I'm looking to get in to Persona 3 after playing almost 1000 hours of Persona 4 in various states and can't decide on a version. On PSN there is a PS3 release of Persona 3 FES, but even googling I can't find much information about it. Does it run exactly the same as it did on PS2? No increased resolution or framerate? The store page states that it is the American version but that's all. I'm hoping someone who has it can tell me.

I'm currently torn between emulating FES and playing P3P which I already own but I feel like I'm missing out on a huge part of the experience with the things they took out. Plus the emulated version looks pretty ugly, so I may just play on my actual PS2 if there is no difference between the PSN version and a PS2 disc.

@alistercat: I played it through the "PS2 Classic" and yes, I believe it runs the same as it did on PS2. Not until the "PS2 on PS4" stuff did they actually start increasing resolutions and stuff.

As far as FES vs. P3P, I personally felt like playing as the female protagonist in P3P was a VASTLY superior experience to FES mostly on account of actually being able to social link with all of your party members. However, I'd played through FES first and I feel like losing the character models for the important story stuff might dull it all a bit if it's your first time through.

I can help!

I will say you're good with FES on PS3. it's just a straight up emulated version of the ps2 game. No remaster. But that's still fine.

Don't play P3P for your first run of persona 3. There's a HUGE sacrifice in presentation and it hurts the cinematic emotional moments greatly. The gameplay is slightly better yes but you're missing out on animated cutscenes and 3D environments. Go P3FES on PS3 or go home, yo.

Also yeah there's no difference between the PSN version of P3FES and playing it on your ps2...Whatever the case, make sure you play P3FES.

@epidehl: Thank you for letting me know. Hopefully people will post additional conformation but I believe you. That's a real shame. Emulating makes the 3D look acceptable but all the 2D stuff looks really awful, including text. You do a lot of reading in these games.

I intend to play through P3P to experience the female protagonist's version of the game after finishing FES unless I hate it. What I have played of P3P made me feel really disconnected from the characters. Which is weird because I enjoy visual novels, mostly phoenix wright, but I think I'm so used to the way they present the story in Persona 4. I need those little 3D characters!

@frostyryan: Good to know. I may skip buying yet another version then if it's exactly the same as the PS2. P3P will be my next playthrough unless I hate the game.

@alistercat: Good decision. I also played through the game on FES and then as the girl on P3P. This is the way to go. And you will not hate the game. It has one of the most perfect endings ever.

@frostyryan: It's very unlikely that I will hate it, but I dropped it before because none of the style or characters really appealed to me but I'm going to give it a lot more time now and will probably enjoy it in the end.