Persona 3 Reload: Difference between revisions

The character models and assets have been remade from the ground up to be presented as more proportionate relative to the environment design in a similar vein to ''Persona 5''{{'}}s art direction, which is also reflected in the revamped lighting engine and the number of non-playable characters that populate the playable areas of the game, both of which have been improved upon when contrasted with the original game. Performance has also been increased from all previous versions' 30 [[frames per second]] (FPS), to up to 60 FPS at up to [[4K resolution]] (3840x2160).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bari |first=Muhammad Ali |date=2023-06-12 |title=Persona 3 Reload Will Run At 4K/60 FPS, Will Feature New Side Episodes & Voiced Dialogue |url=https://twistedvoxel.com/persona-3-reload-4k-60-fps-new-side-episodes-voiced-dialogue/ |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=TwistedVoxel |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612071904/https://twistedvoxel.com/persona-3-reload-4k-60-fps-new-side-episodes-voiced-dialogue/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Reload'' contains additional scenes not featured in the original game or any of its re-releases, including new party interactions, dialogue, and voiced cutscenes. Every Social Link route is now completely voiced. Exploration within Tartarus also features additional dialogue amongst the party depending on who is taken into the dungeon. The animated cutscenes from the original [[PlayStation 2]] version of ''Persona 3'' have been recreated. The Japanese voice cast reprised their respective roles, alongside Shinya Takahashi, who serves as Koromaru's dedicated voice actor after previously voicing him in the four-part ''[[Persona 3 The Movie]]'' film series.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Constable |first=Tyler |date=2023-06-12 |title=Persona 3 Reload voice actors: English and Japanese cast |url=https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/persona-3-reload-voice-actors-english-and-japanese-cast-2173879/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612153350/https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/persona-3-reload-voice-actors-english-and-japanese-cast-2173879/ |archive-date=2023-06-12 |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=Dexerto |language=en}}</ref><ref name="famitsu eng" /> The main English voice cast from previous games has been entirely re-cast for ''Reload'', including the [[Protagonist (Persona 3)|protagonist]] (Aleks Le), [[Mitsuru Kirijo]] (Allegra Clark), [[Yukari Takeba]] (Heather Gonzalez), [[Junpei Iori]] ([[Zeno Robinson]]), [[Aigis (Character)|Aigis]] ([[Dawn Bennett]]), [[Akihiko Sanada]] ([[Alejandro Saab]]), [[Fuuka Yamagishi]] ([[Suzie Yeung]]), [[Shinjiro Aragaki]] (Justice Slocum) and [[Ken Amada]] (Justine Lee).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Middler |first=Jordan |date=2023-06-11 |title=Persona 3 Reload will feature an entirely new voice cast |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/persona-3-reloaded-will-feature-an-entirely-new-voice-cast/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611194625/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/persona-3-reloaded-will-feature-an-entirely-new-voice-cast/ |archive-date=2023-06-11 |access-date=2023-06-11 |website=[[Video Games Chronicle]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Kirk Thornton]] voices [[Igor (Persona)|Igor]], the proprietor of the Velvet Room, reprising his role from the English dub of ''[[Persona 5|]]''Persona 5'']] (2016).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Joshua |first=Orpheus |date=2023-12-13 |title=New Persona 3 Reload Trailer Introduces Velvet Room |url=https://noisypixel.net/persona-3-reload-trailer-introduces-velvet-room/ |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=Noisy Pixel |language=en-us |archive-date=15 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215151237/https://noisypixel.net/persona-3-reload-trailer-introduces-velvet-room/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The original voice actors for the ''Persona 3'' party members in English appear in different roles throughout the game. [[Tara Platt]], who voiced Mitsuru and the Velvet Room attendant [[Elizabeth (Persona)|Elizabeth]] in the original game, reprises the latter role in ''Reload''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Romano |first=Sal |date=2023-09-20 |title=Persona 3 Reload details Strega, supporting characters, battle system, and new scenes |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2023/09/persona-3-reload-details-strega-supporting-characters-battle-system-and-new-scenes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920182344/https://www.gematsu.com/2023/09/persona-3-reload-details-strega-supporting-characters-battle-system-and-new-scenes |archive-date=2023-09-20 |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=Gematsu |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Yuri Lowenthal]], the previous English voice for the protagonist, Pharos, and Ryoji, appears as Eiichiro Takeba, Yukari's father and a lead researcher for the Kirijo Group's experiments on Shadows.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Persona 3 Star Yuri Lowenthal Opens Up About Being Recast for Reload (Exclusive) |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/persona-3-reload-yuri-lowenthal-recast/ |access-date=2024-03-02 |website=ComicBook Gaming |language=en}}</ref> [[Liam O'Brien]], who previously dubbed Akihiko in English, voices Officer Kurosawa, the night patrolman at Paulownia Mall who acts as a discrete weapons dealer for S.E.E.S. and an informant on civilians who go missing in Tartarus during the Dark Hour; [[Wendee Lee]], who dubbed Fuuka in English from ''[[Persona 4 Arena]]'' onwards, voices Ms. Terauchi, the English teacher at Gekkoukan High School; [[Michelle Ruff]], the original English voice for Yukari, appears as the unnamed shopkeeper at Maiyodo Antiquities, a business the protagonist can visit at Paulownia Mall that sells additional weapons and armor for the party to equip. [[Grant George]], the original voice for Shinjiro and Jin in English, voices Takeharu Kirijo, Mitsuru's father and the head of the Kirijo Group who was a benefactor towards the research project into Shadows and the Dark Hour; The female protagonist's alternate story route from ''Persona 3 Portable'' is not included in the game.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-12 |title=Persona 3 Fans Upset As Remake Cuts Female Protagonist |url=https://kotaku.com/persona-3-reload-remake-femc-female-protagonist-recast-1850529591 |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=Kotaku |language=en}}</ref> With the additional voiced lines added in Tartarus and the game's side-stories, ''Persona 3 Reload'' has the most spoken dialogue of any game in the series.<ref name="4gamer" /> The game was made using [[Unreal Engine 4]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ngan |first1=Liv |title=Persona 3 Reload is fastest-selling Atlus game ever |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/persona-3-reload-is-fastest-selling-atlus-game-ever |website=Eurogamer.net |language=en |date=8 February 2024}}</ref>

Tomohiro Kumagai, a lead UI designer at P-Studio on ''[[Persona 4 Arena Ultimax|]]''Persona 4 Arena Ultimax'']] (2013), as well as both ''Persona 5'' and ''Royal'', serves as ''Reload''{{'s}} art director. Kumagai was among Yamaguchi's earliest hires for the project shortly after he assumed the role as the game's director. Kumagai became attracted to the prospects of working on the game having been captivated by the original ''Persona 3''{{'s}} art design, and its notion that a user interface could have powerful synergy with the game's themes. He explained that ''Reload''{{'s}} menu interface drawing on the imagery of being submerged in water, was developed from his initial perception of the original game's heavy usage of blue in the menus, which was further iterated on by the UI design team. He also envisioned slower animations and softer aesthetics in the menus, in order to contrast ''Persona 5''{{'s}} emphasis on aggressive movements and pop-punk influences, deriving inspiration from the sea surrounding Tatsumi Port Island, the game's primary setting. A special 3D character model of the [[Protagonist (Persona 3)|protagonist]] was created by the animation team for use exclusively in the game's menus, with a large number of animation skeletons and polygons used to express the character's emotions, and the shimmering effect conveying the feeling of being submerged in water. Kumagai stressed that it was equally important that the team retained the ease of navigation and responsiveness present in ''Persona 5''{{'s}} user interface.

| MC = (PC) 89/100<ref name="MCPC">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/persona-3-reload/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Persona 3 Reload for PC Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |accessdate=January 30, 2024 |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204013526/https://www.metacritic.com/game/persona-3-reload/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}</ref><br>(PS5) 87/100<ref name="MCPS5">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/persona-3-reload/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-5 |title=Persona 3 Reload for PlayStation 5 Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |accessdate=January 30, 2024 |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204013455/https://www.metacritic.com/game/persona-3-reload/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-5 |url-status=live }}</ref><br>(XSXS) 86/100<ref name="MCXSXS">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/persona-3-reload/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-series-x |title=Persona 3 Reload for Xbox Series X Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |accessdate=January 30, 2024 |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204013526/https://www.metacritic.com/game/persona-3-reload/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-series-x |url-status=live }}</ref></br />''Episode Aigis'':<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/persona-3-reload-episode-aigis-the-answer/|title=Persona 3 Reload - Episode Aigis: The Answer|website=[[Metacritic]]|date=September 10, 2024}}</ref><br>(PC) 78/100<br>(XSXS) 75/100

| IGN = 9/10<ref name="IGN">{{cite web |last=Higham |first=Michael |date=January 30, 2024 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/persona-3-reload-review |title=Persona 3 Reload Review |website=[[IGN]] |accessdate=January 30, 2024 |archive-date=5 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240205043151/https://www.ign.com/articles/persona-3-reload-review |url-status=live }}</ref></br />8/10 (''Episode Aigis'')<ref>{{cite web|last=Higham |first=Michael|date=2024-09-14|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/persona-3-reload-episode-aigis-the-answer-dlc-review|title=Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis - The Answer DLC Review|website=[[IGN]]}}</ref>

| PSQ = {{Rating|9|10}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Ramsey |first=Robert |date=January 30, 2024 |url=https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/persona-3-reload |title=Persona 3 Reload Review (PS5) |website=[[Push Square]] |accessdate=January 30, 2024 |archive-date=3 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203194225/https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/persona-3-reload |url-status=live }}</ref></br />{{Rating|6|10}} (''Episode Aigis'')<ref>{{cite web|author=Robert Ramsey|title=Mini Review: Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis (PS5) - Expensive Expansion Is a Flawed Affair|url=https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/persona-3-reload-episode-aigis|date=2024-09-18|website=[[Push Square]]}}</ref>

| RPGFan = 97/100<ref>{{cite web |last=Franiczek |first=Aleks |date=February 2, 2024 |url=https://www.rpgfan.com/review/persona-3-reload/ |title=Persona 3 Reload Review |website=RPGFan |accessdate=February 2, 2024 |archive-date=3 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203001858/https://www.rpgfan.com/review/persona-3-reload/ |url-status=live }}</ref></br />83/100 (''Episode Aigis'')<ref>{{cite web|author=Aleks Franiczek|url=https://www.rpgfan.com/review/persona-3-reload-episode-aigis-the-answer/|title=Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis -The Answer-|work=RPGFan|date=2024-09-14}}</ref>