Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Reviews
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax may be eight years old but it’s still one of the most polished, stylish, and approachable fighting games around. The game has a huge roster of fighters that you can build up with the RPG mechanics and the visual novel story mode is pretty enjoyable if not a little too text heavy. There isn’t a ton here to make it a must-play recommendation to prior players but if you’ve yet to experience it and you’re a Persona fan then I can’t recommend it enough.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a fantastic get for Switch owners. It’s one of my favorites from Arc System Works’ library thanks to its roster and sprite work, and has Atlus’ dedication to these characters and their stories’ just as much a part of the full experience. This isn’t the best way to meet Yu Narukami, but I’d encourage anyone that already reached out to the truth not to miss out on P4AU during this comeback.
Matt: Meanwhile as a fan of both Persona and fighting games, I can say pretty surely I am the target audience, and Ultimax is just as good now as it was a decade ago. This is the game that solidified my faith in Arc System Works as a developer, and they've only proven themselves more and more in the years since. Admittedly part of me would've preferred a sequel that also included the cast of Persona 5, but I'm not complaining about getting a chance to revisit one of the finest fighting games I've ever played.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a great overall package for fans of the originals as well as fighting games and has aged wonderfully. You get a lot of content through the many included DLC, the complete story and wonderfully elaborated gameplay. Sure, the graphics could have been turned up a bit more and the missing rollback netcode will anger some veterans. Nevertheless, for the price, you can do little wrong here and can buy without hesitation.
Review in German | Read full review
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is still one of Persona’s oddest endeavors into territories outside the role-playing genre it continually elevates. In a way, Arena Ultimax is a brilliant two-way door into the strengths of its creative partners.
With this updated release coming to 3 of the most massive install bases in all of home gaming, it's a great opportunity for newcomers and veterans to check this game out again.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a fantastic fighting game. It has lots of included content, great combat mechanics, and a fun little story for Persona fans. I wish it had rollback netcode now, or at all on the Switch version, but otherwise, you can’t go wrong with Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.
Ultimax still packs a mean punch eight years later and even if you aren’t a hardcore Persona fan, it gets my recommendation.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax brings the best version of the game for fighting games and Persona series fans alike. People will be incredibly pleased by the beautiful fusion of easy-to-control characters alongside the highly detailed sprite animations and the wide variety of gameplay modes that are sure to keep various gaming genre fans hooked.
The beginning of a new course? Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a curious detour in the world of fighting games that still manages to fully convince thanks to an edition full of content and improvements.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Gripes aside, I loved Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. I commend Atlus for releasing a fighting game as the sequel to what I consider to be its best Persona game ever, with tight controls, neat visuals, and most importantly, a fantastic story that will please each and every single Persona fan out there, be them fighting game fans or others. Even if the main game isn’t available on the Switch (and at this point, I don’t even know if it ever will), having this fighting banger on-the-go is worth the investment.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax brings to modern gaming platforms all the content and updates wisely crafted by Arc System Works for Atlus' best fighting game yet. Unfortunately no new relevant features are included with this porting but at least the game has been freed from the shackles of old gen consoles.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Until we get an actual Persona 5 Arena, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax on PS4, Steam, and Switch is the definitive Persona fighting game experience, and a damn well appealing product on its own merits, even stripped away of its Persona trappings.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a somewhat lazy adaptation, but luckily the original was already a great game. That's why this re-release is highly recommended for fighting game fanatics who missed it in 2013, but veterans should know that they won't find enough new content to justify a new purchase, at least until Rollback is implemented.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax may not be the Persona game everyone's been clamoring for on the Switch, but we're certainly not complaining. P4AU offers up an approachable, yet incredibly deep 2D fighting combat system, a neat RPG-lite mode that guarantees solo players will have lots to do, and all this is presented in Arc System Works' signature and striking hand-drawn art style. While the story mode is a complete bore and there's no rollback netcode in this version, we think P4AU on Switch is still absolutely worth your time, although if you're going to be playing online, you'll likely want to investigate the game on other platforms first. For portable fans, however, we'd give it a recommendation whether you're a fighting game enthusiast or you're just looking to give the genre a shot; this is definitely one of the better fighting games on the Switch.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a game for fans of the series who want an epilogue or a new way of interacting with these characters. Their return is welcome, providing a short but entertaining experience.
So while some of the older game vibe hurts it some, there’s also a lot to this game that simply isn’t in other ArcSys or anime fighters. That helps this game retain its identity and stand as a must-play for Persona fans. Once rollback kicks in, there’s a good argument to be made for keeping Ultimax going for years to come.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax absolutely feels like a definitive experience, and one which PS4-owning fans of the series and Arc System Works will appreciate.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax has remained an arcade staple for good reason - it’s got a perfect learning curve, fantastic sprite work, and oodles of fanservice. However, this lackluster port job is a disservice to the title. If you’ve never checked out the Midnight Channel, it’s a must play; however, those who have years of experience might feel like this is a rerun.