Summary

• Persona 3 Reload is a blend of old and new, updating visuals and combat mechanics while preserving the beloved aspects of the original game.
• The game allows for exploration of various locations and introduces new features, such as a fortune teller and a net café.
• The inclusion of Theurgy adds a new layer to combat, with each character's abilities tied to their personality, and players can now control all party for smooth gameplay.

Persona 3 Reload releases next month, bringing with it what looks to be an engaging, aesthetically pleasing experience. Developed by Atlus and published by SEGA, the game differs from last year's Persona 3 Portable remake, blending fresh mechanics with the original title's core elements. Screen Rant recently attended a special hands-on preview for the game that showed off its updated combat systems, graphics, and other key changes.

Reload presents a delicate balance between old and new, updating things like its visuals and overall usability while maintaining the key facets that made the initial release so beloved. The world of Tatsumi Port Island feels more alive than ever thanks to the game's new Unreal Engine graphics, a feeling further emphasized by the near-constant undercurrent of the re-recorded soundtrack accompanying players on their journey. Combat feels much more fluid than in the original, giving players more control over their party and introducing mechanics that add both strategic depth and character development.

Exploring The World Of Persona 3 Reload

Unlike Screen Rant's last Reload, which centered on the title's first boss fight, this hands-on time with the game was largely unstructured, with exploration of its world highly encouraged. The monorail hub can easily connects six stations: Iwatodai Station Mall, Naganaki Shrine, Paulownia Mall, Gekkoukan High School, Port Island Station, and the dorms. Most of the businesses and activities at these locations remain the same - for example, the protagonist can go to Game Panic at Paulownia and raise their stats through a game, work part-time at the Chagall Café, or visit Iwatodai's Wild Duck Burger for some Courage.

There wasn't time to visit every location, but some updated locales and new businesses stood out during the preview. The Escapade Club fortune teller can now be used to aid in Tartarus exploration, similar to Persona 5, with different fortunes offering specific boons - Rarity Readings increase rare enemies, Gamble Readings grant stronger enemies, and Soul Readings raise the gain rate of the game's new Theurgy meter. The new Mangastar Net Café lets players purchase software for the dorm computer that raises skills, like one centered around etiquette for Charm.

Persona 3 Reload's Combat

A cutscene of a special meeting called by Shuji Ikutsuki not long into the preview introduced one of its biggest new concepts: Theurgy, special cartridges that correspond to the 's emotions and allow for powerful attacks. Inside Tartarus, the party first has trouble harnessing the power until the group is separated and Takeba and the protagonist are attacked; after healing the player, she's able to activate her Theurgy power and unleash a devastating attack called Cyclone Arrow. The conditions that will raise each character's Theurgy meter all tie into their personality; in this instance, Takeba is motivated by healing others, which "strengthens her desire to prevent death."

Theurgy adds a fun new layer to combat that contributes both strategically and narratively, but it's certainly not the only improvement. Arguably one of the biggest requests for Persona 3 Reload, the ability to control all party , works incredibly smoothly. Its action menu mechanics are very similar to Persona 5, presenting four options: Persona, Attack, Guard, and Item. Players can still try to chain together One Mores and utilize All Out Attacks by downing enemies. Ikutsuki also gifts the party special SEES weapons and uniforms not present in the original game during the preview, and it's possible those aren't the only new additions.

Biggest Changes & Final Thoughts

It's obvious at first glance that Persona 3 Reload has received major visual improvements from the original, with changes coming in two distinct forms: its 3D cutscenes and new anime-style segments. The aforementioned meeting with Ikutsuki was a delightful example of the former, while the latter was showcased right afterward as the group prepared to enter Tartarus with their new uniforms in a beautifully animated scene of the students looking ready for a fight, complete with some of Persona 3's iconic high-energy music. These segments are both great inclusions narratively and simply beautiful to look at, and the prospect of them scattered throughout the title is exciting.

The new graphics and music create a world that's endlessly intriguing to journey through, and it's very likely the title has more changes not revealed during this preview. Players won't have to wait much longer to explore what Tatsumi Port Island and Tartarus have to offer, with Persona 3 Reload arriving early next month on February 2.

Screen Rant attended a special hands-on preview event for the purpose of this preview.

Source: Official ATLUS West/YouTube