Is Persona 3 Worth Playing in 2022?

Game ZXC

Persona 3

By William Carter

Published Jun 26, 2022

Thanks to Persona 5's success during the last console generation, all eyes will be fixed on its inevitable successor. However, with news that the last three mainline games are coming to Game Pass next year, there's more than enough opportunity to delve into its past before looking to the future. Persona 3 is the first of those included, arriving on the service in its portable form initially intended for the PSP. It's a game with a huge legacy, but a limited following, and players will want to experience all it has to offer.

Persona 3 is different from its Shin Megami Tensei cousin in many ways, but provided a solid foundation for the Persona series to develop upon. Its predecessors are great, but there were significant growing pains before developer Atlus hit its stride. Persona 3 is the result of its hard work, and as the franchise moves further into the mainstream, it does so wielding many of the lessons that were learned with the third main entry. Persona 3 is 16 years old, but even in 2022 it might be worth a playthrough.

What Persona 3 Does Right

It's common for each Persona game to have a unique art style, color palette, and tone, and Persona 3 stands out even among its successors. Its story feels like an even balance of creepy, tense, and gothic, while also wielding the same upbeat tone that is expected of the series. Yukari, Akihiko, and Junpei are great side characters, and the twists and turns that litter the main narrative are truly memorable.

Not dissimilar to other entries, Persona 3 explores the supernatural, but does so in a way that feels the most grounded in reality. Persona 4 has players enter the TV to do battle, and Persona 5 jumps the shark by allowing the Phantom Thieves the ability to enter the minds of the people whose hearts they're trying to change. Tartarus manifesting during the Dark Hour is the most engaging plot device of the three, and the use of guns known as 'Evokers' to summon personas is incredibly stylish. For what all it does well, Persona 3 is a great game, even by 2022's standards.

Persona 4 Outdoes Persona 3

Playing Persona 3 as an isolated experience is fantastic given it introduces systems, mechanics, and story beats that feel new and innovative. The characters are charming and the world-building is fantastic, but when it's viewed in comparison to its sequel, one is clearly better than the other. Persona 4 improved upon its predecessor in many ways to refine the formula. Taking the fundamentals of Persona 3 and wrapping them in a more engaging story and a unique setting, the journey with Chie, Kanji, Teddie, and others was unforgettable to many. Some even feel it makes going back to Persona 3 unneccessary.

Playing each of the Persona games is a huge commitment given how long they can be, so if there's only one that players have time to experience it's not likely going to be Persona 3. It's a game that has great historical value, but seeing as Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 upped the ante in so many ways, it's hard to jump from one to the other. Persona 4 is a better game, but if time isn't an issue it can be insightful to see the advancements it made over another solid game.

The Many Faces of Persona 3

As was shown in the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase, Persona 3 Portable will be making its way to Microsoft's subscription service, not Persona 3 FES. The latter is seen as the definitive version of the game, not unlike Persona 4 Golden or Persona 5 Royal, so this is a curious decision.

When it does come to Game Pass, Persona 3 Portable will be by the easiest version of the game to find, and its emphasis on portability means it wields a simpler pick-up-and-play design. It's a shame that the release won't be a hybrid of the two versions of Persona 3, but as the story has always been the main motivator of any game in the series, this is unlikely to be an issue for Game Pass subscribers.

Persona 3 is a Fascinating History Lesson

Persona 3 is worth going back to in 2022, but perhaps not for the reason many would expect. It's outdone by its successors in both presentation and gameplay, and the future is brighter than ever given how successful Persona 5 is proving to be. Yet, the experience of Persona 3 is more than functional despite being over a decade-and-a-half old. Its progression mechanics, character development, and engaging story do well to carry the few outdated quirks that are still evident, but unlike plenty of other games from the mid-2000s, it's surprisingly engaging.

A playthrough of Persona 3 would be justified because of its influence on later games. So much of the groundwork that it laid can be seen even in Persona 5, and that game is proof that the loop still works wonders in drawing new fans. The randomly generated dungeon of Tartarus may not be as lavish as the palaces of Persona 5, but the way it fits into the game's design is fantastic. Persona fans should be champing at the bit to experience the third mainline game when it launches on Game Pass, as it's where the franchise solidified much of its charm.