Entering the showroom floor on day one of this year’s Pax West recalled moments back to 2019, it was packed, developers and publishers both big and small were present, and fans lined the floor waiting to try out their next anticipated game. One booth’s line in particular was capped (waiting for the line to die down) for the majority of the day on Friday, that being Persona 3 Reload.
A 15-minute demo was present at SEGA and Atlus’ Pax West booth which quite literally had rows of gamer’s heads bobbing with their headsets on. It’s no secret that Persona is renowned for its catchy soundtrack and its stylized presentation and when I looked across the room everyone seemed to be one the same wavelength.
Persona 3 Reload’s demo was straight to the point. We started in a familiar place for those who’ve recently played Persona 5, in a palace amongst enemies as we strolled our protagonist Makoto down carpeted hallways looking for trouble. The first things that players will notice is how familiar the character design, UI, and battles are to Atlus’ most recent entries, and I think this is for the best. While some may be looking for a more nostalgic revisioning regarding the original game’s art style, Persona 5 is by far the most successful game in the franchise and it makes sense to follow its clean and modern style.
Battles are quick, dripping with style, and have the franchise’s signature Persona attacks that look incredible with the cool blue-drenched UI that fills the screen. While we only had a short amount of time to preview the game, we left impressed. Speaking with one of the representatives on the showroom floor we learned that Persona 3 Reload will feature all of the original game’s soundtrack that will be reimagined in what sounded like something similar to what was done with Final Fantasy 7 remake. Very familiar, but with some added flare.
If you’re at PAX West this weekend and get a chance to demo the game you’ll get a super cool Makoto tote bag and a Morgana mask!
