Highlights
- Persona 3 Reload highlights the importance of social dynamics in the Persona series and suggests that Persona 6 should improve on what made previous games' Social Links so good.
- Persona 6 should capitalize on the success of previous games by allowing Velvet Room attendants to visit the real world, as seen in Persona 3 Reload, to deepen their relationships and add fun and interesting moments to the game.
- Base Persona games rarely include hangouts with Velvet Room attendants in the real world, but Persona 3 Reload encourages Persona 6 to break the trend.
Persona 3 Reload highlights one aspect of the game's social mechanics that would be perfect for a reprise in Persona 6. The social aspect of the Persona series has become about as important as the RPG elements, and Persona 3 Reload is no different in that regard. If anything, Reload has the chance to improve on what already made that game's Social Links so good. Not only that, it furthers a tradition that Persona 6 would be wise to replicate. These links provide plenty of entertainment, and they can make the player more invested as well.
Whether it's through the Confidant System of Persona 5 or the original Social Links of previous games, the Persona series wouldn't be the same without its social dynamics. In each game from Persona 3 onwards, players can build bonds with party members and certain NPCs and get rewarded for it. Generally, they get boosted XP for Personas of the arcana in question, as well as unlocking a new Persona at maximum rank. Persona 5's Confidants took this a step further, unlocking various perks and upgrades as Confidant levels rose. These social systems work well as a compliment to Persona's strategic RPG mechanics.
Persona 3 Reload's Outings with Elizabeth Could Be Replicated in Persona 6
As a series tradition, Persona's protagonists visit the Velvet Room whenever they need to re-summon a Persona or fuse a new one. The Velvet Room is always watched over by Igor, as well as at least one of his assistants. In Persona 3 there was Elizabeth or Theodore, depending on the protagonist; Persona 4 had Margaret, with Marie being added in Golden, and Persona 5 had Caroline and Justine. In Persona 4 and Persona 5, the attendants ended up having their own Social Links and Confidants, respectively. However, it was Elizabeth in Persona 3 that truly started the trend regarding the attendants.
One of Elizabeth's most amusing traits was shown off in Persona 3 Reload's latest story trailer. Throughout Persona 3, starting with FES, Elizabeth would occasionally make requests for the protagonist to take her to various places around town. This leads to some entertaining moments, such as Elizabeth walking up a down escalator and making up a song on the fly while playing the piano. Other Persona games would also let the attendants enter the real world for certain scenes, but for some reason, this only ever happened in the expanded editions. So far, no Velvet Room attendants have been able to visit the physical world in the base game.
While Persona 3 Reload is bringing back Elizabeth's excursions with the protagonist, Persona 6 can rework Velvet Room relationships and make such scenes available without needing an update. The moments created by these scenes have been one of the best ways to expand on the personalities of the Velvet Room attendants, making them more fun and interesting as characters. Persona 6 would be wise to capitalize on this, especially if it intends to give its attendant a Social Link once again. Bringing attendants out of the Velvet Room to see the world is a winning formula that Persona 6 should be sure to use again.
Persona 3 Reload's opportunities to hang out with Elizabeth in the real world should act as inspiration for the next game. The story path that Persona 6 takes will inevitably cross paths with the Velvet Room again, and that means that Igor and his attendant a necessary part of the game. Rather than improving their relationship by fusing Personas, spending time with the attendant out of the Velvet Room could be a better way to deepen their relationship, not to mention far more fun. With Persona 3 Reload reminding players of these social events, Persona 6 shouldn't pass on the same opportunity.
Persona 3 Reload will be released on February 2, 2024 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.