Persona 4 may be the last in a long line of PS2 RPGs, but it will forever have a place as one of the best.
Earlier this year, gamers were treated to the definitive version of Persona 4's stellar predecessor with Persona 3: FES, a stylized RPG which combined dungeon crawling with a high school socializing simulator. Persona 4 follows the exact same formula, but it introduces several refinements to the core gameplay to make it a much smoother experience. The single massive dungeon from Persona 3 has been replaced with several smaller dungeons, there are more categories to improve your social standing, and players are now able to directly control each party member in battle. Your strength in battle also has a greater tie to steps you take within the incredibly lengthy story.
Persona 4 lets you step into the shoes of a second year high school student who has been transferred to the small town of Inaba for a year while your parents are away. Shortly after arriving to town, you begin your term at Yasogami High School and begin your interactions with various classmates and townspeople. Peaceful times are interrupted, however, when a string of supernatural murders occur within the small town. From then on, its up to you and a group of your classmates to summon your newly acquired persona powers and solve the mystery. Much like the previous game, socializing with different people has a direct impact on the summons, or Persona, you use in battle. If you max out a social stat corresponding to a particular Persona's Arcana alignment, that Persona will receive extra levels and powers upon creation.
Social Links also have a greater effect in battle as it pertains to interactions with your fellow party members. As you become friendlier or intimate with your party members, they can sustain mortal blows, take fatal shots for you, deliver extra attacks, or cure status ailments without using turns. The weather in the game also has an effect on gameplay. Stronger monsters appear in dungeons on rainy days, persona creation grants additional powers on select days, and dungeons must be completed before foggy days. The added time pressure might be tough to handle for some and Persona 3 fans may dislike it entirely, but the game does a good job of giving you enough warnings before the next foggy day. Even if you miss the foggy day deadline, the game either allows you to go back one week or continue from your last save.
The graphical style is largely identical to Persona 3. While the character models and settings barely tax the PS2 hardware, the games strength lies in its art design and top notch presentation. Anime fans will also appreciate the fully animated scenes sprinkled throughout the game, as well as the stellar cast populated by veteran anime voice actors. Two shining examples in the cast are Laura Bailey (Fullmetal Alchemist, Shin Chan) who is almost unrecognizable as the former Jpop Idol, Rise Kujikawa, and a returning favorite in Amanda Winn (Rei from Neon Genesis Evangelion) as popular high school hottie Yukiko Amagai. The soundtrack consists of upbeat pop and rock song performed in comically broken English. The songs used for town exploration are quite catchy, but during the course of this 80+ hour game, it may become bothersome if you pay too much attention to it. Dungeon crawling songs are much more forgettable and don't loop very well, and since you'll be spending hours in those dungeons, a set of headphones and an Mp3 player might not be a bad idea.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 may not appeal to many hardcore gamers today. The graphics are largely unimpressive, the game is aimed squarely at those already interested in Japanese culture and RPGs, and the core game demands an 80 hour time commitment. The game also has a much slower start than its predecessor which may even turn off fans of Persona 3. However, if you're in the mood for an incredibly unique and immersive experience, Persona 4 will give you plenty of bang for your 40 bucks.
Cain