The massively popular Persona franchise has had a lot of spin-offs over the years, and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax brings the franchise into the fighting game sphere. A follow-up to the original Persona 4 Arena, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax was recently ported to modern consoles on PC last month, to the joy of fighting game fans and Persona fans alike.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax added a lot to the original game, and one such addition was the inclusion of Shadow-type characters. These were shadow versions of the normal roster that played slightly differently. Since the differences between the types are quite subtle, here are some things players should know about them.
10 Shadow Characters Look Slightly Different
Shadows are meant to be mirrors of the soul; for that reason, Shadow versions of characters look exactly the same as their original versions. That can make things a little confusing, especially when fighting against the same character. Thankfully, there are a few visual cues that differentiate the two types of characters.
Shadow-type characters will have a blue aura around their body, as well as yellow eyes. Their portrait will also be different, and their voice lines will be more ferocious and unhinged. While Shadow-type characters look very similar to their normal versions, these differences can help players tell them apart.
9 Shadow-Type Labrys Is Different From Shadow Labrys
In the original Persona 4 Arena, the original character Labrys played a large role in the story, so much so that she had two separate character slots; one for her normal form, and one for her shadow version. This complicated things in Ultimax, where normal Labrys got a Shadow-type version in addition to Shadow Labrys being a separate playable character.
Shadow-Type Labrys and Shadow Labrys look completely identical, but some things set them apart. The two have different Personas (and different Persona attacks), and Shadow Labrys has her Persona out at all times. Still, it can be confusing to tell the two apart, especially in the middle of a fight.
8 Some Characters Do Not Have Shadow-Type Versions
In Persona, Shadows are considered to be the other side of humans that people don't want to see. The parts of themselves that people hide away eventually obtain a form when in other worlds like the TV world. The Shadow-type characters are developed as representations of that.
However, not every character gets a Shadow-type version. Characters like Elizabeth, Sho Minazuki, Adachi, Marie, Margaret, and Shadow Labrys do not have Shadow-types. For these characters, it wouldn't make sense lore-wise for these characters to have Shadow versions, which is why they are not included.
7 Some Shadow Characters Have Different Autocombos
Autocombos are an essential tool in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. By mashing the A (Weak attack) button, characters will perform a simple combo, allowing newer players to chain attacks without having to learn the more complex combo routes.
In Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, returning characters got new autocombos to use. However, when the Shadow-type version of their character is used, the Shadow used the old version of their autocombo instead. While this may seem like a minor change, some characters' movesets are affected by the autocombo they have.
6 Shadow Characters Have More Life But Deal Less Damage
One major difference that sets Shadow-type versions apart from their normal counterparts is the difference in base statistics. For example, Shadow-type characters have more life than their normal counterparts. While the difference is minimal, it can make the difference between life and death.
While Shadow-type characters have more life, they also deal slightly less damage than their normal counterparts. While these differences may not be very significant in the long run, they are aspects that players may want to consider when deciding between versions.
5 Shadow Characters Get More SP
In promotional material for the port of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax to modern consoles and PC, Atlus announced that the port would run version 2.0, the newest version of the game, compared to version 1.1 which was only available for Western players. This meant that the version of Ultimax that was released last month was a game that was very different from the one veteran players had been experiencing.
One change to Shadow-type characters that the new version brought was an increase in the amount of SP gained. Since Shadow-type characters get more use out of SP, this increase allows them to make more use of their unique facets.
4 Shadow Characters Do Not Gain Awakening Buffs
Whenever a character drops below 35% of their health, they enter a state called Awakening, which offers them a variety of benefits. All damage they take is reduced, and their SP gauge maximum increases from 100 to 150. Awakening is a boost that provides a chance for players to come back after getting close to death.
Unfortunately, Awakening is one mechanic that is not available to Shadow-type characters. This means that making a comeback can be slightly harder for them, as they will never get access to any of the benefits afforded by Awakening. Mechanics unique to Shadow-types balance things out, so the loss is not too significant.
3 Shadow Characters Always Have Access To Awakening SP Skills
Among the many benefits offered by Awakening, one is the ability to use SP Skills that are only available in Awakening. Most characters will only get one new move, but some characters may gain multiple SP Skill Attacks depending on the type of move. These SP skills vary in usage but are generally a big help.
While Shadows do not have access to many of the benefits granted by Awakening, they do have access to SP Skills only accessible in Awakening. In fact, they can use those SP Skills whenever they want, which can be an incentive for players if that particular move is quite strong.
2 Shadow Characters Can Activate Shadow Frenzy
Shadow-type characters have the ability to activate Shadow Frenzy, a mechanic unique to them that is activated in the same way that normal characters activate burst. Their SP gauge turns into a timer, and the more SP they have, the longer Shadow Frenzy lasts.
Shadow Frenzy allows Shadow-type characters to perform combos that wouldn't be possible normally. A character in Shadow Frenzy can cancel specials into specials, and skills that cost SP will reduce the timer instead. Shadow-type characters can perform crazy combos depending on how much SP they have to work with.
1 Shadow Characters Cannot Use Instant Kill Attacks
Instant Kill attacks are a staple of Arc System Works games. They are flashy, cinematic attacks that instantly kill the opponent when it lands. Their absurd strength is balanced by the fact that instant kills are nearly impossible to pull off in a real match, but they are always fun to watch go off.
Instant Kill attacks appear in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax as well, and every character has one. However, the Shadow-type versions of these characters do not have access to these attacks at all. While this does not really affect these characters' viability, it's a shame that they do not have access to one of the most fun aspects of the game.