gamespot score:9.0(editor's choice)
my score:9.5
(+)pros:-great cast of entertaining and funny characters,-leveling up is much easier(thus crossing out persona 3's flaw),-story is mysterious and very intruiging, -new environments to explore makes the view of different dungeons great,- social links now enhance battle results,- dating sim now allows multiple girlfriends :D
(-)cons:-story is shorter than persona 3
gameplay hours:100 hours+(very long lasting)
Yayy!! Time for my favourite PS2 game review of all time! Persona 4 is another contribution to the persona series, and I stress again this is my favourite among them all. Sadly not much cameo appearances from the previous persona games. Anyway people should know already that persona 4 is an RPG which optimizes the dating sim system, and like before this game offers plenty of custimization for players who want a perfect team. Now on with the freaking review dammit!
A peaceful town in the middle of nowhere, inaba. One day a city boy(you), gets transfered to inaba because of his parent's jobs. Upon entering the town, a series of complicated and disturbing murders take place in the town, and while following up he suddenly realises that he has the power to enter TVs. He also discovers a program known as the midnight channel, as introduced by his friend, and this causes him to be able to stare at a blank TV screen at night, while the screen broadcasts an image of someone being killed. With the power to enter the TV world, he decides to find out the cause of the murders in town, together with his new found friends, they swear to catch the serial case murderer as the case was way out of league for the police.
Persona 4 is a legend in so many ways, so states gamespot and many other reviewers of the game. The game itself is a huge step up from persona 3, which was already a great game. The battle system has improved from persona 3 in a matter of ways. Firstly, I dont know if this is an improvement, but it is to me, leveling has become a mucch easier task. Now training is a cinch and that allows your party members to get stronger faster and you can make more personas. Now during battle, you get a whole lot more to experience. As such, currently inaccesable strategies in persona 3 because of AI problems can now be used, thanks to direct command, you can control your teammates ANYTIME in battle. Now that means no more losing to bosses because of screwups by your dumb teammates! Also if you have made appropriate social links with your teammates, they can know help in certain ways, such as knocking you away from a killing blow and taking that blow for his/herself. This helps since once your MC dies its game over,as usual. They also help by helping you up when you are knocked down, performing a follow up attack, or curing your abnormal status ailments.
Persona customization is back, and its better than ever! With new personas and new skills the customization just got alot better. It uses the same fusing system from persona 3, and its still done by igor, so woot :D. Anyway there are supposedly more arcanas in persona 4 than in persona 3, so yes there are a new cast of personas. With new arcanas comes new fusion spreads. Now a different formula is used by crossing the arcans, expect changes, in a good and new way. Also, the 3/4/5 way fusion spread is back, with cooler personas in stall for you. There is however, also a new feature in the fusion genre of the game, fusion forecast. Depending on the weather of the certain day you wish to fuse a persona, you can get certain bonuses, such as stat boosts or new skills. The fusion system is better than ever.
No persona game woud be complete without the dating sim system. Once again it is back and with some tweaks to it. Unlike before, your main character now has 5 stats he has to raise, knowledge, for acing tests, courage for doing crazy stuff, understanding, to comphrehend with others, expression, for well, expressing yourself, and dilligence, to improve your persistency. With so many traits comes so many things to do. You can now to part time jobs, such as working as a day care centre assitant, being a part time janitor at a hospital, or being a part time tutor. You can even do stuff such as fold envelopes, translate or fold orgami, all for making your wallet a little bit more full. Oh yea you can now date multiple girls, the system where dating more than one girl would cause another girl to be mad, its gone. LONG GONE.
