Wonderfully executed, storyline that keeps you interested, and waaaaaaaay too much grinding for levels and money.
User Rating: 8.5 | Persona 3 PS2
The game was wonderful, except for one gleaming blight on the gameplay. The story has twists and turns but kept me wanting to see what was coming next rather than annoying me. The blending of classical RPG and life-sim elements was done seamlessly. HOWEVER, there is one outdated element of gameplay that brings the game to a near screeching halt. Grinding. It is a total uphill battle for every level and weapon/armor upgrade throughout the game (at least on the first run through it, I don't know about on subsequent ones). There's no definite way to get money in a consistent manner, and the monsters range from pushover to boss-level. I've been killed in mere moments due to the fact that you cannot control your entire party, just the main character--which turns every fight into you struggling against the enemies and your own party member's A.I. All of that aside the game is absolutely wonderful.
