Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Reviews
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
So, does Persona 4 Arena Ultimax hold up in the eight years since its debut? Absolutely. Arc System Works and Atlus' slugfest of a spin-off is just as satisfying now as it was the day it was first released. The game's easy to pick up yet challenging to master gameplay is suitable for fighting game novices and pros alike. And the excellent Story Modes that further flesh out the narrative are must-play experiences for fans of the franchise. Of course, if you already own the game and all of the DLC, there's little reason to plunk down the cash for this version. But if you've yet to see what Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is all about, there's never been a better time to step into the ring.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is one of those re-releases that's accessible to everyone. It has challenge, accessibility, a fun story, and Persona flair. Not everything ages well in terms of visuals, but nothing gets in the way of this game succeeding a decade after its initial launch.
The new Persona 4 Arena Ultimax port is a resounding success. It allows a fan-favorite fighting game to be easily played on current consoles and PC, while also offering up the definitive package.
For better or worse, mostly better, the re-release of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is just that: a re-release.
To summarize, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax has the visual novel stories of both Persona 4 Arena games. As a result, it has the full roster of Ultimax, as well as all the character balancing. All the DLC from the original titles is included in this new release. This gorgeous anime fighter is easy to pick up, and difficult to master. It’s a ton of quality content for a budget price, which makes Persona 4 Arena Ultimax a must buy for all Persona and fighting game fans.
Ultimately, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax doesn’t seem to quite know who it’s for. It should be aimed at Persona fans, but the steep learning curve and lack of fan service elements lean away from that idea. As a fighting game, it doesn’t seem that compelling either, and asks for heavy investment in a story that’s relatively light on gameplay. It will find some fans, but it doesn’t look likely to pick up many outsiders. But hey, at least it has rollback netcode now.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax on PC is a port with some questionable drawbacks, like the lack of a lobby mode and no rollback netcode on launch. But it's still the same great fighting game beloved by many.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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
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 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
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.
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
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.