Rhen_Var

This game was released back in 2005, about 3 years ago and with all the new games coming out with outstanding graphics and gameplay, how would this game compete?

Gameplay: What defines a Battlefield? a place where people fight? A war of conflicts? Well for this game, Battlefield defines our playground! It's amazing what you can do in this game, you're just given tools of modern destruction in your disposal and then the way you use them is really up to you, each weapon has it's limitation and weaknesses. This just provides balance to the game so that it doesn't feel unfair (With the exception of Heavy vehicles versus certain infantry that are not designed to take them on.) so games are really just rock paper scissor fights. So conflicts can end either way, loss, win and even a draw.

The map variety is pretty good, all in all there are 15 maps (excluding booster packs) and 3 factions: MEC, USMC and China(USMC is in every map). There are some maps that take place in an Urban environment where close quarters combat can be found in the blink of an eye, some maps take place in deserts with massive air craft carriers and a sea to widen the gap. Maps can be scaled in 3 different sizes: 16, 32 and 64, each of which represent a different capacity for the number of players in a map. However the sizes are not restricted to a number of a players, ex: you can have 16 players in a 32 size map or 64 players in a 16 size map(Which is the absolute worst and has players camping in a choke point with hundreds of snipers try to kill and support getting lucky with grenades) but there are many variations, you can even have more or less players with the limit of 64 players, like say: 48, 20, 36 etc.

Characters are split up into seven classes, each with their own special abilities, each faction has their own weapons however they are pretty much similar:

Special Forces, the class that takes care of demolishion of assets and even vehicles with their C4 if they are sly enough.

Snipers are pretty self explanatory, they specialize in silent infantry elimination in just a few shots however they are also great targets from behind and so they can protect themselves or even guard choke points with their claymores.

Medics are also self explanatory, they go into the frontline reviving and healing wounded soldiers who have been taken down by the enemy, however there are cases where in a soldier is immediately killed and cannot be aided by a medic.

Assault, the ones that excel against infantry with their powerful compacted assault rifles and even light vehicles with their grenade launchers which replace their grenades in an instant explosion. They can also provide cover from fire with their smoke grenades that generate a wall of smoke that hides them from enemy sight, however they only have one in stock so you should use it wisely.

Support, the characters provide ammo and resupplies to allies who've run out of spares and are limited to their knives, they also dish out surpressive fire with their light machine guns that can dish out a whole lot of bullets keeping enemies stuck in hiding within cover however their inaccuracy is a big drawback to their powerful firepower.

Engineer, the medic of vehicles, they repair vehicles that have been damaged in combat and can also annihilate vehicles with their AT mines that can rip apart an enemies armor unit, they also excell at close quarters combat within infantry limits with their shotguns however their long range counterpart is a huge drawback and is best as a flanking unit.

Anti-Tank, once again self explanatory, unlike Engineers, they can take out vehicles from a distance, their laser guided rocket launcher can even take down Helicopters that flow within the skies and can be somewhat devistating in infantry combat with their sub machine guns that cary a huge clip but lack in clips. They are blessed with the destruction of the Rocket launcher but are stripped of the ability to toss grenades which can be a draw back in infantry maps.

With all these 7 classes, you may be able to tell that working alone can get you killed, thus they have also developed the Squad system. Players of a team are grouped seperately in squads with a maximum of 6 members, there are 5 members and a leader that commands the members. There is also Voice chat which also helps in battle and saves you the trouble of typing, all you need is a microphone.

The commander is the highest position in the battlefield, he can see all the enemies, call for supplies, command players, assault enemies with artillery, detect enemies with the UAV and Sat-Track, with all these, the commander plays a huge roll in the outcome of a battle.

Along with map variety, there is a bunch of vehicles in your disposal, from the simplicity of the HUMVV to the the swift movement and devistation of a jet, there are different vehicles for each faction with minor differences however the vehicles can be used depending on the player who is piloting it and that can also affect the battle. People can get used to ground vehicles rather quickly however air vehicles can pose as a challenge to master but when you do, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment and you can also reign power that can even match the devestation of the Commander's artillery.

However there are some drawbacks, mainly the bugs and glitches that can hinder your experience and make things somewhat...weird. But most of the major glitches have been fixed with the patches but some still remain so don't worry too much.

Design: The game was made in 2005 and it was probably the best looking game ever made at the time but today, the graphics are outdated but you won't need a very powerful card to play it and the graphics still look pretty good in the complete high settings so you may get more then the game's price.

Story: There isn't one, singleplayer is basically practice for multiplayer that pits you against bots.

Sound: It sounds very real, you can hear bullets zooming through your ears, explosions sound just as real and you can even hear your enemies communicate with each other and detect their location. So muting the game can really put you in a disatvantage and also you'll be missing out on a lot.

Overall: it's an amazing game, you'd think that a game made at 2005 would have died by now right? Well you're wrong, there are still thousands of people and servers online as I type this and possibly for years to come, if you're planning to get this game now then do so.

When you search a bit on this game, you'll come accross something called "Battlefield Moments" and this would be one of the greatest things in Battlefield. It has nothing to do with gameplay, design, sound or even people but merely the moments you have with the game, the funniest, coolest and most memorable moments that you could really keep for a very long time.

This game is simply amazing, the game that can last you for almost forever with it's addictive gameplay it will keep you coming back for more. What I'm telling you is this: GET THIS GAME!

--Rhen_Var

Well persona 3 was first released in Japan (I forgot when) and then around a year later it came out in August 07. Soon after that, they made FES for Japan only but after the amazing acclaim it obtained, Atlus decided to be generous and localize the game (Though the only game Atlus has never localized was Innocent Sin but there's a totally valid reason for that. They would have if they could...). and thus, here it is!

So what is FES? FES means Festival, pretaining to the first 3 letters of the name, and by some coincidence, it can also mean Foreign Exchange Student but as I said, it's a mere coincidence.

For the most part, FES is just an expansion which includes the Original Persona 3 plus a truck load of new features and it sells at a discounted price that's even less then the original!

Gameplay: For the most part, it's the same game, it doesn't add any new gameplay features or anything but it does add content. What is the content you may ask, well there are: 28 new Personas, New Cutscenes with Classmates, Dormates and even Elizabeth. Also a weapon fusion system which lets you combine your Persona with a "Nihil Weapon" which you get from rare shadows. A new Social Link has been added, it's called Aeon which features Aigis the robot and much more!

The most notable features also include a new chapter called "The Answer" which is basically an epilogue that explains and closes the ending of Persona 3. Hard mode is also included now so those who though Normal mode was cakewalk can try again in this harder difficulty! and my favorite part, there are 18 new soundtracks so listen to the music master Shoji meguro once again!

As I've said, The Answer is merely an epilogue so don't expect anything new. also, Social Links are no longer available since you can no longer leave the dorm, only Single and Triangle Spread fusions are available and all Personas are fusable through it. Elizabeth's requests are also gone so that just lessens the replay value of The Answer. The main character is now Aigis and it's a 30 hour grind going DOWN this time and the story progresses when you reach the end of certain dungeons.

Story: Since it's just an expansion, I will just talk about The Answer.
basically, the Answer takes place a month after the ending of Persona 3 where the dorm members are trapped within the dorm and the same day repeats itself again and again, during this confusion, a mysterious character named Metis appears and a huge door opens along with it.

Well you could be wondering, what does time skips have to do with the ending of Persona 3? well I'll let you find that out yourself. While you won't find much, you learn more about the other characters, the anguish of each after the end.

Design: What's the point? It's the same =/

Overall: This game may basically be the same game with some new stuff but it comes at a discounted price and if you haven't bought the original, now is your time! People who owned the original (like me) can still play the original and still feel like it's a new experience. The Answer may take some patients but again, the story will reward you. At the price of $29.99 you can't pass this up!

So what is Persona 3? people may define this game as a group of high school students who go into a time between one day and the next  in a dungeon called Tartarus and shoot themselves to kill these beings that are named as "Shadows".
And yes, that's basically what it's all about, but I'm telling you know, the characters are NOT EMO, sure they look emo but killing yourself alone doesn't make you emo, you need to be regularly in despair to pull it off otherwise, don't judge.

Gameplay: Dungeon crawling, doesn't that word make you think of going through dungeon killing shadows again and again right? Well yeah, the gameplay is a turn based system with a tiny twist, that would be the 1more system , basically if you get a critical attack or hit someone's weakness, you get another turn and if all enemies are knockdown, you can do an all out attack that is basically an anime fast brawl. But beware, the enemies can also get a 1more. The dungeon crawling levels is randomly generated, you go up one floor, search and destroy/run, and level up, and the next floor, rinse and repeat, but the phases of a full moon affect some things, full moon has the story moving forward which makes for some interesting battles and elements.  that's the other "half" of Persona 3. The other half has you being a normal high school student that goes around studying, dating (yes dating girls.) and school events. What makes the other side of High School life is the gameplay element called "Social Links". Social Links are your emotional ties with other people, basically having a relationship with someone will grow the more you spend time with them and it also helps you explore Tartarus by giving your personas extra experience points when you fuse them together. The fusing element of the game can be very addictive, getting the right skills on it can be difficult but if you get right, you'll feel the satisfaction flow.

Design: For a PS2 game, it looks pretty good, the graphics look pretty next gen from faraway but a close look tells you otherwise. the Menus have a nice fashion with a cool look like you've never seen before, while most of it is in a simple 2D style, it's pretty hypnotizing and there are also anime scenes in this game, they are simply done but the design never fails to amaze.

Sound: The special effects aren't the same stuff, there are some cartoonish sound effects like when you hit something with your weapon but one of the highlights in Persona 3 is the music. I'm saying that you'll love it all in one seeing as a vast majority of people these days despise rap, well I'm telling you this is J-pop and I'm sure your first impression could poison the game, but never fear, this rap isn't the usually you seem evertime, the artist is Shoji Meguro, a master composer, you better remember his name because he is a GENIUS!

Story: The story is a real highlight of SMT games, and Persona 3 does not disappoint. The story starts up pretty slow but it picks up at November, from that month on, the story is just AMAZING, the ending is fantastic as well as the last boss and all the characters become very likable and memorable. When it comes to the Story, Persona 3 is one of the best in the WORLD in gaming. It's just amazing.

Overall: It's an amazing game, if you have a PS2 or a PS3 with BC then get this game! The only drawback is that the game lacks exploration and it requires you to be patient, REALLY patient. if you can forgive these flaws then you will be rewarded greatly with epicness to a whole new level along with a 100+ hours of gameplay and fun.

---Rhen_Var