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Persona 4 Revival Shows That Some RPG Classics Don’t Need Much Fixing
Persona 4 is no stranger to the remaster scene, but next year, it's getting a glow-up that fans of the series have been patiently waiting for. Similar to Persona 3: Reload, Persona 4: Revival updates the original game with slick graphics, new combat features, and adjustments to the story to filter out some of its more unsavory elements. And based on what we've played so far? It's looking like a pretty good and faithful return to the not-so-sleepy town of Inaba. Visually, Atlus is once again firing on all cylinders with the presentation of Persona 4: Revival. The menus look especially good while also paying homage to Persona 4, and the whole game leans hard into the analog TV aesthetic with various elements. Beyond that, the game's graphics naturally represent a noticeable upgrade compared to the PS2 original. Environments now pop with more details, character models look great in 3D, and there are also brand-new anime cutscenes alongside 3D-animated sequences. Basically, if you're a fan of Persona 5 and Persona 3: Reload's visual storytelling, you'll feel right at home here. https://youtu.be/pvHNpa4IVLE On the audio side, Persona 4: Revival also features a strong cast of voice actors who bring the primary cast to life. There may be new voices behind each character, but the cast does a solid job of embodying each member of the Persona 4 gang, matching the tone and energy of the protagonists. If Persona 4 looks and sounds good, how does it play then? When it comes to combat, there are a few noticeable changes as well. The biggest is the Baton Pass, which was originally from Persona 5, then added in Persona 3 Reload, and now it is here. Atlus is really making the Baton Pass sort of a core part of Persona's combat. The other new mechanic is Prime Time. You have a meter that fills up over time, and when it's full, you activate Prime Time. This will give you several turns where you can freely use any ability you want without spending any SP or HP. You can Baton Pass, change Persona, and then finish a fight with a Showtime attack when you're ready. Think of it as an ace up your sleeve that you'll want to save for particularly tough encounters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeRDfIp2ht8&pp=0gcJCRMMAYcqIYzv I appreciate the added flashiness of Prime Time, but I'll be honest: it doesn't feel like it dramatically changes Persona Four's combat in a big, substantial way. A long-standing issue we've had with Persona games is that every time they release a special edition or a remake, they always add new mechanics that end up making the combat feel significantly easier. I will give credit to Prime Time in that I don't feel like they just added another flashy win button, the way some mechanics added to Persona games feel. But at the same time, I didn't feel like it was an incredible new mechanic I was very excited about. It's a cool addition, but I don't find it to be a game-changer. Atlus has proven it knows how to remake its Persona games. So far, this is very much Persona 4 Golden, but it looks nicer and has a couple of new gameplay mechanics. We'll just have to wait and see if Atlus has any surprises in store for us when the game comes out early next year.
