Persona 3 Portable

The fourth time is a charm for Persona 3; this remaster of 2010’s Persona 3 Portable might lack the on-foot exploration, but with an alternative protagonist, remains the best way to enjoy this iconic role-playing game. 

Since its 2006 debut, Persona 3 has been re-released multiple times. Following the original PlayStation 2 version, Persona 3 FES offered an expanded iteration, while Persona 3 Portable adapted the title for portable play. Now, it’s been published once more, with Portable being ported onto contemporary systems.

For most games, four remasters across seventeen years might signal a cash grab by an opportunistic publisher. But given increased concerns about mental health, Persona 3 is more relevant now than when it was originally released, with its exploration of loss and evocative imagery. Beyond an examination of weighty issues, the third mainline Shin Megami Tensei: Persona game pioneered the blending of dating sim, dungeon crawler, and poignant character arcs that would define subsequent franchise efforts.

Like previous Persona 3 iterations, Portable opens with the nameless protagonist transferring to Gekkoukan High. On the way to the school, the student perceives an otherworld event referred to as the Dark Hour. Although the moment between 11:59 PM and midnight seems ordinary to most people, time stops for a select few. While the masses are transmogrified into coffins creatures called Shadows crawl about with malicious intent.

Fortunately, those who witness the Dark Hour aren’t defenseless. They can summon Personas, a powerful manifestation of an individual’s personality that is drawn from mythological archetypes. But unlike the other members of Gekkoukan High’s Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES) who have a single Persona, Portable’s protagonist can carry up to 12 of them simultaneously. And that ability proves essential since the propagation of shadows threatens to devastate Tatsumi Port Island.

It’s not a spoiler to state that Persona 3 is a rumination on death. Portable’s opening animation communicates the Latin phrase “Memento Mori”, which roughly translates to “remember that you must die”. But the saying is more than just a grim reminder of our inevitable fate. It also alludes to the use of the limited time we are given. P3P provides a considerable amount of autonomy as its in-game calendar persistently progresses. Whether you are interested in finding a romantic interest, intent on studying to increase your stats, or just building rapport with fellow SEES members, after-school options are plentiful. But know that the number of available activities almost always exceeds the amount of free time you have, leading to some thorny decisions. You know, just like real life.

Undeniably, Persona 3’s inclusion of the social link system is the game’s greatest virtue. Befriending others is associated with an arcana, a classification built around tarot cards. By building bonds, you can create and summon new Personas that are associated with a particular card, which are crucial as you trek through a towering dungeon named Tartarus.

But more importantly, the people who you connect with gradually reveal themselves to you. Occasionally, these stories can be heartbreaking, such as the married couple struggling with the loss of their daughter.  Other times, relationships can feel remarkably fulfilling, with dialog selections occasionally exhibiting a positive effect on others. The world can often be dispiriting, P3P reminds us. But the unions we forge with others help make things manageable.

When Persona 3 Portable was first released, the game added a female protagonist. Pleasingly, this injects more than just a different gender option for players. Although none of the game’s major events change, the selection provides a new perspective on the storyline. Now, close friends become romanceables revealing new aspects of their personalities, especially with characters such as Akihiko and Shinjiro. Sporadically, revisiting heartbreaking moments from a different point of view is especially touching. And like real life, characters don’t always deliver soliloquies in their concluding moments, creating fictional moments that are startlingly affecting. Do you dare fall for the ill-fated, making their last weeks on earth a bit more bearable? With quandaries like this, Persona 3 can almost feel evergreen.

But nearly two decades on, Portable’s turn-based battles aren’t quite as novel as they once felt. Much of that sentiment stems from the presence of the “one more” mechanic which appeared across subsequent Persona games and spin-offs. Here, exploiting an enemy’s elemental weakness or landing a critical provides players with an extra turn. Those additional turns prove essential against fights with elevated foes or on the P3P’s higher difficulty settings. It’s still an effective system that strives to keep combat engaging, even if it is starting to feel overused in 2023.

Given the ubiquity of roguelike dungeon crawls, Tartarus’ 260 levels of procedurally generated floors can also grow a bit tedious, especially if you’re accustomed to slightly more sophisticated labyrinths filled with curious gimmicks. On the upside, Portable allows players to take control of all party members. In the original release, spotty artificial intelligence could make some fights artificially strenuous.

With rumors of an upcoming Persona 3 remake, a purchase of Persona 3 Portable might seem unessential. But this affordably priced rerelease offers an opportunity to (re)visit one of the most influential entries in Atlus’ famed franchise. Given P3P’s debut on the PSP, it’s not surprising that the port runs flawlessly, with 60 frame-per-second performance providing about 3.5 hours of on-the-go play on Steam deck. Sure, it hasn’t been given a lavish overhaul, so you’ll have to suffice with some standard upscaling. But fortunately, there’s no evidence of meddling with the magnificence of this iconic RPG.

Persona 3 Portable was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.