There are things in Persona 3: Portable that remain timeless, despite it having been released in 2009. Now that it's available on multiple platforms, we can finally scrutinize the details of the game from the good, the bad, and the funny. You're here to focus on the small details that made you want to experience the game all over again.
There's nostalgia in getting to rebuild your relationships with the characters, and fond moments about perfectly answering pop quizzes. From its memorable storyline up to its quotable lines, Persona 3 Portable proves that it's the small things that tend to make us fall in love.
10 The Background Music Is An Ear Worm
It's impossible to speak of the Persona series without bringing up its polished soundtracks. Persona 3 Portable isn't an exception to this rule, and you've probably gotten used to "After School" playing in various locations in the game. You might've even heard it play in your head rent-free if A Way Of Life isn't the music taking over your head space.
Compared to the other Persona games, Persona 3 Portable isn't exactly all smooth jazz, and incorporates some rock elements to some of its pieces, as well as hip-hop in its songs.
9 The Main Character Has An Adaptable Personality
The main character is so adaptable, you can choose to play as a guy or a girl in this game. If you're bored, you can finish playing as your preferred gender, and then play the other. You'll be surprised that there are differences, and certain NPCs only appear when you play as a girl. Beyond being able to decide who to play as, the main character is capable of befriending everybody, even characters that you normally shouldn't associate yourself with.
This ability to befriend everybody extends to both main characters and is a perfect personality quirk to have if you're looking forward to mastering the personas.
8 Character Interactions Are Cartoonish
Despite being good with everybody, you have to be laughing at the fact that you can befriend a literal scammer and still gain something by the end of it. You shouldn't be out and about with these suspicious characters, nor hanging around alcohol and bars while in high school, but these opportunities in-game help you gain social links that can be useful to you if you're a frequent visitor of Tartarus.
We love how Persona 3 Portable can have serious themes, but also has relationships spring from the strangest places through the power of kindness. Disregarding what you can get out of these interactions, you have to agree that teachers getting jealous of high schoolers for being able to deliver a better speech than they could is just comically funny.
7 Activities Kill Time
You have to be smart with how you spend your time, since it dictates who you get closer to and how your day passes. A day lost on cutting classes, or spending too much stamina on an activity, may do you more harm than good. Prioritizing the relationships you want to build, being a good student, and choosing your club activities will be crucial in preparing yourself for the end-game content.
As much as we'd like for the entire game to stay in the mandatory beach episode, we all know that even summer days are limited and that we'll have to fight our way if we wanted answers regarding the truth of the Dark Hour.
6 Continuity Of NPCs From The Series
Officer Kurosawa is a good example of continuity, and he remained to be a recurring character in Persona 3: Masquerade, and Persona 4: Arena. From arms dealer to investigator, he remembers characters from the previous games that he's had interactions with and are implied to have worked with them in some way.
But he's not the only NPC that reappears in the other Persona games, even the teacher Mr. Edogawa makes appearances in Persona 4 and Persona 4 golden through cameos. He is also consistently affiliated with Gekkoukan Highschool.
5 Relationships Are Everything
Speaking of relationships, building them is equivalent to building up your skills in this game. This is why it's crucial to be friends with everyone, excluding the bosses and people you'll have to eventually fight. If you neglect a relationship in this game, then you won't be able to unlock the special capabilities of the arcana related to that person.
What's even more fascinating about these relationships is that the person holding the arcana is reflective of their card. In a way, the arcana and the person's relationship with it are parallel. You can see this with The Devil and President Tanaka, who is fond of money. He also has no regard for others on his way to acquiring wealth.
4 Tests Are Consistent With Your Classes
If you're a good student in real life, now is a good time to put that into practice because this game will quiz you on arbitrary facts. It's almost as if certain teachers don't teach and just expect you to know everything. When you answer these questions correctly, you gain more popularity among your peers.
If you're not exactly a model student, just hope that you have enough general knowledge about these real-world facts when the actual examinations finally come, or check our handy guide to all the answers. We promise we won't tell on you!
3 Every Choice You Make Has Consequences
It's not just time management that you have to watch out for. Remember that if you strain yourself in the game, your choices will be limited. If you choose to nap during class, you will be well-rested at the cost of other stat points that can be beneficial to you. A good night's rest is important, but so is making sure that you're prepared to fight what the game has to throw at you.
Regardless, this game has multiple endings, and which ending you discover will depend on the choices you make. While not every decision is vital, there are a lot that are.
2 Characters Have Development Throughout The Game
If you've played as the female MC in this game, chances are, you've had experiences with Junpei that aren't pleasant. You'll also realize that the reason for his hostility towards you was caused by his insecurities and that his ego couldn't take being beaten by a girl.
However, as you spend more time with him, he more than warms up to you. In fact, you can even become the best of friends if you pursue this path. He also has more faith in your leadership and loses much of his hostility. Junpei aside, every character in this game is affected by your relationship with them. They become open, and improved versions of themselves.
1 The Game Is A Reflection Of Its Time
People still refer to fashion magazines for fashion advice, flip phones are a thing, fad diets and carbs are a rampant fear, and did we mention? People still play with kaleidoscopes, if you know what they are.
The game is in a time devoid of social media, which meant having more time to go outside to do fun things—it's not that going to carnivals and malls are a thing of the past, but if you're looking for fun, you probably get enough of a dopamine boost from scrolling through Tiktok. Going through this game makes you feel like you've been transported to a different time.
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