WHAT IS PERSONA? | First time reaction to ALL of the Persona Openings (1996-2024)

[@meddios]

*Persona summoning* P5: Taking off the mask, revealing the true colors P4: Breaking tarot cards, rejecting fate P3: "When the beat drops, I'm gonna fucking kill myself" (quote from Cruelty squad)

[@manupm9161]

How is it done in Persona 1 and 2?

[@38achref26]

you summon them like a stand in real world@@manupm9161

[@Animechargeblog]

In P3 is about accepting death without fear of it.

[@meddios]

@@manupm9161 never played, so can't tell. I read somewhere that they were sort of spinoffs or something to Shin Megami Tensei. Also since P1&2 are old I assume they just summoned them without any gimmicks, could be wrong though

[@beo3828]

@@Animechargeblog the base explanation is that you literally give yourself "trauma" by simulating suicide, this releassing your persona. But yeah, ultimately I believe the characters learn to summon their Persona without the gun. It's been a while.

[@leurunner4764]

Every Persona game usually has it's own theme. Persona 3 has timelife and death, persona 4 has truth, lies misconception and illusion, and so on.

[@MasiPT]

Persona 5 about freedom, rebellion and overcoming the prison of modern society

[@axhgro28]

We don't talk about persona 1 and 2

[@thomas9208]

@@axhgro28 Persona 1 has the broadest theme in the series but as a whole it is about finding the strength to face the world and as well as some ruminations on nihilism. Persona 2 is about making mistakes and then becoming a stronger person by facing those mistakes and dealing with the fallout and regret they caused, hence the subtitles Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment. There is also a theme about the power of words and how rumors can create false perceptions of reality.

[@jethiliusavalar6449]

I don't understand why in every main title the persona rules change (not including the first and persona 2 duology). Specifically the awakenings and summonings.

[@SyLuX636]

Each new one gets softer and happier, which cause a civil war / division between the fanbase. Nothing really bad happens in 4 and 5 that affect the characters, which is why I say Persona nowadays is all flashy and no substance.

[@bipolarbear3914]

"I've never played a persona game, but I grew up playing digital devil saga and really want a remake" is such an unbelievably based sentence

[@britton5888]

"I don't recognize the characters in this one" -georgie, seeing the P3 cast for the seventh time

[@casualpotato44]

Can't fault her. It's info overload after info overload. P3 is my personal favorite and yeah, their design don't really stand out much on their own. Definitely hard to recognize them at that point without them pointing guns to their heads. Lol.

[@tylorhobbs8920]

@@casualpotato44 Especially since while P4 and P5 just get spammed after they get introduced, P3 projects get two on release, and then they get sprinkled in here and there. So repetition doesn't have the chance to really kick in for a while.

[@donglegs]

​@@casualpotato44 The P3 intros also don't give the individual characters the same space as P2 and P4. Weird use of colour in both the original and some of Dancing in Starlight, lack of faces etc, then there's just loads going on in the FES intro with the action and gameplay. P4 slows down and purposely introduces everyone one by one, especially Golden.

[@RandomGuy0803]

it's probably since they weren't sho*ting themselves in the head

[@Polymathically]

20 years ago, I was a game reviewer. One day, I was assigned Persona 3. None of us on the staff seemed to care about it; it was just another in a long line of PS2 RPGs. Persona was still relatively obscure back then. Atlus mailed me a pre-release build in a simple envelope, nothing fancy. I went in expecting something tedious and derivative, and I was instantly blown away. The PS2 was basically a JRPG console; there were so many different franchises vying for players' attention and money, so it was difficult to stand out. Atlus focused on what it does best: characters' interpersonal relationships, a contemporary setting, excellent voice acting, stylish art design, and an absolutely killer soundtrack. I knew they were on to something huge. So when Atlus notified me that an early review copy of Persona 4 was ready, I immediately jumped for it. I was lucky enough to be one of the first Western reviewers to cover it. Since then, it's been incredible to see the Persona series take off and become what it is today. I walked away from the game industry a decade ago, but I know I'll play P5R someday. I'd love to write more about the games here, but I don't want to spoil anything.

[@superwolf1515]

You’ll like P5R and that’s a sick job you had

[@kt249]

are you the one who reviewed p3 in a gaming media when it came out? I remember reading a review of P3 that started exactly like your comment.

[@JeriSijabat]

The persona 3 is cool of dark theme but try persona 4 definitely worth it

[@-cavolo-]

I think Persona 4's openings and aesthetics are a little easier to appreciate once you realize that it's main themes are about misinformation and perception, and the openings reflect that by seeming very cheerful and bright despite the game really being quite dark and twisted at times. Not to say it isn't also happy and fun during other times.

[@anusaukko6792]

Persona 4 is the most ''grounded angst'' in the series imo, the stakes are high enough that people are pretty clearly in danger, but also not too high to be silly (its only a serial killer afterall!) this is discounting True Ending though where it goes full Persona again.

[@ma.2089]

Oh yeah it def has that darkness, seeing as it shows corpses multiple times in the opening lol Same for P5, which is even darker than P4.

[@VikTimmy]

@@anusaukko6792 P4 is just Scooby Doo the Video Game and it would be difficult to convince me otherwise.

[@FlipzMCL]

@@VikTimmy Personally, I'd agree but amend it to "If Scooby-Doo had actual, tangible consequences". P4 is unusually upbeat and cheery for a Persona game, but when it actually decides to get real, it gets _real,_ you know?

[@Waylorn]

Haha, I was laughing when she said "I'm not getting a lot of angst from this one" in Persona 4 Golden when she just saw 3 dead bodies. But yeah, plays into the perception theme. Upbeat, happy, dead bodies, all good.

[@kazutogamer1870]

To clear this up, Persona 1 to 2 is more like SMT in gameplay and style while P3 - 5 all are different in style and tone, where P3 to 5 is based on a gameplay style of going to school living life normaly, scheduling yourself, going to school, extra curicullar activity, studying, normal life, while being interweived with a rather devastating phenomemon and a common theme of identity, rebellion to society, and for persona 3 understanding death as a word and philosophically. P3 to 5 also use a modified version of the original SMT press turn battle system, while having persona where the main character can fuse and use different personas. Most important is the P3 to 5 are all edgy, in different ways, not to spoil the themes for the games just a hint, P3 = death, P4 = acceptance, P5 = Taking stand against society. Note: all persona games are not connected to each other, they have spin offs but they have no connection to each others stories or endings, although they have references feo, past games only reference with no plot or story importance. Note: Persona games is a pure JRPG game made for JRPG games which means grind, character lv individually, texts box heavy, story heavy, but if you liek stories these length will not matter.

[@georgieegames]

Ok this is a GREAT summary to help me understand thank you! I did feel that 1 and 2 were more of the SMT vibe, but I am interested in 3, 4 and 5 to see how atlus handles that day to day aspect of the characters lives and how that could tie into a story! thanks for the summary thats great!

[@pmintertek]

> Persona 1 to 2 is more like SMT in gameplay and style while P3 - 5 all are different in style and tone That is such a strange opinion. Persona 1 and 2 is far more different from SMT games of the era in either gameplay or style than P3-P5 compared to something like SMT3-SMT5. Sure, dating sim being half of modern Persona is set it apart from older games but I would say it sets it apart from any other JRPG

[@phntmthf5505]

P3P actually *does* have a bit where two of the P4 girls appear, but I don’t believe that any other direct character appearances have happened for 3-5.

[@kazutogamer1870]

@@phntmthf5505 that fact I can agree with, and I will say it is rather great as a scene, although they are still only for fans as they do not have a true connection to the plot

[@trots4940]

Spoiler for Persona 4 . P3, P4 and P5 actually take place in the same universe (and probably country) cannonically, the only differences are the timelines (P3 == 2007/2008 or something. P4 == 2011/2012. P5 == probably 2015/2016) and their stories. In P4 they go to the city where P3 takes place and even meet Makoto's school, its principal and Chihiro. In P5 Adachi and the murder cases occurred in Inaba are mentioned on the TV in a certain day, and Rise appears on some screens in Shibuya's Subway. So they're connected, their stories just are not affected by the other games stuff. And IIRC, Persona 4 fighting games are cannon

[@CassiusStelar]

Persona is a spin off of the Megami Tensei series. Contrary to popular belief, it does not fall under the *shin* megami tensei brand, which only exists in the west as the title of the mainline megaten entries, but it does indeed contain iconic demons from the overall megaten franchise both as enemies and equippable personas.

[@georgieegames]

oh I see! ok that makes sense, I know sometimes things can be named differently in the west as well! thanks for the clarification! cool to know the demons cross over tho that's so cool!

[@leurunner4764]

Well, the first one is an exception, which is why it's literally called:"Shin Megami Tensei: Persona".

[@CassiusStelar]

​​@@leurunner4764 the first one is called "revelations persona" You're thinking of P2 Innocent Sin maybe? It was in the video Edit: just looked at wikipedia, the first one had that name in the PSP rerelease

[@mystrenula3911]

​@@leurunner4764technically the first persona was called megami ibunroku which if I'm not mistaken translates to "a different goddess" as opposed to shin megami tensei which translates to "true reincarnation of the goddess" this pretty clearly connected to mainline smt but notably distinct

[@Raddkann]

Persona kept the Shin Megami Tensei title until Persona 4 I believe

[@DD-ut9cc]

The butterfly thing isn't to do with time travel but a different idea. That quote at the beginning is meant to be taken semi-literally, in the dream he thought he was a butterfly but when he woke up he knew it was a dream but how does he know he is not still dreaming? That's the idea, "How do you know what you are perceiving is reality?", how do you know you're not currently dreaming, believing what you're seeing is real? Butterflies also have symbolic meaning in japanese culture I won't talk about because I don't quite understand it.

[@taznkid1730]

The butterflies are like spirits of the deceased or something along those lines. That is why you also see, for example, Hell Butterflies in Bleach i assume.

[@ma.2089]

The symbolism comes from Chinese culture actually. Japan just took it cuz they took a LOT from China lol

[@genten34]

The meaning is correct. This is a theory from the ancient Chinese philosophical book Zhuangzi.

[@devildante9]

@@ma.2089 That's like saying we took all our symbolism from Greece and Rome, even the memento mori motif from P3. Philosophy is shared and enhanced by being developed by other cultures, is not "taken" as you ever so delightfully put it, philistine.

[@TheOneGreat]

The butterfly is Philemon (a deity) from Persona 1. Through him you get access to the Velvet Room and Igor (his servant) in every game.

[@scottwagner2566]

An SMT player whose never played Persona, and not the other way around? You are a rarity! Nocturne is top 5 game of all time for me.

[@georgieegames]

YESSSSSS NOCTURNE IS AMAZING!! AHH such a gem that TOO many people have not played!!

[@raidoukuzunoha2346]

I also discover persona through nocturne... Excluding persona 1 n some of the smt one, i played most of those smt games (including the smt series, persona series, devil survivor series n devil summoner series as well)... Nocturne is my 2nd fav, with devil summoner as my fav n p3 at third...

[@AsteriskOfficial]

Without spoiling too much, you're correct that you'll probably enjoy 2 and 3 the most. They have plenty of really good angst and high stakes.

[@georgieegames]

I will have to see if I can get hold of a copy of 2! Luckily I dont have to wait too long for persona 3 it would seem haha

[@AsteriskOfficial]

@@georgieegames persona 2 is unfortunately one of the harder ones to track down, but if you can find a copy I'd definitely say it's worth it. I really do wish they'd port it to modern systems

[@kats1646]

@@georgieegames One thing to keep in mind is that Persona 2 is a duology: Innocent Sina and Eternal Punishment. And unfortunately, the English releases got fragmented - both games got PS1 and PSP releases, but the west only got Innocent Sin on the PSP and Eternal Punishment on the PS1, meaning you can't get the full set in one console. There is, however, a fan translation of Eternal Punishment PSP, if you're okay with emulators and wan t to play the definitive version.

[@ThaNinjazTube]

2 is an insane suggestion lmao

[@AsteriskOfficial]

@@ThaNinjazTube why? It's a good game. I've played it and liked it. Georgie says she has experience with other SMT games like Nocturne, which P2 has a lot in common with.

[@joessuj8972]

1 or 2 years ago atlus did a poll to see which Persona/MegaTen game the community wants to be remade and Persona 3 and the Persona 2 Duology were tied at first place with 78.9% of all votes. Maybe after P3Reload they gon announce the P2 remakes/ports

[@pmintertek]

Persona 3 is a lot easier to remade compared to older games, considering Persona 5 is pretty much the same game just with a lot improvements and different plot. Considering that their new game Metaphor Re:Fantazio is still heavily inspired by modern Persona, I don't see them remaking P1 or P2 anytime soon considering considering how different they from current Persona and just slapping Social Link mechanic won't work in them (especially P2)

[@laiofurious6433]

I really can't see Persona 2 remade into Persona-modern style.

[@SyLuX636]

They just lazy and prefer to do a dancing game or a chibi crossover than make a full game.

[@vetreas366]

​@@SyLuX636 Dumb take. Those games are still new games they made. They were also not made to replace or serve as part of the main series, they're intended as basically gaiden games. The time it takes to make a full new Persona game is around the time period of "a shitload" so having smaller games coming out to keep fans satiated and keep interest alive instead of going radio silent for 5-6-7-10 years is better. But yeah, "lazy" is the word I'd use when describing people who turned out multiple games in a span of a few years. It's not like developing a game, even if it is a spinoff, takes any time or effort at all.

[@ma.2089]

P1 was voted th r most after P3-2. I think they’ll go for a P1 remake cuz P2 is more of a direct sequel to P1, as there’s more characters from P1 in it.

[@Yesnaught]

"Persona 4 Golden", "Persona 3 FES", "Persona 5 The Royal" are basically director's cut versions with all the bells and whistles. P4 was roughly where the Persona brand separated from the SMT brand, and it shows in the themes.

[@dumbghost3109]

id say persona 3 is where the brands separated (though separated is a loose term. its more that persona 3 was where persona found its own separate identity). All of the persona games are canon to the smt series. the events of smy are just in the distant future (a specifically post apocalyptic one) wheras persona 1 and 2 are where the personas and demons get established, and persona 3 marks the point where they become an actual problem instead of just a weird localized supernatural event.

[@CockLord2059]

nah Persona won't ever be able of separate from SMT cuz they uses the Devils from SMT

[@Yesnaught]

@@CockLord2059 I meant they separated in terms of overall theme. P4 onwards is very positive and upbeat, "With the power of friendship and working together, you can do it!" and a victory without sacrifice is possible. SMT and P3 are more like trolley problems, they force you to pull levers and sacrifice something for the ending you want.

[@LastMinuteEssays]

"Are any of the main characters female" To answer that - Persona 3 Portable had a FeMC as a choice and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (2nd game in a duology) has Maya as the main character, she was a party member in the previous one That's unfortunately it

[@aphiosey4555]

I think persona 5 was going to have a fem mc option but it was too much work.

[@KhangNguyen-qn4bh]

@@aphiosey4555Kasumi early design is similar to Joker

[@alexanderlloydmendoza979]

Isn't there also a dlc thing with aigis from p3 as the protagonist

[@adrielalonso1026]

Don't forget The Answer

[@flaminginferno6641]

​@@KhangNguyen-qn4bh Not just her, the recent Persona 5 Beta Build leaked contained some Meshes for what looks like an early concept for a Femc

[@LastMinuteEssays]

"I miss the PS2 days" You and me both, sis

[@georgieegames]

I have been looking at buying a PS2 so I can play the PS2 games I have lol i genuinely might 🤣

[@LastMinuteEssays]

@@georgieegames The emulation of it is in a good place right now, but it really depends on how good your PC is obviously. Though I did play Persona 3 and 4 that way on a bad laptop like 11 years ago (with some slowdowns) so I think nowadays the technical limitations are much more lax.

[@LegendsForever206]

@@georgieegames I advise you to not do that because PS2 games get easily scratched up and won't be playable anymore, if you have a great PC then just download the PS2 emulator and then you can play all the PS2 games you missed out on.

[@AmeButCool]

@@georgieegames Emulations great for it, though it's more of a vibe playing on actual hardware. They shouldn't be too hard to find thankfully. Got one from a local store pretty cheap myself

[@Unk0wn_stalk3r]

Hope you play persona 3 FES, its a banger​@@georgieegames

[@dekucake]

I love how, during the Persona Q intro, she kept assuming it was another P4 game, completely ignoring all the Persona 3 characters and not realizing it was a crossover lmao.

[@bazz2k_755]

bro i was tweaking the whole video she ignored all the important moment

[@rhettmitchell]

How is she gonna know if she doesn’t know the characters lol

[@VelvetAura]

@@rhettmitchell I think it's more the fact that she has the (good) habit of looking at the camera a lot when she talks, but it sometimes seems to cause her to miss details that I see other reactors catch onto. I still enjoyed the reaction personally but I did notice that lol

[@ma.2089]

@@rhettmitchell she noticed some of them. She also missed the butterflies in the later entries too, and thought it as a P1-2 thing. So it’s not really about not recognizing the cast since they showed up in FES, for example.

[@anon3600]

Seen different reactions and they also missed that detail lol

[@Xemnion]

Persona 4 is a lighthearted adventure as a team of high schoolers who are investigating a series of violent murders! Heavy subject matters with silly and fun characters.

[@Xemnion]

Oh and the Persona 4 Arena games are indeed fighting games with a substantial amount of story and are canon to the story and continuity of Persona 4!

[@JalarenZarrus]

A non-serious but accurate answer to why there is so many dancing game spinoffs: The cast of Persona 4 loved dancing so much it infected the previous and subsequent titles.

[@Xemnion]

It's also important to note that all of the Persona games do deal with more mature and serious topics and subject matters. Some of them are more angsty and edgy but that doesn't change that even the most lighthearted of the Persona series, that being Persona 4, still has a lot of dark and serious subject matters. If any of them interest you, you should definitely give them a shot. And even the other ones that you didn't necessarily say you wanted to play are also fantastic games that are worth your time.

[@ma.2089]

Even if all games are more mature, certain games handle its content differently by choosing what to focus on, and that can affect the entire vibe. It’s not surprising to be into P3 over P4, for example, due to how P4 tackles the mature themes, and whether the vibe is consistent throughout. P3’s a bit more consistent compared to P4, for example. I think she’d benefit from learning the basic premise of each game since she didn’t seem to recognize P3 characters were crossing over with P4, for example.

[@kurokamideri]

For context as to the game releases: 2:47 - Revelations Persona = PS1 5:32 - Persona 2: Innocent Sin = PS1 9:30 - Persona 2: Eternal Punishment = PS1 11:20 - Persona 3 = PS2 14:27 - Persona 3 FES = PS2 16:02 - Persona 4 = PS2 20:07 - Persona = PSP Remaster 22:18 - Persona 3 Portable = PSP 23:58 - Persona 2: Innocent Sin = PSP Remaster 27:01 - Persona 4 Arena = XBox, PS3 28:56 - Persona 2: Eternal Punishment = PSP Remaster 30:27 - Persona 4 Golden = PSVita 31:59 - Persona 4 Arena Ultimax = Switch, PS4, Steam, PS3, Xbox 360 33:56 - Persona Q Shadow of the Labyrinth = Nintendo 3DS 35:28 - Persona 4 Dancing All Night = PS4, PSVita 37:02 - Persona 5 = PS3, PS4 38:40 - Persona 3 Dancing Moon Night = PS4, PSVita 40:20 - Persona 5 Dancing Star Night = PS4, PSVita 42:59 - Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth = Nintendo 3DS 43:46 - Persona 5 the Royal = Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S 45:28 - Persona 5 Scramble = Nintendo Switch, PS4, Steam 47:22 - Persona 3 Reload = PS5, PS4, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

[@VeniVidiVici_VI]

To answer your question, yes, 2 of the Persona games have had a female protagonist. Maya in Persona 2: Eternal Punishment - Persona 2 is a duology. The protag of the 2nd P2 game is a female party member from the 1st P2 game. FeMC in Persona 3 Portable - P3P added a female protagonist option. She, like the Male MC, is a self-insert character you name. Unlike female protag options in other games, the protagonists gender changes a good amount such as the romance options, the music in the game, character dynamics, a good chunk of the dialogue, the UI, and exclusive Social Links. Fingers crossed for a FeMC option in Persona 6. And personally hoping P3Reload gets a future expansion with the FeMC included.

[@beo3828]

Considering we have FES and Aigis, I would be surprised if they give yet another female The Fool in P3. But it would be nice if we got a post FES story, maybe giving us the happy ending they owe us.

[@SyLuX636]

There probably gonna be another milked P5 fighting game before they make anything for 6. 6 probably will be about the power of friendship and sex since the tones have been so light I don't consider it a Persona game anymore.

[@VeniVidiVici_VI]

@beo3828 I dont think it'd be strange at all to have 2 Fools in a row be girls. Fortune, Strength, Hanged Man, Magician, Justice, Temperance, Tower, and Death have all had 2 men or 2 women in a row before. Hell, I'd find it more unrealistic for every Arcana to strictly alternate gender evenly. Remember, the Arcana are simply assigned based on someone's personality traits and role in the Journey, that's all. Plus, just personally, I've never been a fan of the Smurfette Principal, even in concepts. Also, I kinda like the somber ending of P3. It hits home the themes of death and moving on well. I'd be a little salty if the MC came back to life lol.

[@beo3828]

@FullMoon_BloodHarvest what I meant to say is that Aigis is the clear MC for FES and therefore it would be weird if she didn't retain that role in any extension. Also while I love the seriousness and weight of P3's ending, I wouldn't mind if we could unplug our emo dude from the seal.

[@VeniVidiVici_VI]

@beo3828 Oh ok I get what you mean. That wouldn't be an issue though. FeMC's fate is the same as MaleC, so even if she was included, Aigis would inherit the Fool anyway in FES. Nah, I get it. Many times, I also prefer a good happy ending too. I just wouldn't want it for P3 specifically, as a personal preference.

[@knightofblackfyre7950]

Dont know if anyone else commented already, but Persona 3 and persona 4: golden had a butterfly in the opener. You just missed them. The butterfly has much more meaning if you had played both Persona 1 and both 2s, but it still makes a appearance in newer Personas.

[@bagon_the_bacon]

I am so happy someone wants to play p2 the most:)

[@georgieegames]

it looks SO GOOD! app it's very similar to SMT with how it plays so I think I'll love it a lot, just gotta find a copy now ahha

[@bagon_the_bacon]

@@georgieegames well unfortunately P2 innocent sin is only avaible on psp or emulator and for P2 eternal punishment its only for the ps1 or an emulator sence the pc version was never published in the west(there is an emulated version for the psp tho woth translated text)

[@hinatashoyo3774]

​@@bagon_the_baconI'm glad there are still people who want to think the old Persona exist

[@AeisMado]

P2 is my personal favorite as well! 2nded by P3 for plot :))

[@KommandeurMumm]

A somewhat short explanation: Persona 1 - Released for the PS1, got a remaster/remake on the PSP Persona 2 Innocent Sin - PS1, got a remaster on the PSP Persona 2 Eternal Punishment - PS1, got a remaster on the PSP (the only game in the series where you play as adults and it is a direct sequel to Innocent Sin) Persona 3 - A complete overhaul of the series introducing playable social/school life, released on the PS2 Persona 3 FES - In japan an Add-On to 3, in the west included in P3, released on the PS2, expands the story of P3 Persona 3 Portable - An extended Version of P3 for the PSP, the only newer game with a chosable female MC (now also on Steam, Playstation Store, XBox Game Store) Persona 3 Reload - The new remake of P3 (adapts just the core game, not the extra story from FES - and no female MC from Portable. Other than that, tons of new content and improvements.) Persona 3 Dancing Moon Night - A rythm game, released on PS4/PS Vita Persona 4 - Released on the PS2 Persona 4 Golden - An extended version of P4 for the PS Vita (now also on Steam, Playstation Store, XBox Game Store) Persona 4 Arena - Released on X360/PS3 - Fighting game, sequel to P3 and P4 Persona 4 Ultimax - Sequel/restart of Arena - X360/PS3 - Fighting Game Persona 4 Dancing All Night - A rythm game, PS4/Vita Persona Q - Spin Off with characters from P3 and P4, released on Nintendo 3DS Persona Q2 - now also with characters of P5 - Nintendo 3DS Persona 5 - Released for PS3/PS4 Persona 5 Royal - Extended version of P5, Released on PS4/XBone (now available on basically every platform) Persona 5 Strikers/Scramble - Mousou style game, sequel/spin-off to P5, released on PS4/Nintendo Switch/Steam Persona 5 Dancing Star Light - A rythm game, PS4/Vita Persona 5 Tactical - Spin-Off of Persona 5 - Tactical RPG, released on PS4, PS5, XBone, Series S/X, Windows That should be all ganes I hope... A few other short things: Characters in the Persona games don't transform, they summon their Personas. Igor (the man with the nose) is in every Persona game and functions as guide and to manage Personas. He resides in the "Velvet Room" a space between dream and reality. He is also jokingly considered to be the sexiest man in a video game. :D Don't let the Opening movies fool you, all the games deal with heavy and adult themes as well as death (even the spin-offs to some extent). The Butterfly Effect as such does not really play a role in the games, the butterfly has more a symbolic meaning and nature. From Persona 3 onwards the series borrows a lot of imagery from the teachings of Carl Gustav Jung (one of the fathers of psychology), such as the Personas themselves as manifestations of a persons character and Shadows as the dark side of the human psyche. Hope that helps to make things a bit clearer for you. :)

[@germin9784]

P3 Reload is just the original P3, nothing new added? Well that kinda killed my interest

[@Tasty_Tango45]

@@germin9784they added mini events for the male party members since they don’t have social links, but for the most part it seems like Atlus likes to stay faithful with remakes, so yea

[@KommandeurMumm]

​@@germin9784 they added tons of new content to reload, but nothing from FES or Portable. I edited my original post for clarifiaction. :)

[@flavoredcement3584]

There is also now Persona 5 Tactica which takes place at the same time as P5 :D

[@KommandeurMumm]

@@flavoredcement3584 Thank you, for reminding me. I put it in the original post.

[@beo3828]

Unsure of someone answered this, but the characters don't transform into their personas, they are literally summoning them to fight alongside them. The method of bringing them out varies, but yeah, they don't become their personas, as a Persona is meant to be a "representation" of themselves taking a physical form.

[@beo3828]

Also, in case this also wasn't answered, P3 FES is both the original P3 and FES the epilogue of sorts, P4/P4G and P5/P5R can be understood as "the same game but with a bit of an extra" much like Street Fighter makes the same game 3-4 times but it adds a little more each. P5 Strikers is a sequel. Also, while your actions can dictate some endings, you have a lot less choice that you seem to be thinking about the events of the game, namely that you can't really decide who lives or dies, so to speak.

[@bakuraXmarik]

Mhh from what i remember of Persona 2 there are some choices you can make that destroyes buildings when going to the wrong place. And i think also characters get hurt if you do something wrong. Don't wanna spoiler too much

[@beo3828]

@@bakuraXmarik I meant from P3 onwards, P1 and P2 are more like MTG so I would think they probably have that sort of thing.

[@julien827]

its useless to describe personas as anything else than: yes they are jojo stands

[@BeyondBlue22]

To answer your question about the Butterfly Effect, it doesn't actually have anything to do with dreaming you're a butterfly. The idea is based on a question once posed, "can the flapping of a butterfly's wings cause a hurricane in South America?" The idea is that in an incredibly complex mathematical system like the weather, even a minor atmospheric change could snowball into huge differences later. From there, the idea was incorporated into time travel, where the smallest changes to history can have immense unforeseen effects. The thing about dreaming you're a butterfly is based on a guy who dreamt it so vividly it sent him into an existential crisis about which life, the butterfly or the human, was the dream, and which one was truly reality.

[@VBandit47]

As much as I love seeing people try to get into this series for the first time, I'm always a little wary when they react to EVERY opening. If you throw in the spin-offs and animes it can get a little confusing. But I think you'd love this series!

[@georgieegames]

That's fair! For me I think it was a fun glimpse into how the games styles and atlus as a developer have grown in their art style! I enjoyed filming it regardless! Some great openings in here!

[@ZeroChronicles01]

Seeing how many other people are explaining the openings and games, a quick note about the Persona Q games: Persona Q 1 and 2 are cross over games that are (semi cannon) games. The idea is to see the interactions between the cast of persona 3, and persona 4 in the first persona q game. and the second game is to see interactions between persona 5, 4, and 3.

[@ZarathosDaimaoh]

The butterfly is more dominantly present in P1 and P2 , because it foremost symbolises a character that i'll avoid spoiling , but in essence the guide for persona users. Butterflies are also associated with transformation, metamorphosis , dominant themes through the games

[@yves1594]

In P5 the butterfly is also pretty important with lavenza right?

[@MartinHernandez-xv1mc]

One thing about the persona series it that it does anwser the question of "what happens next" for most of the characters. A few characters from P1 do get featured in P2. Same thing for P3 characters being featured in P4, including the fighting game spinoffs. In P5 there are reference to previous games with the exception of P1 through passerby dicussions, TV, and specific objects in reality. Most of the spinoffs are canonical.

[@AlexanderMartinez-kd7cz]

to adress any confusion, the video is in release order: persona 1 persona 2 part 1 persona 2 part 2 persona 3 persona 3 FES persona 4 persona 1 remake persona 3 portable persona 2 part 1 remake persona 4 arena persona 2 part 2 remake and the rest. the series generally revolves around human nature, relationships and some light psychological elements. it's a lot more personal and character based than the rest of SMT. the series turned into half school life simulator in persona 3 when the team changed, and they're in charge to this day. oh, and persona started as an SMT spinoff. it officially dropped the SMT name in persona 5. AND yes, persona 2's story is great.

[@leurunner4764]

Persona 2 innocent sin and Persona 2 eternal punishment. Yes, they are both known as persona 2 and are in fact connected.

[@genten34]

The story takes place three years after Persona, so the sub characters from Persona 1 become the main characters in Persona 2.

[@donglegs]

@@genten34 Are you confusing Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment with P1 and P2? None of the permanent P2 party were in P1 at all, but some of the P1 party return in 2. It's EP where side characters from IS become the main party.

[@ZarathosDaimaoh]

Yeah as you've probably noticed in Megaten you're usually the one that transforms into otherworldly creatures , or even become a devil as seen in Nocturne and tame and invoke other creatures and myth . In Persona the characters don't invoke those creatures , besides their own avatar , their persona , tied to their psyche , life experience and mental state . It's basically the stands from JoJo's Bizarre Adventures mixed with myths and legends . It's also tied to the concept of Tarot cards , each individual's persona being tied to an arcana . There is also an exception , the main character , whose unique rebellious nature , usually tied to the tarot card "The Fool" or the concept of a "Wild Card", gives him an edge , the ability to summon his unique Persona , but also instead every other creatures he captured . SMT also seems to have very specific settings in comparison . They usually involve the end of the world (it happens during the story) and are set around wandering a demonic wasteland. The demons are actors in the story and not just in your mind. You talk to them and they have their own intentions and plans. There are usually not a lot of humans left. The plot is also often tied to different lawful , chaotic or neutral philosophies which determine the shape of the post apocalypse world .

[@raidoukuzunoha2346]

Agreed, n to add/support above (also this is my opinion so do correct me if I'm wrong 😅) smt series has much darker tone (post apocalyptic event, morality/alignment) n it usually revolve around scenario/theme that centering on the world, n the monster summoned as your ally r those from myth/literature/historical figure/etc Persona on the other hand has more lighter tone n the theme of the game often focus/revolve around the society/individual itself with the mc act as the central perspective, n the persona is the manifestation of the people's consciousness which took on the form of those shadow/persona

[@Regolant1]

You're a gem Georgie. I've never found anyone who played the SMT series and NOT the persona series.

[@jordanamador1845]

You're absolutely correct about Persona 2 duology, best story and characters of the series. Also both psp openings are freaking amazing! The world needs that Persona 2 remake!

[@faebees5793]

Heres hoping once they've finished up ith reload

[@jordanamador1845]

I think (cope xd) that the plan is that the Persona team is split between a small team that is working on the DLC for P3R and P1/P2 remake while the big team is developing P6.

[@hamzahax]

persona can be as derpressing as much as it can be goofy that's the charm of this series it is an extreme contrast to the rest of the megaten franchises

[@SyLuX636]

4 and 5 I'd dont consider depressing at all in comparison to the OG 3.

[@Kubson3105]

@@SyLuX636 4 wasn't depressing? You mean you didn't cry when Nanako died?

[@MizzBellaKitty]

@@Kubson3105 Hell, just thinking about Nanako's situation, her dealing with loneliness after losing her mom and her dad not being around much, makes me want to cry. I can really relate to her.

[@ChiangKai-Shrek]

@@Kubson3105 Yeah when Nanako died and was instantly revived if you didn't shove the delivery guy into the TV lol. Persona 4 and 5 do get dark at times, but Nanako isn't a great example of that lol

[@specimen11themeatdemon84]

You should also watch all of the persona 3 reloaded character trailers, those are also good

[@georgieegames]

I shall! I want to play this P3R I think as a place to start with the persona games so that would be awesome to see!

[@pezdispencer113]

​@@georgieegamesif you intend to play P3R, then I would recommend not watching the character trailers. I'd recommend going into the game as blind as possible.

[@Ruukasu97]

Persona is like final fantasy, each number is different but there can be multiple games for each number. i dont know if they all are in the same universe but i know 4 and 5 are but 6 years later ( 1 of the characters from 4 is an idol and you can see ads for her in 5)

[@georgieegames]

Ohhh GOT IT! Awesome thank you!

[@ScarletSilverIron]

Final Fantasy rarely stay in the same universe

[@Ruukasu97]

@@ScarletSilverIron thats true but there are 3 ff13 and 2 ff10 games

[@losharikoved]

3 and 4 are definitely in the same universe because p4 arena is canon. And in p3 one of characters once mentioned one of the most important families from p1. In P2 as things are getting worse many characters from p1 are getting involved. So it's safe to assume that all of them are in same universe

[@hamzahax]

They do occur in the same timeline tho It's just that it doesnt need to be played in order

[@AnimeJessica]

Persona 4 Golden "This must be one of the happier games" If you know, you know.

[@dannyontario4878]

Well according to some people, Persona 4 is the happiest game about murder

[@Pix6lbits]

Once you’ve fell down into the persona hole you can only go deeper with no return

[@Pix6lbits]

31:53 hahahahaha oh man how wrong you are

[@LatchinOn]

DIGITAL DEVIL SAGA IS SO GOOD YESS!! It's such a great introduction to SMT! Not only is the story amazing, but the gameplay gimmick is cool too, being able to transform into demons instead of gathering them

[@infamousshadow2]

what a coincidence! i am just getting into the persona series again recently

[@georgieegames]

which one would you recommend??

[@infamousshadow2]

​​@@georgieegames that is quite a hard question because a lot of favoritism is applied Persona 5 royal is good for a started and if you enjoy it you can play the rest, it doesn't really matter what order you play them in because Persona 1 and 2 (IS and EP) are the only ones directly connected to each other

[@DD-ut9cc]

@@georgieegames The stories are linked but at the same time disconnected enough you could enjoy them individually. Lots of spin-offs are canon and there's loads of P3/P4 cross over. Just choose the one you like best I'd say, or just go with the newest one which will be, err, P3 reload and not persona 5 royal? It's weird.

[@damiengrief]

@@georgieegames My first one was Persona 4 Golden and I love it. Most people probably got into the series with P5. But I think P4G is a better starting point. And I think if you're used to SMT and its spin offs, you'd probably be okay with the older gameplay design (since P4 was a PS2 game).

[@orangejuice3235]

You can play them in any order, save for the 2 duology since Eternal Punishment is a direct sequel to Innocent Sin. They're all independent stories, the newer ones just tend to have more polished gameplay and quality of life.

[@wowwar2]

I just played both Digital Devil Saga games, I loved them and I really wish they were talked about a lot more

[@-Franchesco]

The Opening of Persona 3 Reload is very good, my favorite 🎶♥️

[@SHGogo-df5jr]

I think a good way to describe P5 vs P5 Royal is its like Kingdom Hearts vs Final Mix. Its like the definitive ver now, its a re-release w/ extra content & little tweaks throughout the game.

[@marksmania42]

The cool thing about Persona 3 Portable’s opening is that you can watch it upside down

[@team4star1]

I’m a really new fan who got in from playing persona 5: Royal which is the remake of persona 5. I will personally say that I’ve dove into a ton of persona content because of it, persona 1 and 2 aren’t played by a lot of people because of clunky controls and hard to acquire copies as far as I know, but people still really love the characters and stories. The dancing games exist because there was too much good music in these games. Some other little tidbits are important like the persona 3 portable had a female protagonist with some major story changes that a lot of people loved who will not be a part of the initial release of the remake for p3. She was in the persona Q2 game which is the second chibi game that you saw in one of the opening trailers and it was extremely cool to see her there. In my experience persona 5 is genuinely the peak of the series, so it’d be best to play P3 reload, P4 golden, and then P5 royal, but that is just my take on it because I’m biased. There are things I love far more about the characters in P4 and things I love far more about the themes in P3, so if you have any amount of interest in these games play them for yourself and enjoy.

[@AerialAirwaves]

> P4U Ultra Suplex Hold... that's a bit too long Digital Devil Saga Avatar Tuner: well, excuuuse me

[@GunmetalGator]

Honestly with how much you love the Persona 2 intros, just know that in an ATLUS poll for Persona games to make, while Persona 3 got its remake from winning the poll.... it was tied with Persona 2 remake as well. Maybe if you're patient, we might see something in the next 5 years.

[@thatpunkcatte]

"They enjoy dancing in this one, don't they?" Investigation Team danced so hard they killed a god. And that's not even a joke.

[@zipical]

Persona 3 Portable included a Female MC to play as, as well as the original MC which is why the P3P opening is mirrored all the time (you can even watch the op upside down)

[@Tasty_Tango45]

Its funny you were drawn to Persona 2 considering the guy who wrote Digital Devil Saga (Satomi Tadashi) also wrote persona 1, persona 2 and its sequel, so they may be why you felt drawn to it xD I’m one of those people who Prefer the older games to the newer games but all of them have a place in my heart : )

[@sammysamlovescats]

So a general note about "modern Persona." Each game is made with 3 themes in mind, a color, a music genre, and one word Persona 3 - Blue, Hip Hop, Death Persona 4 - Yellow, Pop, Truth Persona 5 - Red, Jazz, Freedom

[@jyaafi8158]

Yes! I've been waiting for this video from you, God how i LOVE Persona 3 ❤, now i need to save money for the new one🤣

[@georgieegames]

same hahahha

[@ottareyeen851]

Fun fact for those who love the multiverse: In nocturne its stated that theres a multiverse (Amala) with worlds that are destroyed and remade. The persona series first into one of those universes. Its a timeline in which the events of smt 1 and 2 didnt happen. Persona is also in the same time line as the devil summoner games which is a series about detectives who use demons (like those from nocturne) to help solve paranormal problems im a nerd lol. i hope u enjoyed this info

[@DanielPlaysRPGs]

I too started with SMT Nocturne, then played the DDS games, but then went straight to Persona 3 when it first dropped on PS2 back in the day. Beyond hyped to stream and replay this game for the umpteenth time with the gorgeous new graphics and improved gameplay. Welcome to Persona!

[@TheLastCurryRice]

Holy shit this might be the first time I’ve been following an English content maker that shouts out DDS. Such a sick concept for a game and a story. Love media that gets into more philosophical themes like the law/chaos route endings of SMT and the growth of “emotion” as a concept you see in Avatar Tuner. (DDS in Japan) Maybe they’re the reason I got so deep into Project Moon’s games looking back if my childhood was blessed (cursed) from getting into these sorts of games then thanks to Atlus for making me like this~

[@Ruukasu97]

ive only played p4 and p5 and im waiting for the p3 remake, but persona 5 royal is in my top 5 best games of all time. i think its pretty much perfekt (also kasumi best girl)

[@georgieegames]

oh wow that's good to know! I think I want to play persona 3 first then do 4 and 5 but shall see :) Ty for watching :)

[@meddios]

@@georgieegames It's okay to play them in any order. Even though everything is happening in the same universe, the stories do not intersect. (Although there may be obscure cameos that you will only get if you played previous games, but they are insignificant)

[@mystrenula3911]

​@@georgieegamesyou can pretty much play the games in any order save for 1 and the 2 duology they're pretty closely tied to the point that it loses a lot of story if you play them out of order

[@raidenmei9064]

I saw a couple of your responses on how to get ahold of persona 2. The original physical copies are pretty expensive and rare nowadays, and there were some localization issues so certain versions of the games were never localized. For the absolute best experience, I would reccomend Innocent Sin on PSP and the fan translation of Eternal Punishment on PSP. If you want to go completely legit, no fan versions or emulators, your best bet is the ps vita. It has the PSP version of Innocent Sin and the PS1 version of Eternal Punishment. Both persona 2 games are connected much more closely than the rest of the series, they are direct sequels. I think for you, as someone with a background in the SMT series, your best starting point would be either P2 or P3. And yeah, Digital Devil Saga is fantastic.

[@Ada242]

DIGITAL DEVIL SAGA MENTIONED RAAAAAAA IM LIVING oh btw!! the director of the persona 2 games also directed DDS2

[@georgieegames]

Omg YESSSS ANOTHER FAN HIIIII WAHOOOO

[@Ada242]

@@georgieegames hi!!!! theyre literally my favourite megaten games and some of my fav games ever i did a double take when u mentioned them sfdlkgkbsmdf

[@keimata905]

Just seeing you vibe to the song of P1 Remake made me so happy. It's so underrated! Also, P3, in all it's forms, forever!

[@cameroncottingham9923]

Fun fact the games Persona 3 and Persona 4 (the originals) were first released on the PS2 and I played the Persona 3 FES on the PS2 which is the first game I played

[@phntmthf5505]

As an explanation to some of this: In each game, characters summon their Personas in different ways. In P1-P2, characters just summon their Personas willy nilly because they have help from literally God (his name is Philemon, he’s chill). In Persona 3, gun-like tools called Evokers are used to trigger a near-death experience and make summoning a Persona far less taxing on the user. In Persona 4, a tarot major arcana is shattered by a character to release their true, inner self. In Persona 5, characters tear off a mask to unleash the rebellious spirit hidden from society. Persona 1, 2: Innocent Sin, 2: Eternal Punishment, and 3 all got PSP rereleases, the lattermost being the second rerelease of Persona 3 (that being Persona 3 FES, which came with QoL and gameplay enhancements alongside an afterstory). Name disparities: Persona 4 Golden, Persona 4 Arena, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Persona 5 Royal, and Persona 5 Strikers have slightly different, and all longer, names in Japan. In the same vein of naming discontinuity: in America, Kuma is named Teddy and Navi is named Oracle. Persona 4 Arena and Arena Ultimax are fighting games featuring the P4 characters (and some older P3 characters in the latter case). Persona Q and Q2 follow full teams from P3, P4, and P5 in practically non-canon adventures (characters forget the events after). Persona 4 Dancing All Night is the only canon dancing game, with Dancing Moon Night and Dancing Star Night taking place in dreams, but all three are rhythm games where the characters dance. Persona 5 Strikers is a spin-off that exchanges turn-based combat for gameplay like the Dynasty Warriors series, and Persona 5 Tactica (which you didn’t see the trailer for) is a much more tactical (hence the name) spin-off that plays similar to games like XCOM and Mario + Rabbids. Persona 3 Reload is a ground-up remake of Persona 3 in the engine for Persona 5.

[@PhantomHaseo]

I started with Persona 4 when it first came out as my introduction to Atlus and SMT. I loved the game so much I went back through their catalog with P3 being my overall favorite, and eventually got to the main SMT games. My favorite SMT games are Digital Devil Saga and Nocturne. Imagine my surprise on NG+ when I got that secret boss battle in DDS and got wrecked hard and took a lot of grinding to beat.

[@altarudragonspirit4016]

So from what I know, P3, P4 and P5 share a universe (there are some direct references to characters and places from the previous game(s) that make it pretty explicit, and P4A+Ultimax has returning characters from P3 and is also directly tied into the story of P3); I'm not as sure of P1 and P2 since I've only really seen highlights of playthroughs of P2 and P3, though I know there is a reference to a couple of P2 characters in P3 (though whether it's a shared universe is dubious), and a few P1 characters show up in P2 at some point (so those games atleast share a universe)

[@Xeroxthebeautiful]

Digital devil saga is so insanely good more people desperately need to play them

[@denisgonzales4940]

If you do start Persona, I recommend just starting with Persona 3 Reload.

[@OofyRoofy]

man, this series was something special. i’m glad reload is coming out to give people who are getting into the series a start! 3 by far has my favorite narrative out of all of the games, so i’m glad that’s where newer fans will start!!

[@fardinhasan2947]

Man I loved your reaction since you know what you are talking about . Every persona games are unique and different from each other so much. If you played every title from the beginning to the most recent title you will see how this franchise changed significantly .Persona 1 to both persona 2 duology were still mostly like smt kinda .Anyway spoilers butterfly has a very important role in every persona games story .

[@thinkpandora935]

Seeing a SMT fan reacting to the persona openings, I have a huge respect. Hopefully ya enjoy persona as a series as it might be very different for SMT but has its own quirks.

[@silv4276]

This was one of the best reactions to the openings I've seen. I love that you started off with Digital Devil saga! I hope you enjoy the vibes and I'm really excited for you to get to play these as you get to them. The music is a bop for sure for all of them hands down. The dancing games are rhythm games and they were surprisingly fun! Also yes there are some criss crossover games as well as the fighting spinoffs. Poor Female Protagonist- she is never remembered (we got ONE option to play as her in the persona 3 portable version but Atlus likes to forget she ever existed)

[@gravajaumbros]

Ah, missing the opening for Persona 5 Tactica. You should definitely check that one out too. And as for angst, pretty much all the games will have their angsty moments, but some are definitely more angsty than others. Persona 3's theme does revolve a lot around death and mourning, so it's more angsty than 4 or 5. I've seen 4 described as "the most cheerful murder mystery you'll ever play", which is pretty accurate.

[@turboshell]

The main connection between Persona and Shin Megami Tensei is it's set in an alternate world from the mainline series, where the big dystopian event never happens. This world was first seen in the spinoff Shin Megami Tensei if... which was a SNES game released in 1994, at least one character from it appears in persona 1 and 2 which confirms its the same world. It's also the same universe as Devil Summoner, as a couple minor characters from it appear in Persona 2 By the time Persona 3 came around they've basically dropped all connection to previous SMT games aside from the monster designs, However Persona 1 and 2 still get referenced very very occasionally which means they're still canon by association P3 onwards goes for a self contained approach to the games while persona 1 and 2 are much more connected to each other by comparison

[@mikev4638]

This was a great video! I would definitely recommend the Persona series, they are wonderful games, although they do take quite a bit of investment because they are pretty long lol. Each mainline game has its own story and characters, but they usually deal with pretty heavy themes. Persona 3 especially has a heavy theme of death, but there are definitely dark topics in all of them, even if 4 and 5 present themselves as a more lighthearted experience from the opening movies. I would give P3 Reload a shot if you are interested. It's a remaster of the original, so it won't change the great story, it will just add a layer of polish and quality of life improvements, which should be a welcome addition because the original P3 came out in 2006 on the PS2 lol.

[@anitireborn1207]

Three is my favorite and I look forward to playing it again. I hope it does well in marketing and I've notice alot of people are uncomfortable with how they use their abilities but if you can handle darker themes you will be fine playing this.

[@azurepulse1870]

Persona 3-5 share the same world and are connected by some side spinoffs, like music rhythm games, fighting tournament games, and procedurally generated dungeon exploratioin games. Aka, the persona arena games, dancing all night games, and PersonaQ games. P5 even getting a tactics style spinoff. It's really interesting to note that the Persona series itself is a spin-off series of SMT, so I think we all agree that you'll love these games if you loved SMT.

[@MrRhysReviews]

A bunch of the Leads (like the Game Director and Composer) worked on Nocturne and DDS before coming together under P Studio and basically "Soft Rebooting" Persona and did Persona 3 - 5 (and various spin offs/sequels/remakes of the series starting around 2006 when Persona 3 launched) The 3 Leads also made Catherine, they then went and formed Studio Zero within Atlus and worked on Catherine Full Body (that games "remake") whilst working on their brand new fantasy game, Metaphor Re:Fantazio which is about to launch in about 3 weeks.

[@IrisRuinsHerLife]

I would highly recommend playing persona 5 royal as a first persona game, its got a full extra third over the original persona 5, it does this by adding a third semester to your school life and adding extra dungeon, it's also better in almost everyway, if not then I'd suggest waiting for 3 reload as that looks incredibly good and faithful to the original

[@fumikado2527]

Thanks for the good reaction. I liked that each series has a different musical style. I only know Persona 4-5, but Persona 3 Reloaded makes me want to get to know 3. After that, if you have time, I would be glad if you could give me your reaction to the fgo trailer.

[@PhuNguyen-ph6lx]

You should check out Persona 2 (both of the 2 games) and the P1 manga too

[@TalesTheDude]

About when you were inquiring about how it was related to SMT, Persona was a spinoff from the game Shin Megami Tensei IF, which introduced the ideas Persona uses going forward. Also, I know people try to recommend Persona 5 all the time, because it is the easiest one in terms of difficulty curve. As you go backwards, the older games do get harder, and don't have a lot of the mechanics that are common now. As for you being interested in Persona 2 IS and EP, those are the best overall story in the franchise, honestly. Persona 3 is my favorite, because I love the characters the most, and it has some really hard hitting emotional moments, especially for my favorite character. I won't spoil anything, because I hope you play them and what I mean. Finally, Persona 2 Joker is way more interesting Joker than Persona 5 Joker. Villains are always cooler.

[@shinrakai]

Yes I absolutely think you'll enjoy the heck out of these games!!!

[@cameroncottingham9923]

The thing about the butterfly is in the games there are some dialogue that you can pick your response to topics like you said can cause a butterfly effect but more on a lesser degree because the story stays on course regardless of the discussion on what you say it more based on bonds with people

[@sepherioth5568]

Persona 3 is DARK, 4 very happy, 5 the middle ground

[@dustgraystone9448]

Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment has a save transfer much like Digital Devil Saga games. It transfers a couple choices and stats. Also Innocent is the first one when you do play them. But largely the persona games are set in the same universe. It's kinda funny that the intro for P4 Golden is mostly showing off the new content that yhe original didn't have. This was my first time seeing the trailer for P3 Reloaded, that looks so AWESOME!

[@hamzahax]

Persona 2 from what i've heard is the rawest one of these series Haven't played them myself but I would love to get some time for them one day

[@beambreaker300]

My personal favourites are definitely the two 2s, 3 and 5. Persona is such a vibe!

[@pichugaming5373]

33:56 and 42:00 This is Perasona Q and Persona Q2 (only on the 3DS). It's about different teams from different timelines joining together to help or to save someone in need. Also, on Q2 you can can the female proagonists by herself.

[@SHGogo-df5jr]

I coulda sworn p2... Eternal Punishment i think, had a more anime-esche opening (like the later ones) Edit: oops lol, wrote too soon. I didn't realize those were for re-releases x3

[@QBAndo]

Interesting to see your reaction. Some of those spin-offs I didn't event know about, like the dancing games mainly. But I missed Persona 5 Strikers and Persona 5 Tactica :)

[@homerthompson416]

They just released a few of the Persona games in the US from 2006-11 under the Shin Megami Tensei name to capitalize on Nocturne's success, but in Japan they were never considered part of the SMT series.

[@eliotarcher]

Persona 2 is the best persona game in terms of story plotwise for me. It's the most tragic of all persona games, due to spoiler reasons wich I'll not go on about, but for sure check it out. The gameplay is a little outdated but the story is worth it.

[@shelbybayer200]

P3 reload's opening song Full Moon, Full Life is a tribute to the Fans of the original with the first few lyrics. "Full Moon again, Crazy how time flies"

[@christinedeshano2872]

If you don't rescue people lost in Tartarus they can die. Yes, they have to be willing to face death to call their persona. Don't worry, the evokers are loaded with special ammo. Persona 3 Reload is amazing. The depth of the story is incredible. Persona 5 Royal is an extention, the fighting games with 3 and 4 include significant story and are pretty much sequels. Yes, Persona 5 came out before the dancing game for Persona 3.

[@jonathanrcd]

I would love watching a gameplay series of persona 3 reload here :)

[@maddaton2163]

That moment when a 9-10 year old is in your party in persona 3 shooting himself. Yeah. Sums up SMT

[@MrTommygunz420]

You are right that high school is absolutely a recurring theme in the series (from 3 onwards they actually have a calendar mechanic built into the storyline, really hard to explain until you experience it though;) and you(the MC) Is in their second year of a 3 year college prep academy. And the first 2 may as well be a distant cousin (through marriage) in terms of the actual gameplay.

[@eganwo917]

One of the major themes of the persona games is tied into the fools journey through the tarot arcana. Each social link is represented by a different arcana/point in a person's journey through life while the main character is always the fool - empty but with infinite possibilities. Each game has different circumstances for being able to summon their personas, which are the masks we wear to deal with hardships in life. In 3, it's the dark hour. In 4 there is a murder mystery and a separate world inside the TV. In 5 it's people's cognitions warping the world around them.

[@redcomputfox]

For the Persona 3 games, the head shot methods are not inciting death but more of the method of casting then a final action in ones life. And it's only within the other world that it happens.

[@cameroncottingham9923]

Another thing is in each game the all of the main characters personas are based on each mythology like for example in 3 they are based on the Greek mythology and in 4 they are based on Japanese mythology or more specifically Shinto like Amaterasu but in 5 they expand it by using fictional characters based on thieves

[@ghostofthenorth]

If you grew up playing the Shin Megami Tensei games you'd be right at home with Persona. Espescially 3 through 5