There are also some new gameplay features as part of Persona 3 Reload that weren’t in the original games. You can now access a communal kitchen, a DVD player, a library of books, and a small garden.

Next up we have the addition of new combat mechanics such as Shift, which functions like the Baton Pass from Persona 5 Royal. After landing a critical hit or hitting an enemy’s weaknesses, you can activate the Shift mechanic to swap to another party member even if their turn has already passed to allow them to attack again.

In addition, the technical performance of Persona 3 Reload on Xbox Series X is of a high standard. The game ran smoothly during my playthrough at a 1080p resolution and 60 FPS with pelo framerate drops.

I played the expanded version of the original Persona 3 called Persona 3 FES in 2009 and haven’t replayed it since. So, I was excited about this remake to see if it could improve aspects of the original game that hadn’t aged well or introduce new elements to make it fresh.

Although not loads had been seen in terms of Persona 3 Reload trailers since its Xbox Games Showcase announcement, new trailers unveiled during Gamescom 2023 both reintroduce us to the game's cast and story - as shown above - along with a BGM and gameplay trailer.

During battle, both the ability to take direct control over party members as in Portable, as well as enabling the CPU to dictate their behavior as in the original game and FES, are available. The battle user interface has been completely overhauled to take functional and stylistic inspiration from Persona 5, with the commands "Persona", "Item", "Guard" and "Attack" each corresponding to different buttons in a similar fashion. In addition to the returning "Analyze", "Tactics", "Target" and "Rush" commands from prior iterations of Persona 3, a "Survey" and "Assist" function have also been added. Persona 3 Reload implements an improved variation of the "Baton Pass" skill from Persona 5 in the form of the "Shift" ability mapped to the left trigger. "Shift" enables the current active party member to pass their turn onto another character after successfully landing a hit on a Shadow enemy that knocks them Down, allowing the next party member to potentially knock other enemies Down if they are in certain formations.

Persona 3 was the first game in the Persona series to adopt this unorthodox gameplay formula, and sadly, some of it hasn’t aged well compared to its sequels or its PlayStation Portable counterpart, Persona 3 Portable.

So it doesn’t contain the epilogue from FES or the female protagonist from Portable. However, that doesn’t mean that the new additions to the main story that was added in FES won’t be in Reload.”

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Big heartfelt scenes, intense battle cries, and moments of levity have a newfound enthusiasm while sounding so familiar, as if these were their voices all along. I’d crack a smile at all their little quips and feel my stomach knot when they pour their hearts out. Although the main story hasn’t really changed, the portrayal of characters I’ve known for so long gave me a new love and appreciation for my favorite Persona crew.

Step into the shoes of a transfer student thrust into an unexpected fate when entering the hour "hidden" between one day and the next. Awaken an incredible power and chase the mysteries of the Dark Hour, fight for your friends, and leave a mark on their memories forever. Persona 3 Reload is a captivating reimagining of the genre-defining RPG, reborn for the modern era. Key Features Experience the pivotal game of the Persona series faithfully remade with cutting-edge graphics, modernized quality-of-life features, and signature stylish UI.

Of course, I can’t talk about Persona 3 Reload’s presentation without giving a shout-out to the soundtrack. Persona 3’s beloved hip-hop and rap-rock soundtrack has been remastered for Persona 3 Reload and even features a couple of new songs.

is an epic Wuxia open-world action–adventure RPG set persona 3 reload gameplay in ancient China at the tenth century during the tumultuous era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom. Players will assume the role of a young sword master as they embark on a journey to uncover the mysteries of their own identity.

As stated by developer Atlus, Persona 3 Reload is intended to be a remake of its original version, which means the post-game campaign called "The Answer" from Persona 3 FES is not included. That’s disappointing considering the important story context it provided. It also means the optional female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable isn’t included either, which is also a shame since I consider her the best lead in the series thanks to her fun and distinct personality.