Highlights

  • Persona 3 Reload refreshes a classic JRPG with updated visuals and a reworked soundtrack, maintaining the essence of the original while feeling fresh and engaging.
  • The success of Persona 3 Reload hints that the best possible direction for Persona 6 could be emphasizing the importance of simplicity in combat and staying true to traditional turn-based battles.
  • While the JRPG genre is shifting toward action-based combat, Persona 6 can stand out by sticking to its proven formula, focusing on storytelling and character development to appeal to both new and longtime fans.

Atlus is no stranger to ambitious remasters and remakes of its beloved games, and with Persona 3 Reload, it arguably produced its best yet. It's an experience that is ever-faithful to the things that made the 2007 original one of the most influential JRPGs of its time, but layers the familiar story, setting, and characters with a visual style and reworked soundtrack that makes it fresh, unique, and constantly engaging, even to those who are familiar with S.E.E.S' story from over a decade ago.

The critical success of Persona 3 Reload could be a big indicator for the overall direction of Persona 6, which is regularly rumored about but not much is officially confirmed. The combat in the 2024 remake of Persona 3 upholds what the series does well, and what the genre used to do well, which could be proof that simplicity really is key, and that turn-based battles can be the past, present, and future of Atlus' magnum opus.

Morgana upside down over the intro movie of Persona 5
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Persona 3 Reload is Traditional, but Moves With the Times

persona 3 reload combat wild beast

There is only so much innovation that can be had while sticking to some kind of convention. Persona 3 Reload had the tough task of making Tartarus feel more interesting than its PlayStation 2 and PSP counterparts, and one of the ways it achieves this feat is not just by altering the aesthetic and adding more collectibles. The combat has been given a new touch of paint to make it more comparable to Persona 5's look and feel, and additions like Theurgy do well to add small but significant differences between it and something more rigid and traditional.

Ultimately, it's a system that works wonders. The formulaic nature means no character feels less important than any other, and the lack of any kind of time limit means players have the means to ponder the best, most cost-effective way to overcome one of Persona 3 Reload's more difficult enemies. Persona 6 would do well to learn from how the 2024 game has handled the evolution of the series' combat systems, as innovation over something existing rather than a revolution into something new could be the best way to keep things fresh while also appealing to longtime fans of the Atlus-developed franchise.

Persona 3 upholds what the series does well, and what the genre used to do well, which could be proof that simplicity really is key, and that turn-based battles can be the past, present, and future of Atlus' magnum opus.

Persona 6 Needs to Stand Out, But It Can Do That With Familiar Gameplay

The reality is that there's more pressure than ever on Persona to succeed. It will be the first that has a huge reputation to uphold as Persona 5 was the biggest hit in the west to date. The fourth mainline game's PS Vita remaster gave the series some ground outside of Japan, but the fifth title released in 2017 truly brought it into the mainstream, and now Persona 6 has to somehow live up to it. Perhaps the best way to do this is elevate the storytelling, presentation, and character development while keeping the gameplay mechanics similar to what Atlus knows has worked before.

The JRPG Genre is Moving Away from Turn-Based Combat

Ifrit looking down on Clive

While the early days of the genre were limited by the hardware and thus had to deploy simple mechanics for battles, today the technology is there to make combat far more fluid. Final Fantasy 16, Tales of Arise, Ni No Kuni 2, and Scarlet Nexus all utilize action-based battle mechanics instead of the 'conventional' turn-based affair, and as this way of thinking is increasingly popular, the number of quality turn-based titles is dwindling.

Persona 3 Reload released on February 1 as a remake of the 2007 original. An updated version titled FES added more story content and difficulty options.

The public's interest in the format hasn't decreased at the same rate, though, as franchises like Dragon Quest, Octopath Traveler, and Persona are carrying the flag for a long-outdated, but ultimately still enjoyable, form of combat. Persona 6 could use its tried-and-tested battle system to stand out in an increasingly action-focused JRPG genre, as changing to something faster could just make it blend in with its peers.