A title for RPG lovers and Persona newcomers to enjoy!
The characters are in high school, which might be unappealing to some because of the inevitable "teen angst" trope (especially a turnoff to most die hard SMT fans from my observation), but it's a great story with characters that most end up loving by the end of the game. The voice acting in the English version is also fantastic, especially in comparison to usual JRPG localization voice acting. Very rarely did I raise an eyebrow due to an extremely awkward line spouted in a mediocre acting voice; it's a great listening experience and helps add much flavor to the characters.
The game play has its own flavor of turn-based RPG style. For those that hate turn-based RPGs, this title isn't going to change your mind. However, with All-Out attacks (when your teams gangs together on one enemy) and the "Once More!" (being able to hit an enemy twice if you attack them with their weakness) mechanics, I was able to adjust just fine without feeling inclined to use my couch as a bed. Personas also make spell learning dynamic due to the ability to level up and fuse Personas to get new moves and combinations of your favorite moves thus far.
I don't throw out 10's, but this JRPG from Atlus is an instant classic in little exaggeration. The characters are fun and work great off of each other's personalities (some don't like the happy-go-lucky type of theme, if you don't then this might not be for you) . The game play, while it can grind on you because the game is a tad "grindy" in the RPG sense, gives you plenty of options through the Persona fusing system to improve your strength and preparation for big/small battles. The events that go on in the have successfully gotten people to feel a connection to the characters (this stands for me and a pretty number of others I know that have played this title).
Therefore, if you are curious about the series because you are wondering why it deserves an anime and fighting title, or just want to use your PS2 for a nice 80 and above hour adventure, purchase Persona 4. It was a choice I made and will always remember and have no reason to regret.