![]() These subjects are commonly presented in modern popular culture in a tawdry and unedifying manner, but, as with other entries in this series, P ersona 3 approaches its themes in an extremely thoughtful, mature, and responsible manner, doing justice to the better traditions of esoteric philosophy. There is also surprisingly rich and erudite explanatory material about the symbolism of the Tarot, alchemy, magic, and Kabbalah, which is communicated by the rather eccentric school nurse, Mr Edogawa. The Tarot is a recurring theme across the P ersona series, but it is interwoven in clever and intuitive ways throughout P3P’s story, lore, and battle mechanics. This manner of acquiring personas also points to the central importance of cards and, especially, of the Tarot in P ersona 3. ![]() It’s a more relaxed and streamlined system than the sometimes random and repetitive demon negotiations. It dispenses with the laborious demon negotiation system used in Persona 2 (and re-introduced in P ersona 5), instead using simple post-combat card games to unlock more powerful personas. It will be relatively familiar to anyone who has played Persona 5, as it employs the same basic mechanics, though without some of the bells, whistles and visual flourish associated with the PlayStation 4 game. Combat during these dungeon-crawling sections is turn-based, and makes heavy use of elemental weaknesses. The other part of the game is set during the Dark Hour, when Minato and up to three teammates explore various environments and must defeat any Shadows they encounter. Minato is not available to control in most of the game’s environments: instead, the player interacts with the gameworld in the manner of a point and click adventure, moving between areas via menu screens and manually selecting points of interest that warrant further investigation. Much of the game plays out like a “visual novel”, with plot exposition and character development being revealed through long conversations between characters. Gameplay in P3P is divided into two main parts. Psychological symbolism notwithstanding, the glib regularity of the in-game act is a little disturbing. These are special firearms which the persona-user must turn against themselves to trigger their seat of consciousness – in other words, shoot themselves in the head. To help them combat the Shadows, Minato and his allies have recourse to the the power of magical avatars (Personas), which they summon by using “Evokers”. This serves as their secret base from which to co-ordinate efforts to push back against the Shadows threatening to overtake Iwatodai. Minato is one of a select group of high school students able to retain consciousness during the Dark Hour, and they reside together at a special dormitory in Iwatodai. This is the only way to avoid becoming prey for the dangerous Shadows that roam around during the Dark Hour. ![]() This secret, hidden hour takes place each day at midnight, and for its duration, most people become unconscious and turn into coffins. ![]() Persona 3 is set in the fictional Japanese city of Iwatodai, and follows teenager Minato Arisato as he (or she) tries to solve the mystery of the “Dark Hour”. Physical copies of the game are rarer than hen’s teeth, but fortunately a digital copy is available for purchase via the PlayStation Vita. While streamlining and revising certain parts of the experience to reduce frustration and adapt it for handheld, P3P also introduced a substantial amount of new content, including a playable female protagonist. First released on the PlayStation 2 in 2006, P3 has since been published in expanded and remastered editions, including a remake for the PlayStation Portable (known as P3P). Persona 3 introduced the signature system of “social links”, and for that reason is recognizable as perhaps the first “modern” Persona game. With Persona 5: The Royal recently released in the West to universal acclaim, many of the franchise’s new fans will no doubt be curious about its long and storied history. ![]()
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