If Final Fantasy X holds the gold, then Persona 4 holds the platinum! Better than FFX and Kingdom Hearts II.
User Rating: 10 | Persona 4 PS2
Persona 4 was one of those games I wanted since it was announced. And when I finally got it this month, I was thinking, "Wow! This knocks Final Fantasy X off the top!" I'm not exaggerating here. I love this game, and I can't come up with a single complete flaw. The story begins with the protagonist leaving the big city to live in the countryside with his uncle and cousin because of his parents' work. Shortly afterwards, two bizarre murders occur, and it's up to you and your friends to solve the mystery with personal summons called Personas. And the protagonist is the only one who can use multiple Personas. Everyone else has to make due with just one. You can create stronger Personas by hanging out with your friends and becoming closer. The game's so great because it was designed perfectly for it's ideas. Your schedule is perfectly balanced between hanging out with your pals and fighting the Shadows in the TV world. The social elements are just perfect, and the characters' personalities are very lively most of the time despite the serious story. It actually feels as if it really is you out there, building friendships and swapping blows with whatever enemies come at you. Dang! The battle system is strategic and encourages you to play smart, and not play tough. You can choose to either let your buddies do whatever you want, or tell them how to fight. The only real problem is that you lose once the hero dies. Fortunately, you've got the most power available to you out of the entire party. So it's not too bad. It's great, really, because not everyone likes just using the attack button repeatedly to easily win. You can also strategize how you fight. Everything about the game just feels...Real. -Dan
Concept: 10: Take the PS2's rule out with a serious bang with disturbingly perfect writing and gameplay.
Graphics: 9.5: For a PS2 game, it's looking pretty friggin' nice.
Sound: 9.5: Catchy background music, and voice acting that brings every character to life.
Playability: 9.5: If you prefer brawns over brains, be careful. The battle system's surprisingly tactical.
Entertainment: 10: Even though Persona 4's a work of fiction, it has that certain element not present in most RPGs where everything, the story, the characters, the combat, just feels real.
Lasting Appeal: 13: I gotta have a little fun typing, don't I? Well, that aside, this mind-blowing game will make you wanna keep playing, even after the credits roll. It's not just gold. It's Platinum.
