Summary
What setsPersona 3 Reloadand other games in the franchise from the rest of JRPGs is its social sim element. Players need to improve their relationships with other characters to get better stats from Persona Fusions, which involve sacrificing two Personas to create a more powerful one. This mechanic was called “Social Links,” but was changed to “Confidants” inPersona 5. Confidants offer the same benefits as Social Links but with additional rewards. EvenPersona 3 Reloadoffers such rewards for its improved Social Links, which only proves that the Confidant system is the way forward forPersona 6and future sequels.
Persona 3 Reload, released in February 2024, is a remake ofPersona 3, released in 2007. Its updated graphics, UI, and combat rival the latest game in the franchise in terms of chronology,Persona 5. The game also added new features adapted from definitive editions of the title and the sequels. One significant improvement it made over the original is the Social Link mechanic, which borrows heavily fromP5’s Confidants.
The Confidant system provides significantly more perks than outdated Social Links, like new abilities, access to more powerful items in the store, Shadow negotiation, craftable items, and even new side missions. Players can see the influence of Confidants inPersona 3 Reload’s Dorm Hangouts. The player can hang out with their chosen SEES member in two different locations.
If they spend time with that character three times in a single place they’ll gain a characteristic. Hanging out with the sameSEES memberthree times in another location will enhance their characteristic. The player character also gets other benefits like social stat boosts and consumables when improving their relationships. Here are the characteristics of only a few of the major characters:
The extra perks fromPersona 5’s Confidants andPersona 3 Reload’s Dorm Hangouts make the game more rewarding. This is because players get more than justPersona Fusionbonuses out of their social interaction efforts. EvenPersona 4had a similar Social Link system to Confidants, as ranking up a character’s Social Link added active and passive skills to their Persona.
Persona 6 Should Bring Back Active Skills if it Will Continue Using Confidants
If there’s anythingPersona 6could improve onPersona 5’s Confidants, it’s the return of active skills. Brand-new abilities that players can get exclusively from leveling up their Confidants could be crafted, for example. This way, players aren’t constrained by the skills they get from their Persona leveling up. Plus, getting an active skill just feels more tangible compared to passive ones, likeRyuji’s Follow Up attack, which only trigger by chance.
The social sim’s influence on combat has evolved with eachPersonasequel and Atlus and P-Studio continue to experiment on it with systems like Confidants andP3P’s Dorm Hangouts making relationships more vital to the player’s combat performance. This design direction only solidifies one ofPersona’soverarching messages: enhancing one’s relationships with others is a crucial part of understanding and improving oneself.
Persona 3 Reload
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into the shoes of a transfer student thrust into an unexpected fate when entering the hour “hidden” between one day and the next. Awaken an incredible power and chase the mysteries of the Dark Hour, fight for your friends, and leave a mark on their memories forever.Persona 3 Reload is a captivating reimagining of the genre-defining RPG, reborn for the modern era.Experience the pivotal game of the Persona series faithfully remade with cutting-edge graphics, modernized quality-of-life features, and signature stylish UI. Fully immerse yourself in an emotional, gripping journey with new scenes, character interactions, and additional voiceover. Choose how to meaningfully spend each day through various activities from exploring the Port Island to forging genuine bonds with beloved characters. Build and command your optimal team to take down otherworldly Shadows and climb closer to the truth.
