Persona 3 is the first game in this beloved JRPG series that nailed the winning formula of this series. Dungeon crawling and taking down foes is pretty fun as is, but what makes this even more engaging is a great story and life sim mechanics that can genuinely draw most players in for hours on end.
That being said, there are some people who would argue that Persona 3 hasn't aged well, with later games in the series being a monumental upgrade in every way. This statement is only partly true, and many fans of Persona 3 will attest to the fact that the game has its fair share of strengths up its sleeve that make it such a joy to play through.
6 Gives Players The Opportunity To Play As A Different Protagonist
To this date, Persona 3 Portable remains the only game where players can go through the entire game with a completely different protagonist. The changes aren't superficial either, with a playthrough as a female protagonist changing everything from the dialogue to certain story events in pretty major ways.
It helps that music is also changed for everything from battles to certain events, leading to the female MC genuinely having an identity of her own instead of this mode feeling like a hasty inclusion. If players have already gone through the original game as the male MC, then a second playthrough with this counterpart will be a pretty rewarding experience indeed.
5 Social Links Are Diverse, And Each Protagonist Has Their Own Set Of Romantic Interests
Social Links were included in Persona 3 for the first time, giving players a reason to hang out with various unique and engaging characters across Iwatodai. Of course, the mechanics associated with Social Links and Confidants was improved upon way more in the later entries, but there's one particular aspect for which Persona 3 Portable should be lauded across the board.
In the Persona games with life sim elements, most players could only romance female characters in the game. However, this is not the case in Persona 3 Portable, where the female MC gets her own unique set of male romances that she can pursue in the game. It clearly took a ton of work to change the Social Link for each character in the game, and players were glad to see these efforts make each main character's Social Links all the more different and engaging.
4 The Tired And Sick Status Effects Add More Depth To The Dungeon Crawling
Most people argue that players should try going through each Palace or TV World level in one day to maximize the free time they have. This can prove to be grueling, but things are made easier by the fact that all party members can potentially complete these tasks in a single day without wasting too much time and effort.
This isn't the case in Persona 3, with the Tired and Sick effects coming into play if the player pushes either the protagonist or their friends a bit too much. This makes it important to strategize and includes party members who are feeling Great or just not push Tired party members to the point where they become Sick and ineffective in combat.
3 The Title Features Fusion Spells, Which Are Absent From Its Sequels
For all the advancements that Persona 4 and 5 have made when it comes to modernizing the gameplay of the series, there are some features that are actually absent from Persona 3. For starters, the Fusion Spells that existed in the franchise are completely absent from modern entries, which is certainly quite odd indeed.
That being said, it's worth mentioning that Persona 3 Portable simplified the system of Fusion Spells, with these techniques being carried out via items instead of actually having the required Personas in one's arsenal. Regardless, casting Fusion Spells is still a blast, and it's a shame that later games didn't build up on this mechanic.
2 The Party Can Split Up To Cover All Bases While Exploring One Of The Floors In Tartarus
Another feature in Persona 3 that was removed in later entries was pretty useful indeed. While exploring Tartarus, players could give their party members specific orders to make exploration easier. While some of the commands were pretty situational and not really all that helpful in the grand scheme of things, there's one particular command that deserves some attention.
Players could ask their party to split up and explore the entirety of a floor, uncovering everything from the exit to any treasure that the player might've missed out on. While some party members could be handicapped if they fought enemies in smaller groups, it was still a great way to clear low-level floors and make quick progress without having to explore each nook and cranny firsthand.
1 The Ending Is Memorable For Its Melancholic Overtones
It would be impossible to talk about the best aspects of Persona 3 without mentioning its jaw-dropping ending. In a genre where almost every game needs to end on a happy and positive note, Persona 3 completely did away with this trope to make for one of the most unique and memorable endings of all time.
The player thought that everything was over after beating the final boss and preventing The Fall from happening. However, what they didn't realize is that the protagonist gave up their own life to prevent this cataclysmic event from happening. That final moment with Aigis is a beautiful yet painful memory that will stick with fans long after they're finished playing through this amazing experience.
Persona 3 Portable is currently available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.