Please explain to me why Persona 3 is awesome

[dolgion]

I like RPGs more than other genres. So when I got a PSP recently, I was checking out the RPGs available on there, and sure enough, Persona 3 Portable comes up as one of the best regarded ones for the platform. I had never played a Persona game, or a SMT game for that matter.

I really enjoyed the PS1 Final Fantasies, but also some Bioware games. I thought Persona 3 must really be good, so I got it and gave it a shot.

But it I just didn't see why people love it so much. For one part, it just looks like a tedious high-school sim where you need to memorize tons of locations, talk to people that aren't very well thought-out in their personalities and go to the same goddamn dungeon to have (basically) tons of random battles. Now, I did see that the battle system might be really good, but everything else was just dragging me down, the dungeons with their bland and boring layout most of all. Where is that genius that people seem to see in the game? It looks like just another long, long grind to me, similar to Tales of the World Radiant Mythology for example...

 

[ServebotFrank]

Yeah the unfortunate thing about Persona 3 is that the story REALLY doesn't start getting good until the halfway point, but you'll be glad you stuck with it trust me. The ending is phenomenal. I cried it was that awesome.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

But...but...Social Link, go!
You are entitled to your opinion. You didn't like it? Fine by me. Personally, it is in my Top 5 games of all time.

 

[manaman]

Play it and decide for yourself. Seriously like it or don't like it based on your experiences. Why would you want someone else to decide for you?

It's a bit different is all. I know I liked it.

 

[deadguy]

It's a really *big* RPG with a lot to do. If you ask me, P4 is better, but that's just my opinion. If anything, the only thing that stopped me from finishing P3 was the difficulty (it beat me)

 

[TriggerHappyAngel]

Please explain to me why [insert random game that a lot of people like, but i don't] is awesome?

 

[Citizen Box]

-Snip-

Yeah, I can really see people not liking the Shin Megami Tensei series if you are not really into the social aspect. You are absolutely right, the dungeons are kind of samey and not very exciting and not being able to control your other 3 teammates in battle is really annoying also (I have Persona 3 FES on the PS2 not PSP so I am going of that experience).

But I do disagree on the whole "not very thought out characters" part, I think most characters are well written and believable. But, once again I see why people don't like it and have opposite opinion.

That being said, I am about done with the first part in FES i.e. the Journey I believe its called, and I haven't played it in months for some reason.

In my opinion, I really loved and preferred Persona 4 more than Persona 3 even though it still has lack luster dungeons and not as good as the 4th (for obvious reasons). I still really love it as I do enjoy the social aspect and the story, I can also tolerate the boring dungeon grind and I would still never get rid of any of my Shin Megami Tensei games.

 

[Taynas]

I agree with many of those above that you should form your own opinion. I will tell you though, that I liked it due to it removing/making better many of the things that were bumming me about about many RPGs. Yes it is the same dungeon but I appreciated how I could see the fights before I got into them, giving myself an advantage if I struck first and making it easy to avoid them once I was obviously more powerful then them. I hate random battles mostly for the fact that even when you are way more powerful you still have to fight them even though their is little reward in many games. I agree about the social link characters not being amazing or particularly creative in their personalities over all but since I have never played a high school sim before, I find the social links a novel and interesting way to make my main character more powerful.

 

[Rabid Toilet]

I will say that I liked the PS2 version a lot better than the PSP version, since you miss out on the cutscenes and The Answer, but it doesn't sound like that would change your mind.

The reason people like the game so much is because it has a phenomenal story. I regularly found myself going into boss battles significantly underleveled and unprepared because I'd skipped so much grinding to find out where the story would go next. And yet I'd bang my head against the bosses for hours because I had to find out the next piece of the plot.

It seems like you may not enjoy the social aspect of the game as much as other people do, and the not-quite-stellar gameplay isn't helping. Personally, I enjoyed the combat system a lot more than most other RPGs, and I love talking to the random NPCs and hanging out with my friends. This might just not be the game for you.

 

[lapan]

It's a decent game, but the massive grinding always makes me stop playing after a while. Not only do you have to grind levels, you also have to grind relationship stats and manage your daily relationship statuses which gets tedious after a while.

 

[GroovyV]

The story is nicely paced, and the characters, even the ones in the social links, trust me (us), grow on you, and it all culminates into a fun experience with a great ending.
And yes, the dungeon parts do kinda suck, and saying it's a grind is the textbook definition of TRUTH.

Honestly, being able to change the music to what you want, even if they made the songs, would definitely help, but yeah, lots of us agree that the grinding can get tedious after awhile.

You shouldn't base your love/hate of the game on the first parts though. It really kicks in once you hit the middle, and from there takes off.
I love this game, P3, P3:FES, P3, and P4. Even bought and kinda liked P1. Can't wait for P2, both of them.

 

[dolgion]

Alright, thanks everybody for the feedback.

I will give it another try and just skip a bunch of bread and butter fights to accelerate getting to the middle. I enjoy hard boss battles actually.

I did get the feeling at the beginning that there is a lot of story to be found in the game, I just wasn't sure if it would be any good because the characters seemed quite shallow and clicheed. But if you guys say it picks up in the middle, I'll try to get there