Aressa
You can't die before your death
Hmmm what??
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Why is Persona 4: Golden so good?
- Thread starter Sodding_Gamer
- Start date
Hmmm what??
Nintendoga
Member
Glad you liked it! P4's one of my favorite games.
Try to play Persona 3 FES for more Persona goodness. I'd highly recommend FES over P3P because of certain things
P3P's ability to control teammates is nice, but I feel people undermind the AI in FES. They know how to take care of themselves. I rarely ever got angry at the AI nor did I ever blame them for my deaths. The only times I ever had any problems was with Yukari in the beginning of the game and Mitsuru. (MARIN KARIN)
P3P' sacrifice of cutscenes and 3D Models lessens the impact of the story experince imo. Not by much, but seeing the models actually do things instead of a blank screen with text telling you what they are doing, I'm just not a fan of that.
Transforming P3P into basically a Visual Novel was a bold move that I would say worked out well, going from P4G to a visual novel would be extremely jarring, where as going from Golden to FES would feel more natural. Also It has The Answer, an epilogue to P3's story.
And on FemMC, I think playing FES first and then doing FemMC to see all the changes they've made is the better way of doing it, but don't let me get in your way of choosing which version to pick up (if you do so in the future)
More of a nitpick, but forcing you to only use one weapon type in P3P was lame. I missed using boxing gloves and axes in FES.
Try to play Persona 3 FES for more Persona goodness. I'd highly recommend FES over P3P because of certain things
P3P's ability to control teammates is nice, but I feel people undermind the AI in FES. They know how to take care of themselves. I rarely ever got angry at the AI nor did I ever blame them for my deaths. The only times I ever had any problems was with Yukari in the beginning of the game and Mitsuru. (MARIN KARIN)
P3P' sacrifice of cutscenes and 3D Models lessens the impact of the story experince imo. Not by much, but seeing the models actually do things instead of a blank screen with text telling you what they are doing, I'm just not a fan of that.
Transforming P3P into basically a Visual Novel was a bold move that I would say worked out well, going from P4G to a visual novel would be extremely jarring, where as going from Golden to FES would feel more natural. Also It has The Answer, an epilogue to P3's story.
And on FemMC, I think playing FES first and then doing FemMC to see all the changes they've made is the better way of doing it, but don't let me get in your way of choosing which version to pick up (if you do so in the future)
More of a nitpick, but forcing you to only use one weapon type in P3P was lame. I missed using boxing gloves and axes in FES.
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
The notion that the Persona fanbase only cares about waifu's in terms of characters is completely wrong. The Persona series as reflected by many here have such great character casts compared to other jrpgs and are adored for their personality, growth and events experienced with them.
Just look at this character poll:
1. Yu (P4 MC) - 1451
2. Yosuke - 1139
3. Naoto - 834
4. Chie - 705
5. P3 MC - 574
6. Aigis - 512
7. Nanako - 412
8. Yukiko - 408
8. Teddie - 408
10. Shinjiro - 302
11. Rise - 297
12. Kanji - 286
13. Mitsuru - 230
14. Koromaru - 215
15. Adachi - 214
16. P3 FeMC - 191
17. Elizabeth - 171
18. Akihiko - 166
19. Tatsuya (P2:IS MC) - 156
20. Yukari - 138
21. P1 MC
22. Reiji
23. Fuuka
24. Theodore
25. Dojima
26. Labrys
My favourite Persona character has to be Minato.
Griddlelol
Banned
I honestly regret playing it on Hard. Didn't realise that Hard meant "you just have to grind more."
SonyToo!™
Member
So this is the OP's first handheld JRPG? I recommend trying out other games on the Vita/PSP & 3DS/DS.
I was in the same boat 12 months ago, after playing a few OKish console JRPGs I used to think I no longer liked the genre, then I bought a PSP with Knight's In the Nightmare and discovered I'd only been playing the wrong ones. Plus the pick up and play / suspend aspect really lends itself to these games.
Persona is OK but I much prefer SMT & Etrian Odyssey.
I was in the same boat 12 months ago, after playing a few OKish console JRPGs I used to think I no longer liked the genre, then I bought a PSP with Knight's In the Nightmare and discovered I'd only been playing the wrong ones. Plus the pick up and play / suspend aspect really lends itself to these games.
Persona is OK but I much prefer SMT & Etrian Odyssey.
Sodding_Gamer
Member
I'm really looking forward to playing it now. It all sounds really interesting and not like the JRPG's I've played so heres hoping I enjoy my time with it! And if I do I'll deffo pick up Persona 3 
EDIT: Ok in light of a few comments here.... If I do really enjoy Persona 4 (which is highly likely) what Vita JRPG's would you recommend? Preferably ones that don't chuck you right in the deep end as I don't want to get too overwhelmed!
EDIT: Ok in light of a few comments here.... If I do really enjoy Persona 4 (which is highly likely) what Vita JRPG's would you recommend? Preferably ones that don't chuck you right in the deep end as I don't want to get too overwhelmed!
That's only true at the very beginning. Game loses any challenge about 2/3 in.
Griddlelol
Banned
I had probably given up by then.
Kanji only on the 12th spot?!? Invalidated!
Being serious here, that's good to know. It's just that the impression one always gets is that it's the number one talking point, and whenever I've brought up Persona with people that know the series (or rather, know P4 and/or P3), the first question asked was always "Who's your favourite girl" (or something to that extend), either jokingly or in seriousness. Maybe I'm talking to the wrong people, maybe I'm (subconciously) generalizing, but it's just the impression that I got over the 3/4 of a year of playing Persona 4.
I've been slowly progressing through this game since April 2013. I am now in October (in-game time) and determined to get through at least another month before my holiday is over. What stops me every now and then (aside from work) is the horrible slog through the dungeons. The turn-based combat and simple rock-paper-scissors system of exploiting enemy weaknesses just doesn't bear repeating through so many generic corridor environments. This feels like a backward step when everything else, from the writing through to quality of life gameplay options, has been designed to minimise frustration and fuss.
Don't get me wrong; I love this game. The combat is fun in small doses, and the murder mystery storyline, endearing and well-developed characters, and overall visual novel style of presentation, hits the nail on the head for me. The choices you can make and wide ranging activities all contribute to making me feel like I'm part of a lived-in world. The cultural elements are fascinating and I really enjoy developing social links and seeing the mini-arcs for each character through to completion. There's a sense of fruition here that I just don't get from other JRPG's. The developers understand that you need to care about the world you inhabit, especially in such a long game.
TLDR; It's not that hard on normal for a first playthrough, but I just wish I'd stuck the game on easy because I only want to experience the story, and the repetitive combat gets on my nerves.
For those people I may have put off: you would be doing yourself a tremendous disservice by not playing it. By and large this vastly refines the traditional JRPG, and drags it screaming into the modern age. How much the combat frustrates you can only be determined by how jaded you are by turn-based RPG's. Even then the dungeons are injected with fun, with plenty of flashy visual effects, kick-ass music, enjoyable team dynamics, some tricky boss fights, and deep demon fusion mechanics. I simply feel the rest of the game is SO FREAKING GOOD that the dungeons are a minor let-down by comparison!
Don't get me wrong; I love this game. The combat is fun in small doses, and the murder mystery storyline, endearing and well-developed characters, and overall visual novel style of presentation, hits the nail on the head for me. The choices you can make and wide ranging activities all contribute to making me feel like I'm part of a lived-in world. The cultural elements are fascinating and I really enjoy developing social links and seeing the mini-arcs for each character through to completion. There's a sense of fruition here that I just don't get from other JRPG's. The developers understand that you need to care about the world you inhabit, especially in such a long game.
TLDR; It's not that hard on normal for a first playthrough, but I just wish I'd stuck the game on easy because I only want to experience the story, and the repetitive combat gets on my nerves.
For those people I may have put off: you would be doing yourself a tremendous disservice by not playing it. By and large this vastly refines the traditional JRPG, and drags it screaming into the modern age. How much the combat frustrates you can only be determined by how jaded you are by turn-based RPG's. Even then the dungeons are injected with fun, with plenty of flashy visual effects, kick-ass music, enjoyable team dynamics, some tricky boss fights, and deep demon fusion mechanics. I simply feel the rest of the game is SO FREAKING GOOD that the dungeons are a minor let-down by comparison!
How? The first enemies you fight are weak to your only special attack, and can still be killed by whacking them with your golf club a few times.
If you meant the first boss, it's also weak to your only special attack, and the game outright tells you "Hey, he's about to use a powerful attack. You should probably block it."
The game departs from normal shallow character models and focuses on a certain depth. Not that it gets all that deep, but any good depth is welcome. It has well put together themes of teen suicide, isolation, and how those around us give us tools to deal with those things. It's quite interesting that the game tackles that and doesn't suck.
The mechanics are ok, the battles reinforce the themes, but are more flavor than tactics at times.
I love the game for how well it makes its point and how different it is from other hero games.
The mechanics are ok, the battles reinforce the themes, but are more flavor than tactics at times.
I love the game for how well it makes its point and how different it is from other hero games.
I've also been on the fence with this game. So much praise everywhere. But honestly, after reading this thread I'm deciding against buying it.
It seems like the gameplay isn't really that good, and the good part it's the story/characters, which is something that I don't really care much about in a game if the gameplay isn't as good
It seems like the gameplay isn't really that good, and the good part it's the story/characters, which is something that I don't really care much about in a game if the gameplay isn't as good
bobawesome
Member
So true.
I've also been on the fence with this game. So much praise everywhere. But honestly, after reading this thread I'm deciding against buying it.
It seems like the gameplay isn't really that good, and the good part it's the story/characters, which is something that I don't really care much about in a game if the gameplay isn't as good
I can't believe so many people hate the gameplay. I love it more than in the SMT games.
I think it's an amazing game, but sadly you can only experience it once for the first time. After getting more into anime related stuff afterwards, I can't help but feel that Persona 4 isn't quite as special as it first seems since there are more anime cliches to it than at first I thought, but perhaps the slight negativity now is just due to the fact that it's been 5 years already since I first beat it.
I still think it develops the story quite well and immerses you in the world. At least to me, the characters grew on me really fast, making me feel like I was part of that world, and ultimately leaving me a bit sad just because the game had to end at some point, so I would say that the way it develops the characters to you as a player are a huge part of exactly why it is so good.
While the gameplay doesn't impress quite as much, especially with the godawful grinding they at least sort of fixed in Persona 4 Golden with better shuffle times and battle music, it's still undeniably an outstanding experience and definitely worth getting on PS2, Vita or PlayStation Classics.
Once you experienced it and perhaps other Persona titles though, you might want to check out the core Megaten games as well, which are on a completely other level of amazing. I am currently playing through Nocturne, and let me say, it is incredible.
I still think it develops the story quite well and immerses you in the world. At least to me, the characters grew on me really fast, making me feel like I was part of that world, and ultimately leaving me a bit sad just because the game had to end at some point, so I would say that the way it develops the characters to you as a player are a huge part of exactly why it is so good.
While the gameplay doesn't impress quite as much, especially with the godawful grinding they at least sort of fixed in Persona 4 Golden with better shuffle times and battle music, it's still undeniably an outstanding experience and definitely worth getting on PS2, Vita or PlayStation Classics.
Once you experienced it and perhaps other Persona titles though, you might want to check out the core Megaten games as well, which are on a completely other level of amazing. I am currently playing through Nocturne, and let me say, it is incredible.
I've also been on the fence with this game. So much praise everywhere. But honestly, after reading this thread I'm deciding against buying it.
It seems like the gameplay isn't really that good, and the good part it's the story/characters, which is something that I don't really care much about in a game if the gameplay isn't as good
You might find yourself enjoying other Atlus RPGs.
Honestly, the gameplay in Persona 4 isn't too bad, and much improved compared to P3. Compared to a lot of JRPGs it's honestly pretty good, it is just bad compared to almost everything else Atlus make. Instead, Persona gives you more character development.
Hmn, technically speaking when people refer to the gameplay not being that good they're primarily referring to relatively shallow battling and the dungeon layouts.
That said to write off the game on that alone is willfully ignoring the fact that the day to day gameplay is more than just fighting and it is the intersection of all the systems in the game such as the time management, social rank, quests, crafting, persona fusion (as well as the confident aesthetic design, characters and narrative) that makes the game special.
That said to write off the game on that alone is willfully ignoring the fact that the day to day gameplay is more than just fighting and it is the intersection of all the systems in the game such as the time management, social rank, quests, crafting, persona fusion (as well as the confident aesthetic design, characters and narrative) that makes the game special.
As most said, music and characters. both of therese aspects are just godlike. With all the school stuff, social links, dating sim gameplay and the slice-of-life anime feel outside of dungeons its just marvelous.
One of those games that make you cry when the credits roll, because you wont continue to see those characters interact anymore. ;_;
And the gameplay, well the dungeoncrawling is a bit simple i agree but the battles themselves are tactical, fun and great imo, one of the best standart turn based battle systems out there. Especially boss battles are GOAT.
One of those games that make you cry when the credits roll, because you wont continue to see those characters interact anymore. ;_;
And the gameplay, well the dungeoncrawling is a bit simple i agree but the battles themselves are tactical, fun and great imo, one of the best standart turn based battle systems out there. Especially boss battles are GOAT.
Me and 2 other coworkers have started it up a few weeks ago. One of them already finished it and the other is only one dungeon in. I'm about halfway through, with 47 hours put into it already, and I can't even fully express the hold this game has on me. I can't even bring myself to play anything else right now.
Everything about the game, the production values, the characters, the battle system, THE MUSIC. It's the complete package.
I'm seriously hoping that Persona 5 doesn't stay a PS3 exclusive for too long, and either gets a Vita or PS4 port not too long after release.
Everything about the game, the production values, the characters, the battle system, THE MUSIC. It's the complete package.
I'm seriously hoping that Persona 5 doesn't stay a PS3 exclusive for too long, and either gets a Vita or PS4 port not too long after release.
Honestly, its is just how refined and polished the whole game is that really makes it so perfect 
.
The music being upbeat and catchy, the story being intersting, the cast being multidimensional, the visuals just popping off the Vita's screen, the insane wealth of replay value/content the game has.......there is just to much good in the game XD!
Granted the game isn't perfect (the dungeons could have been more interesting to explore and had more to interact with like puzzles or something) but considering everything, it is damn close TO perfection.
Glad you loved the game OP; one of the best RPG games one could fine . If you have the time and don't mind the price, why not check out Persona 3 Portable? The game is a version of Persona 3 that while lacking the 'Answer' content and the visuals fidelity that the PS2 version(s) had, the new content (being able to play as a FM main character, new social links, (I think?) new Persona's to use) and really great refinements to the core gameplay via combat system from Persona 4, this game is a significant improvement over the original version in a number of ways . Granted, the lack of the 3D hub-world and cut-scenes does sting a bit, but overlooking that, the PSP version is the closest we got to a definitive version of Persona 3 .
Edit: Ops, didn't check the OP, so I didn't know he never played the game before. But you really should give it a go man ; its just too good XD!
. The music being upbeat and catchy, the story being intersting, the cast being multidimensional, the visuals just popping off the Vita's screen, the insane wealth of replay value/content the game has.......there is just to much good in the game XD!
Granted the game isn't perfect (the dungeons could have been more interesting to explore and had more to interact with like puzzles or something) but considering everything, it is damn close TO perfection
. Glad you loved the game OP
; one of the best RPG games one could fine . If you have the time and don't mind the price, why not check out Persona 3 Portable? The game is a version of Persona 3 that while lacking the 'Answer' content and the visuals fidelity that the PS2 version(s) had, the new content (being able to play as a FM main character, new social links, (I think?) new Persona's to use) and really great refinements to the core gameplay via combat system from Persona 4, this game is a significant improvement over the original version in a number of ways . Granted, the lack of the 3D hub-world and cut-scenes does sting a bit, but overlooking that, the PSP version is the closest we got to a definitive version of Persona 3 .Edit: Ops, didn't check the OP, so I didn't know he never played the game before
. But you really should give it a go man ; its just too good XD!
sabertoothzombie
Member
I didn't mind the battle system and dungeon crawling. It wasn't exceptional but it wasn't terrible either. It was just meh.
The story are characters are great, which makes me really want to get into P3.
I think my favorite part of it, the first time I played it, was that I could choose what to do with my days (who I hangout with, what side missions I do, whether or not I go to the dungeon, etc.)
The story are characters are great, which makes me really want to get into P3.
I think my favorite part of it, the first time I played it, was that I could choose what to do with my days (who I hangout with, what side missions I do, whether or not I go to the dungeon, etc.)
Sodding_Gamer
Member
Haha yeah that's two people now! If I enjoy p4 I will of course check out the other Persona games
Just waiting for Royal Mail to deliver now. Hyped! Doesn't take much to get me excited.
that's what she said
sorry I had too. I've watched too much of The Office.
william_557
Member
Totally agree
Awesome story
Funny and interesting dialogue
Cool characters
Different from most games
Mauricio_Magus
Banned
I've also been on the fence with this game. So much praise everywhere. But honestly, after reading this thread I'm deciding against buying it.
It seems like the gameplay isn't really that good, and the good part it's the story/characters, which is something that I don't really care much about in a game if the gameplay isn't as good
The gameplay is fine, the problem is the that every dungeon is randomized so it's kinda boring.
It has taken years for the games to get ports, so don't expect them to do that anytime soon.
SaggyMonkey
Member
OP This is important if you end up getting the game: Do not give up during the first 5 hours. It takes that long until it really opens up and you get to see what the game is all about. Just trust me. At least make it that far before quitting, but I have a feeling you won't have to worry about that.Seriously get the game, it's that good. It was my first and only Persona and I was blown away.
It's interesting you mention 5 hours. That's about how long playing it took me to wonder what hell everyone liked about it and quit playing it. Found it to be way too long winded and ultimately boring. Game takes awhile to get to anything remotely resembling gameplay.
Just remember to play at your own pace and not to fret too hard about what you should be doing on any given day ESPECIALLY on your first play through. In my opinion you'll absorb the narrative and the world much better when everything is a discovery.Haha yeah that's two people now! If I enjoy p4 I will of course check out the other Persona games
Just waiting for Royal Mail to deliver now. Hyped! Doesn't take much to get me excited.
The game isn't hard enough, even on normal difficulty, to warrant a strict schedule unless you want to get EVERYTHING which should only be a concern on a second play through in NG+.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
Characters and story. The dungeons get pretty tedious, and the game is too long IMO. But I did enjoy it and finish it which says a lot for it since I don't much care for JRPGs.
For someone who really doesn't like the whole, I don't even know what to call it...heavy japanese culture focus, specifically the waifu/jpop stuff, will this game be a turn off? I can't stand it when some little animated japanese girl is shrilling japanese into my ear every time I finish a race or land a critical hit or whatever mechanic triggers that in a lot of games with this style.
The game isn't like that at all :l. Everyone in the game speaks completely in English and Altus/Persona Team did a great translation for the NA version (meaning, all of the games humor and jokes are a mix of stuff from Japan and America).
You can date girls in the game, but after beating the game four times in a row, that wasn't at all like the waifu/jpop stuff you find in other games (they aren't in your-face about it, they are respectable, and the only one that somewhat touches on what you are talking about is Rise but she is an idol herself, so its a bit expected in that case
). You should be able to enjoy the game fine
.I think this game handles it better than most, and absolutely doesn't have little japanese girls screaming at you like a lot of games do. Despite my avatar I'm not really into that kind of thing most of the time either. You'll probably want to turn off voice acting though, apparently that is an option in the vita version.
That said, it is still pretty much a Japanese highschool friendship simulator. If that doesn't appeal to you Atlus make a lot of games that don't have that.
Chance Hale
Member
Replaying at the moment, crazy how fast I'm able to fly through the dungeons and social links now that I know the time tables. Finished every dungeon up to Naoto on the first day it appears. Really like the little touches Golden adds throughout, although it doesn't compare to the female MC of P3P.
And SMT purists shouldn't be able to complain after how easy SMT IV was
Although of course the main complaint at this point is how much Persona 4 media has been produced compare to the rest of the SMT series or even the other Persona games.
And SMT purists shouldn't be able to complain after how easy SMT IV was
Although of course the main complaint at this point is how much Persona 4 media has been produced compare to the rest of the SMT series or even the other Persona games.But do you dislike that because of bad writing or is it a genuine dislike of anything Japanese? That is the underlying difference at least anecdotally with many people who assume that they'd dislike the game based upon what you've said and coming out surprised that they enjoyed it.
That said for you specifically I'd at least advise that you'd be willing to invest in a story heavy game filled to the brim with voice acting and predominantly teenage characters before considering playing the game. The game itself is confident and a solid release, being one of the best JRPGs in the genre.
In terms of gameplay, if you've played Pokemon, you have a starting point for what the gameplay is like. It's very much "strike the weakness while avoiding getting yours hit", where only the main character can change the spells they have access to/what their weakness is. This allows you to really choose any character you want in your party in the game, while shoring up whatever's missing from the collective party's arsenal by gathering new Personas.
Difficulty level wise, Very Easy will allow you to sleepwalk through the game and never have you worry about this aspect. Easy is a little harder but still much the same. Normal means you probably need to pay attention to a well rounded party, while Hard means you better also be very good at building specific Personas for your MC to use while also buffing/debuffing.
The only real negative most anyone has for the game is the dungeons. Because they're randomized(for the most part), they're very simplistic things to run around and fight enemies in. Unfortunately, this basically IS your gameplay sections, which is why people dock it points. For as lacking as the SMT series is in terms of story/character, the Persona series lacks dungeon design. This is enough to kill the game for some, not others.
The main thing that's always helped this negative I feel is the game really is two different games: The social sim aspect and the dungeon aspect. You need to dungeon crawl to progress the story, but it's completely up to you(after the many hour long introduction) on when you go about this. Days in Persona are broken up into chunks of the day, with you getting free time to do whatever After School and in Evenings. If you decide to dungeon crawl for the day, you'll be doing it After School, and you'll be too tired to do anything at the Evening, so it ends whatever social things you'd want to do that day. Other than that, you can hang out with characters(including those on your party) to learn a little more about them and help them through whatever baggage they may be carrying, which in turn makes the dungeon crawling aspect slightly easier. Team mates hung out with get access to new abilities in dungeons(both on their own and from their Personas, everything from new spells to being able to knock your MC out of the way of an attack that would kill him).
Ideally? You want to go into a dungeon a few times to accomplish your goal, and spend other time hanging out with peeps. The way I've always played the games was by the time you get bored of dungeon crawling, well you don't have to again for a good month and you get to hang out with people. When that starts wearing thing, hey it's time to dungeon crawl again. The gameplay kind of leapfrogs like this(if you choose to) the whole game.
It also has enough of a unique story in that it's basically a murder mystery set in modern day, to which I can recall no JRPG ever having a setup like that. This, coupled with the game's great characters and music, usually means people who may not even like JRPGs like this game, and ones that love JRPGs adore it.
And for the love of god don't turn off the voice acting, as Atlus anything tends to be the best in that when it comes to japanese games...
Difficulty level wise, Very Easy will allow you to sleepwalk through the game and never have you worry about this aspect. Easy is a little harder but still much the same. Normal means you probably need to pay attention to a well rounded party, while Hard means you better also be very good at building specific Personas for your MC to use while also buffing/debuffing.
The only real negative most anyone has for the game is the dungeons. Because they're randomized(for the most part), they're very simplistic things to run around and fight enemies in. Unfortunately, this basically IS your gameplay sections, which is why people dock it points. For as lacking as the SMT series is in terms of story/character, the Persona series lacks dungeon design. This is enough to kill the game for some, not others.
The main thing that's always helped this negative I feel is the game really is two different games: The social sim aspect and the dungeon aspect. You need to dungeon crawl to progress the story, but it's completely up to you(after the many hour long introduction) on when you go about this. Days in Persona are broken up into chunks of the day, with you getting free time to do whatever After School and in Evenings. If you decide to dungeon crawl for the day, you'll be doing it After School, and you'll be too tired to do anything at the Evening, so it ends whatever social things you'd want to do that day. Other than that, you can hang out with characters(including those on your party) to learn a little more about them and help them through whatever baggage they may be carrying, which in turn makes the dungeon crawling aspect slightly easier. Team mates hung out with get access to new abilities in dungeons(both on their own and from their Personas, everything from new spells to being able to knock your MC out of the way of an attack that would kill him).
Ideally? You want to go into a dungeon a few times to accomplish your goal, and spend other time hanging out with peeps. The way I've always played the games was by the time you get bored of dungeon crawling, well you don't have to again for a good month and you get to hang out with people. When that starts wearing thing, hey it's time to dungeon crawl again. The gameplay kind of leapfrogs like this(if you choose to) the whole game.
It also has enough of a unique story in that it's basically a murder mystery set in modern day, to which I can recall no JRPG ever having a setup like that. This, coupled with the game's great characters and music, usually means people who may not even like JRPGs like this game, and ones that love JRPGs adore it.
And for the love of god don't turn off the voice acting, as Atlus anything tends to be the best in that when it comes to japanese games...
Oh I realize, which definitely saddens me. However, we're in the age now, specifically at a dawn of a new-gen, where studios have a pretty good turn around for releasing last-gen games on current-gen systems (about a year or so). I probably wouldn't mind waiting that long.
Sodding_Gamer
Member
Great description. Got a better understanding of what actually occurs in the game. Colour me intrigued/excited!
OP, to enjoy P4G, I feel like you have to have at least a (very) mild interest in anime. It has a different vibe than the three JRPGs that you mentioned - although that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just be prepared...while the story and characters are phenomenal, the dungeon crawling is surprisingly bad.
DanteGhost
Member
Persona 4: Golden was my first JRPG, and I've gamed for +20 years. You are in for a fucking treat, is that good.
I'm sure there are better JRPG's out there, but P4:G might be the best entry point for JRPG's beginners, mostly because how good the story telling and aesthetics of the game are. And is also an easy game, even though I'm currently stuck in the last boss (true ending) and haven't played in 6 months.
I'm sure there are better JRPG's out there, but P4:G might be the best entry point for JRPG's beginners, mostly because how good the story telling and aesthetics of the game are. And is also an easy game, even though I'm currently stuck in the last boss (true ending) and haven't played in 6 months.
It was my first Persona and Shin Megami game ever. I had no idea what to expect other than I remember people praising the hell out of the game when it came out on PS2. So being a Vita owner and wanting to use the little system, I hyped myself up for the game when it came out. I fell in love the characters and stories right away. The Persona fusion system was great as well. I'd give it a solid 9/10.
Earthpainting
Member
It's fun, but it's not for everyone. The game sets up a cool murder mystery angle, throws some questions and statements your way about the social masks people wear in order to fit in, and it oozes with style. The high school setting may be questionable and off-putting to some, but it makes perfect sense in context. One of the overarching themes is people finding and coming to grips with themselves, and who is a better candidate for that than teenagers who are still trying to carve an identity of their own. They try to balance between who they are, what they want to be and what their environment wants them to be. Sadly enough it comes with cringe-worthy fanservice baggage, but these elements are luckily not too frequent. (Though if you want less of them, the PS2 version has you covered)
The actual gameplay balances between visual novel dating sim and dungeon crawler, and as odd as it may sound, the former is the heart and soul of the game. There is a Pokemon-esque element to it as well, where you collect and fuse monsters which is a lot of fun, but they are tied with the dungeons themselves. The battle system itself is serviceable, but the dungeons are randomly generated and utterly boring to me. I put off going into the dungeons as long as possible because I knew that every time I got in them, I simply wouldn't be having fun for the next few hours. I can't say I'm very pleased with how the murder mystery wrapped up either, but if you just go along for the ride, you'll have a decent time nonetheless.
All in all, I'd say I would recommend it to people who like RPGs, but not unless you have a healthy tolerance of anime-esque characterisation.
*edit*
I see Meia covered a lot of the bases I tried to touch on. I can find my impressions in that summary decently.
The actual gameplay balances between visual novel dating sim and dungeon crawler, and as odd as it may sound, the former is the heart and soul of the game. There is a Pokemon-esque element to it as well, where you collect and fuse monsters which is a lot of fun, but they are tied with the dungeons themselves. The battle system itself is serviceable, but the dungeons are randomly generated and utterly boring to me. I put off going into the dungeons as long as possible because I knew that every time I got in them, I simply wouldn't be having fun for the next few hours. I can't say I'm very pleased with how the murder mystery wrapped up either, but if you just go along for the ride, you'll have a decent time nonetheless.
All in all, I'd say I would recommend it to people who like RPGs, but not unless you have a healthy tolerance of anime-esque characterisation.
*edit*
I see Meia covered a lot of the bases I tried to touch on. I can find my impressions in that summary decently.
I want to agree with this, but I love the femc so much. That makes it so hard to choose for me.
Mauricio_Magus
Banned
The fact that the PS4 doesn't have BC could make it happen sooner, but I'm not sure if it will at all. I expect them to take their time before porting it so first buyers want to double dip.