For the plethora of fans whose first foray into the franchise was Persona 5's release, they'd be forgiven for taking for granted just how much of a radical reinvention Persona 3 Reload is of its source material. Though the core gameplay and spirit of the original version of the game remain intact, Persona 3 Reload takes several of the quality-of-life features implemented in its sequels and completely overhauls the visuals to make it look like a sequel to Persona 5 rather than its predecessor. Where Persona 3 Reload truly shines, though, is in its willingness to fully embrace the simplicity of its RPG systems and mechanics.

The original Persona 3 is the first game in the series to introduce several systems that have now become standard for the franchise. The "high school student by day, demon slayer by night" gameplay loop of the Persona series received a radical reinvention in Persona 3 through the introduction of the Calendar system and Social Links. These systems have continued to receive iterations in the sequels, but Persona 3 Reload maintains them in their original state. Reload embraces the original, primordial versions of these mechanics, and it's all the better for it.

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What Persona 6 Should Take From Persona 3 Reload's Combat

Blending classic series gameplay with plenty of new features coming from Persona 5, Persona 3 Reload should inform combat in the series' future.

Persona 3 Reload Chooses to Not Fix What Isn't Already Broken

Thanks to how satisfying and compelling Persona 5's combat is, it's now hard to imagine future entries in the Persona series that don't use it as a model for their own systems moving forward. Persona 3Reload smartly doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel when it comes to utilizing aspects of Persona 5's combat mechanics and instead simply retrofits them into the world in which the game takes place.

Additionally, the original versions of the Social Link and Calendar systems from Persona 3 remain intact, albeit in an improved form that allows players to form deeper bonds with certain party members that were comparatively underutilized before. Balancing the Calendar and practicing effective time management is critical to effectively maximizing the Social Links available for each of their respective characters, and here again, Persona 3 Reload doesn't try to fit too much on the player's plate. While Reload could have iterated on this system and made it more complex like in later series entries, it instead stays the course and is less overwhelming as a result.

How Eliminating Filler Makes Persona 3 Reload a Better Experience

Persona 3 Reload has the shortest completion time of any main story in the modern Persona games, clocking in at an average of 54 hours. In comparison to both Persona 4 (68 hours) and Persona 5 (roughly 97 hours), Reload is a much more manageable experience and requires a significantly lower investment of time.

Although the general inclination for sequels and remakes is that "more" equates to something being "better," it's often that the opposite holds true. Some of the best experiences available are those that accomplish exactly what they set out to do and avoid wasting players' valuable time with filler. Persona 4 and Persona 5 are two of the best modern JRPGs, but there's an argument to be made that there are some pacing issues present in each. There are also plenty of sections that could have been left on the cutting room floor in the interest of brevity.

Rather than fill the game with additional content that didn't offer anything of value to the base experience, Reload borrows the best parts of the later Persona games while simultaneously keeping the core of the original front and center.