Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
by Atlus

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
List Price: $39.99
Category: Video Games
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Product Summary

Brand: Atlus
Audio: English (Unknown)
Published: 2008-12
Release Date: 2008-12-09
Platform: PlayStation2
Model: PS-53030-4
Publisher: Atlus
Product features:
  • Every copy of Persona 4 is a special two-disc set including the game and a soundtrack CD featuring music from acclaimed composer Shoji Meguro
  • Contains a sountrack CD featuring selected music from Persona 4
  • unprecedented team control with emphasis on developing bonds in the fight to solve mysterious murders
  • 60 plus hours of gameplay
  • Manage and integrate your activities withing each day to determine your progress
Accessories:

Video Game Reviews of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4

Customer Review: Interesting
Summary: 3 Stars

I have actually never played anyone of the Persona games before and this was my first entry based on the great reviews. While the game is fun at best I would not say that it is great.

The premise of the game is basically a dungeon crawler with basic simulation. It is a dungeon crawler because you have to traverse 7 dungeons moving from room to room and floor to floor until you reach the boss at end floor. It incorporates simple simulation by allowing you to choose what you would like to do during your time after school, in the evening, and on your days off. Your activities during these times will gain you extra experiences towards your status and your relationship with your friends. Your time in the dungeons allow you to level up your characters persona providing new abilities.

The game of course is not as simple as it sounds. The way you battle in the game is through your persona, your avatar in a way, and is a representation of your inner feeling, soul, strength and what not. Each of your party member has a specific persona that is non changeable, the main character is the only one with changeable personas. In order to gain more personas for the main character you would have to either collect persona cards, or combine different personas together. You collect cards from battling creatures and you receive better personas from combining the cards.

Then there is your attributes list such as your intellect, courage, and expression. There are five in all to level up by working part-time jobs. The higher the level in each category the better the job will be. Your friends, colleagues, and personas are connected to a tarot card insignia such as the tower, the chariot, the death etc. and by spending time with them you level up your relationship within the categories. The higher your level the more bonus you receive and better persona to merge. It sounds daunting and intimidating but it is every simple and addicting.

Spending time with your friends, collecting new personas, and participating in school activities and part-time jobs makes persona 4 extremely addicting and fun. In fact, the simulation part reminds me of Harvest Moon and I find Harvest Moon ingeniously addicting.

All else the game is pretty mediocre. The graphics are basic, the voice overs are okay, the story is very Japanese centric, there are no random battles, and the game is extremely repetitive. It is fun to try out at best but I would not compare this to the likes of Final Fantasy X, Dragon Quest VIII, or even Suikoden III. A nice deviation of your time.

Description of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 is a console role-playing game (RPG) for Sony's PlayStation 2. Chronologically the sixth installment in the Persona series, Persona 4 is a suspenseful countryside murder mystery with multiple twists and turns in the plot that will have you guessing all the way to the end.



Chronologically the sixth installment in the Persona series, Persona 4 is a suspenseful murder mystery. View larger.


The silent male protagonist wields a two-handed sword weapon. View larger.


Using Mayonaka TV, you can phase into the television set and enter a shadowy world. View larger.


game play and style are similar to Persona 3, but there are plenty of new twists and additions. View larger.
Myth and Occult Mixed with Contemporary Japan
Megami Tensei was originally based on the novel series Digital Devil Story by Aya Nishitani. A major franchise in the RPG genre, MegaTen games take place in the contemporary or near-future Japan, mixing occult and cyberpunk elements. The games feature mythological references from multiple mythologies, and the player is often asked to make moral or philosophical choices that affect the game's storyline and ending.

The silent male protagonist who represents the player in Persona 4 attends Yasogami High School with Chie, Yosuke, and Yukiko. His entire personality and name is decided and portrayed by the player's in-game actions and decisions. He wields two-handed sword type weapons, but unlike Persona 3, he doesn't use alternative weapons.

Mysterious Murders Abound
Persona 4 takes place in a rural town named Inaba where mysterious murders occur whenever there is fog after heavy rain. The town has a television channel that airs only at midnight called Mayonaka TV, during which it is said that one can see their "other half" while staring at the screen. After hearing about a recent unsolved murder, some characters realize that they had witnessed the murder victim while watching Mayonaka TV.

The protagonist discovers that during midnight when the channel is on, his body can phase into his television set, using the set as a gateway to another world infested with shadows. Mayonaka TV and the town murders seem so connected that it's possible that the victims may in fact victims of Mayonaka TV itself. The characters decide to solve the mysterious murders by exploring the hidden world of Mayonaka TV.

Brand-New Yet Familiar game play
Persona 4's game play and style are similar to the popular Persona 3. Players familiar with Persona 3 will quickly recognize the social links and dungeon crawling game play, as well as the engine itself. The battles also have some similarities, such as the One More system, All-out attack, and the AI controlled support characters.

However, unlike Persona 3, characters can be set to take commands from the player, new glasses allow characters to see through the heavy mist inside Mayonaka TV, and tarot cards can be shattered to summon the characters' respective Persona. Other changes include an increase in player stats from three to five, and the removal of health status, allowing players to explore dungeons continuously.

Let the Action Begin
Battle-wise, Persona 4 lets you directly control the actions of other party members and continually exploit an enemy's weakness. Post-battle card shuffles have added Arcana Chance, which bring you good or bad status depending on the Arcana. Battles now occur after school instead of at midnight, like in Persona 3, giving the player less time in which to do social activities. This turns out to be significant because Social Links now have a greater effect on battle.

At higher levels, the player's allies progress from occasionally protecting the protagonist from a deathblow, through occasionally offering follow-up attacks, to eventually allow the persona of the corresponding ally to evolve into another persona. And persona can retain or even lose weaknesses and can be immune to certain kind of magic attacks. All allies who have their corresponding Social Link levels maxed out now have a chance to survive an otherwise fatal attack, leaving them with one remaining HP.

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