enough to make you like those games.
I mention it in the post you're quoting.
So it is. I literally read everything before you brought up that point, and everything after, but totally missed you pointing this out. Whoops.
Ultimadrago
Member
drago pls
wanna borrow my copies of SMTIV, DDS 1, Nocturne?
Why would I borrow DDS1 and Nocturne when I've already completed them?
No thanks on the SMTIV, don't want to play it.
If you've read a number of my posts on P3/P4 posts you'd know I don't hail the games as even near perfect, but the whining over a dating system because it doesn't fit the drab palette of previous titles is old and rarely sufficiently "vindicated". So more like "Oh noes, another person that's too insecure about their love for a series that it clouds their awareness of (equally) clunky approaches to dark tone and morality."
Yeah.
I hear it's pokemonesque with similar styles of a Bioware game, and I'm like oh word, sign me up.
Then I hear the combat is a chore and it's teenage angst driven waifu stuff and I'm like okay, chill.
I might try it to see how I like it.
I really don't see this at all, beyond the fact that there's a dating mechanic. Seriously, I would never compare Persona to a Bioware game.
Why would I borrow DDS1 and Nocturne when I've already completed them?
No thanks on the SMTIV, don't want to play it.
I'm just playing
IV is good tho. Fix that >_>
Right, I definitely agree that people like different games and it won't be everything. So I'm glad I read this thread, because I've never played a Persona game before.
Probably another strike would be that I have less than zero interest in watching anime. It looks like Persona is that art style? (I also have no interest in watching Western cartoons, so it's not just anime. I haven't watched cartoons since middle school and I'm 37)
That's what I honestly thought the whole time I watched the P5 trailer today. "What is this ridiculous music??"
RelentlessRolento
Member
It was not the visual style that turned me off, it was probably the length at which things took + the combat system.
I spent quite a few hours on both game and I never felt attached to any characters or the scenario at hand... it all felt like busy work and I couldn't enjoy what the game was offering.
And yes, I know it's an RPG with story as its focus, but I still couldnt find much I enjoyed.
I'm not trashing the game or anything; they are genuinely good, I myself though persona-ly wasnt getting much out of it.
Persona 3/4 are games that you can make sound either very bad or very good depending on the phrasing you use. You could just as easily describe Social Links as "dating sim mechanics for waifu lovers to fantasize about teenage anime girls" or, alternatively, as "character development scenes that help you develop an attachment to the game's world and characters and provide a bonus when fusing Personas".
Parhelion69
Member
By all means, please do yourself a favor, and play P4G
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Eh, I still like P3FES the best of the P3/P4 games. I suppose Golden would be the most newbie friendly though.
They do happen. And there's a lot to talk about with regards to P3 and P4. But I didn't mean with specific regard to the Persona games; I meant in general.
And you not liking Persona is fine, but to form your opinion of the series based on what some dumb fans like to discuss is silly.
You're saying P3 has better dungeon crawling?
That's the first time I heard that.
Small Mailman
Member
I'm new to the series. I started P4 2 weeks ago and I'm having a great time. I like the story so far and how stylish everything is right down to the menus. I must say it's not as cringe-inducing as I thought it was gonna be given the anime dating sim rep the series has. I'm not in a hurry to start loving my screen though.
Fun game. I think I'll see it through to the end
Fun game. I think I'll see it through to the end
Green Mamba
Member
Honestly most of the additions in Golden are just fanservice for people who've played through Persona 4. You're fine playing through the original version.
Some people really overstate the dating sim stuff. I think a large part of why P4 is so popular is precisely because, despite being hella anime, the characters are very grounded, the story and world is interesting, and while there's the occasional fanservice bit or cringe-worthy scene, they're few and far between enough that the game is still very enjoyable even to people who don't traditionally like "anime" games.
inpHilltr8r
Member
I'm confused. Are they action, or turn based? Or both?
Sorry if I was unclear. I didn't mean to imply that it was the visual style that turned you off, rather I was trying to say that you seemed to admit that you liked the visual styles of Persona 3 and 4 and yet didn't like those games, so I'd be wary of thinking you'd like Persona 5 just because you like the visual style.
Does that make sense?
Basically, I'm trying to shake out whether Persona 5 would be your thing. I'm well aware that not every game is for every person, and that's not a knock on the game. Just trying to help you out if you'd be better off not wasting your time.
Turn. Always turn.
It looks like Persona 5 might have a few action elements, but don't kid yourself: This is not an action RPG series. It is a turn-based RPG through and through.
Yes, far, FAR, better.
They are turn-based.
Zuhzuhzombie!!
Member
As a very very very passive fan of Atlus, Persona, to me, is a game that is super heavy on anime tropes. It has decent characters and the voice acting has been improving with each release/rerelease, but the waifu and dating sim crap is incredibly boring and P4 has something like a three hour long unskippable cutscene heavy game tutorial that is mind numbingly boring.
Some games have better battle systems over others.
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Wait, what? The P4 characters are even more predictably tropey stereotypes than P3. I think it's more the way they're presented in terms of interaction/dialogue is how they're more "relatable" for some people, but for some of us it comes off feeling more forced than natural.
FaintDeftone
Junior Member
Thank god for this thread. I finally know what this waifu bullshit is about.
Do NOT do this