Persona 3 Reload preview: A new coat for an old friend

Do we really need another version of Persona 3?

A port of Persona 3 Portable was released in January, and fans loved diving into the game that is low-down considered the best in the series. Despite how much people love Persona 3, it is a product of its time, and by today’s standards it requires certain improvements. It was updated with the Portable version, which added a female protagonist, new social link options, and more dialogue. There is also another version called Persona 3 FES, which doesn’t have these extras but does add more content in the form of post-game story.

When Persona 3 Reload was announced fans thought that they would finally get the Persona 3 they always wanted. The additional story from P3F with the option to play as the female protagonist and the additional social links that go with that. But then the bomb came. Persona 3 Reload won't feature additional content from P3F and P3P. In fact, it won’t even include any of the content from these games. Persona 3 Reload is a remake of the original Persona 3. Yes, this is the third remake of Persona 3.

Persona 3 Reload is a remake of the original Persona 3, with no additional content from FES or Portable :: Sega / Atlus

So what is the point of Persona 3 Reload, and do we as die-hard Persona fans really need it? The answer to this will really depend on your relationship with the series. I reviewed the latest port of Persona 3 Portable back in January, and played Persona 3 FES back when it was released. This meant going into my 30-minute hands-on session with Reload, not only did I have good knowledge of Persona 3, but I had recently gone through a refresher course. 

There are plenty of new things in Persona 3 Reload. The look is obviously the first thing. The graphics have been completely redone, and while the art style is similar, everything is completely rendered in 3D, including a number of fully animated 3D cutscenes. During the trial we got to travel through Tartarus and take down an early boss, and we were also treated to the main game’s first boss fight. The choices made in the run-up to the main boss fight are the same as in the original, and while I don’t know the dialogue down to the exact words, I believe this is the same, too.

The graphics in Persona 3 Reload have been completely redone :: Sega / Atlus

There are two major changes when it comes to combat. After you knock down an enemy, you can now switch to another party member to exploit a different weakness. This allows you more easily to knock down the whole group of enemies for an all-out attack. The other difference is in Shuffle Time, which occurs post-battle. The cards no longer shuffle, and you are free to choose whatever you like. If you choose a Persona you already own, that Persona will level up rather than being a wasted card.

Other quality-of-life changes have been implemented. The map is a little harder to understand in the 3D look, but battles are much faster-paced to make up for this. Opening a chest will also make the enemies nearby disappear, which is also a welcome change. There are other smaller changes throughout. In the first boss fight the timer doesn’t begin when you enter the train but rather when you enter the boss. Then the boss speeds up the train as you deal damage, adding more tension. It’s a little change, but it’s nice.

Persona 3 Reload comes with two major changes to combat and some quality-of-life improvements :: Sega / Atlus

Interviews with the developer have revealed that there may be other additions to the game’s story. Shinji and Ken will have bigger side stories, which could be referring to new social links. However, it’s not the full inclusion of aspects from Persona 3 Portable as the female protagonist isn’t available. We’re not sure how it will play out yet, but there are definitely more changes coming than we’ve seen so far.

I came away from playing Persona 3 Reload with a positive impression and immediately felt like I had to buy it. However, on further reflection, I think I need more proof of added extras before committing to it. If you aren’t the kind of Persona lover who grabbed and played the P3P port as soon as it launched, then Reload is definitely worth picking up, if only for the improved speed of battle and the chance to experience Persona 3’s story once more.

Persona 3 Reload is coming on February 2, 2024, for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.