When I was 12, I was not playing games most of the other kids were playing. The Nintendo 64 was not a great system for me; I found most of the games to be mediocre at best — with two exceptions. I still happily played games that were released on the Super Nintendo, and I occasionally broke out my old Sega Genesis. At that time, Atlus released its cult classic and spinoff of the Shin Megami Tensei series: Revelations: Persona. I have no idea if it is any good because I bought the original PlayStation system about two years after the release, and by that time, the game faded into obscurity. Thanks to the recent popularity of the latest two Persona games, Atlus decided to resurrect the series’ beginnings. Welcome to the world of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona. Is this 13-year-old game worth your time?
Persona follows a rag-tag group of high schoolers with you controlling the traditional silent protagonist. They all gather in a classroom one day to play a game named “Persona.” According to school legend, if the game is done properly, you supposedly meet your future self. Instead of the intended outcome, they encounter a scary little girl who renders them all unconscious. They quickly dismiss it as a dream and visit their sickly friend Maki at the hospital. It is there that everything is quickly turned upside down.
Just as they are about to leave the hospital, demons invade and transform the place into a dungeon. It is at this time the high schoolers access their personas to combat the malevolent beings. Apparently, all of this has to do with a wealthy corporate man creating a machine to create (or access) alternate realities. So now they have to find and kill him to return everything to normal. Of course, nothing is as simple as it seems.
When the story is compared to the other Persona games, it might seem a little stale. There isn’t anything that initially jumps out and grabs you. But it is still entertaining to watch the story play out once you get past the one hour mark. Just like other games in the genre, it wants to tell a fun story. But Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is not content to simply tell a good story. It is slowly digging deeper into the human psyche. The game alternates between different perspectives: first-person dungeon crawling, three-fourths tilted perspective for certain maps, and grid-based combat. There also is an area that is almost completely set up around a fellow student’s own messed up perceptions.
Furthermore, Persona revels in its “weirdness.” Sure, the latest Persona games (parts 3 and 4) could be considered just as weird; Persona 3 has the protagonists shooting themselves in the head, and the fourth installment has the cast running around inside a television. Instead, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona has an alternate reality inside another alternate reality: men who look like women and yet still identify as men, a young woman who dresses like a frog, and men who look like Japanese men of lore. This is a place that could exist in the Persona universe.
Gameplay is old-school inspired with some new-school embellishments. Your characters walk around the field in the three-fourths tilted screen. However, control is a little confusing as the up button sends them to the upper left, while the right button sends them to the upper right corner. It is also very stiff, moving them only one direction at a time. It takes time getting used to, but it is still highly playable. As you leave the room inside a building, the game switches to the first-person perspective. Like the dungeon crawlers of yore, there are tons of spaces to explore (even if the maps are grid-based) and monsters to fight. And thankfully, if you ever get lost, there is an automap to be summoned upon request.
Combat in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is an intriguing mix of traditional turn-based combat and grid-based tactical positioning. Each character has to occupy a square for combat. This influences the range of the characters’ weapons (even guns ... yes, guns) and certain skills. The same applies to enemies. If your characters are not close enough to the front lines, they cannot use melee weapons. And if they’re not in the proper positions, those melee weapons will not be put to good use. For example, Mark (who is the class clown) fights with an axe. He is best placed in the front lines as he can hit any enemy who occupies a square in an “E” shape.
Skills also have a specific range, ranging from any opponent to those nearby (best used in the front lines) to those that affect all enemies/allies. Thus, position is important. You have four slots to experiment with their placement. It is important to note that its practice is not as confusing as it sounds.
Personas are still used in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, though it is a bit simplified. Personas not only gain levels, but gain strength when used. The more frequently your characters use them, the quicker they rank (up to eight levels). Increasing rank allows the persona to use more potent skills. So instead of grinding endlessly for that elusive skill, you just need to use them more frequently. Another important part that needs mentioning is that all persona skills use the same amount of SP (spiritual power). So you need to figure out what skills are best used while avoiding meaningless uses of SP.
What is confusing and oh so rewarding in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is befriending enemy demons. What do you need them for? By negotiating with the demons, you can earn their spell card (and other items). This is done, so to speak, by getting them “eager” to join your cause. Other emotions, such happiness, anger and fear, have different effects. Sometimes you can earn it just by making them happy. Anyway, each demon has its own preferences to be wooed. Some need to be flattered, pontificated, invited, sung at, danced at or stared at. You name it, it might help your cause.
Once you gather that elusive spell card, you take it to the Velvet Room. Do you remember Igor? Unlike the other games in the series in which Igor starts everything off, Igor is more of third place for important characters. He is just there, but he is still highly important. His power is the same as in all the other games: He’ll fuse cards and transform them into new personas. He’ll guide you in your fusions (tell you the results out of all the cards available and their combinations), store your unneeded personas, and educate you about the process. There are three things that are different.
First, your allies are in the room with your avatar. (Remember how the protagonists’ friends all wonder where they go when they enter the room?) Now, you have to worry about finding personas that are compatible with your allies. Second, the game explains where the soothing and creepy vocal music comes from: There is a woman standing there belting it all out with her pianist. And third (and most important), there is no record of the personas created. Plus, you’ll have to do the research yourself as there is no in-game explanations.
Graphically, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is rather nice to look at. If you stare at screenshots of the original and compare them to the remake, I feel that the remake comes out on top. It is much more vibrant and refined. In other words, it looks cleaner. Battle actions, while they might be considered generic, all work. Each character has some sort of battle animation. But what is really cool about them is that some demons have their own unique animations. For example, some demons do their own unique hula of misfortune dance. It is one of the funniest things ever created. Personas also have their own unique movements. It’s a neat way to help give the underdog characters some personality.
Sound wise, everything is in its proper place. Sounds range from pop to rock and back again. Nothing is as catchy as some of the tunes in the other games. However, there are no sounds that feel out place as in some other games. It is just a nice soundtrack to listen to. It is important to note that there is voice acting, but it is rather limited to the few cutscenes and battle cries. There could have been more, but there is so much content I have a hard time imagining it all fitting on such a small disc.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is a strong traditional role-playing game. It may alienate its fans from Persona 3 and Persona 4 due to its old-school leanings. There is no time management, no major opportunities to befriend those from the school and no character personality stats to worry about. It’s just old-school dungeon crawling and exploration. And I like it. It scratches that old-school RPG itch that I get from time to time. If I let it, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona will suck me into its world and hold me there for a few hours. This is a bit dangerous when it gets close to time to go to work!
Hardcore RPG fans will greatly enjoy Shin Megami Tensei: Persona. Newer fans might have a bit of difficulty getting into it, but there are three different levels of difficulty. Ultimately, it provides an intriguing beginning of an intriguing series. Those who purchase Shin Megami Tensei: Persona in the store get one main advantage over those who buy it over PSN: the soundtrack on two CDs. For $40, that is one heck of a deal. So go check it out and learn about the various masks people wear.
