Dear God... Persona 4 Golden is...

[scorptatious]

ABSOLUTELY FUCKING AMAZING!!!!

So, for the longest time, I've heard so much about how supposedly great this game was. I tend to take some hype around a game with a grain of salt nowadays because I'm afraid to be let down by it.

So, got this game for Christmas, saved it for after I played some of my other games. I keep looking at it thinking: "I really should get around to playing this. My backlog is starting to pile up."

So I finally get around to playing it, and before I knew it, I was hooked.

This game has everything I could ask for in an RPG and more! A tight narrative with well written characters, a fun battle system, a great soundtrack, you name it. The way the game handles all these things though really clicks with me however.

When I initially started, the whole social aspect of the game reminded me of those weird dating flash games where you only had a specific amount of time to get one of the girls to bone you. And I wasn't a very big fan of those kinds of games. The way this game does it though, I feel rewarded to putting up with all the stressful things in life. Studying for a big test, working late at night at a hospital, eating really spicy food in order to work up the courage to confess to a girl you like. Practically all the characters, at least the main ones are really likable and relatable. They each have their own little character arc that you can choose to pursue. So I actually WANT to spend time so I can learn more about them, grow with them, and strengthen their resolve to solving the case.

The battle system is also fantastic. In addition to being able to create more and more powerful Persona for yourself, you also need to mix and match your party so that they can cover for your weaknesses. Plus, in this game, buffs, debuffs, and status ailments are actually USEFUL. So many RPG's I played never seem to make them all that good.

Also, the moments where you need to go into the TV and face the shadows happen often enough so that the battle system never feels underdeveloped, while at the same time, happens infrequently enough so that these major events feel significant. I also love the contrast between living a normal life as a high school student and delving into a surreal landscape filled with weird and creepy enemies that you have to fend off.

And the soundtrack. My god the soundtrack.

Spoiler

So.


Much.


Win.


As for the the bad aspects?

...

I can't think of much that's really significant. You have the ability to give your party members specific orders such as saving SP, healing ect., but that feels kinda pointless when I can just directly control them.

Also, I wish Izanagi was more useful, he's pretty badass, but he becomes outclassed by more powerful Persona pretty early on.

Also, I have one question about the plot:

Spoiler

What was Igor's stake in all this? I know he needed me to solve this case, but I wonder how this affects him? What exactly is the Velvet Room?

I assume these are questions answered if I actually pursued Margaret and Marie's social links, but I didn't sadly.

Other than that, I was completely satisfied with this game. I found myself crying when it was over. This game probably beats out Final Fantasy IX as my most favorite RPG. And that's really saying something.

Oh! Right! This is a forum that encourages discussion in it's threads.

What were your initial thoughts of the game? Who were your favorite characters? Persona? Who did you end up dating, that is, if you went after any of the girls? What's your favorite Persona arcana?

Favorite characters: I love them all to be honest. Although I'm particularly fond of Youske, Yukiko, Kanji, Teddie, and Naoto.

Favorite Persona: Izanagi, Youske's Persona, Kanji's Persona, Shiki-Ouji

Girlfriend: Yukiko (Her giggle fits practically sealed the deal with me)

Arcana: Probably Heirophant. Although Fool and Magician are up there too.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Awwww man I know that feeling. First time I played through Persona 4 I was completely entranced for about 4 days straight. Everything about it was just amazing, the storyline, the characters, the aesthetics, the gameplay, the music....It was fantastic. It also introduced me to the Shin Megami Tensei series in general which has fast become my favourite series of games (Devil Survivor FTW).

Anyway.

Favourite character: Probably has to be Chie (original Chie that is, from the PS2 version) new Chie just ain't the same.

Favourite Arcana: Tower, because Shiva is my favourite demon in the series.

Favourite Persona: Again Shiva, but also Satan, Beezlebub, Titania and Metatron

 

[FootloosePhoenix]

I had a friend who was totally obsessed with Persona and, while I was interested in the series before I listened to him go on endlessly about how great it is, his obvious passion for it played a part in getting me to finally invest in Persona 3 FES. I'm always ere on the side of cautious skepticism when it comes to widespread praise for video games, but I did figure I'd enjoy it since I love JRPGs. Though naturally, I didn't think the game would be as good as so many people made it out to be. I was wrong; it was better.

Now I'm a slightly odd duck who prefers P3 to P4, but both are absolutely amazing games. That said, getting into Persona 4 Golden was a tad difficult for me at first. Since I had just come from being utterly in love with the setting, atmosphere and most of all characters of Persona 3, I couldn't help but make a ton of comparisons between the two and found Persona 4 come up short in every aspect (aside from the combat and fusion system; as I've said before, Fusion Search is a godsend). Mostly, I'll admit, this was due to rabid fangirlism; Persona 4 is its own thing, which I thankfully came to appreciate later on. Persona 3 hooked me from the opening cutscene and provided me with an experience I struggle to define. By the end of the game, I felt like it wasn't just Minato who'd forged these valuable bonds tempered by hardships, but me too. It was my education I was studying for, my Social Link friends depending on me, my world to save. I guess you could say I just really got into the role. And sure, I'd played games where I've felt very immersed and involved with what's happening before, but Persona 3 took it to a whole new level.

Anyway, back to P4G: I agree with the OP, all the characters are quite loveable. Kanji, Nanako and Naoto especially. Honestly I didn't care for Chie, Yukiko or Rise all that much at first, but they definitely grew on me. I would like to pursue a romantic relationship with Chie on a future play-through, as I only became involved with Marie. It just felt right to me when I was playing.

Man, I forget what my favourites earlier on in the game were, but I primarily used Satan, Helel and Kohyru. Satan's pretty freaky-looking, but Black Viper kept him around for quite awhile. Surt and Seth were my favourites in Persona 3. As for the Arcana, I have to go with Magician. That was the first Social Link I strongly pursued and I tended to favour a lot of the actual Personas from that Arcana. There are too many good Social Links across both games to name though.

Something particularly noteworthy about my experience with the game was that

Spoiler: MAJOR P4 Spoilers Inbound

I'd had Nanako's death spoiled for me before even starting the game, but when it happened, I still cried like a little *****. Saying it was emotionally powerful would be a massive understatement. I teared up at some other points along the way as well, but very few games have made me actually shed those tears. That was an amazingly well done scene indeed. The "bad ending," which was the first I ended up getting, is quite grim and saddening too and I loved it, twistedly enough.

This thread has also reminded me that I REALLY need to finish Final Fantasy IX one of these days.

 

[Fappy]

Also, I wish Izanagi was more useful, he's pretty badass, but he becomes outclassed by more powerful Persona pretty early on.

You can make any persona useful, it's just a matter of how much effort you want to put into them. On my Hardmode NG+ I have been doing an exclusive Izanagi only playthrough. Using skill cards is OP

Final build will look like this:

- Power Charge
- Primal Force
- Agneyastra
- Repel Light
- Absorb Wind
- Angelic Grace
- Arms Master
- Maziodyne (or Potentially Salvation or Megidolaon)

ANYWAY, yeah, I had pretty much the same reaction you did when playing the PS2 version for the first time. Amazing game, and it made me delve into other games in the series (Persona 3 FES, SMT: Nocturne and SMT IV, all great games).

EDIT: Incidentally, I am playing Final Fantasy IX for the first time right now.

Might as well add this too -

Favorite characters: Kanji and Chie, hands down

Favorite Personas (a lot): Helel, Pixie, Alice, Hell Biker, Matador, Izanagi, Izanagi-no-Okami, Neko Shogun, Thor, Loki, Beelzebub, Metatron, Kaguya, Baphomet, Cu Chulainn, Isis, Succubus, Melchizedek,

Girlfriend: Chie is probably my favorite, but I enjoyed Rise, Marie and Yukiko's as well. (Did Rise and Marie in Golden)

 

[Fraught]

What a coinkydink. I bought a Vita back in the end of 2012 and got Persona 4 Golden some time after that. I played like 20 hours of it and put the game away for like months. Now, a few days ago, I picked it back up again 'cause I really missed it. Despite having left the game, I am so, so, so in love with the whole vibe of the game. The school, the music, the characters, the combat, the socializing, and the fact that it's on a Vita is even better, because I love playing games portable much more. Sometimes it's annoying that I feel the pressure of doing things "right" and I look up a guide, but I never get past a paragraph of instructions. It's great that Persona 4 is a game that gives you options to do SO many things, and it's such a big game, that you can tailor it to your wants. I definitely recommend everyone who plays it to not follow a guide, but live the MC's life just like how you want to live it.

I hope that this time I can finish it, which I do fully plan to. This, and Gravity Rush, justify the purchase of a Vita for me all on their own.

Oh and uhh...

Girlfriend: Yukiko (Her giggle fits practically sealed the deal with me)

I love you.

I dunno why, but I've hugely taken to Yukiko. I appreciate Yosuke and Chie and Kanji (haven't gotten to Rise yet) for the whole banter between the group, and I enjoy the game as a whole a lot, not just for specific characters, but for some reason, Yukiko made me melt inside. I take hugely to characters and make strong emotional connections to them, and Yukiko has such a great combination of being cute, and not being annoying. I hear good things about Rise from other people, but I doubt she can dethrone Yukiko.

I WILL GET US TO LEVEL 9 AND THEN WE'LL BE TOGETHER FOREVER, YUKIKO ;~;

(Obviously my months-long break shows I'm not that crazy about all this, but still, Yukiko's by far the best romance option for me.)

(Also, I just realized I have talked way more about Yukiko than the game overall.)

 

[The Wykydtron]

Persona 4 is a pretty damn good game, its got a few minor problems here and there (yes [user]Wykydtron[/user], I mean it, although many of those problems were rectified in Golden) but overall, it really is a great game. Golden added much more to the title and it beats out the original game with more events and much needed improvements (the option to fast forward cutscenes was very welcome, made dying on bosses less painful)

My favorite character is easily Naoto, I swear, she steals the show in every scene she is in, great in combat too (more so in Golden)

Favorite persona? Gotta be Mara, best demon in the series! Not only is he insanely powerful, his design is just hilarious and surreal. Although I do love Beelzebub and Metatron (2 sides of the same coin)

Girlfriend, Naoto or Marie (although there is only so much tsun I can take) Marie mainly because she fits the role if you...

Spoiler: January/February spoilers

do her dungeon, come on, telling her to live, saving her life, catching her in your arms, she was most definitely designed to be canon waifu.

Favorite Arcana, If you mean social link, I really liked Ryotaru Dojima's, his one dealt with very interesting issues and ya can't help but feel for the guy, same with Nanako's link.



Doesn't beat out Final Fantasy IX though for me, not by a long shot, FFIX is still my all time favorite game, gonna replay it soon.

Spoiler: As for Igor...

He is there to make sure you face the consequences of your actions and aids you in your journey, he is there to show you how to manifest the powers of your social links and the bonds you make.

He has appeared in every game in the Persona series, guiding the hero along and aiding them, he has a master named Philemon who is heavily implied to be watching over the protagonists (notice the blue butterfly?) He appears in Persona 1+2, but he has no major appearance in 3 or 4.

Pffff, clearly you cannot recognise true brilliance when you see it. If I ever have the money to waste on a Vita to play a game I already own i'll give Golden a shot but I will stick with the PS2 version for now. Also what does it say about me if the first response on a Persona 4 thread is about me? XD

Anyway, since we're somehow talking about who to romance I have to throw a curveball and say Rise. Now hear me out here, she's actually a pretty complex character struggling with her life as an idol vs a normal life and is not your typical annoying, bubbly, energetic popstar even though she looks like it to begin with. Consider that her dungeon was a strip club as well, that's kind of hot in a weird way right?

I do mix things up per playthrough and Chie was my first choice (naturally, Chie is fuckin' hype,) Naoto is a close second but I never had the stats to finish her Social Link and Yukiko is alright I suppose. She's more of a best friend deal, I rely on her so hard in battles it's ridiculous. I tried to continue that level of dependence in Persona 3 with Yukari too but party AI being what it is got me fucking killed half the time. Literally praying that Yukari would deign to throw a heal my way when i'm on low HP in a clutch boss fight. GARULA LOL!

Outside of main characters I really liked Ai, the Moon Arcana continuing to produce mentally unstable characters once more. Apparently her Link is one of the harder ones to navigate through and one wrong response can break it completely. Of course, I had no problems and got through it perfectly. What, you think the Keima avatar is just for show?

 

[SmallHatLogan]

I can't think of much that's really significant. You have the ability to give your party members specific orders such as saving SP, healing ect., but that feels kinda pointless when I can just directly control them.

That's a remnant from Persona 3 where you had no option to control your team. Although the handful of weirdos who enjoyed the AI controlled party in P3 kind of got shafted in P4 due to the lack of AI options (there were quite a few more in P3).

My first impression of Persona 4: "These yellow menus are fucking horrible" (that was after playing P3 with its nice calming blue). In fact I'd say most if my first impressions involved comparisons to P3 ("Hey, my dude has white hair instead of blue hair" and other such nuggets of wisdom).

I'm just going to throw out a few random thoughts. The battle system is great. Definitely the most streamlined of the Persona games. Being able to choose what skills you inherit in P4G is awesome.

Soundtrack is solid, although hearing that eerie piano loop for the billionth time got a bit old. Also, pretty sure I'm in the extreme minority here, but I really don't like Reach Out To The Truth. One of my least favourite RPG battle themes (along with the one in the PSP remake of Revelations: Persona). And again this comes off another comparison to P3 where Mass Destruction is one of my favourite battle themes.

Story was all right but I though the conclusion to the murder mystery was unsatisfactory. And it pales in comparison to the awesomeness of Persona 2. I like P3's story more as well.

Favourite character and favourite girlfriend - same answer: all of them. Well, except drama class girl (too mopey) and music class girl (looks like a 10 year old clown. Also, she's annoying).

Favourite Persona: Dis. Not that there's anything particularly special about her, but with the ability to make any persona overpowered in P4G she's the first one I got to level 99. It started off as kind of a fluke, I got a bunch of skill ups and level ups in shuffle time, then I committed to keeping her as one of my mains.

 

[Captain Sunshine]

I'm one of those ones who came over from Persona 3 too quickly (it was such a brilliant game that I couldn't just wait lol). Persona 3 came at just the right time; I was beginning to worry that it wasn't Final Fantasy that was changing, it was me growing out of good, exciting RPGs... then I played Persona 3 and realised I was completely wrong and it was brilliant.

Despite its flaws, I think I still prefer 3 over 4. Just. They're such different beasts though. 4's characters are infinitely better and more believable (3's were all great, but Mitsuru and Aigis in particular always stretched belief, though Junpei was amazing). 3's overall plot was more exciting and the final boss much more rewarding because of the journey. 4's individual events were better. Both had music that was either really cool or sounded so ridiculous it became cool. And obviously, 4's combat is much better (Persona 3 Portable got the upgrade for that too though).

And yeah, first time you play 4 straight after 3 your first thoughts are Yosuke = Junpei 2.0, Yukiko = Mitsuru 2.0, Chie = Yukari, Kanji = Akihiko... Absolutely the wrong way to be thinking, lol. The wonderful thing about the two is that they have all the right similarities (school setting and adolescent focus, progression, mechanics) while changing so many things (tone, style, characters). Perfect 'sequel' in my eyes.

Favourite Character: Yosuke. In the English one at least where he's much cooler, I watched the Japanese version anime and he was a horny buttmonkey. Kanji's fantastic too.
Favourite Personas: Tam Lin, awww yeah.
Favourite Social Links: I didn't think any of the girls made a sensible match with the protagonist, because he has no personality. They were all great but I friendzoned everyone so hard. Always found the Fox social link hilarious if not ridiculously hard without a guide.

Glad to see such love for a great series. Persona 5 here we come!

 

[Exhuminator]

I just want to say, there are two games that made me buy a Vita. Persona 4 Golden is one of them (the other was this one [http://worldofys.com/celceta/]). However, this was a bit irksome to me because I already owned Persona 4 on PS2, and had not played it yet. But after reading all the praise for the Golden version of the game, I realized I'd wasted money on the PS2 version in comparison. So, yeah, I bought a Vita and Golden and still haven't played it yet. I haven't played it yet because I haven't even played the first Persona... and my gamer OCD says if I don't play them in order I won't appreciate the lore/evolutions etc. But I think for a LOT of gamers out there, Persona 4 Golden was their first Persona. That's all well and good but doesn't it kind of ruin the rest of the series for you? I mean, if you try to go back and play the older ones?

 

[Raikas]

And yeah, first time you play 4 straight after 3 your first thoughts are Yosuke = Junpei 2.0, Yukiko = Mitsuru 2.0, Chie = Yukari, Kanji = Akihiko...

If you haven't played Persona 4: Arena, there are actually a couple of jokes along those lines in the story mode part. It made me laugh.

 

[BlueKenja]

Eh, it was ok. I played it and thought the music was ok but not really my thing, voice acting was fine and story was above average.
Don't really understand all the hype and worship it gets, it was a competent JRPG, personally I preferred Lucifer's Call and Raidou Kuzanhoa vs The Soulless Army but that's just me.

 

[Captain Sunshine]

If you haven't played Persona 4: Arena, there are actually a couple of jokes along those lines in the story mode part. It made me laugh.

Haha I've played it and love it, and I definitely appreciated those. The sheer amount of references and quick jokes in that game is staggering. And Arena 2 will have Junpei AND Yukari, woo!

I just want to say, there are two games that made me buy a Vita. Persona 4 Golden is one of them (the other was this one [http://worldofys.com/celceta/]). However, this was a bit irksome to me because I already owned Persona 4 on PS2, and had not played it yet. But after reading all the praise for the Golden version of the game, I realized I'd wasted money on the PS2 version in comparison. So, yeah, I bought a Vita and Golden and still haven't played it yet. I haven't played it yet because I haven't even played the first Persona... and my gamer OCD says if I don't play them in order I won't appreciate the lore/evolutions etc. But I think for a LOT of gamers out there, Persona 4 Golden was their first Persona. That's all well and good but doesn't it kind of ruin the rest of the series for you? I mean, if you try to go back and play the older ones?

This coming from someone who hasn't played Persona 1 and 2 (either part), just read up on them to see whether I should buy them. I can definitely say there is a biiig split between 1/2 and 3/4. The art's different, the first ones seem quite dark tonally (well, 3 is too) and more like the other Shin Megami Tensei games... And 3 and 4 only have tiny references to the first two games. I'm talking miniscule, blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments, like an online handle in an MMORPG a character is playing or a Persona or two. Obviously there's a massive split gameplay-wise too but story-wise, you aren't missing anything. I'm sure 1 and both parts of 2 are brilliant games but if it's going to slow down your enjoyment or put you off getting to the good stuff, it's not worth it (like trying Final Fantasy 1 before getting to X).

I jumped on at Persona 3: FES and I recommend people do the same where they can, though 4 is definitely the superior game. 3 and 4 are very closely linked, from the shape of the story and later in some spin-offs to actually being directly linked. They're both self-contained stories but playing 3 gives you a better experience in 4.

The reason 3's usually better to start with is because everyone I know who's started on 4 just cannot go back to 3. They polished the gameplay so nicely that going backwards is really hard, you'll miss lots of tiny features and won't reflect very well on the game as a whole. 4 added social links for everyone in your party, the ability to control teammates directly, better pacing to see and do everything you can, better personality stat bonuses and special moves for teammates, more Personas, etc. etc.

Hope this helped!

 

[TheMigrantSoldier]

Glad you liked it. This is probably the same way I felt after playing Persona 4. It was my first JRPG (Fire Emblem doesn't count) and struck several notes with me, knocking away some negative preconceptions I had about JRPGs. It's one of the few games which ties story and gameplay well together, in my opinion. It's very story/social-oriented which means that it isn't everyone's cup of tea, especially more combat-oriented SMT fans. A niche within a niche, essentially.

Favorite character: Kanji. Funny dude. Nice character development.
Favorite Persona: Off the top of my head, Melchizedek. A flying robot/king/priest with awesome animations, Basically. Beelzebub comes second.
Favorite Arcana: Probably Devil. Not the social links, just the Personas/demons.

 

[balladbird]

Favourite character: Probably has to be Chie (original Chie that is, from the PS2 version) new Chie just ain't the same.

Aww, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who feels that way about original dub(!) Chie. XD I know all about how "you should never say 'am I the only one' about anything", but damned if it didn't feel like the entire internet universally reviled Tracey Rooney's performance,aside from myself. I never understood why. It was perfectly awkward and well intentioned. I couldn't have pictured the character sounding any different. XD Geez, I hadn't felt that alone since I realized I was an FF8 fan on an internet that wants the game to burn in a fire.


As to OP, glad ya like it! Igor's a bit of a complicated guy to explain, but someone above me did so splendidly. always glad to share the happiness with someone new.

 

[Exhuminator]

Hope this helped!

Yes it did, I appreciate your time and advice.

The only SMT game I've actually played (and finished and LOVED) has been Nocturne. I have no idea how Nocturne compares to P3 or P4 though.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

Favourite character: Probably has to be Chie (original Chie that is, from the PS2 version) new Chie just ain't the same.

Aww, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who feels that way about original dub(!) Chie. XD I know all about how "you should never say 'am I the only one' about anything", but damned if it didn't feel like the entire internet universally reviled Tracey Rooney's performance,aside from myself. I never understood why. It was perfectly awkward and well intentioned. I couldn't have pictured the character sounding any different. XD Geez, I hadn't felt that alone since I realized I was an FF8 fan on an internet that wants the game to burn in a fire.


As to OP, glad ya like it! Igor's a bit of a complicated guy to explain, but someone above me did so splendidly. always glad to share the happiness with someone new.

I also like old Chie and hate FF8.

I have grown to like new Chie though, which is fortunate since I'll probably never play the PS2 version of P4 again.

How do people feel about Teddie's VA change? I didn't even notice the difference.

 

[scorptatious]

Doesn't beat out Final Fantasy IX though for me, not by a long shot, FFIX is still my all time favorite game, gonna replay it soon.

Spoiler: As for Igor...

He is there to make sure you face the consequences of your actions and aids you in your journey, he is there to show you how to manifest the powers of your social links and the bonds you make.

He has appeared in every game in the Persona series, guiding the hero along and aiding them, he has a master named Philemon who is heavily implied to be watching over the protagonists (notice the blue butterfly?) He appears in Persona 1+2, but he has no major appearance in 3 or 4.

I don't blame you. FFIX is also great in it's own way.

Also a recurring character eh? For some reason, I find that really appealing. And I was wondering what the point of the butterfly was.

Favourite character: Probably has to be Chie (original Chie that is, from the PS2 version) new Chie just ain't the same.

I've never played the original, so I can't say anything about her original VA, but I do feel that the one for her in Golden fits her pretty well.

I love you.

I dunno why, but I've hugely taken to Yukiko. I appreciate Yosuke and Chie and Kanji (haven't gotten to Rise yet) for the whole banter between the group, and I enjoy the game as a whole a lot, not just for specific characters, but for some reason, Yukiko made me melt inside. I take hugely to characters and make strong emotional connections to them, and Yukiko has such a great combination of being cute, and not being annoying. I hear good things about Rise from other people, but I doubt she can dethrone Yukiko.

I WILL GET US TO LEVEL 9 AND THEN WE'LL BE TOGETHER FOREVER, YUKIKO ;~;

(Obviously my months-long break shows I'm not that crazy about all this, but still, Yukiko's by far the best romance option for me.)

(Also, I just realized I have talked way more about Yukiko than the game overall.)

Many feels were had during those private moments we had together. So. Many. Feels.

That's a remnant from Persona 3 where you had no option to control your team. Although the handful of weirdos who enjoyed the AI controlled party in P3 kind of got shafted in P4 due to the lack of AI options (there were quite a few more in P3).

I see. That makes sense. Thanks!

Another reason I love this game that I neglected to mention is the whole Persona/Shadow thing each of the characters has to deal with. For some reason, confronting your other self, accepting it as a part of you, and growing stronger from that experience speaks to me on a whole lot of levels. Between that and the Carl Jung lectures in the game's special features, it makes me think about how I should deal with myself and my own problems. It also kinda helps that I have somewhat of an interest in psychology.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

Hope this helped!

Yes it did, I appreciate your time and advice.

The only SMT game I've actually played (and finished and LOVED) has been Nocturne. I have no idea how Nocturne compares to P3 or P4 though.

For my money, Nocturne is not only the best SMT game, but the best JRPG ever made. Persona 3 and 4 are still fantastic, though, but very, very, very, very different.

And don't worry about needing to play Persona 1 and 2 first. Nocturne has a greater connection to the first two SMT games than Persona 3 and 4 have to do with the first two Personas. Which is to say, there basically isn't one.

If you do want to play em, though, I'd skip the first Persona and play the Persona 2 duology. The first game has aged poorly and wasn't great at release. The second one has a combat system that feels a little odd at first, but is quite fun once you're used to it and the story is the best in the series, imo. It's certainly the most epic in scope (which, given Persona 3's plot, is saying something).