subject: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona PSP Go Game Review - Download Shin Megami Tensei: Persona For Free! [print this page]
From the very beginning, the Persona series has blended traditional dungeon-crawling with stories steeped in philosophical thoughts on identity and sense of self. Following the breakout successes of Persona 3 and 4, developer Atlus has remade the progenitor of the series--released on the original PlayStation back in 1996--for the PSP to give it a second chance.
Though Shin Megami Tensei: Persona boasts an expanded soundtrack, a redesigned interface, new animated cutscenes, and a vastly improved localization, its unapologetically old-school gameplay mechanics and sensibilities make it a relic of the past that simply can't keep up with today's standards. Even the most hardcore of Persona aficionados should carefully consider this purchase: Unless you're a huge fan of repetitive combat and endless dungeon-crawling, this is not the game for you.
In most fights, you summon your personae to do battle with a multitude of demons. However, unlike most RPGs, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona gives you the choice to converse with your enemies for a variety of results. Each of your party members has four conversation options, ranging from flattering your foes to singing for them, which affects enemies differently depending on their personality traits. A timid enemy may be easily frightened away, for example, while a demoness may be open to flirty stares.
If your negotiations are favorable, you may even be able to earn an enemy's spell card, which can be used to create additional personae. Unfortunately, the novelty of parlaying with your enemies wears thin quickly. Outside of earning spell cards, it's not a particularly useful feature as the frequency of battle negates the benefit of making your enemies leave peacefully.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is, by modern RPG standards, a remnant of the past that simply can't stand up to today's offerings. Even with the multitude of enhancements that have been made to the original PlayStation release, it is still a fundamentally flawed experience. Even the most dedicated of Persona fans (especially those expecting something similar to Persona 3 or 4) should think twice about playing this, because of its monotonous dungeon-crawling and insipid battle system.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona PSP Go Game Review - Download Shin Megami Tensei: Persona For Free!
