You know that crazy friend of yours who makes you laugh but sometimes just frustrate the hell out of you by being so darn stubborn and difficult? Yeah, that’s Persona 4. Personally, I really don’t see how anyone can play through Persona 4 without a guidebook unless that said person has
A) no social life
B) no job
C) no inclination to get 100% on everything,
D) a Fairy Godmother.
Since I’m short on time and patience, I got a guidebook, ignored all the hardcore JRPG fans' accusations, settled down, and enjoyed this engaging, funny game the way it was meant to be.
Sometimes (or more like often), Persona 4 makes me want to throw the controller and stomp off. Why? Well, listen up all of you short-tempered, impatient gamers like me: this game’s dungeons are LOOONGG. Not impossibly long, but there is a reason why you can always come back to the floor you left off, provided you have ample moolah to buy Goho-M. [Now say that item’s name out loud, doesn’t it sound like Go Home? Ingenious, isn’t it? ;) ] After many years of playing JRPGs, this concept of dungeoning in small bites is a novel idea to me. In plain English, I was an idiot, didn’t know about it until I was getting my ass handed to me for the umpteenth time, and was near tears when I had to start at the very 1st Floor again. Make no mistake, Persona 4 is difficult. The game play is not as challenging or unique like Valkyrie Profile, but the monsters make you sweat for your money. So learn from my mistake, go clear up the dungeons in small bites and enjoy Persona 4 again.
The best part of Persona 4 is interacting with the other characters via raising your Social Links with them. At first, I scoffed at the idea of Social Links and sinking hours into building relationships. I want to learn more about the story damn it! (Who can resist juicy mysteries?) But after hours and hours of interacting with my protagonist’s friends, I started getting involved. How involved was I in forging my Social Links? Well, let’s just say that I was a zombie at work today. The plot is meaty and convoluted enough for me, but since I’m only halfway through the game, it’s hard to say whether I’ll remember the plot 6 months after I’m done with Persona 4. However, I do know I will never forget the school campout event. Of all the characters available, I prefer Chie and Kanji the most: they are hilarious. Yukiko is a typical sweet and innocent girl…I’ve seen too many of them in JRPGs to be immune to their charms. Yosuke is an interesting fella (one of my fave actually), and I must admit I wish I could be his friend. Free food at Junes, hello?? Doesn’t those delish sounding Japanese food make your mouth water? As you keep delving into each friend’s background, you just want to keep on going. This fleshing out of the supporting cast aspect is what defines Persona 4 and makes it such an addictive game.
Another high point of Persona 4 are the retro and colorful designs of the whole universe. From the characters to the environment, the anime style works wonders and does not bore me with a monochrome palate. Because each character’s design is so well-suited to their respective personalities, Persona 4 does not have to resort to busty boobs and skimpy outfits to make each character standout, which is a refreshing change. Another thing I really like are the Personas’ and monsters designs. Whoever is responsible for them is either really, really weird or really, really imaginative. A lot of the monsters’ designs are really out there or creepy (the Mad Cyclops in the Void Quest, anyone?) Plus, the dungeons are just plain, freaking cool. From a steamy bathhouse to an old 8bit game theme, each dungeon is handcrafted with such details that if you are not blown away, you must be art-blind.
The ability to mix and match and customize your Personas also deserve tons of praises. Now Personas make and break your dungeoning; lower level personas without the right kind of magic spells can make dungeon running a slow and tedious hell. Now as someone who loves customizing things, I spent way too much time tinkering around with the Fusion Ability. Only problem with the Fusion ability is that you must have the money to re-summon different personas so as to find the skills you want.
Hands down, Persona 4 is a game worth investing your time in it. However, it is not without its drawbacks. First, as I mention before, the dungeons take up a lot of time, especially if you are out to get 100% quests completion. For those who just want to pursue the story, choose the Easy Option. Second, Persona 4 shares a similar trait to WoW: it’s not easy to accumulate money in the game! Seriously, I personally believe that if it’s just too time consuming to the point where you cannot enjoy the game, just cheat. Yes, yes, I said the dirty word. Just go online, get the cheat, and get yourself the moolah. Even with this added advantage, the game is still hard. Third, if you want to maximize your Social Links, get the guidebook. No, I’m not an PR rep for the publisher, but without the guidebook, it’s hard to max out your Social Links and view everybody’s story. This is a very sneaky game. Persona 4 will not help you out or drop hints or anything like that. The learning curve is steep and there are too many times when I personally felt as though I wasn’t getting the most out of it because I don’t have time! Save yourself the grief: get the guidebook and thank me later.
All in all, Persona 4 is a GREAT game, one that challenges the gamer and engages you in some serious love-hate relationship. Be prepared to work for the game’s perfect ending because nothing, not even Medicines, come easy in the TV world.
