Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Reviews
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.
Within Persona 4 Arena Ultimax players will find a more-than-decent fighter, that those experienced with Arc System Works games will like quite a lot. Persona fans will enjoy seeing their favourite characters once more, but be warned that the story hasn't been handled as well as one would expect.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is still a champion among fighting games, though the story holds it back from overwhelming victory.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a par for the course port of a surprisingly deep and well-realized fighter that, despite being a spin-off title, knocks out the competition, even nearly a decade later.
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.
The rerelease of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a welcome one - it's always good to see these games brought back for a new generation. The fighting feels as good as ever, and looks better than ever thanks to modern hardware, but the storyline and pacing almost feel antithetical in a franchise that was built on just that. Is it a solid fighting game that fans will love? Absolutely. Is it a must-buy for Persona fans? No, probably not.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is just a port and nothing more, limiting itself to bringing the same source content, with one or another slight addition. That doesn't make the game bad, but at certain moments it feels like it stopped in time, especially the visuals. Still, it manages to offer good fighting mechanics, being attractive to fans of the genre and the series.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a good fighting but does suffer from a few drawbacks. It's a good port for the PS4 and is definitely a must-buy for Persona fans. Arc System Works manages to accurately nail what a Persona fighting game should be.
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 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 is the ultimate fanservice fantasy realised as a video game for fans of the previous Persona games.
If you’re a fan of the Persona series and have played both Persona 3 and Persona 4, then I can’t recommend Persona 4 Arena Ultimax enough. This visual novel-like sequel to both Persona titles was well worth sitting down to see where each cast has gone to after their respective events years and months later. While there is combat in a 2D anime versus arcade fighting style between these story segments, it’s smooth enough to both learn and get into without being defeated repeatedly on the first stage.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a great fighting game, which, within all its virtues, shows that we must demand better treatment when it comes to the status of the releases of certain games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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.
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 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.
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 among the best fighting games this year so far. It can attract you by its deep story, approachable and satisfying combat, and a lot of content.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Persona 4 Ultimax is an excellent title and quite unique in the fighting genre with its dynamics of controlling the characters and their Personas. It is, therefore, a game that is certainly worth checking out by fans of the genre and the series. The only question left is when to dedicate yourself to the game: now, at its relaunch, or when the future rollback update happens (and the competitive scenario of the title rises).
Review in Portuguese | Read full review