Persona 4: Golden (PlayStation Vita)
User Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): November 20, 2012
- Release Date (JP): June 14, 2012
- Publisher: Atlus
- Genres: JRPG
Game Features:
Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative
Review Approach:
After buying a Vita, I obviously needed some games to play on it. As soon as I picked this game up, I was entranced by it, and it quickly became one of my favorites.
Persona 4: Golden takes an already great RPG and makes it leagues better. With added features, improved gameplay, and a slew of other new things, you'll be in for a great ride. Let’s take a moment to see why people hail this as one of the Vita’s greatest titles.
Story: A Supernatural Murder Mystery
Next stop; Yasoinaba Station. You will be taking the role of a 2nd year highschool transfer student named Yu Narukami, who’s going to be spending a year in Inaba, a boring, dreary town in fictional Japan. Worry not, though, you'll be thrust into adventure soon enough. Only a few days after the protagonist’s arrival, people start turning up dead, strung upside-down from TV antennas. Creepy.
Things start to get weird when rumors start flying about a weird television show that only appears at midnight. If you stare into your TV screen at the aforementioned time, you'll see your soulmate. With nothing better to do, our hero tries it out one night, and lo and behold, someone appears on his screen. He curiously reaches out to the television, only to be nearly pulled inside it by an odd force. Come to find out, Yu has the power to enter the “TV World”, a strange place full of hostile enemies called “Shadows”. It’s now up to Yu, and the friends he gains along the way, to solve this weird murder case and find the truth behind the Midnight Channel.
While the story of Persona 4: Golden has a few pacing issues at certain points, it’s a well written tale that’s got a lot of depth to it. The characters are also very solid and likeable, it’s very easy to get invested in the game, just through the characters alone.
Gameplay: So much to do, and only a year to do it all!
There is a LOT to do in this game, luckily, you've got time to fit it into your schedule. Each ingame day is split into two portions, Daytime/Afterschool and Evening. A good amount of your days will be spent at Yasoinaba High School. Fortunately, the school offers plenty of things to do. You can spend your after school time in a few different clubs; drama, music, or sports teams. What are the point of these clubs? Social Links, of course. A crucial part of the Persona Series’ gameplay.
You gain Social Links by spending your time with and befriending many of the available characters throughout the game. The Social Links are portrayed in a visual novel-esque style. Spending enough time with a character will cause their Social Link to “Rank Up”, which gives power bonuses in another crucial part of the game; fusing Personae.
Personae are obtained after battles through a bonus game called “Shuffle Time”. Multiple Personae can be fused together to create a stronger demon, along with being able to pass down attacks and elemental weaknesses/resistances. If you've never played a Persona game before, think of it as being slightly like Pokemon, what with the monsters and elemental attacks. The fusion process has also been vastly improved since past entries, and is much more approachable to newcomers of the series.
The game offers 9 unique dungeons to explore, each containing randomized floors. At the top of the dungeons, a boss awaits you. The player is given a certain amount of time to traverse to the top and complete the dungeon. Once you beat the boss, the story will progress onwards.
Persona 4: Golden manages to mesh together all of these different gameplay elements in such an great way. The game offers about 50 hours of gameplay start to finish, all of it enjoyable.
Added Features: It's not just a port
Persona 4: Golden is an enhanced version of the PS2 original. Many things have been changed, some for the better. Additions such as better Persona fusion, character movepool balancing, replaced voice casts, and a few online features, as well as a new character that's exclusive to P4G; Marie. If that wasn't enough, you even get new events that expand the amount of gameplay.
The new fusing mechanics and moveset changes are very welcome additions, adding more usability to playable characters. The few roles that were replaced by new voice actors is something more of an opinionated change. The online features were something I never needed to use, but nice to have nonetheless. It's mostly a rescue system if you fall in battle, where you can get friends online to rescue you. The new events and Marie are great changes though. There's a brand new dungeon, and at least two extra ingame months of gameplay added in, making Persona 4: Golden more of an expansion, rather than a port.
Visuals: What a view!
This game KNOWS it's a Vita game. The original PS2 version was already colorful, but P4G takes this up to eleven. It takes great advantage over the Playstation Vita's OLED screen, creating visuals that are exceptionally eye-catching. Character portraits and scenery pop, giving the game a unique visual style.
Sound: It's golden~
The soundtrack, oh, the soundtrack. The Persona series is known for it's catchy tunes, and Persona 4: Golden delivers. Most of the songs are reused from the original Persona 4, but that doesn't mean they aren't as awesome as they were in 2008. The music goes perfectly with the game, with upbeat J-pop music as battle themes, and other great mood-setting pieces. Most likely, you'll be singing along to the music, long after you've turned the game off.
The game also has voiced lines for a lot of the dialogue. There's only an English option, so there's no choice if you want the Japanese voice cast. You shouldn't want to change it though, as the English voice actors do a superb job with their roles. Granted, some characters might sound a little grating at times, but I think each voice fits with their respective character.
Final Thoughts:
Persona 4: Golden is a must-have for Vita owners. It's the pinnacle of JRPGs, and one of the best experiences you can get from a game. If you're looking to get into the Shin Megami Tensei Series, or even JRPG's as a whole, start here.
Next stop; Yasoinaba Station. You will be taking the role of a 2nd year highschool transfer student named Yu Narukami, who’s going to be spending a year in Inaba, a boring, dreary town in fictional Japan. Worry not, though, you'll be thrust into adventure soon enough. Only a few days after the protagonist’s arrival, people start turning up dead, strung upside-down from TV antennas. Creepy.
Things start to get weird when rumors start flying about a weird television show that only appears at midnight. If you stare into your TV screen at the aforementioned time, you'll see your soulmate. With nothing better to do, our hero tries it out one night, and lo and behold, someone appears on his screen. He curiously reaches out to the television, only to be nearly pulled inside it by an odd force. Come to find out, Yu has the power to enter the “TV World”, a strange place full of hostile enemies called “Shadows”. It’s now up to Yu, and the friends he gains along the way, to solve this weird murder case and find the truth behind the Midnight Channel.
While the story of Persona 4: Golden has a few pacing issues at certain points, it’s a well written tale that’s got a lot of depth to it. The characters are also very solid and likeable, it’s very easy to get invested in the game, just through the characters alone.
Gameplay: So much to do, and only a year to do it all!
There is a LOT to do in this game, luckily, you've got time to fit it into your schedule. Each ingame day is split into two portions, Daytime/Afterschool and Evening. A good amount of your days will be spent at Yasoinaba High School. Fortunately, the school offers plenty of things to do. You can spend your after school time in a few different clubs; drama, music, or sports teams. What are the point of these clubs? Social Links, of course. A crucial part of the Persona Series’ gameplay.
You gain Social Links by spending your time with and befriending many of the available characters throughout the game. The Social Links are portrayed in a visual novel-esque style. Spending enough time with a character will cause their Social Link to “Rank Up”, which gives power bonuses in another crucial part of the game; fusing Personae.
Personae are obtained after battles through a bonus game called “Shuffle Time”. Multiple Personae can be fused together to create a stronger demon, along with being able to pass down attacks and elemental weaknesses/resistances. If you've never played a Persona game before, think of it as being slightly like Pokemon, what with the monsters and elemental attacks. The fusion process has also been vastly improved since past entries, and is much more approachable to newcomers of the series.
The game offers 9 unique dungeons to explore, each containing randomized floors. At the top of the dungeons, a boss awaits you. The player is given a certain amount of time to traverse to the top and complete the dungeon. Once you beat the boss, the story will progress onwards.
Persona 4: Golden manages to mesh together all of these different gameplay elements in such an great way. The game offers about 50 hours of gameplay start to finish, all of it enjoyable.
Added Features: It's not just a port
Persona 4: Golden is an enhanced version of the PS2 original. Many things have been changed, some for the better. Additions such as better Persona fusion, character movepool balancing, replaced voice casts, and a few online features, as well as a new character that's exclusive to P4G; Marie. If that wasn't enough, you even get new events that expand the amount of gameplay.
The new fusing mechanics and moveset changes are very welcome additions, adding more usability to playable characters. The few roles that were replaced by new voice actors is something more of an opinionated change. The online features were something I never needed to use, but nice to have nonetheless. It's mostly a rescue system if you fall in battle, where you can get friends online to rescue you. The new events and Marie are great changes though. There's a brand new dungeon, and at least two extra ingame months of gameplay added in, making Persona 4: Golden more of an expansion, rather than a port.
Visuals: What a view!
This game KNOWS it's a Vita game. The original PS2 version was already colorful, but P4G takes this up to eleven. It takes great advantage over the Playstation Vita's OLED screen, creating visuals that are exceptionally eye-catching. Character portraits and scenery pop, giving the game a unique visual style.
Sound: It's golden~
The soundtrack, oh, the soundtrack. The Persona series is known for it's catchy tunes, and Persona 4: Golden delivers. Most of the songs are reused from the original Persona 4, but that doesn't mean they aren't as awesome as they were in 2008. The music goes perfectly with the game, with upbeat J-pop music as battle themes, and other great mood-setting pieces. Most likely, you'll be singing along to the music, long after you've turned the game off.
The game also has voiced lines for a lot of the dialogue. There's only an English option, so there's no choice if you want the Japanese voice cast. You shouldn't want to change it though, as the English voice actors do a superb job with their roles. Granted, some characters might sound a little grating at times, but I think each voice fits with their respective character.
Final Thoughts:
Persona 4: Golden is a must-have for Vita owners. It's the pinnacle of JRPGs, and one of the best experiences you can get from a game. If you're looking to get into the Shin Megami Tensei Series, or even JRPG's as a whole, start here.
Verdict
What I Liked ...
- Fantastically well written, lovable characters
- Insane amount of things to do
- Takes the original game and adds upon its greatness
What I Didn't Like ...
- Dungeon treks might get a little tedious
- Awkward pacing in certain parts of the game
10
Gameplay
Very solid and enticing. Battles are fun, fusing Personae is satisfying, and the Social Links are absolutely amazing.
9
Presentation
Colorful and appealing to look at, the game has a unique art style to it that works in it's favor. The story is intriguing and will keep you captivated.
9
Lasting Appeal
The game encourages New Game+ runs, and with the amount of things possible to do, you'll keep coming back to find new things you never found before.
9.5
out of 10
