Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 is a video game that consists of 3 releases

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Combining elements of dating sims and Japanese role-playing, Persona 3 offers a unique RPG experience.

Overview

Persona 3 is another installment of the Shin Megami Tensei series developed and published by Atlus Co. It was released in North America on April 22, 2008, and later saw re-release with additional content called Persona 3: FES.

Story

The player awakens his Persona for the first time...

Persona 3 begins with a teenage boy transferring to Gekkoukan High School, and attempting to live a normal life there -- until he's attacked by strange creatures called Shadows that feed on people's psyches. The stress of the situation awakens his Persona, an odd and powerful creature dwelling within him.

With its help he defeats the Shadows and realizes that he is not the only student in the school with such powers. In fact, there is a a group called the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (or SEES for short) charged with the responsibility to destroy these creatures. Each member is armed with an Evoker, a weapon that they literally shoot themselves in the head with, in order to cause enough strain to summon their Personas. The player soon learns of the Dark Hour, a daily transitional period between today and tomorrow in which the high school becomes an evil tower called Tartarus. Each member of SEES has sworn to enter Tartarus every night to rid the world of the Shadows.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Persona 3 joins together two very different genres, role-playing and dating sims. While the player is in school, he must study, go to gym class, and attend to other high school responsibilities. All these actions affect the player's performance in battle by building, for example, his intelligence, or physical strength. Sleeping in class also recovers lost health. During the school day, the player gets to interact with the members of his party and build up "social links" which give him stronger abilities and new Personas. After school, the SEES members climb the Shadow-filled levels of Tartarus, where the gameplay turns into a traditional turn-based RPG.

Battle System

The typical look of battle in Persona 3. Only the main character can be controlled directly while party members act on their own.

Persona 3 uses a turn-based battle system that is engaged when the player either attacks or is attacked by a Shadow. If the Shadow gets the jump on the player, then the Shadow will be able to attack first (this is known as an Enemy Advantage). If the player is able to get the jump on the Shadow, then the player's party will be able to attack first (this is known as a Player Advantage). During battle, the player only has control of his/her own character, but is able to give orders to his/her party members (tactics).

Persona 3 encourages players to exploit the enemy's weakness in order to gain an extra attack or pull off an All Out Attack. Using the correct attack on the enemy will grant the player with an extra attack. Also, gaining an extra attack can be granted after every attack only if the player uses the correct attack on a Shadow that has not already been afflicted with its weakness. An All Out Attack is only possible if all the enemy's are hit with its weakness and there are at least 2 party members in the player's party (including the player).This attack involves all the party members rushing the Shadow(s), dealing a large amount of damage.

Full Moon

A full moon will appear once every month. Once a full moon appears, players will be faced with an incredible challenge that they must overcome in order to progress through the game.

Art Book and Soundtrack

Persona 3 launched in the US as a Limited Edition box-set for a standalone retail value. In it is an art book and a sample soundtrack.

The Art of Persona 3

Art of Persona 3

Titled "Art of Persona 3", the art book contains several early concept sketches and illustrations relating to Persona 3. Character pages are included showing each main character and their Persona as well as multiple other sketches and drawings. The book also contains trivia and descriptions relating to the game and its characters and is written by Persona 3's Art Director, Shigenori Soejima.

Soundtrack

A soundtrack was also included with the game, titled "Persona 3: Original Sountrack". Composed by Shoji Meguro, it contains a sample of the game's soundtrack. The entire soundtrack was released with the japanese release of Persona 3.

"Burn My Dread" - 1:37
"Aria of My Soul" - 5:41
"Want to be Close" - 2:35
"Shadow" - 2:44
"Unavoidable Battle" - 2:55
"When the Moon Reaches for the Stars" - 2:36
"Iwatodai Dorm" - 2:32
"Mass Destruction" - 3:30
"Deep Breath" - 2:23
"Master of Shadow" - 2:36
"Changing of Seasons" - 3:00
"Basement" - 3:05
"Living with Determination" - 3:08
"Memories of the City" - 2:47
"Battle Hymn of the Soul" - 5:34
"Burn My Dread -Last Battle-" - 3:50
"Enduring Bonds" - 1:12
"Kimi No Kioku" - 6:04

Useful links

Official website (Persona 3 FES)

General Information Edit

Game Name	Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Publisher(s)	Atlus Co., Ltd. KOEI Ltd. Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
Developer(s)	Atlus Co., Ltd.
Genres	Add a new genre Role-Playing (RPG) Simulation
Themes	Add a new theme Horror Fantasy Dating Anime
Original US Release	Aug. 14, 2007 need a fuzzy date?
Original US Release	know the real date?
Aliases	Persona 3, MegaTen
CERO	CERO: B
ESRB	ESRB: M
PEGI	PEGI: 12+