Persona 3 Reload preview: A stylish return of the Dark Hour

A remake of an acclaimed JRPG, Persona 3 Reload is in a peculiar yet exciting position. Originally released in 2006, some years before the Persona 4 and Persona 5 games skyrocketed the series into mainstream recognition, both older and newer fans have now been hungry for a modern reimagining of what came before - especially with P3 still being regarded in certain circles as the best in the franchise.

After mulling over what I've got to see of the game so far, I’d say those appetites will be more than satiated with Persona 3 Reload. Whilst that portion felt like a light appetiser in the grand scheme of things, the aftertaste left behind had the tellings of an even grander meal still to come.

What is Persona 3 Reload about?

As far as first impressions go, original Persona 3 lovers will still feel right at home with Reload as it appears to be a true remake of everything they’ve seen before from the ground up.

In familiar Persona fashion, you’re a new transfer student at Gekkoukan High School who soon gets immersed in an RPG mystery. In this case, it’s that of the Dark Hour - an anomaly 25th hour of the day where at the stroke of midnight, most people are transformed into coffins before returning to normal with no memory of the event afterwards.

Joining SEES, the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, it’s up to you and your party to enter Tartarus, a massive tower-like dungeon containing monstrous Shadows, and uncover the mystery of the Dark Hour by battling with your Personas. These are the physical manifestations of a person’s psyche with their own abilities - something any P4 or P5 players will understand already.

In that same fashion, Persona 3 Reload also includes its original social simulation mechanics of which the later games built on - like building Social Links to enhance relationships with various characters and building your stats, tying in with the dungeon-crawling and Persona-battling gameplay.

Unreal presentation 

Starting us off about five hours into the story, in which SEES has saved Fuuka and added her to the party as the group’s navigator (P3’s Futaba for Persona 5-playing newcomers), I got the opportunity to explore the map of the game’s Tatsumi Port Island and dip our toes into some of the side activities before taking on some dungeon-crawling in Tartarus. 

What’s striking from the get-go is how rejuvenated Persona 3 looks in Reload’s Unreal Engine 4 revamp. Whilst your first instincts might be “P3 in a Persona 5 skin” - which would be more than fine anyway - you’ll quickly appreciate Persona 3 Reload far more when your eyes start to catch the glossier and more vivid colours developer P-Studio has invested to have characters and their environments shine.

Paired with new and rearranged soundtracks of the original featuring rap artist Lotus Juice, you’re immediately hit with a reminder of why Persona soundtracks are the most eclectic in games today - with Persona 3 standing out in its own right within the series.

Whichever way, Persona 3 Portable players - which some might’ve jumped into as their first P3 experience following its 2023 port for modern systems -  will be ecstatic going from only exploring by moving a cursor across static empty environments to being able to walk about fully populated bustling areas like the bustling high school and the Iwatodai strip mall. 

More of what Persona fans love

Although I didn’t get to fully dive into them, Social Links in Persona 3 Reload seem to scratch that itch of fun social RPG interactions and leave you wanting to know more. Persona 4 and 5 players will feel acquainted with those of high school sports teams, like Miyamoto from track for the Chariot arcana, or the shy girl Fushimi (Justice) for some charming interactions, but I also get to see the return of some Social Links that make you have to do a bit of work first. 

For example, Maiko - the little girl representing the Hanged Man arcana - tasks you with giving her a certain food and drink which you need to figure out first before you can progress the social link. Another is the book shop owners in Iwatodai strip mall who represent the Hanged Man arcana, tasking you with hunting down a persimmon tree before the social link can be established.

Players of the original Persona 3 should be pleased that much has been recreated faithfully from the ground up. All the while, new players - whether they’ve played Persona 4 and 5 or not - should also be excited that P3 Reload maintains that interesting variety in its Social Links, getting you fascinated by their individual stories and having you also feel more satisfied if you had to do some RPG side quest puzzle solving to get there. 

As polished as you’d expect

Exploring and Social Links certainly have that refreshed-yet-familiar combination of feelings, but it's the revitalised combat where Persona 3 Reload truly stands out. 

Whilst the section of Tartarus I got to explore was also the most I got to see of SEES members interacting with one another, it was more the slick, fully modernised elements for the visual style, turn-based gameplay, and soundtrack which make every encounter come alive just as much as the last. 

Existing Persona games have already achieved this by making dungeon-crawling feel as non-repetitive as possible. However, there’s this endless amazement that comes from each instance of hearing Lotus Juice’s vibrant “Mass Destruction” - and some other tracks woven in - that gives the strategising and coordination between your team members and their Personas to defeat Shadows an absolute thrill.

The most prominent part in the Persona-battling gameplay that should get us all really excited is the Theurgy attacks - previously announced special moves which are new to Persona 3 Reload - allowing certain party members to unleash a devastating but visually dazzling signature attack with their Personas.

How this works into the overall strategy of the gameplay, I cannot really say at this time. What can be said though, is that not only does this feature make for a beautiful spectacle with each execution, but it will also make for an extra layer of fun strategy in battles throughout the game.

Final thoughts

Persona 3 Reload so far appears to wonderfully tread that fine line of pleasing both camps - those who’ve played previous versions of P3 and want to revisit it, and those who’ve come from the Persona 4 and 5 games and want to see what this past entry beloved by hardcore fans has to offer.

After my variety pack taster of the revamped visuals, gameplay, story, and overall style, I can safely say that even series newcomers should be more than excited about what Persona 3 Reload has in store for us.

Previewed on Xbox Series X