Atlus Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES - PlayStation 2

Bought new from Amazon, and surprisingly enough in 2019, it is an actual brand new, shrink-wrapped copy of P3Fes. It does have a different case from my other PS2 games, which is clearly cheaper and more of a dark blue colour — possibly due to being more recently produced? Regardless, it works fine in my PS2 and is a great JRPG. Definitely recommended.

I received four copies for some reason, can't wait to play the game.

Be aware that this is an NTSC-U copy of Persona 3 FES. In order to play it on consoles from other regions, you must modify your PS2. Considering this game in my region (PAL) is well in excess of AU$350, an NTSC-U copy for AU$85 seems like a total bargain. I was skeptical coming into it but it is totally legit! Comes with the manual and disk in incredible condition, and with a bit of finesse to get my PAL console modified, I was able to play the game no problem!

Dieses Spiel gibt es leider nur auf Englisch mit Untertiteln. Du bist definitiv eines der coolsten RPG`s diese gespielt habe. Vielfältige Möglichkeiten seine Stärken und Schwächen zu entwickeln und er sehr toll aufgebaut des kundenbasiertes Kampf- System. Mega coole story line, sehr schöne Grafik und zudem auch unselige neben Quests die man einfach abseits der story noch erledigen kann – oder auch nicht wie man gerade hat.

If you're curious about the Shin Megami Tensei franchise but aren't sure where to begin, Persona 3 is a fantastic entry point to the series. This version - FES - is an expanded and enhanced re-release of the original Persona 3, featuring some new events, more Personas, an optional Hard difficulty setting (I'd only advise this for SMT veterans, who should be used to the punishing nature of the franchise), more equipment options, more sidequests, added dialog, new ways to strengthen your Personas, new music, and a number of tweaks. The biggest reason to choose this version over the original release is the inclusion of The Answer, which is another chapter of the story that takes place some time after the main game. It is very important that you do NOT play The Answer until you've finished The Journey (the original story). It's also worth mentioning that The Answer's difficulty level is equivalent to Hard mode, and cannot be adjusted. So how does it play? In a word, quite well. Persona 3's gameplay is comprised of juggling the main character's school life and social life while trying to protect their city from Shadows: the deadly creatures that stalk the night. Luckily, these creatures are only active during the Dark Hour, which is a hidden period of time between one day and the next. This is where the combat of the game comes in. While you're exploring Tartarus (I've used the word "explore" loosely here, as Tartarus is as bare bones as a dungeon can get), you'll have to fight Shadows. Once you're in a fight, your options are: change tactics (what your teammates' AI will do), change Persona (you're the only multiple Persona user), attack, use a skill (spell), use an item, wait, or run away. Before choosing, you can make a more informed decision by pressing R1 to check the turn order or L1 to scan an enemy (or check the strengths and weaknesses of an enemy whose type you've scanned before). What all this means, along with what all of the various statuses mean are summarized in the game's manual. Most battles can be won by bringing a good combination of team members that compliment one another in battle and having the optimal Persona equipped, as well as using the correct Tactics for your teammates to follow. The AI isn't perfect, and will occasionally do some stupid things, especially if you have the wrong Tactics selected. So how do you get the best Personas? Social Links and Fusion. Persona Fusion works similarly to Demon Fusion in other Shin Megami Tensei games; you can gain combine two or more Personas to make a new one. Most Personas can be made with several different combinations of other Personas, but some will require specific ones to be fused. Each Persona requires that the main character be at a certain minimum level in order to use it. Others will remain hidden until the player has obtained a Key Item tied to that Persona. These items are obtained by doing certain sidequests or maxing out a Social Link. So what's a Social Link? Social Links are a game mechanic introduced in Persona 3 in which the player must interact with other characters in the game and develop a relationship between them and the main character. Fellow teammates, shady businessmen, rival athletes, and yes, even girlfriends. Because Japan, I guess. Depending on your dialog choices, which Personas you currently have, and other factors, you'll learn more about these characters. As you do, your fusions will be more effective. If you fuse a Persona of the same Arcana as your Social Links, that Persona will gain extra experience, meaning that you'll need to grind less to get that Persona to learn new skills. Once you've completed a Social Link (typically by helping the other person resolve some conflict), you will be able to fuse an exclusive Persona of that Link's Arcana. For example, Thanatos is only available once you've finished the Death Social Link. Now the real draw of the game is the story. The basic gist is that you play as a high school student who discovers that he has the power of Persona (and the ability to change Personas at will, also known as the power of the Wild Card) and is recruited to fight alongside other Persona-wielding teenagers from his school, Gekkoukan High. During the Dark Hour, the school transforms into the labyrinth known as Tartarus. Tartarus contains mostly just shadows, items, and hundreds of flights of stairs. But there are also clues to the mystery of Tartarus's existence and the origin of the Dark Hour... Persona 3 is one of the finest JRPGs of the 2000's, and is not to be missed! If you own a PS2 or have a working launch model PS3, this game should be on your shelf. If you have a PSP, you should also consider getting Persona 3 Portable, which remedies some issues of this release (like not being able to directly control the actions of your teammates). Both versions have an incredible story, fantastic music, and enough gameplay to keep you busy for 100 hours, easily.