Persona 4 for PlayStation 2 Reviews by Gamers

Persona 4 is the fourth installment of the Persona series and is apart of the Shin Megami Tensei series as a whole. In the game, you play as the main protagonist (who you name) who has just moved from the big city to live with his uncle and cousin in Inaba for a year. After meeting some new companions in school, strange murders start happening in the rural town. At the same time, you hear rumors about a Midnight Channel, which only plays at midnight on a rainy night and they say the person who appears on there, is your true love. To make a long story short, you find out someone is kidnapping people and then throwing them into the TV and you and your friends are the only ones who can stop it.

Persona 4 mixes simulation with RPG to make a match made in heaven. To make stronger monsters, (Personas) you have to increase your Social Links and you do that by hanging out with your friends. When you're not hanging with your friends, you'll be fighting or doing part time jobs making money. You also have five different attributes which you get up and some unlock different dialogue options in the main story and they have other perks as well.

The gameplay is turn based combat, much like Persona 3. This time around, you can control party members, which doesn't make the game easier. If you played 3, you know that the SMT series doesn't play around when it comes to difficulty. Some of the earlier boss battles will take a lot of your time, so don't expect to beat them in one try.

The only bad thing about this game is the absent of fusion spells from Persona 3, which helped in the latter of the game. Other than that, Persona 4 is a perfect RPG that can hang with the next-gen RPGs. It should take you 60-80 to beat the game on Normal, but a second playthrough is a must for anyone who wants an extra boss fight. You really can't go wrong if you decide to play this game. It has beautiful graphics, lovable characters, and a story that has all it's twists and turns. Buy this if you can.

This is quite possibly the best RPG out there right now. There's something very addictive about the game that makes you keep saying "one more day." Before you know it, you've been playing for an extra couple of hours.

This game improved upon many of the shortcomings of the last Persona. Particularly the ability to control your party as well as increasing the main character's survivability (thus reducing unlucky game over's).

This is a game that I think any RPG fan with at PS2 or backwards compatible PS3 should play.

What can I say about this game that hasn't already been said? It is an amazing piece of work. Definitely the best RPG on the PS2...I would go so far as to say one of the best RPG's ever made. In addition to being a dungeon crawling RPG, it is a dating sim and a murder mystery story. The way that it integrates the Social Link system with the development of your personas is flawless. It also does not get as repetitive and long-winded as Persona 3 (also a great game). The storyline, characters and voice-acting is top notch. The music isn't quite my type of thing, but I do appreciate it as it fits well and sets the tone of the game.
This game is a must-have for any RPG fan!

so yea this game is a ten it has a great story all the characters are likable and it plays great not a single flaw with it

p4 is an absolute masterpiece hough the first hours of the game seem to drag on a bit as the game trys to personify the characters and the plot after that the game completely opens up to you you can do so many things absolutly mind boggling from getting a job to going out on a date all these activites help your character develop either through social interaction (whic power up persona) or through regular activites as answering a question in class nothing is tacked on. though as the game progreses the game does pick up difficulty if not properly leveled your party will be beaten in a matter of moments and it dosent help that each time you exit a dungeon and reenter the duengeon layout changes its a minor gripe but it dds more variety to the gameplay overall persona 4 is a well crafted game with a nice murder mystery story and the same melanchly mood persona games are known for in short the game is awesome

you just move in a small town you think you will have a normal life.meat a bossy teacher that says your stupid every five seconds.everything gets stranger on your second day of school it starts when there is a announcement saying not to leave the school until everything is alright.other then that this game might be one of the best rpgs ever the graphics and storyline is realy good.this game has a number of surprises in store for you

While many gamers flock primarily to Final Fantasy for RPG needs, I've always found that series to be in some ways unappealing. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Kingdom Hearts, but there are so many FF like RPG's that the basic concepts in them have become stale to me.

Enter the surprise of a revamped Persona series on the PS2. Both Persona 3 and 4 differ from conventional JRPG's in that they take place in modern day Japan. Not only that, but the characters in the Shin Megami Tensei series (of which Persona is a spin-off) are usually high school students who employ their inner personalities (Persona) to fight demonic threats. Pretty original eh?

In addition, combat actually involves strategy and is more rewarding than repetitive. (Now if only they brought back the talk option from Persona 1...). The stories are more dark and in some ways down to earth than dramatic and fanciful, with Persona 4's cast of characters more easy to relate to normal kids. The story and characters in both games are great, though I have to give the nod to Persona 4's characters. Of course, Atlus' stellar translation deserves kudos here.

For those who have played Persona 3, you are thankfully allowed control over all of your characters in 4. The music in some ways is also better than in 3, and the Social Links system is basically the same but still as addicting as ever.

Quite possibly my favorite RPG on PS2. If you like RPG's but want something different, give this a try. You'll probably love it.

At the title screen I realized this was already going to be a good game, as Atlus is the maker. In playing I found the story sucks you in with mystery and a unique date-sim / turn based strategy combination. I haven't rented a PS2 game in what 3 years, since the PS3 came out, but this is surely worth your time if you like something different. Moreover, a Google search reveals part 5 in production for the PS3, so warm-up with this one!

In truth while Persona 3 intrigued me, Persona 4 is rocking the house. The music is better, the sidekicks less annoying (the human ones at least), the voice acting has greatly improved (though they either are reusing one girl too much or she's rubbing off on the other actresses), and decent even realistic situations arise - like someone desperately needing to go to the bathroom just when things get way weird and interesting.
Subtitles are not available, however, at all times. I think this is a disservice to deaf folks.
Gone are the guns! Due to my being from Texas and my casual disregard for kids who maim themselves copying video games, this initially did not register too high on my "Care-o-meter". But I know it bothered some people. Like Penny Arcade who did their comic "I Know A Guy" from Aug 8th 2007.
We've just begun on this game but my roommate went ahead and bought it straight up.
While you sadly do not get a book of artwork with it this time, you do get another disk containing the 24 song soundtrack. I have already uploaded this info via windows media player so when you pop yours in, the titles should should up fine now. Sorry about the lack of album art - wouldn't let me paste it.
This game is every bit as good as the last and even better. It even has more of a horror aspect I feel.
Down side: WAY TOO MUCH TALKING. Honestly. Story is good, exposition is needed, but rehashing and whining get a tad out of hand on this in the beginning. An entire hour can go by with the main character being asked only 2 things and making one decision.

This is a definite recommended BUY.

First off, I had played many Japanese Role Play Games and Strategic Role Play Games as well. I was not prepared for this. I had played the first Persona back on the Playstation One and missed Persona 2 and 3. I had never thought this game would exceed my expectations in every way.

The game's presentation would just blow you away. The visuals, sound, music, design, gameplay and mechanics all hit the mark. The voice over is done outstandingly well. The actors gave it their all and convinced me that the characters are alive. This is a PS2 title that can give the next generation market a run for its money. The experience would just blow you away.

The story is a plot you as the main character in this quest to solve a bizarre murder mystery. The story is just draws the characters together. The more time you choose to spend with each character, you create a bond that will aid you through the story. The characters are the heart of this game, no doubt about it.

I recommend you dust off your PS2 and give her another go with this game in the drive.

I played SMT Persona 3: FES before this one. There are quite a few changes, but I would defintely recommend this one. It is just another Shin Megami Tensei series success from Atlus.

Believe it or not, this is actually the 6th Installment of the SMT Persona series. I would at least recommend playing Persona 3 before this, that way you get a general feel for it. I think it really helped me.

Now, why do I think this should of been the #1 RPG of 2008? Because it simply is the best I have played. The setting is easier for High School & College Students to understand, even though you've probably never been to Japan.

Just Give It a Try, You Just Might Like It!

If you are playing this game you've more than likely played persona 3 and understand the turn based system and the s-links. In persona 4 all the menus have been streamlined and made more functional. No more flipping though pointless pages of useless info then going in to a dungeon to equip a new weapon. You also have WAY more control over your teammates down to controlling them directly in battle. The story is a lot better in this game too. All the characters are more like real people than persona 3. You care about people (or hate them) in this game. Some of the social events are not as good in persona 4 compared to persona 3. The best new thing in this game is that there are WAY more save points than in persona 3. The school, market, base dungeon, boss floor, and your house all have them, and once you leave a dungeon, next time you go in you start on that floor. This game also adds some new persona's and more than 8 new dungeons. If you even are remotely interested in this game you should get it. Give it 1 hour and you'll love it. I promise you will.

Best RPG i have played, very fun, and upgrade from P3 which i thought was as good as it was going to get on the ps2 but i was proved wrong. so if you played p3 you need to play this i own this and p3 fes very good j rpgs. Just hoping the atlus gets some money of some sort backing them so we can see p5 on the ps3 that will be something to see a beautiful rpg that is also fun on the ps3? the rpg market is dry on the ps3 so i think this was worth the rent and definately the buy in my case being an rpg fan.

persona 4 is one of the best games ive ever played.Itstarts off very slow and takes forever to start doing any fighting but once you start playing its amazing.most of the characters are allmost the same as on persona 3 and act a like too but even knowing that its still great.and if you beat this game and dont shed a tear your crazy...

I you are an RPG gamer, you have to try this game. I never played the Persona games prior to playing this game, but this game makes me want to rent all the previous tittles!

The best part about the game is how the characters interact with each other and how the game makes you feel as if you were part of the story. It is a must try for RPG gamers. Good job to the developers!

I just recieved this game two days ago and have logged eighteen hours of playing time and have only saved one person. I will warn you though that you have two and a half hours, at least, of introduction stuff before you get free will. Not tutorials, actually there's no tutorials. It's just the story setting itself up, but get through it and you will understand.
The fighting is turn-based, but it's quick and won't get on your nerves. This game brings back the leveling aspect of RPG's, but you don't have to if you can strategize.
I like to leave games for people to experience for themselves so I won't say anymore definately get this game.

Well I havnt tried any of the games in the series except part one and I only played like 5 mins of that game and at the time there were better choices out there. Now I picked this game up mainly due to all the awesome reviews on it.....my god....this game is amazing! I mean every bit of it is soo fun. It really feels like your the characters and its real life.. the kind of real life that any rpg lover dreams of. Being the characters you play. Trust me you will love this game. dont even listen to that guy who gave it a one. Just like every other review thatwas given the game is slower in the first hour. because it sets you up for the story. Im sure if he would have playedit for 2 hours he wouldnt have given a one...he or she that is. GET THIS GAME...well Im choosing the keep it option soooo now you gotta wait longer!

That is what this game makes me think of.
SO emo, but not in a grating, I-want-to-slap-you-for-being-so-whiny way. The characters have issues, like everyone in High School, but actually face what's wrong, and work through it. Just nice storytelling, all of it. Nothing seems like it works out "clean" or in the Sitcom-esque half-hour feeling, either.
The main character is WA-AY more powerful than the rest of the troop, but that seems to be the way these games work. I kinda like being able to concentrate on just one dude's overly-complicated leveling progression. The Shadow Hearts (also from Atlus) games have EVERYONE use an oddball, multiple stat-system level setup. --Which was just to make fun of other games like that, but still, it's a bit much.

The Good:
-Great Characters. I really like every one of them, even the supporting cast. I actually feel sorry for little Nanako-chan. Kid's got the weight of the world on her shoulders.
-Great voice-acting. Everybody knows about the quality work the team does.
-Cool music. I enjoy it.
-Beatdown-cloud mechanic. Makes the "peon" battles fun!

The Bad:
-Not for Completionists. There is no "100% completion" in this game (except, maybe for the Persona catalog). You gotta make choices. I don't mind, but some might.
-Teddie overstates the obvious in battle. Yeah, I just SAW Chie get whacked, you don't need to yell at me about it!
-Limiting when I want it Open. It really -really- eases you into the game. You can't do jack unless it lets you. I get it, at the beginning, because you NEED to do certain things, first, but it seems to last too long, until you have freedom.

The Ugly:
-Not really Ugly, but odd. If the Main Character falls in battle, even if everyone else is at 100%, game over. A bit, I dunno, egotistical. Why can't they survive without him, at least to escape? He ain't THAT great...
-The Homeroom teacher, Mr. Morooka. Ech. Lawsuit waiting to happen, that one.

WOW persona 4 is sooooooo addicting. I absolutely could not put it down. I spent almost 2 weeks straight playing and re-playing this game.

Ok first off the RPG element was very good. You can spend time working on various attributes (courage, expression, knowledge, etc) and the level of those attributes determine what you can say or do. Another thing you can control is your social links. The more you hang out with people the closer you become and the more exp. you can bestow upon certain personas. Another thing I liked about this game is after you beat it you can replay it with all the attributes and personas you have accumulated. So if at the beginning of the game you don’t have the stats necessary to do a few things you can replay with maxed out stats and do things you couldn’t the 1st time through.

The personas themselves can vary to. To create a new persona you must fuse together 2 or more personas already in your possession. Each persona has set abilities but when fusing the new persona can inherit certain abilities. What persona you want, what that personas abilities are, and other thing (such level and different weaknesses) all depend on the decisions you make.

There were some minor drawbacks but nothing that bad. The game could seriously use some more save points because once the main character dies its game over. This can prove very annoying because no matter the status of the other member in the party once you die its over (unless you have the game set to beginner. Then you have 10 chances to continue). The beginning of the game starts of very slow and it may take a few hours before you really get to the heart of the game.

Over all this was a great game and I am absolutely hitting keep it.

If anyone reading this has played Persona 3, you know what's in store. I can't say anything about this game is very different than that except that this is a more polished and improved version of that. The social interactions are much more abundant and varied. You can even gain relationship-points with more than one person at a time. Combat continues to be the same, except for in this installment you can control each character which for the most part makes things much easier.

For those not familiar I will try to make some quick-sense of this game.

You are a not-so-average Japanese Student in highschool. You also have the power to summon Personas, consider these a living/fighting avatar made out of aspects of your personality and your bonds with others. When you are not fighting, shopping, questing, or building up your personality stats (Courage, Knowledge, Understanding, Diligence and Expression) You are working on your relationships with other people. This is done very well. These people have real-life issues, faults and strengths. Much like real life these interactions can be funny, touching, or sad. The highschool social life features real life issues, such as a boy who is confused about his sexual orientation and another about his sexual identity. There is a stuck-up, pretty, rich-girl who used to be ugly and a teen celebrity that doesn't know her real self for more extreme examples. Still your life is not confined to school, you can pick up a part-time job and meet people through those. If you work in the hospital you will meet a 30ish lady who likes to flirt with young boys. On the riverbanks you can meet a nice old lady who has an interesting past.

There is a place called the Velvet room where you can combine and morph your Peronsas. In this game you can even build a relationship with its attendant. This game is nothing new for the Persona universe but it is still incredibly unique. Any RPG lover would be sinning not to give it a try

it is sad that the only good games for the ps3 are ps2 games... but at least there is still good old fashioned turn based rpgs like this! now if only they could upgrade the series to the ps3 ..then the ps3 would be worth having.

As always with the Persona games, the fantastic story carries the game, even when the other elements become old hat. Starting with the first Persona for the original Playstation (which I still have), it has been the story and the mystery which elevates the game above the norm.
That being said, if you have played the other 3 Persona games, you will not find much new in the gameplay, and you may become bored with the repetition of fusing personas and battling your way through mazes. The gameplay is still fun, but, for veterans it will be instantly familiar.

My save file reads 2 hrs and 16 min. So far I have never been in complete control of my character. Not a single real battle. The story is developing very slowly. I'm not going to give this game a bad rating because I really haven't gotten to far into it. It just develops much more slowly than most games.

Before you start coming at me with it being a JRPG and you have to be a fan of them and such I'll have you know Final Fantasy X and Dragon Quest VIII were my favorite games on PS2. So that goes out the window.

Its just the lack of control and way too much meaningless dialogue that really brings this game down for me, the story seems like it will go somwhere very interesting, but I just don't think I have the patience to wait for it to take off. I think this game is more of a social sim than it is a rpg.

Give it a shot if you're hardcore into JRPGs and are patient and love a good story. If you don't have much patience, or you don't give a hoot about story, then skip this title.

For years I've heard whispers of the Persona series and of SMT games in general, and for the most part, what I heard was very positive. Not to mention the fact that, last I checked, Persona 4 was one of the top-rated PS2 games on Gamefly.

I knew going into it that P4 would be fairly typical JRPG fare, to which I am no stranger, so I made sure I first popped the game in on a night when I had at least the typical hour or two it takes to get through the "prologue" or "introduction", if you will, of the game.

The intro movie played, featuring an upbeat JPOP tune, as what looked like scenes taken straight out of <generic-japanese-high-school-themed-anime#10001> showcased what I assumed to be the game's main characters.

Once I actually got into the game, the prologue began. I entered my name when prompted, and hit X a whole lot. The story is nothing groundbreaking. You're a transfer student, coming from the big city to a small town, and of course this is a huge deal for some reason. You are living with your mother's brother and his daughter, etc. This goes on and on and the game starts to flesh itself out as more of a japanese high-school life-sim than an RPG.

Then it was over 2 hours later, and I still hadn't really gotten a chance to play the game. Already bored to tears with the cliche teen melodrama, I waited patiently for the game to let me run free.

It didn't.

When I finally got to play the game, meaning, dungeon crawling through bland hallways, I hardly wanted to anymore. The repetitive, boring and easy battles (on expert) did not help. You will fight the same monsters in consecutive battles. Find the monster's weakness once, and you can cheese almost any future encounter with it. Yawn. Plus, who really wants to hear the first 10-15 seconds of the same JPOP song every, single, fight? Not I, sir.

This game went back in its packaging that very same night. I wanted nothing more to do with it. You really need to be a fan of anime/SMT games to enjoy this game.