Persona 3 Reload: A great entry point to the Persona series

Persona 3 Reload is finally out now, and if you’ve been keeping up with the reactions to it, the game has gotten a lot of praise in reviews, with many calling it an excellent remake of a classic JPRG, all while adding enough new things and enhancements to make it fresh.

Based on these, the game is no doubt a must-play for series fans, especially those who played the original Persona 3 and want to re-experience the game in its new definitive version. But what about those new to the series?

Well, if you’re someone who has been meaning to try out the series thanks to all the hype for this new game, you’re in luck. That’s because Persona 3 Reload is a great entry point to the series.

A great JRPG to start with, even for those new to the genre

Getting into a JRPG series can be quite daunting given how long they are. Plus, the turn-based combat system of many games in the genre may not be the most engaging for many players.

This is a fair reservation, but you’ll soon forget your doubts when you start Persona 3 Reload as this game is (in my opinion) made as a perfect way to introduce players to JRPGs. This is thanks to its unique blend of story-driven social gameplay that’s mixed with the more traditional turn-based combat in the dungeon-crawling segments.

Instead of having to start immediately with combat, the game first takes its time to set up the game’s intriguing story. Thus, you’ll quickly be hooked by its story, and by then, you’ll be introduced to the combat which is quite easy to get into, not to mention a ton of fun.

There’s also the fact that this game has an incredibly stylish look that makes it a feast for the eyes. Both the game’s social parts and the combat just ooze style, making it engaging for everyone.

If you ask me though, the game’s story is the biggest reason to play this as it has a highly memorable tale with lots of great characters. This is followed by the game’s unique JRPG formula.

Persona 3 is the game that established the series’ formula

My Persona journey began back in 2018 when I played Persona 5. At the time, I wasn’t a big fan of JRPGs as the ones I’ve tried, I didn’t really finish as I found the standard turn-based RPG combat to be a bit slow. My thoughts on the genre changed after Persona 5 though as I enjoyed my 100 hours of gameplay with it so much thanks to its moving story and excellent art style. Thanks to these, I was able to appreciate the turn-based combat system.

Since then, I played Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden. After experiencing these games, I can say that Persona 3 became my favorite of the series, enough that I wished I started with this one.

Sure, Persona 3, 4, and 5 all have standalone stories that make them great starting points, but Persona 3 was the one to establish the series formula. This can clearly be seen when you play all three games. Thus, it makes sense to for Persona 3 Reload to be the entry point as you’ll get the best experience with the series as you’ll get to see how it has evolved over time.

On top of the series evolution aspect, Reload also has lots of quality-of-life changes coupled with other additions and enhancements that make it the most modern-feeling mainline series entry to date.

Combining the remake’s wide array of improvements, coupled with how great the core game is, there’s no doubt that Persona 3 Reload’s release should convince many players to finally start their Persona series journey.

Persona 3 Reload is available now on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.