As a series,Personahas evolved. Originally a spinoff of Atlus’ original signature seriesShin Megami Tensei, the subseries eventually usurped its parent series in popularity. The series got so big that its status as Atlus' most famous and profitable property became undeniable, especially whenPersona 5’sJoker joinedSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate’s roster.
That being said,Persona’s identity as a franchise was cemented rather recently. Indeed, it only got rid of theShin Megami Tenseilabel whenPersona 4 Arenacame out in 2012. This makesPersona 5the only installment in the series to not be associated withShin Megami Tenseias a label. Considering how much the series has changed, deciding whether or not it’s worth checking out the olderPersonagames, specifically the first three, is debatable.
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Revelations: Persona
Personais 25 years old, andRevelationsis a reminder that the series is much older than people often think. Even though, or perhaps because, it’s the first installment in the series, this game tends to not be as beloved as the other ones, and its fanbase oftentimes appears to be an extension of the second game’s fans. Considering howRevelations: Personawas treated, its relative obscurity compared to its sequels is understandable.
ThefirstPersona’s localizationis rather notorious for the pointless changes it made. The decision that is often mocked is anglicizing the characters' names and even changing Masao’s ethnicity from Japanese to African American, complete with AAVE language. The dub also censored most of the demons' names because of religious undertones, alienating players even further.
Thankfully, the game is not terrible, and Atlus learned from its previous mistakes and released a properly localized version ofRevelations: Personaon PSP. Unfortunately, its age prevents it from being as engaging asthe otherPersonagameseven after the translation team did the bare minimum, but there are things going for it. Unfortunately, unless someone is already a fan of classicShin Megami Tenseior really interested inPersona’s history, there aren’t a lot of reasons to go back to this radically different title for now. It was quite the departure for JRPGs at the time and is interesting for it, but there’s a reason why the series' popularity peaked when the later games came out.
Persona 2
Persona 2is an oddity. Thematically and mechanically, it’s closer to the firstPersonagame than its successors. It was originally only released in Japan. However,Persona 2is a duology. The firstP2game,Innocent Sin, was never officially released in the West until 2011, but the second one,Eternal Punishment, was always available worldwide. Like every olderPersonagame, this one suffers from accessibility. Despite its age, it’s actually a unique installment that was ahead of its time in some aspects, particularlyLGBT representation.
Persona 2is the only game in the series to feature a canon option for same-sex relationships. InInnocent Sin, the protagonist, Tatsuya, can date Jun, another male character.Persona 3,4, and5all have scenes with infamously unfortunate implications about LGBT people. Unlike those games, the possibility of Tatsuya having a same-sex relationship, or even experiencing same-sex attraction, is never mocked.Personafans that have been wanting an in-game same-sex relationship don’t necessarily have to install a mod that puts a scrappedYosuke romanceinPersona 4 Golden. While waiting for a well-developed same-sex option to be included in the series,Innocent Sinwill do.
Persona 2is technically the first game in the series with both a male and female protagonist. UnlikePersona 3 Portable, these protagonists do not basically play the same role. They lead their respective games. Due to Tatsuya beingInnocent Sin’s protagonist, and Maya beingEternal Punishment’s, they both appear as silent playable characters and party members with dialogue. These different perspectives have never been done before, or since.
While its gameplay still differs,Persona 2also has familiar concepts, such as Shadow Selves, that would be developed even further in future games. It’s worth playing for the historical value and the fresh experience it provides. It’s different, but not too different.
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Persona 3
Persona 3is admittedly the most interesting case here. It’s not as forgotten or neglected by Atlus and the fanbase as its predecessors, far from it. It got its own dancing game at the same time asPersona 5and gets its own merchandise, such asPersona-themed action figures, alongside its successors. The game is also arguably responsible for the series' contemporary identity. The formula of spending half the time in school, and the other half in a dungeon, all while bonding with teammates and other people to power up Personas, was a blueprint introduced in3and nearly perfected in5. Even though it brought these innovations, the game suffers from middle child syndrome. It’s not as different as the PS1 titles but is still outdated compared toPersona 4and5.
What is perhaps the game’s most infamous drawback is the lack of a coherent and perfect version. This flaw is one of the reasons fans have been clamoring for aPersona 3remakealmost as, if not more than, remakes or rereleases of the first two games. Most people in the fandom,P3fans included, would agree that anyone interested in playingPersona 3should go forPersona 3 FES, itself an updated rerelease of the original Playstation 2 game, orPersona 3 Portable, a PSP port. However, both versions have things the other one lacks.Portableis a traditional visual novel outside of dungeon crawling and lacks the immersive navigation system in the game’s real world thatFEShas.
However, there are many benefits to playingPortable. The game gives the player a choice between a male and female protagonist, a first in the series. The Social Links are not limited to female party members and miscellaneous NPCs. MostPersona 3party members have romance routesdepending on which protagonist is chosen, and the character’s fate is decided by the player. Party members can be controlled in battle, fixing another infamous issue withPersona 3’s console versions.
Despite the inconsistent features in each version and the lack of accessibility,Persona 3is very much worth checking out. It’s a bit of an oddball for the reasons stated above, but it’s an interesting study of the series' roots and how modernPersonacame to be. While the gameplay’s quirks might turn off some people, the storytelling is notably less controversial than its sequels'. Several characters are fan favorites to this day, andPersona 3’s endingremains famous for being a tearjerker.
