As a seasoned gamer with a heart full of nostalgia for the Persona series, I must say that my recent dive into Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis has left me utterly enchanted and emotionally stirred. It’s been a while since I last delved into The Answer’s story, but let me tell you, it’s not just about the monsters or the social links this time around. This is a tale of grief, resilience, and human spirit, and it resonates deeply with my life experiences.
The following will contain spoilers for the base game content of Persona 3.
Playing Persona 3 Reload was the key for me to fully understand and appreciate Persona 3. While I enjoy all these games, I found it hard to enjoy earlier versions of Persona 3. Among my beloved titles, there was one that didn’t quite resonate with me as expected. However, after the remake this year, it transformed from being my least favorite to possibly my top pick. A fresh new look, a reevaluation of its main characters, and an upgrade to its combat system made all the difference. I’ve never been more ready to enjoy Persona 3 content than I am now.
Revisiting Episode Aigis, the epilogue from Persona 3 FES, sparked my curiosity about one of Persona’s more debated storylines. While I didn’t particularly enjoy the gameplay mechanics of the original Persona 3 to the extent of playing a thirty-hour dungeon crawl on hard mode without compendium access, I was familiar with its main plot, given my involvement in this community for quite some time. To be honest, I had let most specifics slip my mind before embarking on this playthrough, so I chose to approach it with a fresh perspective.
The original version can be quite divisive, and it seems many players found its presentation off-putting, which may have affected their enjoyment. Essentially, you’re discussing a game that combined life simulation elements with the engaging gameplay of Shin Megami Tensei, only to remove half of the former and require newcomers to play through Shin Megami Tensei to access the epilogue. I appreciate the creative choice, but it’s understandable why some players might not be thrilled about the story being spread out across a demanding dungeon crawler. Reload’s Episode Aigis is their effort to create a more accessible version of this experience.
In the aftermath of P3’s finale, members of S.E.E.S. are preparing to part ways. Following the heartbreaking demise of their leader, each individual is dealing with the situation in a unique manner. Yet, on March 31st at midnight, they find themselves thrust back to the start of the day, trapped within the dorm and forced to traverse a sea of doors that open onto shadowy dungeons, unable to break free unless they complete this time loop.
From a straightforward perspective, the performance remains exceptional. The dungeons appear visually appealing, battles are impressively animated, the cinematic cutscenes retain their quality from the original game, and the new music is simply fantastic. Many remixed versions of previous tracks seem to be enhancements or at least as good as the originals, if not better. The new Mass Destruction track stands out, and while it’s debatable whether it surpasses the new battle theme “Don’t”, I personally don’t feel compelled to argue that point. After all, pitting two masterpieces like Mona Lisas against each other isn’t my idea of enjoyment.
As I traversed the labyrinthine halls of Tartarus in Persona 3 Reload, a recurring idea lingered at the edge of my consciousness: “I adore this game’s combat and dungeon exploration; it would be fantastic if there was a game that emphasized these aspects even more.” In essence, Episode Aigis comes close to fulfilling that wish. The game is primarily focused on exploring dungeons and engaging in battles, with minimal distractions like character interactions or supply management. While other elements of the modern Persona series are absent due to the characters being confined in their dormitory, the core gameplay revolves around dungeon crawling and combat, making up approximately 95% of the experience.
Hey there fellow gamer! If you were head over heels for the dungeon crawling in Persona 3 Reload and had “P3R rogue-lite” on your gaming bucket list like me, then buckle up because it’s more of that amazing experience waiting for you! Episode Aigis isn’t a major overhaul of P3R’s mechanics but rather a fine-tuning. It feels like diving into a compact, concentrated version of the Persona universe, following the same progression in a game that’s roughly half the length. So, get ready to immerse yourself once again in the captivating world of Persona!
Leveling is faster, there are more battles, everything is harder. Your characters all start at level 30 with their late-game personas, and from there you’ll need to regain your power as you fight harder and harder enemies. I tried to compare stat screens between my old save and my new one, and if there were any serious character rebalancing then I guess I missed it. Characters like Akihiko and Mitsuru still feel “nerfed”. They’re useful early on thanks to having their better personas at an early level, but fall off near the end.
Although there were no significant changes to the main combat system, Atlus appears to have fine-tuned everything surrounding it. My primary complaint about P3R was that it was too simple, even when playing on hard mode. I can accept that the Persona series is moving towards less resistance, ease of use, and creating more enjoyable games overall, but in my opinion, Reload lacked balance in this aspect. Episode Aigis offers an experience closer to the original The Answer, albeit slightly. You still have the freedom to adjust the difficulty level, however, all settings will be noticeably tougher than what you initially encountered in the main game.
At first, I chose to begin on the Normal difficulty level just to get a sense of it since, as you recall, this had always been set to hard before. To my delight, I discovered it felt just right, similar to the Hard mode in Reload. It was sufficiently challenging and penalized those who weren’t focused. As I progressed, I found myself toggling between Normal and Hard, enjoying both modes equally. This experience underscores the strong foundation of Reload when applied to a game with more intensity.
I believe this was quite cleverly done, and for an RPG finale, I wanted it to follow in the footsteps of Persona 3 while also offering a continuation in terms of themes and mechanics. They certainly achieved that goal. This results in a more evenly paced gameplay experience, and honestly, it’s been one of the most enjoyable modern Persona games for me. The gameplay feels fantastic, yet is balanced to allow you to test the limits of your strategies. The ability to customize the level of challenge based on personal preferences, while ensuring that each difficulty level is tougher than the base game? That’s what I call a well-balanced RPG.
In newer Atlus RPGs, there’s a diminishing sense of the challenging, unpredictable nature that I adored, where the difficulty level escalates as you progress deeper into the game. Eventually, almost every boss possesses a skill to dodge their weakness, and many enemies start to resist or reflect most attacks. As you approach the end game, when your party members deal their maximum damage through physical attacks, more and more enemies acquire counter skills that can instantly defeat them with their own moves, even if they’re at full health. Additionally, Monad Doors become more frequent, presenting three doors of varying difficulties, promising better loot behind the harder ones. However, dying in these areas is a game over with no respawns, and the superior gear you find won’t offer a significant advantage for long. This balance between reward and punishment can be delightfully harsh, and I found myself becoming increasingly captivated by it.
As a gaming enthusiast who appreciates the social elements of Persona more than its turn-based gameplay, I’m thrilled to find that the Characteristic system for party members has been retained from the base game. This system is linked to unique items hidden in chests, which can be opened with twilight fragments at the end of boss fights. These items can then be presented to specific characters to serve as a conversation starter. While these interactions aren’t essential to the game’s progression, I enjoy witnessing my team taking breaks together, like when Metis insists Ken brew pour-over coffee, and they engage in a thoughtful discussion about what it would mean for a robot like her to taste it.
Although I thoroughly enjoy the unpredictable dungeon exploration in this expansion, its vastness can sometimes feel overwhelming. My gameplay spanned approximately 30 hours, and by hour 20, I was starting to tire. The designs of the seven dungeons tend to repeat, which might not be a significant issue if you take your time and don’t rush through what essentially is a compact video game within a week. That said, it does indicate that the variety and rhythm of the day-to-day sections are missing in Episode Aigis compared to other modern Persona games. With few cutscenes throughout, I believe many players might struggle with this lack of pacing. I regret not being able to prolong my playtime until the release of Metaphor ReFantazio, as I would likely have declared it the best gameplay experience in a recent Persona title by now. However, I need some time to reflect before I can confidently say that. After catching up on sleep, I’ll probably reach that conclusion (hopefully soon).
For quite a while, I’ve been away from “The Answer’s” narrative, and I’m puzzled about why it carries such a strong reputation. This tale revolves around coping with loss, learning to accept the demise of a cherished one, and discovering the fortitude to progress despite it. Although the circumstances that lead our characters into this predicament might seem thin, they are crucial for creating a narrative that delves deeper into character exploration rather than what was presented in the original P3. At times, it can be intensely uncomfortable due to its raw emotionality, which may catch you off guard if you’ve experienced something similar. As a teenager, I struggled to connect with it as much as I do now. The characters’ responses to this trauma encompass a broad range of reactions to grief. It wasn’t until a decade had passed that I truly grasped its value. The writers skillfully expose the characters’ innermost feelings in this story.
As a passionate fan, I couldn’t help but be moved by the exceptional performances of the English voice actors who truly outdid themselves in sending off these beloved characters. The emotional depth and skill displayed in their portrayals will undoubtedly stand as some of the most memorable moments within this franchise. Dawn M. Bennett’s Aigis and Heather Gonzalez’ Yukari, in particular, left a lasting impression on me, while Zeno Robinson’s portrayal of Junpei added the subtle maturity that was essential for making his character shine in this story.
As a devoted gamer, I’ve been captivated by this game, with its storyline remarkably mirroring the original almost scene for scene. However, towards the closing acts, some tweaks left me feeling ambivalent. I can’t delve into specifics, but after a pivotal moment, there was a shift that felt somewhat subdued. It wasn’t about altering major plot points, as events unfolded much as they did earlier, but the character motivations appeared to be redefined in a bid to address long-standing feedback. Characters received more depth in some instances, while others underwent subtle transformations that made them distinct from their previous selves. An iconic animated sequence underwent a significant overhaul, which left me bewildered. While I’d label it as sanitized, the transformation is so drastic that I find myself more intrigued than displeased about why they chose to alter it in this way.
In a nutshell, the Episode Aigis expansion maintains many of the quirks present in its PlayStation 2 version, yet enhances its narrative by wrapping it around gameplay that more players might appreciate. I was initially taken aback when I thought this addition seemed superfluous, but now I view it as a key component that brings Persona 3’s themes to fruition. This game excelled in almost every aspect I required, though I have reservations about some minor narrative adjustments. However, overall, I find it a profound exploration of one of the most devastating experiences someone could endure. You can complete the story with Reload’s credits and feel satisfied, but Episode Aigis serves as a poignant finale. Persona 3’s tale is among the most multi-layered narratives Atlus has ever crafted, and if you share my affection for this case, I believe you’ll find merit in exploring its continuation. While it won’t resonate with every Persona enthusiast, it certainly struck a chord with me – just take your time to appreciate it fully.
Versions tested: Xbox/Windows.
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2024-09-10 06:26