2021 is going to be a big year forPersonafans as it marks the 25th anniversary for the series. Atlus has announced a celebration for the series later in the year, and fans have been eyeingPersona 3in particular as its 15th anniversary comes up this summer. With the huge success of thePersona 4 Goldenport on Steam last year, Atlus has expressed interest in more ports and potential remakes in the future.
Although it’smore likely that aPersona 3port is announcedrather than a full remake, it’s also an entry in the series that would benefit greatly from a full remake given how its versions differ. With that in mind, there’s a few things that Atlus should include if they do decide to go the remake route forPersona 3this year.
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Combining Persona 3 FES and Persona 3 Portable
Regardless ofwhetherPersona 3turns out to be a remake or a port, Atlus will likely need to combine elements from both versions of the game together.Persona 3 FESwas an enhanced rerelease ofPersona 3back in 2007. Featuring an epilogue section titled “The Answer,“Persona 3 FESalso included additions such as more Personas and modified Social Links. ForPersonafans unfamiliar withPersona 3, Persona 3 FEScan be thought of as an enhanced version of the original much likePersona 4 GoldenorPersona 5 Royal.
Persona 3also received an enhanced portof the game for the PSP titledPersona 3 Portablein 2009. A more streamlined version ofPersona 3,the animated cutscenes were removed and many models or textures were downgraded in order to run on a handheld system. On the other hand, sincePersona 3 Portablewas released afterPersona 4,it borrowed many of the convenient changes found inPersona 4that improved the overall gameplay experience. With the release ofPersona 3 Portable,it also brought along QoL changes such as being able to control all party members in battle.
Furthermore,Persona 3 Portablealso featured the ability to play as a female main character. While her core story is similar to the male protagonist, she has some different dialogue and Social Link options. Since she was limited toPersona 3 Portable,she didn’t have animated cutscenes and her story introduced a few exclusive characters. Though her inclusion in aPersona 3remake could require some story modifications, players having the option to pick either the male or female protagonist would be a fantastic addition to a potential remake.Unifying the best parts ofPersona 3 FESandPersona 3 Portableis perhaps the biggest argument for a remake over a port.
Quality of Life Changes
As thePersonaseries evolved over the years, a lot of QoL changes have been added to the franchise as well. A lot of convenient gameplay features fromPersona 4andPersona 5would make aPersona 3remake much more accessible than its original games. For example, allowing players to pick the spells that party members learn or revamping the EXP system to be similar to the newerPersonagames would be great additions to a remake.Persona 3suffered from awkwardly implemented mechanics such as the lack of money drops from monsters or Social Link regression. While some of these mechanics helped makePersona 3more challenging than its successors, they also felt unnecessary.
WhilePersona 3is a fantastic game, these outdated mechanics can make the game feel like a slog at times. Forplayers who have only experiencedPersona 4andPersona 5,many of these mechanics can be off-putting, especially since they’re already used to the newer QoL improvements. SomePersona 3exclusive mechanics would also need to be reworked in order to become more accessible. For example, the Tired system was implemented to prevent players from grinding but its a nuisance in the early stages of the game when players don’t have enough party members to rotate.
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Graphical Update
AlthoughPersona 3doesn’t need a graphical update in a remake, it would definitely be a welcome addition. AsPersona 3was originally released on the PS2, many of its models and even its animated cutscenes are showing their age. Players have already caught a glimpse of what a graphically overhauledPersona 3game could look like with its2018 spinoffPersona 3: Dancing in Moonlight.Of course, graphical improvements would require much more time and investment but it also solves one of the big problems inPersona 3,the Tartarus.
Unlike the newer games in the series,Persona 3only featured one large dungeoncalled Tartarus. Although the floors are randomly generated, there is a lack of variety between them leading to players getting easily bored. There are 264 floors in Tartarus, and since there is almost no visual distinction, the dungeon-crawling elements quickly become too much of a grind. Having a graphical update would allow Tartarus to have unique designs that would feel similar to the different dungeons ofPersona 4andPersona 5.The inherent design of Tartarus being one long dungeon isn’t bad but it would greatly benefit from a graphical update.
Difficulty Options
One of the mostbeneficial upgrades to the PC port ofPersona 4 Goldenwas the ability to change the difficulty of the game at any time. LikePersona 5,players were able to go into the menu and select a different difficulty setting if they wanted a challenge or found certain dungeons too hard. ForPersona 3in particular, having easily modified difficulty settings is important as difficulty spikes are much more common. A number of bosses such as the infamous Sleeping Table pose a huge difficulty spike for new players and can be a source of frustration if they aren’t prepared.
The other important reason forPersona 3to have difficulty optionsis because of its nature as a long-winded turn-based RPG. The nature of the Tartarus forces players to go through extended sections of dungeon-crawling. Players who cannot dedicate hours of their time to the turn-based battles will find easier difficulty options to be more enjoyable.Persona 5didn’t offer players an option to skip the battle animations so a potentialPersona 3remake would likely be similar. As a result, having difficulty options that are easily changed will be a vital accessibility option for players who cannot sit through all 264 floors of the Tartarus.
