Persona 3 Reload game release date, news & gameplay

Persona 3 Reload is here to wow RPG fans. It’s a modern remake of the legendary 2006 Persona 3 game – and the latest in a long line of Persona games and offshoots, including last year’s Persona 5 Tactica.

The trailer shows off plenty of the combat skills and social interaction that’ll be familiar to anyone who’s played a Persona game before. What more does Persona 3 Reload have in store? Here’s a roundup of everything we know so far…

What is the Persona 3 Reload story?

Persona 3 Reload follows exactly the same storyline as the original release. The game centres around the Dark Hour - the short period that exists outside the normal time between one day and the next. The time when supernatural creatures come out to play. And the time when a tower called Tartarus appears.

The main characters (who you’ll meet below) spend their days as normal Gekkoukan High School students. But when night comes they enter the Tartarus tower and go dungeon exploring to battle supernatural creatures known as Shadows. The heroes get invaluable assistance from their Personas - physical manifestations of their own psyches.

How to play Persona 3 Reload

The heart of the game remains true to its original release – you'll go through the highs and lows of school life, enjoy hanging out with friends… and face mind-bending demon horrors. The social link system - a Persona series trademark - rewards you for quality time with NPCs, by making them much more useful in battles them and unveiling fresh story scenes.

Persona 3 Reload is no mere update. There are also some seriously exciting gameplay changes to discover. The most significant shift is that now you can take charge of each party member in battle. This is a major departure from the original Persona 3 where everyone (except the protagonist) acted automatically.

Oh, and brace yourself for a revamped Tartarus, the dungeon central to Persona 3's plot. Even returning players will feel challenged by its redesigned layout. The fatigue system limiting Tartarus exploration is no more, so get ready to delve deeper and get extra insights from your companions.

And that’s not all. Some new activities have also been added. The protagonist can now get together with his friends in the school dorm and do things like cooking, reading and watching DVDs. This isn’t just for fun – it’ll give your social stats a boost. You can also spend some time gardening, which will unlock some handy combat-based skills. And if you’ve got a few spare coins, you can even call on a fortune teller and try to change the Tartarus tower in different ways.

What is the S.E.E.S?

S.E.E.S stands for Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. Its aim is to get rid of the Shadows and destroy the Dark Hour, and it’s the organisation that all the main character in Persona 3 games belong to. Despite it’s unfriendly sounding name, it’s actually an official after-school club in Gekkoukan High School.

Who are Persona 3 Reload’s main characters?

Here’s a list of the main characters in Persona 3 Reload, including their Personas and background information.

Makoto Yuki – the protagonist
The charismatic protagonist is a second year student at Gekkoukan High School. Recently transferred, he's back on the island of his childhood, and a chilling encounter with a monstrous entity leads him to join the S.E.E.S Unlike others, Makoto can switch between various Personas in battles. Very handy indeed.

Junpei Iori
The class clown who always tries to keep the mood light. Joining S.E.E.S with the protagonist, he wields a two-handed sword and the fiery Persona Hermes.

Akihiko Sanada
The super-cool and oh-so stoic third-year captain of the boxing team who battles mainly with his fists. His Persona, Polydeuces, has impressive physical and electrical skills.

Mitsuri Kirijo
The heiress of the Kirijo Group and one of the top students in the school. Head of the fencing team, she wields one-handed swords in battle, and can rely on the ice-healing power of her Persona Penthesilea.

Yukari Takeba
Another second-year student at Gekkoukan. Behind her cheerful appearance lies a headstrong and determined character. Joining S.E.E.S after a too-close-for-comfort encounter with a Shadow, she uses her impressive archery skills in battle. Her unique Persona is Io, specialising in wind and healing.

Fuuka Yamagishi
A quiet second-year student, she joined S.E.E.S after a bullying incident during the Dark Hour. Specialising in data analysis, her unique Persona is Lucia.

Aigis
An android with a humanlike heart, Aigis was initially cold and robotic (unsurprisingly) but has evolved emotionally. Her mechanical body houses an arsenal of weapons, and her unique Persona is Palladion.