The Xbox Games Showcase 2023 saw the official reveal of the long-rumored (and recently leaked) Persona 3 Reload. Not to be confused with Persona 3 Portable, which received a port in early 2023, Persona 3 Reload is a completely remade version of the Atlus RPG’s original release.
What is the Persona 3 Reload release date?
Persona 3 Reload will come to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on February 2, 2024. That means you should have plenty of time to play Persona 5 Tactica, due out November 17, 2023, before Reload launches.
Is there a Persona 3 Reload trailer?
Yes! Persona 3 Reload was announced with a trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase.
The trailer shows off gameplay of combat and social elements that should look familiar to anyone who’s seen a Persona game before. Anyone who’s played a previous Persona 3 release will also notice that everything looks considerably shinier in this trailer, thanks to its from-the-ground-up rebuild.
Will Persona 3 Reload gameplay be changed from the original?
The core of the game will remain unchanged from its original release, so you’ll split your time between attending school, hanging out with friends, and battling demon horrors beyond comprehension. That includes the social link system, a Persona series staple that rewards you for spending time with NPCs by strengthening them in combat and unlocking new story scenes.
It’s more than a straightforward port, though. Persona 3 Reload will change the gameplay of Persona 3 in some significant ways. Perhaps the biggest change is that players can now command each member of their party in battle, replacing the original Persona 3 system that made everyone except the protagonist act automatically.
One of the game’s major environments is also getting a huge overhaul. Tartarus, the dungeon around which Persona 3’s plot revolves, will have a new layout for Reload, so even players returning from the original will find new challenges awaiting them. The fatigue system that limited how long you could explore Tartarus is also being removed, and party member conversations are being added, so you’ll have the chance to learn more about your companions while exploring the dungeon.
Will Persona 3 Reload include P3P and FES content?
Here’s where things get a little disappointing. Two previous re-releases of Persona 3, called Persona 3 Portable and Persona 3 FES, each included their own new content. Among plenty of other improvements, the most notable additions were a playable female protagonist in Persona 3 Portable and an epilogue chapter called The Answer in Persona 3 FES.
In a June 2023 interview with Famitsu, producer Ryota Niitsuma hinted that Persona 3 Reload would include some story elements added in FES, but won’t include The Answer. On its original release, The Answer was mostly disliked by fans, but its exclusion still means that Reload isn’t truly a definitive release.
Another major loss is the exclusion of Persona 3 Portable’s female main character (abbreviated as FeMC by fans). Some players, including Inverse’s Willa Rowe, argue that she’s a more developed character than Persona 3’s original male protagonist, and the announcement that the character wouldn’t make the cut was met with widespread disappointment.
What is the Persona 3 Reload story?
Well, it’s a Persona game, so it’s complicated. Persona 3 Reload follows the exact story of the original release, which centers on the Dark Hour — an hour-long period that exists outside of normal time between one day and the next, where supernatural forces are afoot.
Each night when the Dark Hour arrives, a tower called Tartarus rises from the ground. Persona 3 Reload’s cast of high school students enter Tartarus each night to battle creatures called Shadows, using their Personas: manifestations of their own psyches that take physical form.
Persona 3 Reload’s story is an exploration of mortality, and each character will confront what that means to them personally throughout the course of their adventure.
What platforms will Persona 3 Reload be released on?
Persona 3 Reload’s platforms are a bit of a shake-up for the series. Persona 3 Reload will launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.
You may notice Nintendo Switch isn’t listed there. That means Persona 3 Portable will be the only version of the game available on Switch. It also continues the series’ new life on Xbox, which began quite recently with Persona 5 Royal.
