Persona 4: The Reviews

[Inzaghi]

1UP.com, A+
"Improving on its stellar predecessor in every conceivable way, Persona 4 shows that engrossing Japanese roleplaying's far from extinct." (http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3171567&p=2)

Gamervision.com, 100/100
"An outstanding achievement in gaming. There’s no question that this is going to be one of my top games of the year, and any fan of JRPGs should be playing it when it’s released next week." (http://www.gamervision.com/gamer/sarah/reviews/article/shin_megami_tensei_persona_4)

Gamezone.com, 87/100
"If it had to be said, Persona 4 is among the best RPGs on the PlayStation 2 in many years. The overall package is fantastic with a mysterious storyline – which is well put together – and an incredible technical department due to the soundtrack." (http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r35826.htm)

Gamertell.com
"When people look back and wonder what the last great PS2 game was, Persona 4 will undoubtedly spring to mind...It is simply a phenomenal and alluring title with hours of gameplay and replay value and a stylish presentation. Kudos to Atlus for creating such an interactive and likable game." (http://www.gamertell.com/gaming/comment/gamertell-review-persona-4-for-ps2)

GamePro.com, 5/5 [Editor's Choice]
"I'm happy to report that while Persona 4 does hold quite a few similarities to its predecessor, it proves itself as a brand new experience from the ground up with unprecedented levels of innovation, character, and outright charisma." (http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/208072/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4/)

Hardcoregamer.com, 4.75/5
"Atlus has really created something special with Persona 4, because it still maintains the freshness of Persona 3, while also being different and in many ways superior...there is no excuse for missing this game." (http://www.hardcoregamer.com/index.php?option=com_magazine&id_rubrique=2&type=article&id_article=233)

Destructoid, 10/10 [Editor's Choice]
"Atlus managed to combine the best of what already worked well with fresh new ideas and tweaks, and the end result is a fantastic role-playing game -- definitely a shoe-in for RPG of the year. Unless you dislike the genre, do not, under any circumstances, miss Persona 4." (http://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-persona-4-113726.phtml)

Wired, 10/10
"[...]even if it had been released during PS2's heyday it would have earned a place among the system's finest software titles. Roleplaying fans will find hours of enjoyment in Atlus' world, but even those with only a passing interest in the genre should play this." (http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/12/review-persona.html)

Thunderbolt, 10/10
"Look, folks. If you have any interest in RPGs, you need to play Persona 4. Period. It’s one of the best titles available on the PS2. In fact, it just might be the console's swan song." (http://www.thunderboltgames.com/reviews/article/persona-4-review-for-ps2.html)

Gamecritics, 9/10
"[...]Persona 4's mechanics are ingenious, the characters are well-written and engaging, the voice work and music are top-quality, the art is beautifully stylish, and its basis in a real-world setting manages to avoid the usual genre clichés. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 is a true gamer's game." (http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4-review)

PlayStation Illustrated, 98/100
"Persona 4 is an all-around great game and a must buy for any RPG fan - or really anyone in the market for a good game. There are numerous, much flashier titles coming out this holiday season, but Persona 4 should not be overlooked." (http://www.psillustrated.com/psillustrated/soft_rev.php/4406/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4-ps2.html)

PopMatters, 8/10
"If all Persona 4 did was parade a couple of juvenile teenage issues around and prop this up with a clever design, then the game would be just another JRPG with some exceptional innovation. But touching moments like that one make up the bulk of the experience, not the minority, and it’s for that reason Persona 4 becomes great." (http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/66287-shin-megami-tensei-persona-4/)

Honestgamers, 10/10
"This is a game that everyone with a PS2 should try, if only to marvel at what is possible when an independent developer applies wild creativity to limited resources. It puts many of the more big-budget efforts of much larger companies, on much larger consoles, absolutely to shame." (http://www.honestgamers.com/systems/content.php?review_id=7628&platform=PlayStation+2&abr=PS2&gametitle=Shin+Megami+Tensei%3A+Persona+4)

WorthPlaying, 9.5/10 [Editor's Choice]
"Everything — from the story to the combat system to the dungeon crawling and Social Links — has been improved. Considering that Persona 3 was already an excellent game, Persona 4 is a true standout. If you're an RPG fan who owns a PlayStation 2, you owe it to yourself to pick up this game. You won't regret it." (http://worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=58128)

IGN, 90/100 [Editor's Choice]
"A significant improvement over the previous Persona games in many ways, Persona 4 provides a deeper dungeon crawling/social link experience that makes it engaging to play. Everything from the battle system and the dungeons that you fight through to the social links you develop and friend interaction that you do on your "off hours" has been radically improved in this game." (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/937/937080p1.html)

Game Informer, 80/100
"...it rewards your effort with a compelling story, rock solid combat, and a fanaticism-inspiring persona fusion system. If you’ve got the time and dedication, Persona 4 will not disappoint." (http://gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200901/R08.1209.1505.23527.htm)

[Nightrayne13x]

It's a great feeling when your own game kicks off with a top marks review. Great job Atlus USA for the excellent translation and Atlus Japan for the excellent game development. Go get your drink'er on and celebrate tonight ;)

[Eternal Sin]

yeah, Atlus has done a beyond outstanding job! If anyone deserves to relax or party this holiday season, its them!

[dragonlife29]

"What really sets Persona 4 apart, though, is its endearing, relatable cast. While I loved Persona 3, I never really warmed to most of my cohorts, who suffered from what I like to call Ian Ziering Syndrome -- thirtysomethings impersonating high school kids."

This is great to hear; I agree on the P3 part in that I never really cared for my partners (come on, I preferred Koromaru out of everyone, and he's a dog!), so hearing that P4 may actually make me like my teammates is awesome.

Nine more days :D

Yay at the A+! Could it possibly Game of the Month like P3 was in EGM? (I am recalling correctly, right?)

[Inzaghi]

Another, from Gamertell.com (http://www.gamertell.com/gaming/comment/gamertell-review-persona-4-for-ps2/).

Yay at the A+! Could it possibly Game of the Month like P3 was in EGM? (I am recalling correctly, right?)

It could possibly!

[Olethros]

Inzy, it seems your moment of rock stardom is upon you. Will you let all the adoration and attention go to your head? :-P

[Inzaghi]

Inzy, it seems your moment of rock stardom is upon you. Will you let all the adoration and attention go to your head? :-P

I didn't really work on P4, though.

[Olethros]

Inzy, it seems your moment of rock stardom is upon you. Will you let all the adoration and attention go to your head? :-P

I didn't really work on P4, though.

Huh? An Inzy-less persona localization? Say it isn't so!

Well then, I suppose there's really no reason for me to get this anymore! ;-)

[MrBubbles]

Our the Persona 4 is indeed PS2 GOTY 2008, just barely defeating our the Persona 3 FES. SO NICE!

[Crabman]

Nice, nice. Reviews be damned; I'm still getting this game, but it's comforting to know you're going to buy a great game.

[Skyrocket]

The GameZone link doesn't seem to work.

[Nightrayne13x]

There seems to be some contradictions and just plain wrong info in the gamezone review. I don't think I need to point those out :), though it was still a great review nevertheless.

P4 RPG of the year? yah no doubt.

GAME OF THE YEAR? wouldn't be surprised.

[StrikeRaider]

Oh please it still has to compete with GoW 2 and GTA 4. It's the GoTY in my opinion though by far.

[Eternal Sin]

GTA 4 and GoW 2 are both great games in many ways but i think the real competition to decide which game will be "game of the year" will be how long its popularity lasts.

for example, GTA 4 was great and really fun to play but by July the rush and excitement had settled down. GoW2 just came out so we'll have to see. Personally i think P4 will take the cake, it has more replay value than the other two.

[Sseklebeast]

Even though I'm not a fan I am sure Fallout 3 will a big contender as well.

I saw this in the Gamerzone review and just wondered "wtf?"

"If you’ve played Persona 3, then you’ll find it eerily similar due it being in the same town (Inaba) and the storyline of Persona 4 occurring 14 months after. "

Am I reading that right? Guess they are confused or something..

[Enzo_Kensei]

Persona 4 sure is the greatest thing to close the year 2008 with a bang!

[Eternal Sin]

haha i like how inaccurate that was :)

[Enzo_Kensei]

^haha. I know. I'm just making that up. Well for me, P4 is the way to end a year with a bang. :D

[StrikeRaider]

Don't get your hopes up bub.

[Nightrayne13x]

Even though I'm not a fan I am sure Fallout 3 will a big contender as well.

I saw this in the Gamerzone review and just wondered "wtf?"

"If you’ve played Persona 3, then you’ll find it eerily similar due it being in the same town (Inaba) and the storyline of Persona 4 occurring 14 months after. "

Am I reading that right? Guess they are confused or something..

Yeah I mentioned it earlier, there is some other ones in that review that made me go ummmmm, but I think you pointed out the most obvious one that made me chuckle a bit.

...and guys seriously....who needs GTA4, fallout 3, and GoW2 when you have Risette ;)

[SlaughterX]

Wow, looks like Fallout 3 might have some serious competition for RPG of the year. I couldn't be happier that it's a SMT game. Hopefully the fact that the PS2 is on life support won't negatively affect the sales this game deserves.

[superbeast1370]

Wow, looks like Fallout 3 might have some serious competition for RPG of the year. I couldn't be happier that it's a SMT game. Hopefully the fact that the PS2 is on life support won't negatively affect the sales this game deserves.

I HATE WRPGs. they're just so...bleh. Persona 4 will take Top Honor as being the best JRPG of 2008 edging Valkyria Chronicles and even Persona 3: FES.

[sora4126]

I look forward to seeing how right all those reviewers are next Wednesday!
You guys rock! If I had money and we were friends I'd make you all a delicious cake... or make my friend make it since she makes a mean tiramisu. And this cake would be no lie.

[Saburo Hikari]

I HATE WRPGs. they're just so...bleh. Persona 4 will take Top Honor as being the best JRPG of 2008 edging Valkyria Chronicles and even Persona 3: FES.Regarding Valkyria Chronicles, I hope it's recognized enough. That game doesn't have enough love...

But this forum is about Persona 4. Anyway, I wonder how the menace that is X-Play going to rate this game. Because is it just me, or is X-Play racist against Japanese games? I think Persona 3 got a 3 out of 5. Only after seeing the popularity of the game did they raise their score of P3 FES to 4 out of 5. :/ Yet even then, they still dissed the game (Horrible music?! Stupid guys don't even know how to appreciate different varieties of music...).

[unknown]

X-Play isn't racist against Japanese games (okay maybe they are a little bias...), they gave high scores to SMT:Nocturne (I think it won PS2 (and/or RPG) Game of the Year) and to both Digital Devil Saga games.

[Sseklebeast]

I HATE WRPGs. they're just so...bleh. Persona 4 will take Top Honor as being the best JRPG of 2008 edging Valkyria Chronicles and even Persona 3: FES.Regarding Valkyria Chronicles, I hope it's recognized enough. That game doesn't have enough love...

But this forum is about Persona 4. Anyway, I wonder how the menace that is X-Play going to rate this game. Because is it just me, or is X-Play racist against Japanese games? I think Persona 3 got a 3 out of 5. Only after seeing the popularity of the game did they raise their score of P3 FES to 4 out of 5. :/ Yet even then, they still dissed the game (Horrible music?! Stupid guys don't even know how to appreciate different varieties of music...).

No, you're right they usually say negative things when it comes to "JRPGs" and I think they said something along the lines of how they just do not like them. Their review of the original Persona 3 mentioned how the music was awful and how the game had horrible voice acting ( right when they comment on the VA they show you the clip of Junpei walking up to you in class saying "Sup dude?" ) heh . I thought Junpei's VA was awesome but whatever. I think they also said something about the characters being 'emo' which is just retarded and something about the evokers. I have not watched X-Play in over a year but I am sure it's still filled with their schtick that they find oh so amusing. :o

[Saburo Hikari]

X-Play isn't racist against Japanese games (okay maybe they are a little bias...), they gave high scores to SMT:Nocturne (I think it won PS2 (and/or RPG) Game of the Year) and to both Digital Devil Saga games.I guess, but they still seem to manage to point out more minor flaws than the good stuff, regardless of the score. Well, at least their written reviews seem better...

I have not watched X-Play in over a year but I am sure it's still filled with their schtick that they find oh so amusing. :oI remember hearing the reviewer saying that there was a lot of sexual innuendo, like Yukari during a battle saying "Ugh, I can't take it anymore. Can I pull out?". Only after hearing that from X-Play did I actually recognize the "innuendo". Of course, Persona 3 isn't really one of those perverted games.

It seems any Japanese game that isn't Metal Gear is verbally dissed, again despite the scores.

[Sseklebeast]

^Final Fantasy 12 5 out of 5 but that was of course given with their comments on feminine male leads and anything else minor about them that they can point out. I know they do it because they think it's funny but I just would get douche chills watching.

[Sseklebeast]

Even though I'm not a fan I am sure Fallout 3 will a big contender as well.

I saw this in the Gamerzone review and just wondered "wtf?"

"If you’ve played Persona 3, then you’ll find it eerily similar due it being in the same town (Inaba) and the storyline of Persona 4 occurring 14 months after. "

Am I reading that right? Guess they are confused or something..

Yeah I mentioned it earlier, there is some other ones in that review that made me go ummmmm, but I think you pointed out the most obvious one that made me chuckle a bit.

...and guys seriously....who needs GTA4, fallout 3, and GoW2 when you have Risette ;)

Oops I overlooked that sorry! :)

[Saburo Hikari]

^Final Fantasy 12 5 out of 5 but that was of course given with their comments on feminine male leads and anything else minor about them that they can point out. I know they do it because they think it's funny but I just would get douche chills watching.Not funny if those games that they are reviewing are directed toward the people that like that stuff. :/

But regarding the reviews that already have been made: awesome! Glad to hear that the sequel to one of my favorite games of all time is getting amazing reviews! Now I'm really excited to play it! And if this game wins game of 2008, then I can say "Take that GoW2, Fallout 3, and GTAIV! Just because it's violent doesn't mean you'll always be sure to beat everyone else!"

[Skyrocket]

X-Play isn't racist against Japanese games (okay maybe they are a little bias...), they gave high scores to SMT:Nocturne (I think it won PS2 (and/or RPG) Game of the Year) and to both Digital Devil Saga games.

How can you be racist against a game? A game is not a person and therefore does not have a race.

I think the word you're looking for is "biased."

[Eternal Sin]

Exacty, i agree with Skyrocket. They can be racist against Japanese culture (which is incorporated into the game) but not the actual game.

[Juanblue85]

Its time to celebrate but what music should be played? drinks? food? any ideas? Also congrats to Atlus USA for an excellent localization on an awesome game. Hope to see more of your work in 2009. :D

[Eternal Sin]

i recomend persona music >_> and maybe some sake

[StrikeRaider]

Could play some victory music.

[Jalopy]

Could play some victory music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAk_QhRRIRc

[sora4126]

^ Don't forget your glasses, everyone.

[Eternal Sin]

haha i might need a stronger prescription after playing too much P4 :P just kidding.

[Enzo_Kensei]

I don't care if my eyes will strain. Bring on Persona 4 :D

[Eternal Sin]

haha well said. By the way what does your sig say?

[Enzo_Kensei]

^somethings wrong with my sig pic. Its supposed to be edited. I'm working on it right now. :D

[Enzo_Kensei]

Finally. I just uploaded another one. This is what my sig pic says. Hehe...

[Eternal Sin]

Oooh nice, did you photoshop/edit that together?

[Enzo_Kensei]

Thanks! Uhmm... I'll PM you what I did. :)

[Skyrocket]

ANN also has a review: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/the-x-button/2008-12-03

Yeah, it's not a game site but it does get a lot of traffic.

[Eternal Sin]

nice! I have a bit more respect for ANN now, mind you i always had respect.

[Yukichin]

Do we know when X-Play will review it?

[Enzo_Kensei]

Cool. "Maybe last great PS2 title". :D

[Yukichin]

Hardcore Gamer review:
http://www.hardcoregamer.com/index.php?option=com_magazine&id_rubrique=2&type=article&id_article=233

[Birdpoopman]

Great Reviews so far, also Persona 4 has a 97 on metacritic so far:D. With a large amount of people going onto metacritic daily many people are bound to notice this. If they do it will undoubtedly increase the sales of Persona 4 by at least a small margin (but hopefully more than that). Hopefully Persona 4 can retain this superb score on metacritic!

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/shinmegamitenseipersona4?q=Persona%204

[Skyrocket]

http://www.thunderboltgames.com/reviews/article/persona-4-review-for-ps2.html

[StrikeRaider]

As much as it deserves that score, Ocarina of Time will pop back up soon enough. It always does...

[dragonlife29]

Apparently, P4 made it into X-Play's Best RPG of 2008 category as a nominee.

[persona3rocks]

its ganna win too

[Enzo_Kensei]

no doubt about it... :D

[Eternal Sin]

I think this calls for a P4 rally!

[Enzo_Kensei]

Bring it on! ^^

[Inzaghi]

I updated the OP with this fresh spate of reviews, but I'll put them here too:

Destructoid, 10/10 Editor's Choice
"Atlus managed to combine the best of what already worked well with fresh new ideas and tweaks, and the end result is a fantastic role-playing game -- definitely a shoe-in for RPG of the year. Unless you dislike the genre, do not, under any circumstances, miss Persona 4." (http://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-persona-4-113726.phtml)

Wired, 10/10
"[...]even if it had been released during PS2's heyday it would have earned a place among the system's finest software titles. Roleplaying fans will find hours of enjoyment in Atlus' world, but even those with only a passing interest in the genre should play this." (http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/12/review-persona.html)

Thunderbolt, 10/10
"Look, folks. If you have any interest in RPGs, you need to play Persona 4. Period. It’s one of the best titles available on the PS2. In fact, it just might be the console's swan song." (http://www.thunderboltgames.com/reviews/article/persona-4-review-for-ps2.html)

Gamecritics, 9/10
"[...]Persona 4's mechanics are ingenious, the characters are well-written and engaging, the voice work and music are top-quality, the art is beautifully stylish, and its basis in a real-world setting manages to avoid the usual genre clichés. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 is a true gamer's game." (http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4-review)

PlayStation Illustrated, 98/100
"Persona 4 is an all-around great game and a must buy for any RPG fan - or really anyone in the market for a good game. There are numerous, much flashier titles coming out this holiday season, but Persona 4 should not be overlooked." (http://www.psillustrated.com/psillustrated/soft_rev.php/4406/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4-ps2.html)

PopMatters, 8/10
"If all Persona 4 did was parade a couple of juvenile teenage issues around and prop this up with a clever design, then the game would be just another JRPG with some exceptional innovation. But touching moments like that one make up the bulk of the experience, not the minority, and it’s for that reason Persona 4 becomes great." (http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/66287-shin-megami-tensei-persona-4/)

[Eternal Sin]

nice going Inza! A nice batch of reviews, your efforts shall not go in vain!

[dragonlife29]

If compared at this point, are P4's reviews better than P3's? I never bothered to look at P3's, but seeing all these amazing scores for P4 early on is quite awesome.

It kinda makes me happy on the inside for you guys; yay for hard work equaling success :D

[Eternal Sin]

Yeah props to ATLUS USA for all their hard work. This game has been finely tuned and polished for NA release, its literally a masterpeice.

[Manly Biceps]

It kinda makes me happy on the inside for you guys; yay for hard work equaling success :D

While critical success is nice, critical AND retail success would be even more nice. :)

[Jalopy]

If compared at this point, are P4's reviews better than P3's? I never bothered to look at P3's, but seeing all these amazing scores for P4 early on is quite awesome.


P3:FES only got one perfect review (according to Gamerankings), while P4 already has 6 or 7.

[StrikeRaider]

I've been telling my friends about P3 since I picked up and I haven't shut up about P4 since 2 months ago.

Don't worry, I'm sure people will buy it.

[dragonlife29]

It kinda makes me happy on the inside for you guys; yay for hard work equaling success :D

While critical success is nice, critical AND retail success would be even more nice. :)It'll sell.

I will help, don't worry :devil:

[Enzo_Kensei]

If compared at this point, are P4's reviews better than P3's? I never bothered to look at P3's, but seeing all these amazing scores for P4 early on is quite awesome.

It kinda makes me happy on the inside for you guys; yay for hard work equaling success :D

Persona 4 clearly surpassed Persona 3 in terms of reviews. I can't remember persona 3 having so many perfect scores. Persona 3's reviews were more like 9 out of 10. ^^ Persona 4 really will rock.

[Enzo_Kensei]

And speaking of retail? It will definitely sell with all Atlus Faithfuls out there waiting since May 08 (I'm included ^^) , and a couple of other people waiting for this epic title. ^^

[superbeast1370]

It kinda makes me happy on the inside for you guys; yay for hard work equaling success :D

While critical success is nice, critical AND retail success would be even more nice. :)It'll sell.

I will help, don't worry :devil:

I'll help too.

[Sseklebeast]

http://www.gamecyte.com/persona-4-review - Gamecyte review

[Enzo_Kensei]

Not perfect! Persona 4 deserves a perfect score. :) Its faults are negligible. ^^

[Crabman]

####...three Personas to get through (FES, EP and P4)....where do I start? :question:

[Soushi_Grapple]

####...three Personas to get through (FES, EP and P4)....where do I start? :question:

Did you play 1 and 2? =) I can't get used to the first person and want to pick 2 up when I finish the first half.. if I ever get my imported copy so I can play in English.

Id say just go with FES and 4 if you're crunched for time. 3 is a little pointless if you have FES, aside some better voiced lines and a few tweaks here and there.

[Enzo_Kensei]

^ I agree...

[ProfessorMurder]

From that Gamecyte review:

"If Persona 4 has any faults, it’s that it’s too good."

95/100.

WTF???

IF this game has a fault, it's that it is too good, therefore, I will give it a less-than-perfect score.

If this game's supposedly the best game ever on the PS2, as the writer claims, then RATE IT LIKE IT IS.

[ProfessorMurder]

And speaking of retail? It will definitely sell with all Atlus Faithfuls out there waiting since May 08 (I'm included ^^) , and a couple of other people waiting for this epic title. ^^

If only Atlus Faithful members buy this game, I get the feeling that this game will be in a huge world of hurt retail-wise. So us Faithful might have to get out and convince some of the unfaithful. Maybe go knock on people's doors like the Mormons.

"Excuse me, have you heard the good news of Teddie?"

Honestly, just due to the timing of this game in the PS2's lifespan, the crappy economy, and the the amount of money that the other companies have for advertising their Shoppingmastime releases, I would bet that compared to the rest of this list (http://www.metacritic.com/games/ps2/) Persona 4's going to sell far, far less. Like an order of magnitude less than all the games on that list.

[Eternal Sin]

i highly doubt that. Persona 4 is popping up on featured games section of alot of game websites. Also, considering Persona 3 did well, anyone who bought it will definitely know of P4 and proceed to buy it. Since the release date is a few days away, lets just wait and see.

[Skyrocket]

I'm amazed IGN doesn't have their review up yet.

[Eternal Sin]

Agreed, good point skyrocket.

[Ike.]

We've still got 4 days before this game hits streets. IGN will probably have their review up on Monday.

[StrikeRaider]

You mean at most 3 days 4 hours 22 minutes as of this posting. Note I said at most.

[Enzo_Kensei]

And speaking of retail? It will definitely sell with all Atlus Faithfuls out there waiting since May 08 (I'm included ^^) , and a couple of other people waiting for this epic title. ^^

If only Atlus Faithful members buy this game, I get the feeling that this game will be in a huge world of hurt retail-wise. So us Faithful might have to get out and convince some of the unfaithful. Maybe go knock on people's doors like the Mormons.

"Excuse me, have you heard the good news of Teddie?"

Honestly, just due to the timing of this game in the PS2's lifespan, the crappy economy, and the the amount of money that the other companies have for advertising their Shoppingmastime releases, I would bet that compared to the rest of this list (http://www.metacritic.com/games/ps2/) Persona 4's going to sell far, far less. Like an order of magnitude less than all the games on that list.

hehe. I get your point. Thats why I added "couple of other people" in the last part. Here in our town, a couple of people are already waiting for it. ^^ I believe in Persona 4. IT"LL SELL LIKE HOTCAKES> >.

[Skyrocket]

We've still got 4 days before this game hits streets. IGN will probably have their review up on Monday.

GameTrailers doesn't have a review up yet either. So Monday should be interesting. And I imagine there will be one up for the English version from RPGFan before long.

[Skyrocket]

The 1 Up Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4aRnPKIMtg

[Eternal Sin]

nice! how much gameplay have we seen total by now? about 25% ? :P:D

[Enzo_Kensei]

I should say about 10%. There's more than twist that will happen than it meets the eye. ^^

[Eternal Sin]

yeah without a doubt, you're right enzo ^^

[Enzo_Kensei]

^hehe... We'll get to play it a few more days more. ^^

[Skyrocket]

http://www.honestgamers.com/systems/content.php?review_id=7628&platform=PlayStation+2&abr=PS2&gametitle=Shin+Megami+Tensei%3A+Persona+4

http://digitalchumps.com/game-reviews/43-ps2/1902-Persona-4.html

[Futago_101]

im most anxious and curious about X-play's review....

Oh X-play, why have you saddened us so? Are you going to make up pitiful excuses to degrade such a wonderful game as Persona 4? D:

I miss the old X-play, whenever they make fun of all kinds of things. Now, it's just too serious and lacks all the fun.

Anybody notice this pattern, or is it just me?

[StrikeRaider]

Well, people were bitching about how it wasn't serious enough and was hardly funny anyway. I think it's only Adam who likes JRPGs if I remember correctly.

[SlaughterX]

Amazon shipped my copy already, hopefully it gets here by Tuesday...

[Yukichin]

im most anxious and curious about X-play's review....

Oh X-play, why have you saddened us so? Are you going to make up pitiful excuses to degrade such a wonderful game as Persona 4? D:

I miss the old X-play, whenever they make fun of all kinds of things. Now, it's just too serious and lacks all the fun.

Anybody notice this pattern, or is it just me?

Do we know when it'll be reviewed?

[unknown]

Everything on TechTV became #### when G4 got involved.

[StrikeRaider]

I'm with this guy ^ except Kevin isn't that bad.

[Saburo Hikari]

Is it just me?! Or did I just hear voiced dialogue during a Social Link in the P4 1UP Show?! HELL YEAH!!! Maybe it's only for your party members, but still, HELL YEAH!!! And that school theme I heard briefly in that 1UP show sounded pretty catchy! I'm gonna explode out of excitement waiting for this game now... I really hope this doesn't make me fail my classes... D:

[unknown]

The S. Link aren't entirely voiced, there are some segments here and there I think. Unless Atlus USA decided to fully voice them, which would be awesome.

[Saburo Hikari]

Better than no voices at all, that's for sure.

I read all of the reviews so far, and now I'm feeling extremely pumped for P4! It's almost uncomfortable! :O I love how you can do a lot more things at night besides studying or going to the arcade.

[Skyrocket]

http://www.rpgamer.com/games/persona/persona4/reviews/persona4strev1.html

[Gen Eric Gui]

Better than no voices at all, that's for sure.


:/

Imagination is dead.


I read the little RPGamer reviewer journal for P4, and the reviewer keeps complaining that they made the game HARDER!!!!11111 "This isn't as easy as P3 and that sucks." was a common message.

:D but also :/

[StrikeRaider]

Sometimes, you get the feeling they don't want to give a perfect score, but can't find any thing they really hate so they just make stuff up.

(The 9.5 for Wind Waker was valid I tell ya!)

[Eternal Sin]

yeah its a good thing that P4 is harder, P3 was really WAY too easy. I think i died like a total of 2 times during the entire story on hard setting. And some bosses like Jin and Takaya went down as quickly as drunks do. So hurray for a challenge!

And if reviewers cant find anything wrong then go ahead and give it a perfect score, people worked hard to perfect this game, so at least give the credit that is due. Not that its a big deal what one or two reviewers say :P

[Fayt Takashi]

yeah its a good thing that P4 is harder, P3 was really WAY too easy. I think i died like a total of 2 times during the entire story on hard setting. And some bosses like Jin and Takaya went down as quickly as drunks do. So hurray for a challenge!

And if reviewers cant find anything wrong then go ahead and give it a perfect score, people worked hard to perfect this game, so at least give the credit that is due. Not that its a big deal what one or two reviewers say :P

Yea, i can see what you are saying, i died a total of 4 times. and don't get me wrong, a challenge is a good thing. i just found the "not dying" part quite comforting because it make the game feel all that more realistic and when you die in real life...that's it, real game over. The fact that you did not die, but a few times made me as though i was the protagonist, not just another person playing the same game you all did.

[Sseklebeast]

I definitely welcome a harder experience as it usually makes it more enjoyable for me. Is anyone else going to start on 'Expert' ?

[Fayt Takashi]

I definitely welcome a harder experience as it usually makes it more enjoyable for me. Is anyone else going to start on 'Expert' ?

na, probably just beginner. because i usually just play for the story and if i keep dying then its going to keep me from wanting to beat it

[superbeast1370]

HERE'S ANOTHER REVIEW!!!

http://www.honestgamers.com/systems/content.php?review_id=7628&platform=PlayStation+2&abr=PS2&gametitle=Shin+Megami+Tensei%3A+Persona+4

[Olethros]

Better than no voices at all, that's for sure.


:/

Imagination is dead.


I read the little RPGamer reviewer journal for P4, and the reviewer keeps complaining that they made the game HARDER!!!!11111 "This isn't as easy as P3 and that sucks." was a common message.

:D but also :/

Understatement of the year, right there. Glad I'm not the only one that sees this happening.

[Skyrocket]

HERE'S ANOTHER REVIEW!!!

http://www.honestgamers.com/systems/content.php?review_id=7628&platform=PlayStation+2&abr=PS2&gametitle=Shin+Megami+Tensei%3A+Persona+4

That one is linked on the last page.

[Aegis Ages]

"What really sets Persona 4 apart, though, is its endearing, relatable cast. While I loved Persona 3, I never really warmed to most of my cohorts, who suffered from what I like to call Ian Ziering Syndrome -- thirtysomethings impersonating high school kids."

This is great to hear; I agree on the P3 part in that I never really cared for my partners (come on, I preferred Koromaru out of everyone, and he's a dog!), so hearing that P4 may actually make me like my teammates is awesome.

Nine more days :D

Yay at the A+! Could it possibly Game of the Month like P3 was in EGM? (I am recalling correctly, right?)
Koromaru is my favorite as well.
He seemed to be the smartest (usually) and most effective in battle.
I'm just happy we'll be able to manually control the partners. Mine never learned that medicine becomes obsolete way to quickly.

I'm happy Atlus is getting good reviews.

[DarKaoZ]

What a way to give the PS2 more life, specially with this high ranked games, PS2 seems to be an elite of great games. I hope the guide gives a good way to get all the Social Link to the max in 1 playthrough.

[Enzo_Kensei]

I definitely welcome a harder experience as it usually makes it more enjoyable for me. Is anyone else going to start on 'Expert' ?

Not yet in my first play. I usually like moderate levels in the beginning for me to adapt at the game. This may run the same engine as P3 has, but many improvements are added. You'll have 5 needs to level up and I'll have to learn through normal mode on how to take advantage of the part-time jobs, etc. In my sec. play through though it would be expert. ;)

[jeffx]

A big fat F-you to Mrs Graphics Whore AJ Glasser over at Kotaku. I'm not sure what she's doing writing for them. The majority of her "reviews" and "articles" gloss over the main features of the games in question and then linger on and on about nitpicky details that don't matter in the long run. Not to mention she seriously dissed Mega Man 9 (and the SNES controller) in the past.

Take this one with a metric ton of salt. (http://kotaku.com/5104877/persona-4-review-getting-away-with-murder)

[Crabman]

^eh whatever, opinions are opinions. With so many glowing reviews, one bad one wouldn't turn me off XD. She did complain about the most random things, though.

[Olethros]

Inzy, it seems your moment of rock stardom is upon you. Will you let all the adoration and attention go to your head? :-P

I didn't really work on P4, though.

While I'd never be so classless as to say how, I now know for certain that you're a lying dog of an Admin.

Shame on you, Mr. Inzhagi. Shame on you.

Does your momma know you lie suing your online aliases? Do you give her a hug with the fingers you used to type that lie up? :p

[Crabman]

IGN Review. (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/937/937080p1.html)

[jeffx]

Joystiq confirms what everyone expected (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/09/metareview-persona-4-ps2/): they're still one of the worst gaming blogs out there.

Can't be bothered to write their own review AND they stick a Persona 3 picture in a P4 article. The LOLs, they have been brought.

[Sseklebeast]

^rofl that's pretty damn funny :)

[Skyrocket]

http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/persona4/index2.html

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/937/937080p1.html

[Soushi_Grapple]

I definitely welcome a harder experience as it usually makes it more enjoyable for me. Is anyone else going to start on 'Expert' ?

na, probably just beginner. because i usually just play for the story and if i keep dying then its going to keep me from wanting to beat it

Seconded. I put down P3 and didn't finish it on regular difficulty (although I did give up a bit quickly... however if Im really into a game aka DDS1/2 I wont put it down forever, just give it a break. Luckily my gf got through 3/FES). Looks like I wont have to do it with this one; I actually think it will be easier given the control.

[mlisette23]

Joystiq confirms what everyone expected (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/09/metareview-persona-4-ps2/): they're still one of the worst gaming blogs out there.

Can't be bothered to write their own review AND they stick a Persona 3 picture in a P4 article. The LOLs, they have been brought.

Well at least it looks like a lot more people are interested in this game!

[superbeast1370]

Joystiq reviewers = retards.

[unknown]

I definitely welcome a harder experience as it usually makes it more enjoyable for me. Is anyone else going to start on 'Expert' ?

na, probably just beginner. because i usually just play for the story and if i keep dying then its going to keep me from wanting to beat it

Seconded. I put down P3 and didn't finish it on regular difficulty (although I did give up a bit quickly... however if Im really into a game aka DDS1/2 I wont put it down forever, just give it a break. Luckily my gf got through 3/FES). Looks like I wont have to do it with this one; I actually think it will be easier given the control.

I'm going to play on normal, don't have time to grind for hours just to play through hard mode. I might play it on expert mode in my second run though.

[evilmegaman]

Reviews are positive. Awesome! and not just positive. phenomenal. I'm stoked. I can't believe gamecrazy is getting it like a day later than normal. oh well

I wonder if in 5 years people will be saying persona 3 was a cult classic or persona 4... that'll be interesting. I'm guessing 3 for me because I can't imagine a better character than junpei. I can relate to him. I'm not like him but I can relate ;) can't wait to assess the personalities in P4

[persona3rocks]

om ganna play on easy for the fist run throught for the feel of the game and then hard when i get my guide

[Juanblue85]

Reviews are positive. Awesome! and not just positive. phenomenal. I'm stoked. I can't believe gamecrazy is getting it like a day later than normal. oh well

I wonder if in 5 years people will be saying persona 3 was a cult classic or persona 4... that'll be interesting. I'm guessing 3 for me because I can't imagine a better character than junpei. I can relate to him. I'm not like him but I can relate ;) can't wait to assess the personalities in P4

Well there is the Game Informer review which seems to be bashing why the gam is on an outdated system and the second opinion lowered the score to 7.25. The overall score was 8.

[Sseklebeast]

I know EGM and 1UP.com are essentially the same but I was happy to see that P4 was tied for Game of the Month in January's EGM. It scored an A+, A and A. Awesome $$

[Saburo Hikari]

Am I allowed to put my own first impressions of the game here? If so, then here it goes:

-Title screen is quite beautiful.
-Story is great so far! A true supernatural mystery story where even I was trying to figure it out. And the comic relief is hilarious! I loved Junpei, but Yosuke's even better! In fact, all of the characters are amazing largely thanks to the next bullet.
-Voice-acting is amazing. I was not too fond of Chie's voice when hearing it in the webisodes, but now I'm just ignoring how much older she sounds in the the localized version simply because her voice-actor's so good! In fact, everyone's voices are top notch! Heck, I loved yet hated my new homeroom teacher because his voice-actor did such an amazing job getting his personality down to his full potential. Thank you Atlus for being able to get the actors to pull off amazing voices in so little time! That's l33t skillz there...
-Battles are tough right from the beginning, and will require me to forget some of my battle tactics from P3 (Which is not a bad thing). I hear from some of you guys that I'll have to use more than just finding enemy weaknesses this time, which I think will make the battles more fun and make me think more tactically. Loving the direct control of the entire party right now. But I'll see what happens if I let them decide during a boss fight later.
Minor, but love the "shortcut" in battle animation during 1 Mores. Oh, and the new way to summon Personas are just as cool if not cooler than using Evokers.
-More save points! Yay! Makes up for the fact that you aren't automatically healed when you go back to the entrance.
-My only gripe about this game is the camera when it zooms in whakes the Protagonist disappear. Especially dangerous when you're in the dungeons trying to hit or dodge a Shadow. It's a lot harder trying to land a hit on these guys this time.

[Enzo_Kensei]

^ Now you got me. ^^ Sadly, I have to wait a few more days to be shipped here. :(

[SlaughterX]

GameSpot review, looks like the average isn't going to go under a 9, congrats Atlus!

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/persona4/review.html?tag=topslot;title;1

[Sei]

Gonna do expert. This game sounds awesome, can't wait for it to get here.

[diosisback]

Mine is on its way, artbook included <^o^>

Thanks to everyone who helped back then !!!

This, Namco X Capcom and Front Mission 5 (when they are "completed") will be the swan song for my PS2.

[Coritj]

Honestly I haven't really given a lot of thought as to which difficulty to play on. Does selecting beginner just give you the extra tries when the MC gets killed or does it do anything else on top of that?

[Soushi_Grapple]

As far as Im aware Beginner just gives you the extra continues, but it might make enemies weaker, I dunno. I just got Kanji in my party~ but I still cant beat the 1st optional boss, it just wipes me out with Rampage.

If there was a voice Im not really fond of, Id say its Teddie's battle advice things; they get kinda old. At least I dont have to deal with it the entire game. =p

BTW, as far as strategy, this one seems simplier, which is tedious but I like that I guess. I just find myself using the same attacks for every boss, save a few weaknesses or absorbs here and there.

[persona3rocks]

yea im actually just kinda get the game like the land down now than im a play for real cuz im getting the guide monday

[evilmegaman]

Reviews are positive. Awesome! and not just positive. phenomenal. I'm stoked. I can't believe gamecrazy is getting it like a day later than normal. oh well

I wonder if in 5 years people will be saying persona 3 was a cult classic or persona 4... that'll be interesting. I'm guessing 3 for me because I can't imagine a better character than junpei. I can relate to him. I'm not like him but I can relate ;) can't wait to assess the personalities in P4



turns out my gut was wrong. this is far better than persona 3 so far.

Why the hell is the right thumbstick always reverse of the l/r buttons? doesn't make any sense

[Enzo_Kensei]

^ agreed. It's so frustrating. :very_sad:

[Eternal Sin]

arent there settings to reverse it?

[evilmegaman]

sure there's settings to reverse the buttons. but it reverses both the thumbsticks and the l+r buttons. effectively making both settings somewhat worthless.


That didn't come out right. someone else explain it for me. @_@

[Enzo_Kensei]

I tried to tweak the inverted camera to off and I think it should do fine. Anyway there's some level of difficulty trying to sneak on your enemies in persona 4 the katana is just so darn slow to swing. ^^

[frequency]

Anyway there's some level of difficulty trying to sneak on your enemies in persona 4 the katana is just so darn slow to swing. ^^

I actually hate that entire system. A lot. I don't want to have to hit everything I run into.

I'd have liked it to be:
1) If you run into an enemy head on, it's a regular fight
2) If an enemy runs into you from the back or side, they have the advantage
3) If you attack an enemy from the back or side, you have the advantage

I find the weapon speeds incredibly frustrating. And having to time every single encounter annoys me. Though I'll live with it I guess... I did with P3 after all.

[Coritj]

As far as Im aware Beginner just gives you the extra continues, but it might make enemies weaker, I dunno.

If the enemies get weaker or stronger would be the important point for me. I really really want the extra tries but I don't want the game to get easier on top of that. Hm, maybe I should experiment a little when I get the game.

[frequency]

Well, when you start the game, and you choose beginner, it says that the enemies will be easier, and that you'll have 10 continues. So I expect the enemies to be weaker. Otherwise, why would it bother to tell me anything other than there being 10 continues?

[Soushi_Grapple]

Well, when you start the game, and you choose beginner, it says that the enemies will be easier, and that you'll have 10 continues. So I expect the enemies to be weaker. Otherwise, why would it bother to tell me anything other than there being 10 continues?

Sorry, frequency, I couldnt really remember. ^_^; I know I just started the game two days ago, but Im already at Rise's dungeon so I barely remember the difficulty selection lol

I tried the optional boss at Level 22/23 and I did fine. My party members all died at the same time, once, but it was easy to revive them. My words to the people first playing is when you're taking on a boss/dungeon, spend the money on Goho-Ms and Revival B[r]eads. (Revival Bread = inside joke lol)

[Futago_101]

I watched X-play tonight and they gave Persona 4 a 4/5. Kinda hoping for a 5/5, but im happy with the score (kinda...)

[evilmegaman]

xplay only has 5 options to rate the game. nothing in between. so it could be a high 4 you know. the scores vary a LOT there. a 3 could be bad or good. never know

[Saburo Hikari]

I watched X-play tonight and they gave Persona 4 a 4/5. Kinda hoping for a 5/5, but im happy with the score (kinda...)Okay, time to hear them bash J-RPGs with their bias-...Oh wait... Amazing! They didn't bash it! Now that's something!

[Coritj]

Well, when you start the game, and you choose beginner, it says that the enemies will be easier, and that you'll have 10 continues. So I expect the enemies to be weaker. Otherwise, why would it bother to tell me anything other than there being 10 continues?

Oh I see, I didn't know that. Thanks

[bluekamikaze]

Game Informer is so full of crap if you look at thier reviews for persona games they think that lost odyssey is a better than persona 3. That is just funny to me.

[Olethros]

^ I actually thought the Game Informer review seemed quite positive and their concerns were some of the same ones I have. While I haven't played through P4 yet, I won't be at all suprised if I end up thinking Lost Odyssey is the better game.

[Rikuo]

I just got P4 today and read the EGM review. I must say... they beginning like they said was a bit slow but after that first battle Woot! It's like Scooby Doo- But these kids could totally beat teh crap outa them and the Mystery Machine! It was also tied for game of the month and is pretty much in teh running for Game of the year and best RPG.

[DevilRy]

I tried to play P4 but it never seemed to get to the actual game... The opening sequence is basically just a two hour long, vaguely interactive, anime sequence. Where's the gameplay? :confused:

[illogicaldreamr]

I tried to play P4 but it never seemed to get to the actual game... The opening sequence is basically just a two hour long, vaguely interactive, anime sequence. Where's the gameplay? :confused:

After all that mumbo jumbo? :P

P3 was like that in the beginning too.

[bullman422]

I agree about the intro. I think only Suikoden V's had an intro that seemed to drag on even longer. Thankfully things pick up after you get past that and so far I am loving the game. I like how you can get multiple point increases when doing certain activities (or dates) and I love being able to actually move through certain portions of the town. I also like the so called smaller dungeons as opposed to the massive bland levels of Tartarus in P3. My only real gripes in P4 are with gaining battle advantages and the card shuffle system. Gaining battle advantages seemed easier in P3. In P4 Demons seem to notice or sense you even when you are coming up behind them and sword swinging seems a little more imprecise. I can't tell you how many times I have gotten behind one of them and swing my sword only to miss and then give them the advantage. Personally I have never been a fan of the shuffle card system as it has never been as much fun as monster contacting was in P1 and P2.

[Conflict NZ]

Persona 4 wins PS2 GOTY from IGN:
http://au.bestof.ign.com/2008/ps3/21.html

Good Job Atlus, another win!! :D

[BornofFire_420]

Good to see Atlus getting the respect it deserves! They make some of the most crazyiest games I have played. My most favorite of RPGs ever.

[Juanblue85]

Persona 4 got a Perfect 10 from Destructoid.com and got the Editor's Choice Award. Congrats.

http://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-persona-4-113726.phtml

[dragonlife29]

At least the intro to P4 was interesting, even without gameplay.

KHII had gameplay, but holy **** was it horrendous and boring as hell.

Ugh.

[Frink]

I liked it, but that 3 hour-long prologue should've been shorter.

[soldat]

I found the game to be very entertaining except for a few tidbits,(mind you i'm just nit-picking, it's still one of the best games i've ever played.)

1. too many multiple endings. I had to look online, which i hate doing, to find out exactly how to get to some of the endings. back in p3, where there was two endings, and it was very clear how to get either of them, it was much simpler. not the case with this, and that was a tad annoying.
2. No "Battle hymn of the soul". i think that this song was the best song to ever come out of a game, and when i fought nyx in P3 with it playing in the background, i was pumped to a level i had never been at before with a game. In p4, there is no battle hymn of the soul! i was very sad.
3. Protagonist from p3 made no appearance. Now i know this would have been a huge stretch, however, i was very attached to p3's main character, and since Elizabeth is out searching for him, i was half-expecting for him to make a surprise appearance and help save the world...again. oh well

besides these little facts, p4 was just as good as p3, even without junpei, and i hope there'll be a p5 that's just as good. peace

[Iris]

P3's hero showing up would've defeated the point of his entire ending, IMO.

And I'd much rather my games had new music instead of giving me the same soundtracks over and over.

[soldat]

And I'd much rather my games had new music instead of giving me the same soundtracks over and over.

well, i have no problem with all the music in p4, but i think certain tracks are good enough ti at least reuse one more time, especially since p4 not only takes place in the same world as p3, but a few characters are made mention of and show up, that's the only reason i would use to include old music.

[Iris]

I think the game did a nice job of reusing old music where thematically appropriate, i.e. on the school trip to Iwatodai and in the Velvet Room. But no matter how epic the final battle music from P3 was, I wouldn't want it to get dropped in because every new badass threat to human existence deserves its own badass theme song to match. :(

[Diskalibur]

NooBTooB Pod Cast review http://noobtoob.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11578

[Pibbman]

After nearly a month since release, GameTrailers FINALLY released their review. Giving Persona a 9.3 out of 10.

[Las Lobos]

Why the hell is the right thumbstick always reverse of the l/r buttons? doesn't make any sense
haha oh jeezus I know right. It took me a long retarded time to click in my head and change the camera angles in the options menu

This is definitely a game of the year for me, even though it got so much praise in mags it seems ATLUS RPGs are still underrated in my opinion. The majority is to busy waiting for Halo Wars or playing Gears of War or some overrated shiite. This game I thought was better then P3 as far as the battle system goes, it's awesome you can control every character in 4 and that you could decide which skills to keep or to forget for everyone's persona. But I wish they would've kept those special skills that took 2 persona to do (Archangel and Angel = Justice) I was going to mention the overpricing with the fox and the SP healing but that'd make the game a little to easy. The level grinding is great and so were/are the characters. Chie was funny I thought, she seemed more the Junpei of P4 more then Yosuke in my opinion. Yikiko is lovely and her laughing fits are funny, Kanji was great cuz he was all lovey over Naoto, it was cute and funny, Naoto was tight cuz she had that sexy boy/girl look hell even the girl's in your party were all up on her in the hot springs. The story was really good to, especially the way they incorporated the characters' shadows and what they were. It was cool to cuz in this one you and your party actually hung out as in P3 that didn't really happen very often. The fact that it was a murder case they were trying to solve throughout was a good touch to a game in my opinion.

So yeah this game and Dead Space definite games of the year if not favorites of my all time in my unholy bible.

[Saburo Hikari]

One of the biggest reasons why I love Persona 4 is because it doesn't have much anime/J-RPG cliches. You're not saving the world, you're simply stopping something from murdering people in your town. None of your friends don't have tragic pasts either. Yeah, they still have problems, but doesn't everyone? And the problems are all normal too.

Persona 3 was almost realistic, which is why I love that games as well.

And ditto on P4 being my greatest video game of all time as well. That is, unless I ever get a chance to play other MegaTen games. :P I'm pretty sure you MegaTen vets are laughing at people like me right now...

[Pibbman]

One of the biggest reasons why I love Persona 4 is because it doesn't have much anime/J-RPG cliches. You're not saving the world, you're simply stopping something from murdering people in your town. None of your friends don't have tragic pasts either. Yeah, they still have problems, but doesn't everyone? And the problems are all normal too.

Persona 3 was almost realistic, which is why I love that games as well.

And ditto on P4 being my greatest video game of all time as well. That is, unless I ever get a chance to play other MegaTen games. :P I'm pretty sure you MegaTen vets are laughing at people like me right now...

If you ask me, technically you're saving the world. The fog was going to turn everyone into "shadows" and/or the shadows would kill the "Real" ones.

P4 is definitely awesome, but it's missing a few gameplay elements from persona 3 that I would of liked to seen left in. Persona 4 is obviously "noobified", which is most likely made to have even more general audience appeal, but whatever.

[Saburo Hikari]

One of the biggest reasons why I love Persona 4 is because it doesn't have much anime/J-RPG cliches. You're not saving the world, you're simply stopping something from murdering people in your town. None of your friends don't have tragic pasts either. Yeah, they still have problems, but doesn't everyone? And the problems are all normal too.

Persona 3 was almost realistic, which is why I love that games as well.

And ditto on P4 being my greatest video game of all time as well. That is, unless I ever get a chance to play other MegaTen games. :P I'm pretty sure you MegaTen vets are laughing at people like me right now...

If you ask me, technically you're saving the world. The fog was going to turn everyone into "shadows" and/or the shadows would kill the "Real" ones.

P4 is definitely awesome, but it's missing a few gameplay elements from persona 3 that I would of liked to seen left in. Persona 4 is obviously "noobified", which is most likely made to have even more general audience appeal, but whatever.Uh oh. I wasn't supposed to know that (Didn't finish the game yet. Was working a lot during winter break.). But still, technically, the characters want nothing more than to stop the murders from happening in their town (At least, for most part of the game.).

[Pibbman]

One of the biggest reasons why I love Persona 4 is because it doesn't have much anime/J-RPG cliches. You're not saving the world, you're simply stopping something from murdering people in your town. None of your friends don't have tragic pasts either. Yeah, they still have problems, but doesn't everyone? And the problems are all normal too.

Persona 3 was almost realistic, which is why I love that games as well.

And ditto on P4 being my greatest video game of all time as well. That is, unless I ever get a chance to play other MegaTen games. :P I'm pretty sure you MegaTen vets are laughing at people like me right now...

If you ask me, technically you're saving the world. The fog was going to turn everyone into "shadows" and/or the shadows would kill the "Real" ones.

P4 is definitely awesome, but it's missing a few gameplay elements from persona 3 that I would of liked to seen left in. Persona 4 is obviously "noobified", which is most likely made to have even more general audience appeal, but whatever.Uh oh. I wasn't supposed to know that (Didn't finish the game yet. Was working a lot during winter break.). But still, technically, the characters want nothing more than to stop the murders from happening in their town (At least, for most part of the game.).

Oops, I figured you finished it already because you were saying it was "greatest video game of all time", which made me assume you finished it lol. Sorry man, I feel bad now.

[iconjordan]

I love ur games congratz I just bought persona 4 Sunday ,and I love it

[Saburo Hikari]

Oops, I figured you finished it already because you were saying it was "greatest video game of all time", which made me assume you finished it lol. Sorry man, I feel bad now.

Well, I finished the game a few days ago. I'll say again that everyone simply wanted to stop the murders from happening in Inaba, and only after finding out that Ameno-sagiri and then Izanami was controlling everything did this game turn into a "save the world" story.

[NekoBrandon]

I loved Persona 3 actually... so that means I'll REALLY love Persona 4? :D

[Rin]

Yeah, P4 is really cool, no doubt it'll be the best RPG for PS2 for year 2008, even though I'm starting to play it in January 2009, because in December, I'm still playing P3 Fes, The Answer...

I think P4's characters have more characteristics than P3, because we really know what triggers their Persona awakening as well as their other self, not like P3, even though Metis has ever said that Persona & Shadow are the same thing (she also mentioned that the shadow is in everybody and it's your other self), but we never really know their other selves, and the reasn of their awakening is not really clear (at least for me), well, except Mitsuru, her persona awakens because she wanted to protect her father in Tartarus...

P4 has a very high score in the game spot, around 9-9.5 if I'm not wrong...

[hibiki_takami]

I just recently unleashed the SMT series onto our team - specifically, 4 out of the 6 cast members of our gaming podcast. We have a pretty unique scoring system that reflects personal tastes. It's not like a traditional scale, but more of a recommendation for different types of gamers.

Which interested me because I bought Persona 3: FES and Persona 4 at the same time. I had given Persona 3: FES to one of our staff to review and, thanks to a very strong "first impression" that I gave for Persona 4 one of the people in our team quickly bought Persona 4 on Amazon and subsequently reviewed it the following weekend.

Our review system also has a recommendation for "backseat gamers," that is, people who help out with your game sometimes and watch you play some games. My girlfriend acted as a backseat gamer for Persona 4 and was thoroughly entertained by what was happening.

Now mind you that we have a pretty varied team... we have a guy who loves story (the guy who hopped on the net to get P4 after my strong first impression), a guy who swears the fact that JRPGs are done (the guy who currently is playing through both The Journey and The Answer in P3FES and loving it), and my girlfriend who's an artist (the backseat gamer).

Sorry if this turned out to be a very long winded answer, but to close I want to say that in an age where graphics and first person shooters reign supreme, it's very refreshing to see a series revived from the dead (the last time we heard of Persona before 2007 was in 2000) and rekindle memories of why we play JRPGs.

[hibiki_takami]

I loved Persona 3 actually... so that means I'll REALLY love Persona 4? :D

Most certainly. If you only knew what lies ahead for you in Persona 4 :)

ESPECIALLY if you've played Persona 3.

[Saburo Hikari]

Sorry if this turned out to be a very long winded answer, but to close I want to say that in an age where graphics and first person shooters reign supreme, it's very refreshing to see a series revived from the dead (the last time we heard of Persona before 2007 was in 2000) and rekindle memories of why we play JRPGs.Nice to hear that! Hey, you mind showing us that podcast of yours?

[hibiki_takami]

Nice to hear that! Hey, you mind showing us that podcast of yours?

There have been multiple instances when we talk about the Persona series and only one definitive review. I mentioned prior that I wanted to finish the game to give it a fair review and Mark wanted to finish P3FES by beating both The Journey and The Answer.

Our review podcast's name is The Review Club, and our podcasts fall under the name "Games and ME", which ties them all together. Here's the two episodes where we talk about the Persona series.

The Review Club #13: No Customer Left My Salon Dissatisfied!
http://gamesand.me/2009/02/the-review-club-13-no-customer-left-my-salon-dissatisfied/
Time code: 1:00:08, C.K. talking about Persona 4 and actually reviewing it.
Time code: 1:34:13, Mark talking about Persona 3: FES
NOTE: This is an abnormally long episode... almost 3 hours, which is why I've placed the time codes.

The Review Club #11: Dragon Quest IV, Persona 4, Shaun White Snowboarding, and Valkyrie Chronicles
http://gamesand.me/2009/01/the-review-club-11-dragon-quest-iv-persona-4-shaun-white-snowboarding-and-valkyria-chronicles/
Time code: 45:26, Me talking about Persona 4
NOTE: Just keeping it consistent, I put the time code here too in case you're not interested in the other games we talk about.

Of course, constructive criticism of the actual quality of the podcast is very welcome. We're trying out many different things here, and we're hoping that people can help us out in any way they can!

Going back to the topic at hand... I really want to review the game. I just saved Naoto and am just leveling up my Social Links. I currently have three girlfriends: Yukiko, Chie, Yumi and am working on Rise, Ai, and soon Naoto. Yukiko ripped my date with Ai on Sunday (if you have the Persona 4 calendar, there's a Moon date somewhere within that time period) and I completely forgot that I was avoiding Sunday dates because of this exact reason!

Again, I'm going to stick to my word of reviewing P4 AFTER I beat the game in its multiple endings and based off of what I've said so far, I'm not planning on giving it a negative review!

Also, I plan on getting back my P3FES copy from Mark once he's done with it and reviewing it myself... and he'll be jumping on P4 to give an accurate review of P4 approaching it from someone who (from the last time we spoke) loved P3FES.

Incidentally, we're going to be recording our podcast today! And darn for long winded posts... I guess this is what I get for padding my essays in college heh.

[Saburo Hikari]

Nice! I'll definitely listen to these podcasts! Extra points to you guys if you reviewed Valkyria Chronicles well (I hope you did else I'd have to kill you. I'm joking of course.). Just remember that there are three endings. Be sure to review once you finish the best one, although watching the other two would be good too.

[hibiki_takami]

Duly noted. We're aiming to get all of the different endings for both P3 TJ, TA (if it applies), and P4

[Saburo Hikari]

Great "in progress" impressions hibiki_takami! I agreed with everything you guys said! Looking forward to the full review! (b^^)b

[PersonaVento]

I just order Persona 4 on Amazon.com and It saying I might get it monday or tuesday. But so far I been watching the gameplay on youtube and I am already hook on it. It very outstanding and I can't wait to kick some shadow ass next week on my days off from work

[Vincent Alexander]

I just order Persona 4 on Amazon.com and It saying I might get it monday or tuesday. But so far I been watching the gameplay on youtube and I am already hook on it. It very outstanding and I can't wait to kick some shadow ass next week on my days off from work
Don't expect too much fighting in this game. Make some popcorn and get ready for a movie, and not the great MGS kind either (though it is amusing from time to time).

[hibiki_takami]

We just posted my review of Persona 4 on our Review Club podcast this past Friday.

http://gamesand.me/2009/02/the-review-club-15-is-he-tickling-this-guy-with-his-sword/

Excerpt from the byline:
...Alex, on the other hand, decided to review some game called Persona 4. We heard it might be good…

Keeping in mind that we don't do scores at all, just recommendations for certain gamer demographics. This also marks the 3rd Review Club episode where we talked about Persona 4 (maybe it's the last?).

[Saburo Hikari]

I just order Persona 4 on Amazon.com and It saying I might get it monday or tuesday. But so far I been watching the gameplay on youtube and I am already hook on it. It very outstanding and I can't wait to kick some shadow ass next week on my days off from work
Don't expect too much fighting in this game. Make some popcorn and get ready for a movie, and not the great MGS kind either (though it is amusing from time to time).Well, that's just your personal opinion.

We just posted my review of Persona 4 on our Review Club podcast this past Friday.

http://gamesand.me/2009/02/the-review-club-15-is-he-tickling-this-guy-with-his-sword/

Excerpt from the byline:
...Alex, on the other hand, decided to review some game called Persona 4. We heard it might be good…

Keeping in mind that we don't do scores at all, just recommendations for certain gamer demographics. This also marks the 3rd Review Club episode where we talked about Persona 4 (maybe it's the last?).I listened to the review from iTunes a little before you posted it here. Great job! I agree once again with everything. I don't remember too much detail of the podcast, but I do agree the most that this is a great backseat gamer game. I mean, my friend has done it with me and she's hooked!

[LushDemoness]

Yeah Persona 4 is awesome

[hibiki_takami]

David Jaffe just bought it today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUXPtYTl5yM

He cusses a storm, so be warned :). He's really ranting about the sticker, but it's nice that he bought the game!

[Vincent Alexander]

I just order Persona 4 on Amazon.com and It saying I might get it monday or tuesday. But so far I been watching the gameplay on youtube and I am already hook on it. It very outstanding and I can't wait to kick some shadow ass next week on my days off from work
Don't expect too much fighting in this game. Make some popcorn and get ready for a movie, and not the great MGS kind either (though it is amusing from time to time).Well, that's just your personal opinion.
Well, that is just your personal opinion.

[Teclo]

And suddenly we're in kindergarten.

[Vincent Alexander]

Nobody cares what you think, booger face.

[Teclo]

I'm telling my mom on you!

[Kakizaki]

^Careful you two. Mimi might have to spank you both.

[Rin]

Uh-oh... I hope for no trouble now...