Persona 3 Portable Reviews
With its watered down presentation, Persona 3 Portable almost feels like an abridged version of the PS2 classic, but it's still well worth playing. A foreboding, ominous atmosphere sells the experience, while the gameplay loop remains as addictive as ever. If you're fairly new to Persona, or perhaps you started with Persona 5, you'll have to persist through some slightly dated design, but don't let that put you off. Persona 3 still stands as a brilliantly broody JRPG.
This isn't the definitive version of Persona 3 that it could have been, but it's hard to deny that the game is still highly enjoyable all the same.
It ultimately feels like a missed opportunity that Atlus didn't combine the features of both FES and Portable to create an official definitive version of Persona 3. Nonetheless, bringing Persona 3 Portable onto pretty much all modern platforms is appreciated, as the game maintains its charm despite its age. However, it's a little hard recommending this specific title to newer fans of the series especially with 5 Royal and 4 Golden already out there, as Portable suffers from some outdated design choices and cut corners. The soundtrack still slaps though.
When all is said and done, I really think the story, characters, and overall loop of Persona 3 Portable are vital for anyone that is on the fence about the series. And despite showing its age a bit in sections, the combat is still rewarding and satisfying, solidifying the game’s place as one of the premier RPG titles in all of gaming. I genuinely believe it’s also going to be the reason I get back into Persona 5 and can truly come to appreciate what everyone else loves about the game so much.
Persona 3 Portable was a gem when it came to the PlayStation Portable nearly thirteen years ago, but it was very much meant for the hardware of its time.
It might sound like I'm being negative about Persona 3, but I'm not. It's a lot of fun, and it has a lot of interesting strengths. It has the misfortune of being the first game in a franchise where the sequels improved on a ton of features and were released before it on the PC. If you've never played it, it's well worth a shot. It's still a great game, but it has aged more than its sequels. Despite that, it still does some things superbly well. The addition of an entire second playable story path and a bunch of new social links also makes it a worthwhile experience for those who played the original release but not the portable version.
It packs a healthy amount of content into its lengthy runtime, and if the combination of school life sim and dungeon crawler strikes you, there's little reason not to dive right in. It's worth considering that P3P does feel a fair bit darker in tone and theme, complete with characters needing to shoot themselves in the head to summon their personas. For those who first played the game on PSP or Vita, the visuals and performance have received a noticeable boost over the original version, in addition to now being able to quick save your progress at any time. The update doesn't reinvent the wheel, but added quality of life features definitely make this the ideal way to play Persona 3 Portable.
A blast from the past, Persona 3 Portable returns to the scene after thirteen years. With a few outdated quirks directly imported from the PSP rerelease, it's still a very fun game, although it might not be up to the standards of players that had Persona 5 Royal as their first foray into the series.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Persona 3 Portable has survived well and is still as enjoyable as it has always been. Of course, Atlus could have used the chance to animate some extra cutscenes for this port, but the lack thereof doesn't take away from the overall game. For anyone new to Persona, this is a must, and for anyone wanting to relive this infamous title, welcome back!
Persona 3 Portable ages like fine wine as an excellent JRPG that caters to handheld play sessions on Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. The game's iconic style, incredible story, humorous cast, and emotional moments are beautifully remastered for modern platforms. The remaster's new features and quality of life improvements make this version the best way to play Persona 3 right away.
Persona 3 Portable remains an interesting adaptation of Persona 3, with its visual novel approach to daily life, and it's a joy to play on the Switch.
For Xbox players, Persona 3 Portable is an amazing game. And despite this version’s flaws, I implore you to give it a go.
With an amazing story, great characters to bond with, and an extraordinary turn-based battle system, Persona 3 not only created fertile ground for the subsequent releases, but is back to captivate newcomers.
It’s one of the greatest JRPG’s of all time, and surely will the devout elated to revisit on their respective platform, or will newcomers abuzz on how pivotal its third entry truly is to what would become the biggest role-playing series, ever.
Persona 3 Portable is an excellent title that allows newer players, for a very affordable price, to gain access to one of the best RPGs on PlayStation 2…albeit in a “lite” version. Still, it would have made perfect sense to have been released a more complete version of this title or one witb added bonus components to this particular title (such as concept art, soundtrack, or producer commentary). However, some work by the publisher in revitalizing this particular title for the current market is notorious. If you liked Persona 5, you'll already know what to expect here: The bases where “everything” came from... in a more "Lite" way!
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Persona 3 Portable is a game with a darker tone and philosophical themes, with enjoyable gameplay but a repetitive tower of Tartarus. The main cast of characters is likable and social links provide interesting side stories. It may not have the same level of quality content as its successors, but it is still worth playing for fans of the series, but newcomers may prefer to start with a more recent entry.
As a huge fan of Shin Megami Tensei in general, Persona 3 Portable cannot be ignored, and should not be. It spawned the series as we know it, and the updated version, though not as magnificent as it could be, is still leagues better than the original Playstation 2 version, and it has the additional character and bonus content that helps this title dominate a large block of your time.
Although the repetitive and simplistic dungeon crawler level design and plot development left a little to be desired in terms of the potential of its concepts, Persona 3 was revolutionary for its series and remains especially interesting in atmosphere and in narrative concepts. Despite considerable visual limitations, Persona 3 Portable is the best version of the game, due to gameplay and quality of life improvements, as well as new content in the female route. The title is a must for Persona fans and, with some caveats, it is also recommended for anyone who is generally looking for a JRPG with social simulation and dark themes.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Persona 3 Portable presents a look into how the foundation was set for what would become one of the most influential JRPG’s of the last few years.
Many years after its original release, Persona 3 Portable is still a respectable JRPG, fully capable of immersing the player in its long, deliciously dark and thought-provoking plot. Not even its repetitive character or the omission of the improvements brought by Persona 3 FES are enough to dim the brilliance of this game that finds a home on the Switch as welcoming and natural as the PSP once was. Freed from exclusivity, it's time to discover or revisit one of Atlus' most important classics, and with its flexibility, Nintendo's console is the most appropriate way to do so. Recommended.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review