The Persona franchise has been all the hype in the past few days. After confirming that Persona 5 Tactica is coming soon, Atlus had one last trick up their sleeves. They confirmed that Persona 3 Reload, a modern remake of the critically-acclaimed game Persona 3, is coming soon, with new features for players to enjoy! One of the things players are most excited about in Persona 3 Reload is the fresh new gameplay mechanics where you can finally control other characters during a fight. However, gamers are finding an issue with the protagonist you can play.
What’s new in Persona 3 Reload?
Persona 3 Reload is an upcoming role-playing video game from Atlus. It will be a remake of Persona 3, first released in 2006 for gamers on the PlayStation 2. Typically, you’d think remakes are just the same old game but with a much-needed facelift. However, that is not the case for Persona 3 Reload, as it will be a refreshing new experience for gamers who grew up with the beloved franchise.
It will still follow the same story as the original game, allowing you to interact and develop relationships with the characters found in the game. You can also switch between the different Personas for the protagonist, giving you access to different kinds of skills, abilities, and effects.
However, it seems Atlus had made Persona 3 Reload entirely from scratch. This is to keep the ball rolling after the latest entry in the franchise, Persona 5. The remake will have enhanced graphics and more QoL (quality of life) features, as expected. One of the highlights of the game is a new feature activated whenever you enter a battle with your party.
What’s the new gameplay mechanic in Persona 3 Reload?
The new gameplay mechanic was first spotted by gamers in the reveal trailer from Atlus. We got a glimpse of this new feature when we saw what combat looked like in Persona 3 Reload.
- In the upcoming remake, you are now able to control all characters.
- Unlike in the original game, players could only control the protagonist when engaging in combat. As for the other characters in your party, they were controlled by an AI system.
- Even though players could customize how the AI system worked, it still limited their combat abilities.
- With this new feature introduced in Persona 3 Reload, you can now control what your team will do when fighting off the bad guys. On the other hand, players who want to utilize the classic AI system can still do so, as the game offers you the choice of controlling your characters manually or putting them on autopilot.
Who will the protagonist be? Why are fans unhappy?
If you’ve been reading about reactions from the community regarding Persona 3 Reload, you may be wondering why fans are unhappy with the choice of protagonist in the remake. When Atlus released Persona 3 Portable on the PSP, they included an option to play as the female protagonist. Naturally, fans were happy to get a refreshing experience of Persona 3 through the eyes of the FeMC (Female Main Character).
https://twitter.com/hourlymoka/status/1667776481823698946?s=20
She is completely different from the male protagonist, which would explain why the Persona 3 community adores her. Unfortunately, Atlus has decided not to include her in the remake. Reload will only feature content from the original game and will not include content from Persona 3 Portable or even the epilogue chapter from FES.
I stand by that not including FeMC in a Persona 3 remake invalidates half the reason to make a Persona 3 remake. People wanted a remake so it could be a definitive version with content from FES and Portable, not just FES 2.0 https://t.co/Lwd2zb4Xsf
— NotEvenHere (@Carlos65607846) June 7, 2023
- Fans believe that to maximize the potential of Persona 3 Reload, Atlus should have included all the content available in the game’s previous versions.
- The majority of the community absolutely loved playing as the FeMC. Taking that option away has definitely caused them to lose interest in checking out the remake.
Will Atlus ever add the Female Protagonist to Persona 3 Reload?
There are no indications from Atlus regarding any plans to add the FeMC anytime soon. However, fans should not lose hope, as Atlus is most likely aware of the demand for the FeMC to be playable in the upcoming remake.
Persona 3 Reload Will Reveal Special Teasers on "Each Official Full Moon Date" – https://t.co/pjacacTm1I pic.twitter.com/TBGmRXJ840
— Noisy Pixel (@NoisyPixelNews) June 14, 2023
Here are some of the things they may do to resolve this issue in their community:
- Release an update allowing players to choose the FeMC when starting the game.
- Release a DLC that includes content from the previous versions of Persona 3.
- Come up with a new edition of Persona 3 Reload, similar to what they did with Persona 5 Royal, and add exclusive content there.
Release date and platforms
There is no specific release date yet for Persona 3 Reload. The official announcement only states that it will be scheduled for a release in early 2024. Persona 3 Reload will be available on the following platforms:
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X|S
- Windows
As for the Nintendo Switch version, we still await official announcements from Atlus regarding this platform. We’ll keep you posted once more details about Persona 3 Reload are revealed!
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