I have never played an RPG game that I was so immersed with as much as the Persona series. Maybe since the characters are well done? And easy to relate to somehow? It's no HD eye candy either, and this kind of game shows you that you don't have to be all visuals to make an impact in the gaming world.
For Persona 3 on the PS2, I had 160+ hours of play time (I know...lame!), and the sequel, Persona 4, I have at least 100+ hours. But that's in a span of months, ok? Still, a lot of time devoted to these games.
I never planned on getting a PSP, but when it was confirmed that Atlus was releasing/porting Persona 3 to the PSP, that was my cue to get one.
P3P: Persona 3 Portable comes to the PSP. And now, there are two main characters to choose from.
After getting the PSP, I got P3P the same day. The PSP was going to be worth what I paid for already in a matter of days...
The game mechanics are pretty much the same from the PS2 version. Same setting/plot, and characters. However, this time, you have the option to play a female main character. This character has a little bit different story arc, so it's a worthwhile to go this route for those who have already completed and finished Persona 3 on the PS2. There are differences in the character interaction when playing the female MC, and also some new background music added.
Since the PSP is a smaller unit, a couple of sacrifices had to be made during the porting. For one, the anime cut scenes have been removed. Too bad though as this adds to the story's visual.
You use a red 'cursor' to move around town and the places that you wish to go to.
Navigation through town and within the school is also different. Instead of a running/walking avatar, you just move a circle and highlight/hover to locations that you want to go to.
But when inside Tartarus (the main 'battlefield' during the 'Dark Hour') you have your avatar running around as you navigate and fight with the enemies (the 'Shadows').
Battle sequences are still the same. P3P is turn based, same as its PS2 counterpart. You get to pick your moves/actions (take as long as you like, but not too long ok) so that you can strategize first, and then execute the action.
When engaging the Shadows, you get the option to allow you to control the actions of the other party members. And yes... that is a 'Santa Outfit' that you see and is available in-game... Merry Christmas :-)
The nice thing is that Atlus incorporated the extended/manual control option that they introduced in Persona 4. This allows you to 'decide' for the other characters in the game (non-playable characters) so that you can pick from their abilities manually, rather than having to rely on the AI and pray that it picks the right ability when you need it during battle.
Persona fusion (i.e., merging personas and creating new, more powerful ones) is still the same as the PS2 version.
Social links, which are relationships formed within the party members or other non-playable characters, are also still included in the game. These social links correspond to points that apply when doing Persona fusions that adds bonuses. Think of it like an experience points boost.
There are also some added 'side-quests', such as rescuing people who stray into Tartarus during the dark hour, and the doing part-time work and earning some cash to upgrade you and your team's equipment.
As of this writing, I have 70+ hours logged in P3P and past a little bit halfway through the entire game. At this rate, I might be replicating the number of hours I had with the PS2 version... or even more :-o
For fans of this RPG series (Shin Megami Tensei), this is something to get and try out. You get the awesome playability of P3 on the PS2, with the added convenience of being able to play it on-the-go.
I also recommend getting the extended battery as this will help greatly in the playtime.
Now, I wonder where's Atlus at on the Persona 5 development, which has been rumored (and semi-confirmed) to be released on the PS3. Soon enough, I hope!
Cheers all! :-)
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