Summary
Persona 3 Reloadis the upcoming remake of the third game in the series. For a long time now,Persona 3has lacked a definitive version, and many of its various releases have either been hard to access or compromised in some way. Now,P3Rseeks to remedy this. It lacks some of the content found inP3 FESandP3Pbut will provide a modernized take on the entry, bringing it in line with the technical and stylistic achievements ofP5.Persona 3 Reloadwill be the first remake that the franchise has offered to fans, but already, many are hoping for the fourth entry in the series to get a remake as well.
The third, fourth, and fifthPersonagames form something of a trilogy.Persona 1andPersona 2were radically different from the games that followed them.P3re-invented the series, infusing it with more social simulator mechanics and a greater focus on day-to-day student life.Persona 4built on this foundation by expanding the social mechanics even further and leaning more into slice-of-life anime trends that were popular at the time.P5pushed all of these elements to the extreme and truly feels like a culmination of the lessons learned from previous games. Therefore,Persona 3 Reloadis tantalizing because it will elevateP3to have modern gameplay mechanics and the exceptional aesthetic cohesion that setsP5apart.
Persona 3 and Persona 4 Are Tightly Connected
Personafans have grown accustomed to long waits between releases, but that wasn’t always the case.Persona 3andPersona 4came out roughly two years apart and are built on the same engine. The result is that the two games are tightly connected, both on a technical level and in the eyes of many fans. This is heightened by the way the games reference one another.Persona 3 Portable, an enhanced re-release, came out a year afterP4and featuresa cameo from a young Yukiko Amagi.Persona 4likewise features a trip to Tatsumi Port Island and Gekkoukan High School, the setting ofP3.
While visiting Gekkoukan High School inP4, the player’s party encountersChihiro Fushimi, one of the social links fromPersona 3. This encounter placesPersona 4roughly a year after the events of those ofP3. Yukari Takeba from the third game is revealed to be a college student during the events ofP5during an in-game TV program.Personagames referencing one another is how Atlus has crafted the series timeline and created a largerPersonauniverse. Because of the particularly close ties betweenP3andP4,Reloadcould be the perfect venue to tease aPersona 4remake.
Persona 4 Deserves a Remake
Persona 4 Goldenis still great, but withP3 Reloadbringing the third entry up to the level of polish ofPersona 5, it’s hard not to feel likeP4is being left behind if it doesn’t get its own remake. Bringing the whole trilogy of modernPersonatitles up to the same standard would be a great way to honor their legacy.
SinceP3andP4are so closely connected, a teaser, Easter egg, or reference of some kind inReloadwould be the perfect way to hint at a remake of the fourth game.P3Rcould either rework the Yukiko scene in some way or include some other nods toP4. Providing clues to players about a futurePersona 4remake inReloadwould be a unique way to tease content and a great homage to the interconnected history of the titles.
If Atlus intends to remakePersona 4—a move that would make a lot of sense—there would be no better venue to hint at or confirm it than inside ofPersona 3 Reload.Persona 6leakshave suggested that the game could still be a number of years away, and a remake ofP4would be a great way to fill some of that time. Alternatively, a remake ofPersona 4could serve to bridge the gap betweenPersona 6and the following mainline entry, just asPersona 3 Reloadis doing forP5and its numbered follow-up.
