What Version of Persona 3 Should You Play?

Image from IMDb

Persona 3 is the game that got me into the series. If you look it up though, you will find several different versions. In this post I will explain the differences in these versions.

Persona 3

This is the original version of the game that was released in 2007 in North America. It is the full base game without the bonus content of the later released Persona 3 FES. If you have played Persona 4 or 5 you’ll know that you can control the actions of your party members. In 3 that is not the case. You can give action commands such as focus on healing and they will auto use moves. That makes this entry one of the more difficult games in the series since you have less control.

A feature brought from the previous entries are fusion attacks. In Persona 2 characters could learn fusion attacks that have two characters attacking at the same time. In 3 it requires the main character to have certain Personas in his stock to use certain fusion attacks. The game is fully in 3D like 4 and 5. Spoiler warning for the below video. It shows different personas used in the game.

Persona 3 FES

Persona 3 FES is exactly like the original, but with some changes and added content. This version was released in 2008 in North America. The biggest change is the addition an epilogue story called The Answer. The battle theme Mass Destruction is also changed. Smaller changes include, new quests, new personas, and tweaks to different areas of the game. Other than that most of the content has stayed the same.

Persona 3 Portable

This version of the game probably one of the most unique ones. This version of the game was released on the PlayStation Portable in 2010 in North America. It allowed you to choose the gender of the main character. Depending on your gender, you will encounter different characters as well as social links being moved around to different people. Because of this, this version has characters and social links that are not present in the other two versions of the game.

In this version of the game fusion skills have been changed. You must exchange items in game for items that will allow you to use a fusion skill. Another big change is that most 3D animations are now a point and click like layout, except for in the dungeons and combat. The Answer epilogue from FES is not present in this game. The biggest change to combat is the ability to control the actions of your party members. This makes this version of the game the easiest of the three.

New music is also in this version via a new battle theme exclusive for the female main protagonist. The theme is Wiping all Out.

Persona 3 Reload

This is the most recent version that released February of 2024. Person 3 Reload is essentially a remake of the original Persona 3. One of the biggest differences are the graphical improvements. This remake also includes new music, new voice actors, new story dialog and interactions. It has now been confirmed that The Answer is going to be DLC. There are also some new battle mechanics.

Other updates include doing away with the fatigue feature. Characters no longer get tired exploring Tartarus. Originally characters would get tired and needed rest to be efficient in battle. Other changes included adding new Personas, adding new spells, and changing enemy weaknesses to account of these new spells. Unlike the previous games, Persona 3 Reload is available for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.

Conclusion

Hopefully now you know a little more about the different versions of the game and what they offer. I played Persona 3 Portable and I planned on playing Persona 3 FES until Reload came out. I recommend Persona 3 Reload for the updated graphics and since it’s more accessible. Have you played Persona 3? If you have how did you like it? As always if you notice a mistake let me know. Thank you for reading!

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