Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (PS2)

“This was my first foray into the Persona Universe. Let me say 2 things up front about this game First it is Dark As you know I like dark. Second - while I would call this a Mature Game, it is not Leisure Suit Larry or even GTA. The game deals with...”

“This was my first foray into the Persona Universe. Let me say 2 things up front about this game First it is Dark As you know I like dark. Second - while I would call this a Mature Game, it is not Leisure Suit Larry or even GTA. The game deals with death. people die, people you like, people you do not like. Do not give this game to anyone under 16, you will scar them for life.

This is the FES edition

Backstory and Synopsis :
You are a second year transfer student to Gekkoukan High School. You also happen to be an orphan and there is no explanation of You arrive late at night at the station on April 1st and head to the dorm. As midnight strikes most people are suddenly replaced with coffins. You continue on listening to your headphones. It seems you have seen this before. Or just do not care. Upon arriving at the dorm, you are greeted by a creepy kid and have to sign some sort of contract. OKAY So you sign and suddenly there are people in the lobby, one of them has a gun! They are both acting a little odd but the girl with the gun shows you to your room (Could I have an escort without a gun please?)
You get up the next morning and a seemingly normal High School RPG begins. There is a lot talk about Apathy Syndrome sweeping the nation. People just stop and stay where they are. You hear students gossiping at the gate about it. You find your class meet some people and the game at this point does not really allow you to make many choices, this is one long set up.
Then they come, shadows attack the dorm drawn there by Akihiko, one of the dorm residents. You head for the roof with the girl with the gun you have found out her name is Yukari. I call her annoying. She points the gun to her head and is unable to pull the trigger. You grab the gun, point it at your head and know instinctively what this is, it is not a gun but an evoker. You utter the word Persona and the first of your persona's appears and kicks butt.
The truth comes out that these Shadows attack people, and their nest is is the location of Gekkoukan High School. But it is only accessible during the dark hour. that weird time at midnight when most people are in their coffins. The few that are not are Persona Users. The students at the dorm have formed SEES - "Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad". You the player are special user in that you can use multiple personas. So of course they wanted you to join. Eventually you find out there is an opposing group - Strega led by a nihilist prophet -Takaya. They use the dark hour to carry out assassination requests they received through their Revenge Website. You are told you have 1 year to get to the root of the problem. Once the truth about Nyx is revealed, they become the center of a cult wishing for her arrival and the annihilation of society and of course they try to thwart your plans to save the world.
In being special you find there is a door in Tartarus that none but you can see. Behind it is a room with a man, Igor who gives you advice concerning social links. He has the contract you signed and reminds you of it periodically. He also allows you to fuse personas (DO NOT DO THIS until you can store them in the compendium) to form new ones. His odd sidekick Elizabeth can store them and makes some odd requests of you. Most of which are fun.
As the plot thickens there are lots of betrayals, revelations and some deaths. It turns out there is a reason you are special. There are people who help and some who hinder. but eventually it boils down to you have to save the world from the eventual coming of Nyx the mother of all shadows and her desire to wipe the slate and start over. You have to make some hard choices and that is part of the fun.

Somehow the game manages to combine a card fighter with a High School RPG. It does so well and with minimal annoyances. By day you attend classes and clubs, hang out with your friends, work on social links or stat increases through various activities. and do some of the side quests given to you by Elizabeth. By night you have the option to fight shadows in Tartarus, increase your courage by singing Karaoke, increase knowledge by studying, there are some social links that are available only at night as well. The stats you can increase affect your ability to get some social links started. The social links affect the types of Persona you can fuse. It is better to complete a social link than to have multiple ones almost complete. Only completed ones count in the end.
Battle in Tartarus is easy enough each persona has different strengths and weaknesses. Like any RPG of this nature, you gain more party members. You can bring 3 into Tartarus with you and each has their strengths and weaknesses as well.

Careful planning you can have a party ready for anything. The more time you spend in the Shadow's nest, the more tired you become. If you are too tired you are forced to leave the dungeon. If you stay on a floor too long death comes after you. Even”

“This was the first game I've played that I can say changed my life. Deep, powerful, fun. ”

“This was the first game I've played that I can say changed my life. Deep, powerful, fun. ”

“Fun game - dark- lovable characters and music that i dont mind grinding out my lvls to”

“Fun game - dark- lovable characters and music that i dont mind grinding out my lvls to”