Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES - PlayStation 2 - PlayStation 2

If you're curious about the Shin Megami Tensei franchise but aren't sure where to begin, Persona 3 is a fantastic entry point to the series. This version - FES - is an expanded and enhanced re-release of the original Persona 3, featuring some new events, more Personas, an optional Hard difficulty setting (I'd only advise this for SMT veterans, who should be used to the punishing nature of the franchise), more equipment options, more sidequests, added dialog, new ways to strengthen your Personas, new music, and a number of tweaks. The biggest reason to choose this version over the original release is the inclusion of The Answer, which is another chapter of the story that takes place some time after the main game. It is very important that you do NOT play The Answer until you've finished The Journey (the original story). It's also worth mentioning that The Answer's difficulty level is equivalent to Hard mode, and cannot be adjusted. So how does it play? In a word, quite well. Persona 3's gameplay is comprised of juggling the main character's school life and social life while trying to protect their city from Shadows: the deadly creatures that stalk the night. Luckily, these creatures are only active during the Dark Hour, which is a hidden period of time between one day and the next. This is where the combat of the game comes in. While you're exploring Tartarus (I've used the word "explore" loosely here, as Tartarus is as bare bones as a dungeon can get), you'll have to fight Shadows. Once you're in a fight, your options are: change tactics (what your teammates' AI will do), change Persona (you're the only multiple Persona user), attack, use a skill (spell), use an item, wait, or run away. Before choosing, you can make a more informed decision by pressing R1 to check the turn order or L1 to scan an enemy (or check the strengths and weaknesses of an enemy whose type you've scanned before). What all this means, along with what all of the various statuses mean are summarized in the game's manual. Most battles can be won by bringing a good combination of team members that compliment one another in battle and having the optimal Persona equipped, as well as using the correct Tactics for your teammates to follow. The AI isn't perfect, and will occasionally do some stupid things, especially if you have the wrong Tactics selected. So how do you get the best Personas? Social Links and Fusion. Persona Fusion works similarly to Demon Fusion in other Shin Megami Tensei games; you can gain combine two or more Personas to make a new one. Most Personas can be made with several different combinations of other Personas, but some will require specific ones to be fused. Each Persona requires that the main character be at a certain minimum level in order to use it. Others will remain hidden until the player has obtained a Key Item tied to that Persona. These items are obtained by doing certain sidequests or maxing out a Social Link. So what's a Social Link? Social Links are a game mechanic introduced in Persona 3 in which the player must interact with other characters in the game and develop a relationship between them and the main character. Fellow teammates, shady businessmen, rival athletes, and yes, even girlfriends. Because Japan, I guess. Depending on your dialog choices, which Personas you currently have, and other factors, you'll learn more about these characters. As you do, your fusions will be more effective. If you fuse a Persona of the same Arcana as your Social Links, that Persona will gain extra experience, meaning that you'll need to grind less to get that Persona to learn new skills. Once you've completed a Social Link (typically by helping the other person resolve some conflict), you will be able to fuse an exclusive Persona of that Link's Arcana. For example, Thanatos is only available once you've finished the Death Social Link. Now the real draw of the game is the story. The basic gist is that you play as a high school student who discovers that he has the power of Persona (and the ability to change Personas at will, also known as the power of the Wild Card) and is recruited to fight alongside other Persona-wielding teenagers from his school, Gekkoukan High. During the Dark Hour, the school transforms into the labyrinth known as Tartarus. Tartarus contains mostly just shadows, items, and hundreds of flights of stairs. But there are also clues to the mystery of Tartarus's existence and the origin of the Dark Hour... Persona 3 is one of the finest JRPGs of the 2000's, and is not to be missed! If you own a PS2 or have a working launch model PS3, this game should be on your shelf. If you have a PSP, you should also consider getting Persona 3 Portable, which remedies some issues of this release (like not being able to directly control the actions of your teammates). Both versions have an incredible story, fantastic music, and enough gameplay to keep you busy for 100 hours, easily.

Persona 3 FES being the upgraded version of Persona 3 is a underrated masterpiece. There are many draws in the game, the main ones being it's incredibly deep physological story and characters. But the anime style and clearly Japanese soundtrack add so much aswell. I've played thousands of game and this one stands as my favorite, it's still just as worth playing as the day it came out Gameplay is really fun, it has unique One more! battle system where if you attack a monster with it's weakness you get to attack again. And you can scan an enemy and get to see it's weakness without wasting a turn which is a nice change from usual. But the monsters get the same advantage if they attack you with one of your weakness'. It feels a little like you're cheating because you can wipe out the enemy before they ever even get the chance to move if you know what you're doing, it's a lot of fun once you get it down, it becomes almost like a rhythm You also collect personas (it's like an adult version of pokemon in many ways) which you can get by winning them in a card shuffle at the end of a battle or fusing ones you don't want anymore together to create a new stronger one But thats only half the game, the other (arguably even more enjoyable half) is essentially a social sim, You go to school get asked questions decide what friends to make, get in a relationship, play sports, meet new people who react in different ways depending on what you say to them, or just shop and play at the arcade to raise your stats. Theres about 20 different "social links" (basically friends) you can have and as you spend time with them you're rank increases. When it goes up you get more powerful fused personas and if you max any or all of them out you can incredibly powerful personas. Its got a lot of charm and theres so many different types of social links, from someone whos about to die to a school friend to an elderly couple or even potential lovers. It's capable of making you laugh or cry because these people feel very real. This version contains the 20 hour epilogue titled "The Answer", and if you like Persona 3 then this really is essential. It adds so much to the game. It has some of the nicest animated cutscenes I've seen in a game. It provides much needed closure without being overly final. The ending is really beautiful, it had me crying from sadness at the same time as I was smiling. It also adds a new social link which is very touching, lots of cool new Personas, and new requests from Elizabeth along with a secret ultimate boss into the original game Voice acting is some of the best in the business, and the character design is amazing especially if you like anime. I highly recommend the artbook to go along with it, the huge soundtrack is worth getting aswell. Don't forget to try the similar Persona 4 if you like 3, and you could even try Persona 1 and 2 though they feel very different The story is very dark (even the color scheme was made to reflect this) and will probably make you cry (I sure did). Finally one of the coolest aspects is that you have to commit pseudo suicide (part of the psychology I mentioned earlier) to summon your persona, each character has a different way of doing it and even after hundreds of hours it never gets old. If you like JRPGS and/or anime and or social sims or just a game that's great all around then get this, you won't be disappointed

Great game, works perfectly. I haven’t finished it yet, but if you like Persona and want something challenging, I highly recommend this entry. If you played Reload first, know that the gameplay here is very different. There is a fatigue system here that was removed in the remake, and you need to use a tactics system to manage your party, because there is no way to directly control other SEES members’ actions. So, for example, if you want Yukari to heal, instead of using Dia on her turn, you will have to open the tactics menu on your turn to tell her to focus on healing. If you do not like that, either find a cheat code/patch online, or play one of the two newer options, Portable or Reload. If you want the easiest experience possible for Persona 3, play Reload, which has a lot of new mechanics taken from newer titles, and is more accessible. If you want something in between, play Portable. If you want to experience the definitive PS2 original experience, play FES. It’s difficult, but I enjoy it.

Persona 3 FES is not only fun but also gives quite a challenge, especially for those who dont want a game that burns through quickly. Being the third persona game by Atlus, new players to the series will find themselves welcomed as Persona 3 is a story of its own and not a sequel or related to the plot of the previous two. The back of the case stated 70+ hours of game play and i managed to finish with 100 hours of game play on an average play through. What i loved about this game was that it played nicely like an anime and game at the same time, supported by amazing English voice actors (something most North American JRPG fans find hard to like). Despite having a long introduction to the game before you can even get into it, the game really does a favor to the player by explaining the story and reasoning of Personas. The story of persona 3 is simply mind blowing as you get more and more into it as the game progresses, it is also hard to predict at times and the game provides a word glossary for those who are slower in understanding the complicated terms. Persona 3 FES gameplay is extremely fun for people who enjoy RPGs with date sim and school elements although this game is unique in its genre. The game provides a challenge for those who enjoy one. Players will find themselves being timed with set number of days in game before their next significant battle, with school tests to prepare, social bonds to build, and a tower to explore, players will either be prepared or not and will have to adapt to the situation. Battle system is turn based but really requires strategy and skill. Even the most simplest mistakes in battle can end up losing the game. Boss' will make you think twice before just grinding levels and expecting a walk in the park. For those who like to play the game multiple times, after finishing the game once, players can find themselves starting a new game plus with their previous data. To conclude everything, Persona 3 FES overall is a complete work of art as the soundtrack is beautifully composed and the cut scenes are well animated. Packed with amazing gameplay and an additional sequel to the story mode featuring Aigis. In my honest opinion, Persona 3 FES is one of the best games i have ever played and the beginning and reason of my love for the Persona series. The game may vary for different people but i can surely say that it was satisfying to the very end for me. It is a game where i will never get tired of and will always be on my shelf even when who knows what systems come out. I hope readers find this review helpful but i think i went a little overboard with length since i love this game too much haha.

I have to start off by saying I played Persona 4 years before I got Persona 3 FES. Both are very good games, but Persona 4 has kind of ruined FES for me in a way. Waiting over 3 hours for the story to get going is inexcusable, something that P4 suffers from as well, but FES seems to take its sweet time getting anywhere. I had to sink over 15 hours into the game before I got any story what so ever other then what the Shadows are, and what S.E.E.S does. This is where I expect to get "but it gets better later" comments, but the fact is a video game isn't something everyone sits down, and plays for hours on end; some people just play for an hour, or so. If I have to wait for a story for more then 2 or 3 hours then something is wrong. Time is money, and waiting for a story waste time. Other RPGs get to the story quickly so it's not an RPG thing. Now that I'm done ragging on the gruelingly slow pace of the game, I have to say that the story is pretty good when it gets going. It's darker then Persona 4 by a lot, and has the feeling of a dark cover up that has more a serious outcome then intended. It feels like I am making an impact on the world just like with Persona 4, but in a different way. Both stop a world destroying outcome in the end, and FES had the same power as Persona 4 had over me. The characters of FES are great, and I found myself falling in love with some of them like I did with Persona 4. I mean Vic Mignogna voiced Junpei, the man that gave Edward Elric his voice. That gives FES some big points from me. Speaking of the voice acting it's really good. It doesn't feel wooden, or fake, and I believe that the characters are talking to me. I really wish, however, that the MC was also voiced; if BioWare can do it so can Atlas. Other then that I have nothing to complain about. The combat is also a sticking point with me. I'm use to being able to control my party members, and I don't like leaving it up to an IA because I like to have full control over my strategy, and not be at the mercy of an AI that I can't know how it thinks. The AI is better then I expected, but it's still an AI. Persona 3 Portable fixed this, and goes with the Persona 4 system which I found worked much better for people that like to break down every turn down to each character like I do. Also, the grind is terrible, for each party member you have in a fight with you the less EX you get so you ether go at it on your own, or grind like its an MMORPG. I quit WoW for that reason. This is somewhat fixed because if you get in over your head in combat you can call for help, but you still lose EX. I love that I can have my party split up, and look around the level, or fight shadows for me. It makes it quicker to clear a floor, and you don't have to walk every inch of the floor to find everything. This is a very good thing because the floors are almost like a maze. I'm happy that a Shadow that is below my level is likely to run away from me. If I could mash Persona 4, and FES combat together then I would be in JRPG heaven. The area you explore in is just one big maze broken up into blocks, and after a while I got bored being in the same place day in, and day out. Yes, the design of the blocks of the area change, but it's still the same area. In Persona 4 you explore different areas in the game, and they're about 10 levels each save for a few exceptions, and the game remembers what level you stopped at letting you go back later. In FES you have to get to check points, and when you leave before you get to a check point the game makes you go thought all the levels all over again between the check points which is about 5 levels, or more. Being able to split up the party does make it easier, but having to reach a check point each time you explore can be a chore because FES has a condition system so to speak. Over time party members get tired which negatively affecting them in combat, and when a character gets tired they can stay that way for days making them unable to explore with you later. This is fine when you have more party members, but at the start you only have 3 in the party; this also affect the MC. The condition system does add a nice difficulty that for the most part over rides my complaints, but having your health, and spell power not regenerate also does this. I know it sound like a negative review, but I enjoyed that game far more then I didn't. Persona 4 did spoil me too much, and there for had a big impact on my feelings for FES, but both are quite good. I'd recommend playing Persona 3 FES first, and/or Portable before Persona 4, then play Golden. It will make P3 much more enjoyable, and make Persona 4 a nice change as well, and Golden is a nice change for P4 after you play the original P4. So go out, and enjoy a great series of games.

This is my pick for Best Game of All Time. There's a reason Atlus can afford to keep this game in print: around ten years (and two console generations) later, this game is still relevant, fresh, and cutting-edge. The game is basically divided into two clear "modes": there's the dungeon-crawling turn-based RPG meat and potatoes; and then there's the social simulation - going to school and making friends, and navigating the maze of relationships to forge those special, life-long bonds that we all seek in our lives. It's not exactly the social sim elements or the turn-based RPG elements alone that make this a special game to me, but how well these two seemingly-disparate styles of game-play are meshed together with such expertise that Atlus is capable of. This game quickly becomes a juggling act, just like real life. If you spend too much time fighting monsters you won't have much time to spend with your friends, and if you blow off your monster-fighting responsibilities too much, you're going to have a tough time when the next boss battle happens. Having the agency and then showing the responsibility to manage both of these systems makes you feel like you're really accomplishing something. Maintaining the balance between monster-fighting and Social Linking in this game gives me the same feeling of satisfaction that I get from handling my responsibilities in real life. That is how well-realized and complex these game-play systems are. Another way that this game seamlessly meshes two design approaches together is in how it simultaneously takes you down a linear story, but gives you so much freedom to choose who you spend time with and what you say to people, that every player has a somewhat different story to tell. This makes the experience feel personal and unique to you, while still taking you down the plot points that have to happen in order for the story to deliver its message: that life is worth living, and you should share your life with people you care about. The intimidatingly complex and challenging game-play, coupled with subtle, mature writing, and a brilliant grasp of symbolism, makes this the most satisfying and worthwhile time I have ever spent playing a video game. I truly grew attached to the kids of SEES (the main cast), and this marks the first time I have ever cried at the end of a video game. Make of that what you will.

SMT: P3F is easily one of the best RPGs I've ever played. Speaking as a die-hard Final Fantasy fan, this game beats any other series hands-down. Imperfect, but still incredible enough that I've bought a copy for every friend of mine with a PS2. I can't even say I'm joking. You must play this game. The story is incredibly intricate. Not only do you have the main plot arc, with its multiple side stories, plot twists, and deep meanings, but you also have a dozen or so minor arcs that you can explore on a day-to-day basis. Each is unique, fun, relatable, and occasionally gritty. But if the side stories are profound, the main plot is mind-bogglingly intense. Like, hooooooly smokes. It's wicked. (Be warned: it deals with a lot of mature themes, which is part of what makes it so epic.) There is only one static character in the game, and that's the unnamed Main Character. Everyone else is a miracle of writing. The characters in SEES (that is, the MC's closest friends) are more human than most people in reality. They have deep emotions, well-developed backstories, and you fall in love with all of them. Gameplay-wise, it's a standard turn-based game, although it has a LOT of interesting mechanics that make you think "Whoa, that the developers even THOUGHT of that..." For example, if you play too much, your characters get tired. I dunno about you, but to me, that's head-cockingly brilliant. If I were a dev, I'd never have thought of that. Now for the cons...the music is, to put it generously, bad. You get used to the faux urban style eventually, but then the second semester begins. The theme for school in the second half of the game requires the use of cotton balls to keep your ears from bleeding all over the basement. Luckily, this is just one horrible song in a soundtrack that ranges from poor to meh. The battle theme, at least, is decent. And the second intro theme ("Burn My Dread") is pretty catchy. I think it was the only intro before the "FES" was added, but I'm not certain. My only other complaint is the lack of minigames. With clubs like Kendo or Archery, you'd think there'd be something to entertain you, but alas, it's just a text adventure there. Which sucks, because Kendo would be an awesome minigame. Regardless, buy this game. Scroll up, click "Add to Cart," and do whatever you need to do to have it at your doorstep within a week. If you have to rob a bank to get the 20, 30 bucks, then leave a note explaining to the authorities why you did it. They will not press charges. Go. Stop reading. Buy this.

I’ll start this by saying that I recently got into the Persona series of games, starting with Persona 5, then moved to Persona 4 when it released to Steam, and started Persona 3 rather soon after that. Persona 5 and Persona 4 were games I simply could not put down and was unable to focus on much else they were so engrossing. I wish I could say the same is the case for Persona 3, but alas. I know for that reason it may seem like Persona 3 is not up to par and you may question why I still give it 5 stars, but this game is good, simply put. For one, I was pretty happy I could find a new condition game for the PS2 so easily through Amazon. The game came with all of the original documentation, disc, and everything. I’m pretty content with that aspect. As for the game itself, I can sum it up by saying that it was very hard to want to play it. I have never played a game so unforgiving, grueling, and disheartening. Does this make Persona 3 a bad game? No, it does not. If you want a challenge, or if you’re so depressed that you feel next to nothing then maybe this is the game for you — through all of the grief and hardship, by the end of this game I felt immense gratification. The credits rolled and I shed tears. With all of that said, would I recommend this game to everyone? No, I probably wouldn’t. But, I would recommend this game to someone who is looking for a genuinely difficult game with a compelling story. It took me around 5 months of playing, off and on, but I am glad I played Persona 3 FES for the Sony Playstation 2. The beautiful soundtrack, wonderful (albeit sometimes slow) story, and interesting combat made this game a great play, and one I will remember fondly. I would highly recommend buying this game new from Amazon, as the documentation in the game case offers some interesting information that did provide some aid with playing the game, too.

Bought new from Amazon, and surprisingly enough in 2019, it is an actual brand new, shrink-wrapped copy of P3Fes. It does have a different case from my other PS2 games, which is clearly cheaper and more of a dark blue colour — possibly due to being more recently produced? Regardless, it works fine in my PS2 and is a great JRPG. Definitely recommended.

I received four copies for some reason, can't wait to play the game.

Be aware that this is an NTSC-U copy of Persona 3 FES. In order to play it on consoles from other regions, you must modify your PS2. Considering this game in my region (PAL) is well in excess of AU$350, an NTSC-U copy for AU$85 seems like a total bargain. I was skeptical coming into it but it is totally legit! Comes with the manual and disk in incredible condition, and with a bit of finesse to get my PAL console modified, I was able to play the game no problem!

Dieses Spiel gibt es leider nur auf Englisch mit Untertiteln. Du bist definitiv eines der coolsten RPG`s diese gespielt habe. Vielfältige Möglichkeiten seine Stärken und Schwächen zu entwickeln und er sehr toll aufgebaut des kundenbasiertes Kampf- System. Mega coole story line, sehr schöne Grafik und zudem auch unselige neben Quests die man einfach abseits der story noch erledigen kann – oder auch nicht wie man gerade hat.

One of the best JRPG available for Playstation 2, this version, named FES, has a whole brand new 20 hours chapter included which can be considered a whole new game, plus some other upgrade in the core game system. Excellent storyline, cool characters, awesome OST and a superb combat system, make this Persona 3 FES one of the most beautiful japanese role play videogames still available on PlayStation 2, please, make yourself a favor and buy it istantly!