Persona 3 Reloadis a comprehensive remake ofPersona 3, which originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2006. This has been aheavilyrequested remake from fans of the series, but what’s all the hype about? If you’re completely new to thePersonaseries, isPersona 3 Reloada good place to start?
In several ways,Persona 3 Reloadis thebestplace to start thePersonaseries.Persona 3was a complete reimagining of the series when it originally released, and it was the firstPersonagame to mix life simulator elements with RPG dungeon crawling. While there areverysmall references to the firstPersonagames here, they’re inconsequential to the overarching story.
At the same time,Persona 3 Reloadmodernizes the game significantly. While you can tell it was a PS2 game in spots, the game is overall very sleek with several quality-of-life features. Even if you’re mostly new or unfamiliar with RPGs,Persona 3 Reloadalso includes several difficulty settings. Additionally, it introduces its life simulator elements slowly, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble grasping that side of it. In other words,Persona 3 Reloadis a good way to ease into the series.
Alternatively, start with Persona 5 Royal
WhilePersona 3 Reloadis a great starting point for someone looking to get into thePersonaseries, eachPersonagame is mostly standalone. Future games do referencePersona 3in notable ways, but not to the point that you wouldn’t understand the overarching stories. Therefore, if you’re determined to only play one Persona game, you may preferPersona 5 Royalinstead.
Persona 5is arguably the most popular game in the series, even among people who typically dislike RPGs.Persona 5 Royalis the expanded version of the title, packing in even more content to optimize your bang for your buck. WhilePersona 3 Reloadis the “newest” game in the series,Persona 5is the newest “from the ground up” game. So whereas things like the dungeon design inPersona 3 Reloadcan feel more oldschool,Persona 5 Royalwon’t have that same issue.
The other consideration, of course, is the price. If you own Game Pass, you’ll have immediate access toPersona 3 Reload, which makes it more appealing. However,Persona 5 Royalis $10 cheaper on most storefronts, and it’s easier to find it discounted too. So keep that in mind when you’re making your decision.
Ultimately,Persona 3 ReloadandPersona 5 Royalare very good games, and both are suitable starting points. Heck, you could even start withPersona 4 Goldenif you’d like. Just take the above into account and pick which game looks most interesting to you.
