Summary
AlthoughPersona 3 Reloadis said to be a faithful remake of the originalPersona 3release, a handful of new features are included in this remake to help the game feel fresh and modern. Atlus has already confirmed thatPersona 3 Reloadwill feature improved combat mechanics and changes to Tartarus, such as removing the Fatigue mechanic that will help make the game more approachable. However, there are some additions to the game that might end up extending its length over that of the original, makingPersona 3 Reloadmore in line withPersona 3 FESin this regard.
Persona 3 FESwas releaseda year after the original title, taking the base experience fromPersona 3and adding various new features and content to enhance the original experience. Among this new content was an epilogue titled “The Answer” which featured a brand-new dungeon, a new party member, and the ability to control Aigis as the primary protagonist. The presence of The Answer extended the completion time forPersona 3 FESby a hefty 30 hours, making this epilogue feel like a full game on its own and resulting inPersona FESbeing one of the longest entries in the series.
Unfortunately, Atlus has confirmed thatPersona 3 Reloadwon’t feature The Answer epiloguefromPersona 3 FES, preventing this remake from being the definitive way to playPersona 3. The lack of this content has been somewhat controversial amongPersonafans, with some speculating that it could be released later as DLC forPersona 3 Reload. However, the other new additions toPersona 3 Reloadcould potentially make up for the lack of The Answer, and end up pushing the game’s total completion time to a length closer to that ofPersona 3 FESmore so than the originalPersona 3.
WhilePersona 3 Reloadwon’t feature new content as individually robust as The Answer, the variety of other additions might be enough to add up to something just as significant. One of the biggest changes from past releases that could extendPersona 3 Reload’s length is thefully-voiced Social Link rank-up scenes, which will help these scenes feel more immersive and make players less likely to skip through them. There will also be new side stories for certain characters called Link Episodes, which act as a separate mechanic from Social Links, but still feature new scenes and character dialogue.
Beyond the additional dialogue these new and improved scenes will bring,Persona 3 Reloadcould take longer to beat due to the plethora of new dorm life activities players can participate in. It seems like there will be more to do aroundIwatodai Dorm inPersona 3 Reload, with new activities like gardening, reading, and watching DVDs with other characters being available as ways to help players level up their social stats. While a lot of this content is optional, players who want to get the fullPersona 3 Reloadexperience and participate in these new activities could see their completion time increase.
