Persona 4: Dancing All Night Reviews
At times I wonder whether the folks over at Atlus ever predicted the popularity of Persona 4. While Persona 3 did have its following, as well as a few updated releases with Persona 3 FES and Persona 3 Portable, it simply can't match Persona 4's popularity, though it did ride its coat tails. Persona 4 astounded us as an amazing JRPG that we could eventually take on the go, a fighting game, a dungeon crawler and now, a dancing game. Yep, you read that right. Persona 4: Dancing All Night is a rhythm game akin to games like Hatsune Miku, though in true Persona fashion, sports a narrative tying it all together.
Dancing All Night is full of spirit and celebration unparalleled in the series thus far. Despite the dark and implausible story in the background, Dancing All Night is a concentrated dose of the most uplifting, cheerful, and fun side of the series, all set to a fantastic soundtrack that will get anyone dancing.
It could certainly be improved - the relatively small song catalog and limited customisation options to name but two areas that a ripe for improvement - but this Persona rhythm debut generally hits all the right notes.
What we have here is a game that gets its mechanics wonderfully right, but almost everything else around it wrong.
The combination of a flawed rhythm game and a disappointing narrative make Persona 4 Dancing All Night an underwhelming experience.
I was excited for the chance to play this game. However, while not an outright failure, it turned out to be mediocre and a relative disappointment.…but more Chie always helps.
It's probably the largest departure from the core concept a franchise has ever received, yet somehow, Persona 4 Dancing All Night manages to be everything fans could possibly have hoped for.
Dancing All Night looks like it’s set to be the final game before we have to say goodbye to our favorite cast of characters in Persona 4, and I’m perfectly fine with that. The Investigation Team solves one more mystery, and they’ve once again reminded us never to lose sight of our ‘true selves’. I’d say that’s a job well done.
Persona 4: Dancing All Night brings back the deep, familiar characters and introduces them to the rhythm genre in a game that, while short on content and steep in price, is still a blast to play.
Atlus somehow finds a way to craft a music game based around Persona 4 and have it end up as a serious entry to the rhythm genre. Persona 4: Dancing All Night is a great experience, with gameplay, visual, and a soundtrack that all come together in one heck of a package.
Persona 4: Dancing All Night has some big negatives against it, including a short song list and rough difficulty. But it's a ton of fun, the music is great, and the visuals are top notch. It's great for Persona fans. But, for everyone else, it's a tough sell.
Persona 4: Dancing All Night proves yet another success in branching out to another genre for the folks at Atlus. If not for the relatively short list of songs and lack of multiplayer, this could’ve easily been the premier rhythm game on the Vita.
All in All, Persona 4 Dancing All Night, at first did not see that interesting to me, that is until I got my hands on it. Full of kick ass music, fast and frantic gameplay which will have you on the edge of your chair as you try to hammer out a perfect gameplay session and of course, your favorite Persona 4 characters for you to choice and play with. Aside side a fantastic and colorful presentation, Atlus has created yet another exciting and fun entry in the Persona series, even though there are fans who may argue that this game has nothing to do with the series.
Atlus doesn’t throw around the prestigious Persona brand lightly, and takes care of its characters in this visual novel/rhythm game mashup. The lengthy story mode fumbles with its first act, but picks up and develops into the kind of great Persona mystery that we’ve come to expect. The story is meaningful, the characters are full of personality, and the music is fantastic. The rhythm portion is a little too kid-gloves with its scoring, to the point where it might even hold you back in learning the rhythms, but the fun patterns and interesting items keep me coming back to my favorite songs.
Dancing All Night succeeds at more than just Persona charm
'Persona 4: Dancing All Night' is a good game, but it's also a game that's likely only going to appeal to a specific subset of people. Mainly, it's those that are really into the world of 'Persona' and the characters of 'Persona 4' are going to be charmed by this title, and Atlus has made 'Dancing All Night' exactly with that in mind. Unlike 'Persona 4 Arena', whose fighting game mechanics can still have a widespread appeal, this rhythm game is regulated to a more narrow audience. That's an important and viable choice. The game is by no means wanting for personality, but those that aren't invested heavily into the 'Persona' franchise might be better off looking to another rhythm title to satiate their needs.
Persona 4: Dancing All Night maintains the high pedigree the Persona series is known for while still being its own thing. Fans of both rhythm games and all things Persona will find a lot to love here – and who knows, maybe you’ll learn a move or two too.
It may not have the depth that some will desire, but after spending dozens of hours in the Free Dance mode alone, I had a great time. The presentation is what this game capitalizes on, which should be enough for players to take notice. For the fans, this comes highly recommended.
While its overly long story mode amounts to a tragic waste of resources, Persona 4: Dancing All Night's strongest qualities can be found in just how well the series' pop art aesthetic meshes with the rhythm game genre. This might not be the most complex or inspired take on rhythm games to date, but DAN certainly knows how to have a good time.