This was rated as one of the best RPGs of 2007 and for a good cause at that. Persona 3 FES grants you 30 to 40 hours of additional gameplay, compared to the original installment. This time around, you get to date Aigis, go to the arcade to increase stats, date Elizabeth, among lots of other things, plus you get a new episode this time known as, "The Answer" which takes place after the main story. Now then, on with the review!
Graphics: 9/10
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The graphics used in this game are what I am generally attracted towards. That being an anime-style. I loved all of the colors that were used for the characters, environments, you name it, I really liked the graphics for this title. The colors were a bit bright at times, yes, but they were still easy on the eyes. I really enjoyed them.
Story: 7/10
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How many times can we save the world and it not get old? Yes, this is yet ANOTHER Japanese RPG which follows a plot for you to save the world, however..I have given it a little bit above average for a rating because of the spin they add to it. They made it just interesting enough to not make me groan, wondering where I had seen this script before and give me deja vu. So, I was actually satisfied with the story, despite it being one that has been re-used so many times.
Characters: 9/10
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What can I say? We have a really great unique cast for Persona 3 FES. All of the characters you encounter which play an important role in your party are all different in some way, which is quite hard to do, mind you. However..Atlus makes it seem so incredibly easy in Persona 3 FES. Every character has their own personality and ways of acting in certain situations, which makes you decide who you like better than the other. You won't agree with some attitudes towards situations, but it is the variety of personality among the party members which gives you such a choice. All of the characters also get a lot of backstory (especially in FES), so even your favorite character doesn't have to be left out of the picture. I was really pleased with the character selection for this RPG and the development we all went through in the story as I progressed forward.
Gameplay: 7/10
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Alright, now..I'm not going to lie. It IS a pain at times, this battle system, that is. Sometimes this game will make you want to rip your hair out after making two hours worth of progress and your main character dies. If the main character dies, you get a game over, simple as that. Also, you can only control yourself. The other party members are controlled by the AI. Now, you can set tactics for other party members on how you want them to act (i.e. Conserve SP), but other than that..they act on their own. I got a bit upset at times because of my main dying, wondering why my other party members couldn't bring me back to life, but when they die, I can bring them back. It can be a bit frustrating, but honestly..if you have the correct Personas, then you don't have to worry about dying too often. If you hit the enemy's weak point, then you get an extra turn, then..if you knock all enemies down by hitting their weak points, you can perform something known as an "All Out Attack!" which allows all of the party members to rush in and hit the enemies that are down, combining their power for one strong strike.
Sound: 9/10
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I loved the music for this installment and honestly..the dubbing was great. I was surprised to hear the dubbing was above "withstanding" and I didn't mind hearing it at all. I think Atlus did a great job finding voices to match the characters. As for the actual sounds, they were top notch as well. I didn't have any problem hearing any of the sound effects and they were rather clear. As for the music..I personally loved the music. I think the music was great. You get a good variety of songs depending on what area you travel to or where you are at in the timeline, but other than that, I thoroughly enjoy the music and wouldn't ask for a different soundtrack at all.
Replay Value: 8/10
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This is one of the very FEW RPGs I see having lots of replay value. That's simply because you have so many choices you can make in the game and you have so many different outcomes with particular scenarios. Not to mention, seeing as you can date in this game, I'm sure you're not going to date every girl on your first playthrough, so you can play the game again and again to see new scenes that you hadn't seen before. I know a few people that have went about 10 to 12 times through this game and are just NOW getting burned out on it. That being said, this game is certainly a keeper and you shouldn't sell it after playing through the story once.
Overall Score: 8/10
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This is one of the best RPGs I have had the honor of playing in a very long time. I was pleased with most of the game, except for the extra episode, "The Answer". "The Answer" takes place in a different setting and it is simply a grindfest. Some say it is worth it to go through "The Answer", but I couldn't get through it, honestly. It was practically 30 hours of grinding. I was accustomed to the freedom I had in the main story, "The Journey", so when I got to this and that was all taken away from me and all I could do was fight, it proved to be rather bland and just another RPG to me. Overall though, I certainly believe this is worth $30, especially with all of the new extras. Even if you don't go through the extra episode like me, you will find yourself satisfied with the main story itself and honestly..you may even tell yourself the main story's ending is how the game ends. It's not as if it ends in an awkward manner where you would HAVE to play through the extra episode, but..enough of that.
I believe Persona 3 FES is worth every penny of that $30 and should you find a copy, pick it up. I'm sure you won't regret it if you are an RPG fan, fan of anime-styled video games, or love expansive titles. There is so much to do in this game, it would be a waste to not at least try it. Yet another reason why PS2 owners can be proud. Thanks to titles such as these, the Playstation 2 isn't dead just yet. So, what are you waiting for? Get your copy today!
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