Shin Megami Tensei Persona 3
Developer/Publisher: Atlus
Reviewed Platform: PS2
Release Date: August 14th, 2007
Posted: April 1, 2008
While I have not played any of the previous games that this spin-off series has thus far sported, I can say that because of this particular one that may change very soon. Shin Megami Tensei Persona 3, or as some fans call it “Mega Ten,” is an engaging half-combat, half-role-play gaming experience that takes the player somewhere that they probably have yearned to be since they hit puberty: a Japanese high school. Not only is this game set in the most wonderful area filled with cute Asian girls in school uniforms, but it also flaunts said babes beating-up shadow baddies. Where does that go wrong, really?
A Japanese high school filled with cute Asian girls in uniforms.So there are monsters rampaging about in Japan? Not a very surprising plot base; anyone who has been out of a cave long enough to watch a single episode of anime could have seen this motif coming, along with the ultimately confusing first few hours of plot. As deterring as that was, I could barely put the game down for more than few hours at a time. Despite the obvious links to anime, the story picks up very quickly and keeps the player wanting more.
The main character, controlled by the player, starts off as just another thin, Japanese high school student beginning his third year, when all of a sudden, he finds himself in a strange second-dimension type hour that occurs everyday for some inevitably scary reason. During this time evil shadows roam about and it is your duty to defeat them using your Persona, which is kind of like a Pokemon that lives in your head. Oddly enough, to “call out” your power you effectively shoot yourself in the head with a gun-shaped object called an Evoker. Got to love it.
Combat itself is turn-based… sort of. More like mostly-uncontrolled 
Call out your inner Persona with the Evoker.turn-based. Not that it is inconvenient, the player just has no direct control over what the other party members do. The programming for them works efficiently well, minus the sucky parts when another character gets a much needed heal over yourself, thus resulting in your death and a game-over shortly thereafter. Otherwise, the party acts fairly smart and conservatively; there are Tactics options to allow the player some control. The first few times you visit Tartarus, the multi-tiered dungeon you traverse every other night, might tire your team out unexpectedly quickly; but soon after, you gain new party members that you can switch out as you please.
What the main character can and cannot do is determined by the array of Personas that the player carries around. While you cannot change your friends’ Personas, you may change yours at any time. The spell system is easy to learn, and any player will start owning face after a short time spent mastering the strengths and weaknesses of their enemies. Most team members’ Personas learn healing spells, but they are most useful out of battle and during the occasional boss fight so long as you start your battles right. An important “strategic” part of the game is combat initiation; this could be the difference between winning and hours of frustration. Surprising an enemy lands you Player Advantage; an extra round of hits before the enemy gets a turn. If an enemy surprises you, well… Having Player Advantage is so vital to the point of running away from any battle that has Enemy Advantage to rescue yourself from
Any player will start owning face after a short time spent mastering the strengths and weaknesses of their enemies. restarting from the previous save point.
While you are never forced between plot-filled full moons to attend night sessions at Tartarus, denying every opportunity is a sure-fired way to make plot points extremely difficult. I found Elizabeth’s, the friendly quest-giving demon lady behind the mysterious door, requests’ deadlines to be a good timeline to follow leveling with. Despite the fighting sometimes feeling a little like an endless stream of the same-old shadows, as long as you dodge enough of the cheap insta-kill spells, it will be a fun-filled time. There are many little quirks including rare monsters and chests, unexpected party split-ups, and even Death himself to keep you on your toes during the multitude of quest objectives. While the system recommends that the party be separated to encourage experience accumulation, this is more of an easy way to kill off your party members. Gaining Player Advantage and exposing your enemies’ weaknesses will award you more experience in the long run.
The balance between combat and non-combat play makes this game’s experience a unique one. There is no pressure to battle when all you want to do is take your girlfriend out after school, but when you return to the dorm after not getting any you can be sure that the shadow-filled dungeon of Tartarus will be awaiting you and your team. A key part of the game play is that the two worlds of combat and non-combat are not at all entirely separate. Your fusing of Personas is strengthened through your interactions with other kids at school, your fellow SEES members, and various individuals outside of school. When you fuse Personas, which 
Your fusing of Personas is strengthened through your interactions in the real world.you will do quite a lot of as you progress through Tartarus, they will be granted generous amounts of experience depending on these Social Links.
Outside of the combat world, the game play is strangely similar to that of True Love, an older Japanese hentai game. Of course you have to go to school, but you can choose to sleep through classes, become a popular promiscuous boy, or even the best member of the Kendo team. Every choice in the game has some effect on a non-player character and can change how you and your Personas grow. However, it is disappointing to find out that the teams and clubs the main character is allowed to join are no different from one another and create no difference in the overall plot of the game. Upon each completion of the game, you may choose to befriend different individuals on the next play-around, but this will change only the side stories that you get to experience.
“Mega Ten” is for anime-lovers and turn-based role-play gamers alike. A casual gamer who only picks up the controller every once in awhile will enjoy this gaming experience just as much as someone who puts in countless hours. There is as little and as much to get involved with as the player wishes to.
TLDR: A fun, anime-inspired role-playing game with Japanese schoolgirls awaits the plot-driven player who wants to kick some shadow ass.
