Already think P4 was a lot better.
 
<---- Checked out part of the Endurance Run

Persona 4 is better.  
 
Persona 3 has Ken, the dog, Aegis, and the mission control lady. Those four pretty much made me hate the fucking game, they are all incredibly annoying and or boring characters.  
The pacing is all fucky. How many people stopped playing during the summer break or the last month? There is nothing to do during those months, I know they put me off the game for extended periods of time.
Dumb as shit AI being the reason behind nearly every death you'll ever experience.  
Boring ass social links. Persona 4 had these as well but none of them compare to sheer dullness of the old people or the club kid. 
 
I kinda hate Persona 3. It's a miracle I gave 4 a chance after the bad taste 3 left in my mouth. 

Funky...Student!

Persona 4 is better.   Persona 3 has Ken, the dog, Aegis, and the mission control lady. Those four pretty much made me hate the fucking game, they are all incredibly annoying and or boring characters.  The pacing is all fucky. How many people stopped playing during the summer break or the last month? There is nothing to do during those months, I know they put me off the game for extended periods of time.Dumb as shit AI being the reason behind nearly every death you'll ever experience.  Boring ass social links. Persona 4 had these as well but none of them compare to sheer dullness of the old people or the club kid.  I kinda hate Persona 3. It's a miracle I gave 4 a chance after the bad taste 3 left in my mouth. 

Persona 3 had a better story and soundtrack, Persona 4 was the better game all round.

While Persona 3 had/has a considerably better story, it's Persona 4's cast as well as its setting that is a lot more interesting to me. Also, I'm a sucker for a serial killer plot, so P4 had me at "someone is killing people with a television.".

I prefer P3, probably because I played that first and it caught me during my senior year in highschool. While I admit P4 is mechanically better, the pacing of the story in P4 gets wonky if you manage to beat dungeons in 1 afternoon.

Gotta put my vote behind Persona 4, thought the story had more emotion to it (Persona 3 had lots of emotional ties in it too, just the ones in four hit me harder).

While I haven't actually played it, Persona 4 definitely seems better from both a gameplay standpoint and in terms of its story. I'm playing through Persona 3 Portable at the moment and it seems to benefit a lot from improvements that Persona 4 brought to the table.

Persona 3 has better characters and a better story. Way more emotionally resonate.
 
The only thing P4 had for it was that you could control everyone.

P2!

Sorry, Person 3's ending almost made me cry, but... Fuck I don't know.

I personally liked 3 Fes more then 4, but it also doesn't mean much when i have about 200+ hours in 3 Fes vs the 20ish in 4.. 4 is good but 3 has the characters that grabbed me from the start.. mainly the main character.. always laid back, listening to his headphones, not giving 2 shits about whats happening. Cool and collected but yet not muscled out or having a cocky attitude.

Persona 3 both game is fantastic and I've sunk over 100hrs in each game. I just like the cast of 3 better. Still being able to control your teammate make persona 4 a lot easier to play

Persona 4 has the better everything.

I really don't know the answer to this. Persona 3 had amazing characters and an incridible storyline, from start to finish (and what an amazing end it had, huh?), awesome soundtrack and a dark tone to it that made me fall in love with the game in the first place.
 Persona 4 wins in the gameplay portion, and sometimes, the dialogue and story also grow more on me then 3's. I find it very engaging, and always made me curious about what would happen next... don't know, this is so hard to decide! 
But I think I gotta stick with Persona 4, wich wins by little. Fuck, this was hard to choose.

I was gonna say P4, but then I thought about Junpei's arc. Now I'm not sure.

I started trying to play Persona 3 after playing 4 and I couldn't do it because of the mechanics. I found it very difficult to go back. I've heard they updated the PSP version somewhat to let you control your other party members and stuff, but I haven't played that one.

It's kinda sad, because I could easily see Persona 3 having a better story than 4 (sorry Persona 4 fans). Guess I'll never know.

I've played through most of P4 and it does have the edge in gameplay over P3. But P3 has a better plot and arguably better soundtrack. P4's OST is a disappointment.

Can´t really say I like both but if I had to argue about wich one is better in something (not talking about gameplay P4 improvements are better than P3 FES , but P3P is the best version as far as gameplay goes) in the soundtrack departmen P3 takes the cake as much as I like some tracks in P4 ( Inside the TV , I´ll face myslef Battle) P3 soundtrack is ... dude Burn my dread  is the best boss battle theme ever , and every single track is just amazing I think it fits really well with Persona 3, also I like more the Hip-hop/tecno style over the pop-y vibe of the P4 soundtrack . I can´t really say anything about the plot both are crazy awesome (Shooting yourself in the head vs Going inside the TV)  both cast of characters are amazing (Hot Robo chic vs Weird guy in a Teddie suit) It´s hard for me to compare.

@Zithe said:

I started trying to play Persona 3 after playing 4 and I couldn't do it because of the mechanics. I found it very difficult to go back. I've heard they updated the PSP version somewhat to let you control your other party members and stuff, but I haven't played that one.

It's kinda sad, because I could easily see Persona 3 having a better story than 4 (sorry Persona 4 fans). Guess I'll never know.

I came in just to post this really. I dig the aesthetic of P3, but I can't get around the mechanics. They annoy me to no end. Having to trick your team in to doing what you want them to do is frustrating. And while some defend the continuous dungeon crawl pace, I like how P4 condensed the time I have to spend in the TV. It made it easier to figure out how to balance grinding and exploring versus spending time social linking. And I just flat out don't like exhaustion.

And for as much as I'll defend that P3 had a great look, art style and soundtrack, it just felt really oppressive. That might have been the point, but it really ended up pushing me away from the game. I really like the brighter color scheme and tone of P4. It engaged me and made me want to learn more about the world, whereas P3 was just so goddamn dark and blue and depressing.

After spending so much time with P4 between playing it and subsequently watching the ER, it just made P3 a game that was nigh impenetrable.

I prefer the mechanics of Persona 4, but I prefer the story and characters of Persona 3.

Persona 3.

I don't really like this obsession in movies/games/whatever where one thing has to be better or worse than another. They're both fine games but I definitely prefer P4 to P3. Naturally the mechanics of the game should get better with iteration, but I enjoyed the lighter tone of P4. The game can be serious when it wants/needs to be, but a lot of the time things just seem more lighthearted. I also liked the characters more. The cast of P3 certainly feel more "real," but I just enjoyed the different personalities in P4 even (especially) when they got a little more out there. I enjoyed the focus for most of the game of just worrying about saving one person vs. the wider focus of the problems the midnight hour creates.

I like both for different reasons. Persona 4 is definitely the more polished game, but its plot becomes a mess in the last quarter and there isn't nearly as much character development imo. I have to go with Persona 3, if only because of how powerful the ending is.

Edit: For anyone planning to play P3, I would strongly consider playing it on the PS2 over the PSP. I can't see how the most memorable moments in the game would nearly as good without the animated cut scenes and character models.

@RE_Player92 said:

@iAmJohn said:

@mutha3 said:

@Soren

said:

@mutha3: hey guys loosely explained portal to the past in the dorm leading to the mall good thing they serve robots in full body armor who needs a compendium am i right

aw shit dog, that's my jam lets all fight each other over petty bullshit for no fucking reason

Ahahahahahahahaha!

Oh man, The Answer was such fucking bullshit.

If they made a The Answer type thing for Persona 4 I would cry. I can see it now, Charlie (yes Charlie) comes back a year later to find out Nanako is missing and has to go back into the TV. When he finally reaches Nanako she reveals she is actually his sister!!!! And a robot!!!! And she must die!!!!

It's not a year, apparently it's two months after the events of the game where they get together to kick a robot's ass.

/persona-4-the-ultimate-in-mayonaka-arena/61-36274/

Unlike Persona 3's "The Answer", I find this strangely acceptable.

It's not a year, apparently it's two months after the events of the game where they get together to kick a robot's ass.

I played P3:FES when it came out and P4 when it came out. I believe that P4 is the better game in every way.

Persona 4, because frankly after playing Shin Megami Tensei games for so many years the upbeat, whacky tone of P4 was refreshing.

@Mayu_Zane said:

Persona 4, because frankly after playing Shin Megami Tensei games for so many years the upbeat, whacky tone of P4 was refreshing.

Yeah I like the bright, and more light tone of Persona 4. It seems more...down to earth, for lack of a better word, than P3, despite television murders and talking hollow teddie bears. P3 always seemed too "anime plotline" to me. None of the kids live with their parents or guardians, they've got larger than life problems, they are part of a secret organization, they have an advanced base of operations with fancy computers and all that. I like that P4 kind of breaks away from that teenage anime fantasy and weaves in some real world problems for the characters. Yosuke isn't grappling with murdering some poor kid's parents in the middle of hunting supernatural beings, he's dealing with personal and emotional problems that aren't necessarily tied into the main story. Same for the other characters. In P3 you've got Akihiko trying to get in touch with his old friend who was a shadow hunter along with him, you've got Yukari coping with her scientist father's stuff, I don't want to spoil everything but their issues just seem fantastical. The issues that the characters have in P4 seem to make them deeper, more human, and more relatable, you care about what they're saying because the problems they face are interesting in themselves, not just because they tie into the direct story. Maybe that was in P3's social links, but it's been a while since I played it, so I can't remember. You've also got your character interacting with Dojima and Nanako, you've got family to interact with and you aren't just a completely blank slate character who isn't living with his parents for the sake of adventure.

I haven't even mentioned all the gameplay improvements and music either.

@MiniPato

Ya P4 is an improvement over P3 in a lot of ways. However, I think I actually prefer the bulk of the character development being tied to the main story, because allowed the script to better reflect your party members development over the course of the game. In P4, the script had to be written with the assumption that you hadn't ranked up any of your party members social links. As a result, the only consequential development that occurs is when they face their shadow. In P3, the development being attached to the story felt more natural, as characters were allowed to grow alongside the events of the story.

P3: FES < P4 < P3P Female Run
 
This is fact, not an opinion.

The shuffle system in 3 is so much better than 4's. The 4th game plays better overall. (full control of party, navigation shortcuts)

I prefer the characters in 4, but that's not to say the characters in 3 are boring or anything. Junpei is great.

Personally I enjoyed both the games. I love the characters and their stories. Though I did enjoy P3 for it's serious tone and P4 for more of a modern supernatural mystery.

P3 has less replay value because it was so damn serious, while it was a great game.

I play through P4 almost constantly, it never gets old.

Both great but my personal preference is for P3. I just prefer the story, mood, and characters. I can totally appreciate that P4 is the better made game, though.

@LordXavierBritish said:

P3: FES < P4 < P3P Female Run This is fact, not an opinion.

So being able to use Shinjiro for the duration of the game makes theP3P female MC playthrough better than P4? I have no idea why someone would come to that conclusion, but whatever.

So now that I've finished both P4 and P3, I'd have to give the edge to P4 in gameplay, OST, and plot. In retrospect, P3 was just too far over the top, even by Persona standards while P4 was more down to earth.

EDIT: grammar correction

Persona 4 is one of those games that make you feel terrible because you never get to experience them again the way you did the first time around.

P4 has better gameplay, atmosphere and characters.

P3 has a better story and way more content. Some of the best characters are also better than P4s best, though p4 still wins in average character quality.

I think they both are great, though after playing P4, it's a lot harder to go back to P3s gameplay, it's just plain worse.

@QuistisTrepe said:

@LordXavierBritish said:

P3: FES < P4 < P3P Female Run This is fact, not an opinion.

So being able to use Shinjiro for the duration of the game makes theP3P female MC playthrough better than P4? I have idea why someone would come to that conclusion, but whatever.

Actually, Shinjiro remains KOed. He's just comatose if you max out his Social Link before he's shot, rather than killed.

That being said, I agree with your assessment that P4 is the better game. It has the better gameplay and music, as well as a more interesting plot and more likeable characters. I mean, really, I like some of the P3 cast well enough, but most of S.E.E.S. comes off as willing to stab each other in the back at the first opportunity, and P4 offers Social Links with the entire party, rather than just a gender-determined subset.

@Hailinel said:

@QuistisTrepe said:

@LordXavierBritish said:

P3: FES < P4 < P3P Female Run This is fact, not an opinion.

So being able to use Shinjiro for the duration of the game makes theP3P female MC playthrough better than P4? I have idea why someone would come to that conclusion, but whatever.

Actually, Shinjiro remains KOed. He's just comatose if you max out his Social Link before he's shot, rather than killed.

That being said, I agree with your assessment that P4 is the better game. It has the better gameplay and music, as well as a more interesting plot and more likeable characters. I mean, really, I like some of the P3 cast well enough, but most of S.E.E.S. comes off as willing to stab each other in the back at the first opportunity,

Which is fine all things considered, really...but then they try to do the JRPG thing of "~friendship overcomes all~" and it falls a bit flat on its face in P3 because the relationship with the entire cast was rather tense throughout the game, and it didn't earn the sudden shift in the endgame.

@Hailinel said:

@QuistisTrepe said:

but most of S.E.E.S. comes off as willing to stab each other in the back at the first opportunity, and P4 offers Social Links with the entire party, rather than just a gender-determined subset.

Entirely different circumstances, which was part and parcel of character development which P3 did pretty well, we had a reason to care about these characters unlike the usual JRPG cardboard cutouts. There was internal turmoil, but with their differences resolved, they united towards a common goal. P4 went about a similar thing in a different way when the characters had to face themselves with a few exceptions of course.

@QuistisTrepe said:

@Hailinel said:

@QuistisTrepe said:

but most of S.E.E.S. comes off as willing to stab each other in the back at the first opportunity, and P4 offers Social Links with the entire party, rather than just a gender-determined subset.

Entirely different circumstances, which was part and parcel of character development which P3 did pretty well, we had a reason to care about these characters unlike the usual JRPG cardboard cutouts. There was internal turmoil, but with their differences resolved, they united towards a common goal. P4 went about a similar thing in a different way when the characters had to face themselves with a few exceptions of course.

The motivations of the P3 cast are certainly justifiable to an extent, and the writing of the characters is good, but they're also a very dour group and I found it difficult to muster a second playthrough of the game. (And The Answer in FES just blows and does none of the characters any favors.)

Even though you couldn't control the entire party, P3 had more variety in their combat, and dungeon exploration. Dispersing the team, Fusion Spells, main protagonist able to use different types of weapons. In fact their was a distinction between piercing and slashing.Shooting your self in the head to summon a persona?!

However, I found P4's story and characters more engaging and grew more emotionally attached to the p4 gang.

@Hailinel said:

@QuistisTrepe said:

@Hailinel said:

@QuistisTrepe said:

but most of S.E.E.S. comes off as willing to stab each other in the back at the first opportunity, and P4 offers Social Links with the entire party, rather than just a gender-determined subset.

Entirely different circumstances, which was part and parcel of character development which P3 did pretty well, we had a reason to care about these characters unlike the usual JRPG cardboard cutouts. There was internal turmoil, but with their differences resolved, they united towards a common goal. P4 went about a similar thing in a different way when the characters had to face themselves with a few exceptions of course.

The motivations of the P3 cast are certainly justifiable to an extent, and the writing of the characters is good, but they're also a very dour group and I found it difficult to muster a second playthrough of the game. (And The Answer in FES just blows and does none of the characters any favors.)

I feel the same way, While I want to do the female playthrough in P3P at some point, I'm honestly in no rush to get down to it. I watched The Answer on YouTube. Like I've said before, I was appalled that it turned out to be a mere cheap shit, overdone sci-fi cliche. The Answer was completely unnecessary and cheapened the experience IMO. I like to pretend it doesn't exist. If I had actually played FES to get that ending, it certainly would have been a controller-thrower moment, especially after I've been told that path is brutal to play through.

@mutha3 said:

@Hailinel said:

@QuistisTrepe said:

@LordXavierBritish said:

P3: FES < P4 < P3P Female Run This is fact, not an opinion.

So being able to use Shinjiro for the duration of the game makes theP3P female MC playthrough better than P4? I have idea why someone would come to that conclusion, but whatever.

Actually, Shinjiro remains KOed. He's just comatose if you max out his Social Link before he's shot, rather than killed.

That being said, I agree with your assessment that P4 is the better game. It has the better gameplay and music, as well as a more interesting plot and more likeable characters. I mean, really, I like some of the P3 cast well enough, but most of S.E.E.S. comes off as willing to stab each other in the back at the first opportunity,

Which is fine all things considered, really...but then they try to do the JRPG thing of "~friendship overcomes all~" and it falls a bit flat on its face in P3 because the relationship with the entire cast was rather tense throughout the game, and it didn't earn the sudden shift in the endgame.

...And you could only establish S-Link with the female party members, and even then their requirements could potentially lock you out of them if you don't plan ahead. I appreciated P3P for that reason, some of the cast didn't need it (Junpei) but it was nice to get more dialogue with the likes of Shinjiro and others.

I like the characters but I think that's more a result of the game being so long, you inhabit that world by the end of it. The cast of 4 definitely get more characterization, 3 has too many huge swings (where absolutely nothing happens) in the narrative to be considered superior. Everything about 4, right down to the setting just feels much more intimate.

For me the story was better in Persona 3, but the gameplay, characters, and locations were all better in Persona 4. Seriously I got so tired of the "slightly redesigned floor pattern in Tartarus" dungeons that P3 had going on. Still a fun game, I'm glad I played P3P so I didn't have to deal with the AI.

4 is superior in every way to me. Except for a few SLs that I really liked, 3 just didn't click with me as close as 4 did. Now I did play/watch 4 first and fell in love with everything about it and could be opposite if I played 3 first but that isn't the case.

But both games are fantastic and are on my all time favorites list, but in comparing them 4 takes the cake.

P4 has Chie Satonaka so i think P4 is best. P3 is also a great game tho.

P3 had the more climatic boss fight, a much more oppressive atmosphere and a very interesting opening.

P4 had a stronger conclusion, a smaller and more fleshed-out cast of characters and a more memorable aesthetic.

Persona 4 for me.