Persona 3 Reload review

What is it?A remake of the classic 2006 turn-based RPG.
Release date February 1, 2024
Expect to pay$70/£60
Developer Atlus
Publisher Sega
Reviewed on Windows 10 Pro, Intel i9-10920X, 128 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
Steam Deck Verified
LinkOfficial site

Persona 3 Reload isn't just a hi-res tune-up of the 2006 turn-based classic Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3. It's a true remake, with nearly every aspect of the game changing in subtle or major ways. What feels like thousands of added voiceover lines, impressive new persona animations, sharp graphic design and some nifty quality of life features give Persona 3's intricate story a high 2024 shine. 

Sixteen years ago, Persona 3 was a landmark RPG: The way it combined a high school life sim with a dungeon crawler including both grotesque Pokémon and roguelike elements gave it unparalleled depth. Which also means Persona 3 Reload is long.

Really really long. Enormously long. You're playing for a full year, one day at a time. Each day has multiple interactions and decision points. It typically takes more than 130 hours to meander your way through, and I've enjoyed every hour I've spent in it.

You play as a transfer student, new to a town where people are afflicted by an «apathy sickness» that causes some to take their own lives. The culprit can be found in the Dark Hour, the secret time in the middle of the night when normal folks temporarily morph into coffins or get their souls melted. You and your friends, however, remain human during the Dark Hour and fight the shadows with the help of personas: alter-ego demigods, demons and other creatures plucked from mythology you can summon to fight on your behalf. 

There are dozens of ways to achieve the same goals, and each day is different.

In the daytime you work on leveling up your attributes—studying raises your Academics score, for example, and singing karaoke alone boosts your Courage. Each activity lasts just long enough to reward your decisions; I never feel like I'm