A game that delivers a great story,an addicting gameplay and deep sim-like lifestyle...a refreshing change in the genre
Persona 3 follows the setting convention established by its 3 predecessors (Persona 2 was two games). The place is a Japanese metropolis, and the time is March, 2009. The main character is an orphaned transfer student of the town's island-situated school, Gekkoukan High. As part of the package, he is assigned to a Dorm in Iwatodai. Every night at midnight most people transmogrify into coffins and a period called the Dark Hour takes place. In the Dark Hour, creatures named Shadows come out to attack those who haven't transmogrified. Some of those people possess a power called Persona, which allows them to summon a spiritual aid to fight the shadows. Eventually, he finds out that the students at the dorm are also Persona users and part of a secret organization called the Specialized Exctracurricular Execution Squad (SEES), whose task it is to protect people from shadows. In addition, during the Dark Hour, Gekkoukan High turns into a giant twisted tower called Tartarus. It is up to the main character and his party to explore Tartarus as well as fight any shadows that come out of it.
Of course, this would make for a pretty boring story, except for the fact that SEES members also have to go through their daily lives as high school students: studying for and taking exams, making friends, and hooking up. Sure, the main storyline is great, with cool plot twists here and there, but the best part is the interactions between the main character and his dorm mates, teachers, and fellow students. See, in order to strengthen your ability to create Personae, you have to establish Social Links with people, one for each of the Tarot Arcana. You establish Social Links by making friends, and grow the links by talking to and hanging out with them. Persona 3 basically forces you to interact with the NPCs throughout the game, managing relationships and your personal development, making the game more of a relationship sim than a traditional RPG. Honestly, the change is very refreshing.
What makes this system work is the excellent characterization of all the NPCs, as well as the PCs. I actually felt myself connecting to all of them in a way that I can't in most RPGs. Some of the relationships are humorous, some are heartbreaking, and some are downright goofy. Each of the characters made an impact, and since you follow them through the course of the school year, you see them grow and develop as you interact. I applaud Atlus for not just for changing the formula, but for doing it well and making it work. Story gets a 95% of the game.