Game Reviews

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable is a great port of one of the best Japanese RPGs to come along in quite a while. Rather than creating a bland direct port, Atlus has taken the best elements from the 2007 PS2 cult classic Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 to craft a fantastic role-playing experience that plays to the strengths of its medium though not everyone will want to re-invest 80-100 hours in the game again.

Most JRPG fans will agree that Persona 3 -- and 2008 re-release Persona 3: FES -- are among of the genre’s best in the past several years, notable for its unique combination of complex mechanics and light dating-sim elements. Its much more accessible take on the traditionally hardcore franchise has won it a large number of new fans who have used it as a stepping stone into the Shin Megami Tensei franchise at large.

For the uninitiated, in Persona 3, you take on the role of a high school student who, by day, juggles social commitments and education at Gekkoukan High. By night, you and your friends tap into your Personas, warriors buried deep within your subconscious, to battle the Shadows and other ghastly creatures to save the world.

The newly-released PSP port loses very little in the translation, and adds enough that even Persona 3 veterans might want to consider taking a look. But while the female campaign makes for an excellent addition, fans may find some of the tweaks irritating. And, of course, another 80 hours of what amounts to the same game may be a bit hard to stomach, no matter how good it is.

Persona 3 Portable is definitely not the quick and dirty port that PSP owners are all too familiar with. Atlus has obviously put some thought into how best to approach a handheld version of the game, and have tweaked a number of elements accordingly.