There are only a handful of games that made me the person I am today or have, quite literally, saved my life. The latter category is occupied by two games, both originally on the PS2: Tales of the Abyss and Persona 3 FES.

Everyone had been clamoring for a P3 remake/definitive edition for years now since Atlus had two competing versions of the game: Portable and FES. There was no single way to experience everything Persona 3, until Reload came along. Reload is supposed to be the definitive version of the game and as a die hard fan of P3, I can say that it does the original justice.

I'll start with what I don't like: I am not happy about every change from FES to Reload, hell some I still actively dislike. But once I took off my FES-tinted glasses and saw Reload as its own game, it made it a lot easier to digest. Some scenes were changed, characters toned down (we shall see if Atlus keeps their promise to not tone down a certain someone in The Answer), gameplay elements both removed and added, etc. They're not bad changes, mind you, I just prefer FES more (except fusion skill randomization, that should stay buried). I still also dislike the "Persona 5"-ification of Persona 3. I wish that they left Persona 3 as Persona 3 and not let 5 influence it too much. The one thing I am most disappointed about is the "modernization" of the tone and themes for 2024. The game is set in 2009 but for some reason we've superimposed 2020s ideas and themes on top of the old ones. I get that a modern take requires a bit of change, but I would've strongly preferred a fully faithful thematic remake, rather than a modernization of dialogue and NPCs. If you've played the original(s), it all hits softer and just doesn't feel right sometimes. The DLC practice is still bad, though that's a symptom of a larger industry problem, not a fault of the game. I bought the Aigis editions on both PC (for Deck portability) and PS5 (for the statue, physical soundtrack and art book). I echo everyone else in saying that The Answer DLC should've been included in the Aigis edition and not retconned out of the "all DLC included" statement that was made when the game was first released. The DLC is mostly pointless, save The Answer, so don't feel like you're missing out on anything major. There is no fatigue system, which I personally consider to be a downside since it was a staple of Persona 3 that set it aside from the other entries. I kinda wish they kept a lot of the original stuff from FES in but let you toggle it via difficulty setting or something. A nice mesh of both versions would be cool.

I love the expanded lore of the characters and the universe, I love the models, the new VAs (and the old ones showing up too!), the scenery, the ambiance. It all feels a little less heavy than FES did but I guess its a product of its time (in more ways than one). The QoL things like actually being able to pick your persona's skills (never going back to that horrid randomization way again), seeing quiz answers, better fast travel, more responsive menus, etc. are so much nicer than the original. The music, while not packing the same heat as the originals, have come out swinging and hold their own (@Color Your Night). The modernization of visuals really does make Tatsumi Port Island really feel like a lived in place, though I guess that's thanks to modern hardware. Plus the game is fairly easy to mod if you want to go that route (especially to bring back the Aikoto Rank 8 hug). You can pet Koromaru, you don't have to worry about being forced to date everyone, there's a usable compendium early on (though RIP certain broken skills), you can choose your cards during shuffle time (though rip music continuity), rewind lets you experience different choices and whatnot. Its a nice mesh of new and old.

Overall, as a Persona 3 fan, I am satisfied with what Atlus has done for the game. While not perfect, it stands on its own as the definitive version of Persona 3 (aside from FeMC, who, if added, would've just reignited the whole "no definitive edition" debate all over again). I recommend this version for first timers, and FES for those who want a challenge and to see the game as it originally was almost two decades ago.

There are only a handful of games that made me the person I am today or have, quite literally, saved my life. The latter category is occupied by two games, both originally on the PS2: Tales of the Abyss and Persona 3 FES. Everyone had been clamoring for a P3 remake/definitive edition for years now since Atlus had two competing versions of the game: Portable and FES. There was no single way to experience everything Persona 3, until Reload came along. Reload is supposed to be the definitive version of the game and as a die hard fan of P3, I can say that it does the original justice. I'll start with what I don't like: I am not happy about every change from FES to Reload, hell some I still actively dislike. But once I took off my FES-tinted glasses and saw Reload as its own game, it made it a lot easier to digest. Some scenes were changed, characters toned down (we shall see if Atlus keeps their promise to not tone down a certain someone in The Answer), gameplay elements both removed and added, etc. They're not bad changes, mind you, I just prefer FES more (except fusion skill randomization, that should stay buried). I still also dislike the "Persona 5"-ification of Persona 3. I wish that they left Persona 3 as Persona 3 and not let 5 influence it too much. The one thing I am most disappointed about is the "modernization" of the tone and themes for 2024. The game is set in 2009 but for some reason we've superimposed 2020s ideas and themes on top of the old ones. I get that a modern take requires a bit of change, but I would've strongly preferred a fully faithful thematic remake, rather than a modernization of dialogue and NPCs. If you've played the original(s), it all hits softer and just doesn't feel right sometimes. The DLC practice is still bad, though that's a symptom of a larger industry problem, not a fault of the game. I bought the Aigis editions on both PC (for Deck portability) and PS5 (for the statue, physical soundtrack and art book). I echo everyone else in saying that The Answer DLC should've been included in the Aigis edition and not retconned out of the "all DLC included" statement that was made when the game was first released. The DLC is mostly pointless, save The Answer, so don't feel like you're missing out on anything major. There is no fatigue system, which I personally consider to be a downside since it was a staple of Persona 3 that set it aside from the other entries. I kinda wish they kept a lot of the original stuff from FES in but let you toggle it via difficulty setting or something. A nice mesh of both versions would be cool. I love the expanded lore of the characters and the universe, I love the models, the new VAs (and the old ones showing up too!), the scenery, the ambiance. It all feels a little less heavy than FES did but I guess its a product of its time (in more ways than one). The QoL things like actually being able to pick your persona's skills (never going back to that horrid randomization way again), seeing quiz answers, better fast travel, more responsive menus, etc. are so much nicer than the original. The music, while not packing the same heat as the originals, have come out swinging and hold their own (@Color Your Night). The modernization of visuals really does make Tatsumi Port Island really feel like a lived in place, though I guess that's thanks to modern hardware. Plus the game is fairly easy to mod if you want to go that route (especially to bring back the Aikoto Rank 8 hug). You can pet Koromaru, you don't have to worry about being forced to date everyone, there's a usable compendium early on (though RIP certain broken skills), you can choose your cards during shuffle time (though rip music continuity), rewind lets you experience different choices and whatnot. Its a nice mesh of new and old. Overall, as a Persona 3 fan, I am satisfied with what Atlus has done for the game. While not perfect, it stands on its own as the definitive version of Persona 3 (aside from FeMC, who, if added, would've just reignited the whole "no definitive edition" debate all over again). I recommend this version for first timers, and FES for those who want a challenge and to see the game as it originally was almost two decades ago.