Persona 3 Reload Review
Article written prior to DLC announcements
Written by James Kendrick // Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Developed by Atlus, Persona 3 Reload is a remake of the 2006 game Persona 3. In Persona 3 Reload, the player takes control of a protagonist commonly referred to as Makoto Yuki. Makoto is a recent transfer student at Gekkoukan High School. While attending school he is discovered to have the ability to use a Persona, a physical manifestation of one’s subconscious, that only certain people can control. Makoto joins the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES), a group of his classmates who are also able to control Personas. In the world of Persona 3 there is an extra hour in the day that occurs at midnight. This time is called the “Dark Hour” during which monstrous shadows roam the streets and Makoto’s school becomes Tartarus, a huge tower filled with shadows. The game follows Makoto and SEES investigating Tartarus and trying to end the “Dark Hour.”
By integrating features from Persona 4 and 5, Persona 3 Reload manages to make the story of Persona 3 much more accessible to modern audiences. Unfortunately, elements from Persona 3‘s re-releases entitled FES and Portable, respectively, are not included. Despite the lack of features from FES and Portable, Reload is the definitive way to play Persona 3. It is a must play, not just for Persona or RPG fans, but gamers in general.