Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES Reviews

• Persona 3 Fes is a great tribute to a good game

  
  By AVX1L42T98R8P on 2008-04-26
  I was impatient with Persona 3. I got it even before Fes came out when all us fans still thought there was no way in hell Atlus was going to ship it over to the states. However we signed a petition,rallied a bunch of team spirit, and miraculously Atlus took our whining as a valid point. Sure they likely did it because they knew they could make more money but at $29.99 this game is very much a steal! All I have to say is thank you Atlus.
  
  Honestly I'll start by saying this rpg is not for everyone. If for example you hate dating sims, destest Japanese culture, or prefer more traditional RPGS that include knights,barbarains,dragons, fair damsels, and scantily clad spell casting elf babes Persona 3 is not for you. I do not say this to sound snutty or elite I'm just warning you so you know what you are getting into.
  
  However if you are open minded to heavy social interactions in rpgs, a great modern day story in which our world is threatened by demonic shadows of ill intent that come out during a hidden 13th hour, and a group of teenagers that use their inner psyches to battle for the fate of mankind while trying to keep up with their responsibilities tied to high school life you will love this improved Persona 3 dearly.
  
  As much as I want to describe evokers, Apathy syndrome, fusing cards to create new personas, strengthening social links to make your Arcana types more powerful, and running around in the labyrinth of Tartarus which oddly enough is your High School during the day time I think it is more important to discuss what is new in Fes. I assume most of you have at least researched the original title so I will not waste your time going over what has already been covered.
  
  If you think "The Answer" segment with Aegis is the only thing new about FES you are mistaken. "The journey" has an added hard mode, more ways to increase your social links, a weapon/persona forging system,more interactivity amongst your SEES comrades,additional quests, and though it may seem like a trivial detail everyone will change their clothes throughout the year. Getting the sexy costumes for the female heroines is a guilty pleasure if you are into that sort of thing. (Maid wear and swim suits anyone?) and if you are a girl playing you'll get a giggle out of dressing down the guys too. If anything at least P3 fes does not descriminate against either gender. No feminists will have the excuse to wail about burning bras here. The female characters have alot of depth,personality, and lovable quirks and there's so much more to them than looks alone. The same thing can be said for the guys. You'll take to Junpei's class clown antics and Akihiko's fighting spirit in no time flat. I must say this is one of the only RPGS I played in which I liked every character and none of the cast felt like over blown comic relief or tacky add-ons. The endearing heroes/heroines in P3 Fes will make you wish Final Fantasy as a series still cared about giving their characters heart and soul instead of just marketing them to be "cool" as shallow gimmicks.
  
  While the Jorney is easier due to all the additional ways you have of balancing normal adolescent life with fighting shadows "The Answer" is automatically on hard mode. For those of you that do not mind a challenge you'll still enjoy the same old level grinding but if you are a casual gamer it can get tedious. That said getting more revelations about the first game will be worth the drudgery to most of us. Because "The Answer" ditches social links and focuses more on combating your way through the new dungeon called the abyss of time the only conversations you'll see are between the SEES members themselves as they discuss how they feel about where their lives are heading after the events in the journey. Aegis takes the role as the lead so at the very least she has acess to more then one Persona and can enter the velvet room.
  
  By now if what I said has intrigued you Fes is likely worth your dollar. There are alot of less fun RPGS out there going for higher prices so right now Fes is a win/win situation.
  
  Pros
  
  1. Taking Elisabeth for dates outside the velvet room.
  
  2. Walking the dog to up your social links
  
  3. More social links to estabalish.
  
  4. P3 fans get more answers and more closure
  
  5. Getting revealing or outlandish costumes for each character
  
  6. Hard mode for those that thought the original was too easy.
  
  7. Metis is a good new character both as an antagonist and an ally.
  
  8. Fuuka gets more love
  
  9. More quests (One which deals with Chidori)
  
  10. Great translation and voice overs
  
  11. Addition of classic Persona battle songs in "The Answer"
  
  12. Good music that fits the game. (By this I mean the music would be weird or abyssmally bad if not in P3 but it compliments this type of adventure perfectly.)
  
  13. Very affordable
  
  Cons
  
  1. Gameplay is mostly unchanged
  
  2. The Answer is nothing more then a difficult story driven dungeon hack.
  
  3. Tartarus and the abyss of time get very repetitive. It would have been nicer if more missions took place outside the main dungeons or there were more enviorment types.
  
  4. Those not open minded to modern Japanese culture may feel alienated.
  
  5. Atlus could have waited so we only had to buy this version instead of belting out money for two versions of essentially the same game. Hopefully Persona 4 will come to us finished the first time. If they later release P4 fes I'll be irrate.
  
  6. The game is very linear (especially if you've romped around in the wide open spaces of Dragon Warrior 8 or Final Fantasy 12)
  
  7. Likely the copies are limited so snatch it soon or forever be in gamer purgatory. (Atlus always has limited copies. What gives?)
  
  8. To clarify evokers are not real guns but the imagery of putting a gun like object to ones head and pulling the trigger to summon a persona is still risque. No problem for gamers with a good grip on reality but if you are a parent considering this a purchase be sure your teenager or child is firmly rooted in common sense before you get them P3 fes. Overall it is not nearly as violent or vulgar as God of War or GTA San Andreas however.
  
  

• Spectacular, a great game is made even better

  
  By AJKWF4W7QD4NS on 2008-04-23
  Last year's Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 managed to come out of nowhere and end up being one of the best RPG's to ever grace the PS2. Now, Atlus has unleashed this director's cut of sorts of the game, entitled Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES. The game is broken up into two separate parts, entitled The Journey and The Answer. The Journey is pretty much the original game with many noticable tweaks, enhancements, and new features; while The Answer takes place after the events of the original title. The game retains the look of the original, and it still looks good; while the dialogue, story, and characters are memorable as ever as well. Even if you have played through the original title, FES warrants your attention because of the ton of new content, and The Answer mode offers up more replayability. Not to mention that given the bargain price tag, this game is basically a steal, even if you already own and have played through the original. Let it be known though that the game does offer quite a bit of challenge amongst all the variety offered. Casual gamers or those who don't spend much time with RPG's are not going to get the most out of the game, where as more devoted RPG'ers or fans of the series will find much to love here. All in all, regardless of whether or not you played the original version of the game, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES is a spectacular new vision of an already great RPG, and for old and new fans and RPG gamers alike, this game is a more than worthy pick up.
  
  

• Time to FES Up!

  
  By A3LH68UM50A3N8 on 2008-04-23
  Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES
  
  I conFESs that I am not familiar with the earlier game, however, I bought this game today and I love it. My summer fun has begun early. Most Atlus games are great and this one does not disappoint. Every aspect of a video game that you can analyze and comment on, is great. Please excuse me for being abrupt, but I have to get back to my game... :D
  
  

• Amazing and slightly different RPG

  
  By A32BHDDDOLQUR8 on 2008-05-24
  I come from the perspective that this is the first Persona or SHin Megami Tensei game that I have ever looked at, intrigued by previous reviews for Persona 3 and the $30 starting price. I will say that I have gotten my money's worth of entertainment in the last month.
  In brief, without giving too much of the plot away, Persona 3 is about a group of Japanese high school students with special powers who are out to save the world from monsters. Yeah, that sounds really cheesy, but I found myself sucked into the complexity of the plot. Characters that originally seemed one dimensional, due to the length of the game, become very multidimensional (and there are a good number of characters, both to command and to charm). You advance in the game basically two ways - Sim dating/friendship style interactions, and dungeon (in this case, tower) crawling. Although the game is fairly linear, there is quite a bit of strategy in maxing your social interactions and creating new personas (the things you summon to fight, which apparently there are 170-ish of).
  FES is the current updated edition of the game, which includes the answer, a straight dungeon crawl coda to the end of the main part, the journey.
  
  Here are some things to keep in mind:
  This game is loooooooong, and there are not a lot of shortcuts that I can see. Long as approximately 70 hours of game time, possibly 100, depending on what you do. And this game is not donkey kong- it is not satisfying in little time bites. So it's a time commitment, be aware before you start and get hooked.
  
  The whole using the fake gun to your head to summon the personas some may find objectionable, though you basically do not notice it after a few hours of playing.
  In addition, many of the personas use religious imagery from most of the major world religions, living and dead - so some may find that objectionable as well.
  I will have to say that the sex and violence is kept to a minimum in general - there is teen dating and suggestive dialogue, but not overt teen sex, and minimum blood and gore.
  It is a combo of dungeon crawl and heavy social RPG interaction, so if you don't like that...
  
  I personally loved this game, and look forward to the US release of persona 4.
  
  

• The X-Com of JRPGs?

  
  By A2P5UYSY9SARLW on 2008-08-01
  I can't take JRPGs. Not usually. The big eyes plastered to childish bodies. The lengthy, cryptic, expositions. The cookie-cutter characters. The sick-making adorableness. The endless, pointless, series of soul crushing random encounters...
  
  But I keep trying. I know there must be something I'm missing because I can't get past my personal tastes (as impeccable as they are) as a Western adult PC gamer whose interests run towards Western RPGs when they're not preoccupied with historical simulations and wargames. Heck, it took me a decade to break down and even buy a console but I was ultimately glad for it.
  
  And once again my resolve, or lack thereof, has paid off. Take one part X-Com, the blending of turn-based tactical combat on unpredictable/dangerous terrain with a highly integrated strategic component, and one part Scooby-Doo. That's to my atypical, and slightly disfunctional, brain what Persona 3 FES is.
  
  It's an extended series of adventures for the Scooby Gang, or this Japanese version thereof, as they explore a mysterious world beyond ours by night (the Dark Hour's dungeon crawl) and go to school by day.
  
  The tactical and strategic interplay of Persona 3 FES is fairly deep. It trades X-Com's map movements and military style tactics and UN members needing placating for chosing which friends to make in the Real World and, as you learn about them, empowering those aspects of your own mind related to them called Personas. As other reviewers have noted the whole stable of personas is massive and they're highly customizable using fusions and having other elements in hand, or timing them right, when they're done. The single most important factor in how powerful a given persona will be is driven by social ties.
  
  Now I'm not going to say you don't give up a certain ambience of having your own constructable base, as in X-Com, or the ability to play through the loss of individuals on your team, as in X-Com, or the sheer attraction of commanding an elite squad of commandos.
  
  What you gain are the story oriented interactions of more detailed NPCs and a wealth of little details and a whole setting that changes as time goes on. It's so rich with story elements, most of which are not foisted on you in classic CRPG style, that you will have to replay several times and do different things to even see a fraction of what the daytime world has to offer.
  
  You can find yourself building up personal stats that, in turn, offer you access to different elements of the game. Most commonly these are new NPC Social contacts. who in turn empower the fusing of persona-spirits matching their own Tarot suit. You might find elements that build up a persona's stats (combat oriented compared to your more social oriented stats - they exist in tandem, not overlapping), have totally random effects, offer items to improve social standings with other characters, provide you with new items and much more.
  
  Each of the many NPC Social links has a whole backstory behind it that gets fleshed out as time goes on. Some seem to intersect the main story a bit while others have nothing to do with it.
  
  The strategy of figuring how best to spend your limited time in one day and to take advantage of all that's offered, or even finding it (and in some cases learning schedules for certain events - like what days a week certain films are shown or when the karaoke bar is open) is a big concern.
  
  Driving all of this is the background knowledge of a couple daunting threats that loom on the calendar: The Full Moon will spawn uberbosses you need to defeat to progress. You have to have the strength to handle these things which you gain both by grinding in the dungeon as well as building up social ties to empower your combatant personas. Possibly more scary: Mid-terms and finals!
  
  I'm really not the type who goes for JRPGs but the mix of strategic, tactical, storytelling and freedom to make some of your own choices along with the sheer wealth of options to explore overwhelms having to live in a Japanese High School by day and beat on random encounters by night. My mind's as much on the underlaying strategic consequences of what I'm doing as the candylike graphics and storytelling icing.
  
  And, for better or worse, I'm kind liking that too. "Oh, Stupei! You didn't really say that did you?!"
  
  
• Persona 3 FES Vs SE
  By A3C0WSRUOCD8IG on 2008-04-24
  while I loved Persona 3 and the past titles in the series I am really happy to see Atlus bringing out remakes of great titles with extra content.
  persona 3 SE had an art book, and a music soundtrack from the game.
  while none of those things are here, we have a plethera of new additions such as New Personas, The Epilogue Chapter (which plays like a game in itself where you are the the protagonist, (Aigis), leave behind most of the really cool school elements for this and get more dungeon exploration aspect. it works well for this game with hours of added gameplay and content. 70+ hours in Persona 3 (yes comes with it unaltered, other then new personas, Events and Hard Mode) Plus the Extra NEW Chapter "The Answer" with 30+ extra hours of gameplay for a total of 100 Hours of gameplay!!!
  this a must have for persona 3 fans that may or may not have persona 3 SE or are thinking about FES well, think no more! FES at a mere release price of 29.99 makes this package a true deal for newcomers to the persona games and to veterans alike. Veterans I recommend a rental if you have SE unless a HUGE fan and have to have it but for fans Grab this title NOW! before it is out of print!
  I must also point out that while this game does a great job with the school aspects of the gameplay and while not as interesting (or annoying depending on your point of view) as they are in bully where each class is a mini game, here we see only a single question needing an answer and a correct one givin raises a stat such as charm or academics. I liked the way they didn't bog down the game with the school aspect and slowly lure you into battle. the old school turn based battles feel a little fresher here with the strength/weakness system of combat. I really am impressed with this title and would recommend it to every RPG fan out there.
  
  Graphics: anime style flair and Excellent artwork 5 Stars.
  
  Sound: unusual techno metal soundtrack cool sound effects Excellent Voice Acting 5 stars.
  
  Overall: a blast from the first time you see the persona gun go off and your persona comes forth, you will be hooked into this game like me and I Strongly recommend looking into the rest of the series. with all the bonus content I can not help but Give this title 5 Stars! (sad No soundtrack this time)
  Links Below
  
  Buy Persona 3 SE here
  Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
  Or Persona 3 FES here
  Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES
  NOCTURNE DDS 3
  Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
  or Digital Devil Saga 1 here
  Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
  DDS 2 here
  Shin Megami Tensei Digital Devil Saga 2
  
  Devil Summoner here
  Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner
  ****Review and above titles are PS2 ONLY****
  
  
• Charisma and Style!
  By A38YCWDLPJIAT8 on 2008-06-01
  No words can really explain exactly how this game plays. I was turned off by many gaming websites describing this as a dating sim crossed with a traditional dungeon crawler... this description is selling the game infinitely short! Here we see a game where the whole is truly much greater than the sum of its parts. The story is engaging - the characters are believable (or as believable as any crazy Japanese RPG on the market) - and the whole package comes together spectacularly. I have had the game only two days and have already sunk 8-ish hours into it... a lot for me.
  The challenge level is acceptable so far - I just unlocked the second teer of the main dungeon and I have not died or "game-overed" yet. For those of you who like aggravatingly difficult RPGs... FES has a "Hard" mode which you can play... although in this mode, I fear gameplay may truly crawl.
  See... the one tiny problem so far is that the game just moves too slowly... and I'm playing on easy! Perhaps if there were a way to plan your schedule out in advance for a week and then simulate the whole week at once... this might help to dull the monotony of day-to-day management. This flaw is not a large one however, and truth be told, detracts very little from the allure of the game
  This game comes highly recommended.
  
  
• Over Hyped
  By ANJXPB6WDM85P on 2008-06-17
  The game was fun and refreshing when I first started playing. However, both the non-combat portions and the battles became tiresome.
  
  Furthermore, maybe it's because that I do not understand JRPGs, the storyline did not draw me into the game. Even the FF10 cut scenes made more sense to me.
  
  Lastly, the frequently appearing loading screen drove me nuts.
  
  Update.
  
  I tried playing the Answer for 10 hours and gave up. At least 90 percent of the time was spend grinding.
  
  
• Great graphics, music, setting, etc., but repetative gameplay.
  By A3QPI1QCXHSDUC on 2008-06-26
  I really liked this game when I first started playing it. It has great graphics for a PS2 game. The music is really good and draws you into the mood of the game. The characters are well developed. The general mood and theme of the game are really good ranging from the light and bouncy NPCs to the dark battle areas. However, I've never been a fan of games like "The Sims" where you have to build up relationships and such over time and you only get to do one or two things a day. There's not much immediate gratification from those kinds of things. That would be OK though if the battle system were more interesting. However, it's like one of those old random dungeon crawlers. You wander through some non-distinct areas with enemies that are not very creative and mostly just upgrades from past levels and then you hit a road block. Once you get to a certain level of the "dungeon" you can't go any further until the right day where you can fight a boss and then the levels open up again. This leads to not really needing or desiring to go back since there's not going to be anything new to do or any new goals. So most of the days you just go do the sim stuff and it gets a little boring. I really want to go back to playing it because I enjoyed the main story line and the creating new personas, but I can't get myself to go back to it for more than a couple of hours at a time and there are so many other good games for the PS2 that I haven't played.
  
  So, if you are a fan of "The Sims" then you may like this since the battles are really not even that hard or important to the storyline. But if, like me, you got bored of The Sims after a few days of playing it, then you'll get bored of this game too.
  
  
• An already great game gets even better.
  By A2A0ZPCG5HUZV2 on 2008-05-18
  If you're an SMT fan, you undoubtedly knew of Persona 3's launch, and how it combined so many genre's into one of the best RPG's to ever hit the PS2. Even if you're not a MegaTen follower, you may have still come across the title as it managed to top the rating charts within its genre. Persona 3 was most certainly an innovative and addictive title, that even dared to spark a hint of controversy.
  
  Flash forward a year, and the director's cut known as Persona 3 FES, or Festival has made it overseas. Everything that Persona 3 was, FES is too, but FES manages to be so much more. Divided into two modes, the Journey, and the Answer, FES combines the original story, with an all new adventure.
  
  The Journey is an updated version of the original Persona 3 story. New Personas, new Elizabeth requests, weapon synthesis, new hard difficulty, special armor which can change a character's appearance, and various other additions which expand and improve the original experience, taking it to all new levels. If you have never played the original P3, this is the mode to start with, and even if you have, there is plenty of new to spark the enjoyment of the tale all over again.
  
  The Answer is an epilogue of sorts for the original story. Revolving around Aigis, it tells of the mysterious events which occur after the conclusion of the Journey. While it lacks many of the Journey's features, it does add a good 30 hours or so of dungeon crawling, and a solid, enjoyable addition to the story. It also adds a bit of a challenge as it only comes in one difficulty, Hard.
  
  If you're a fan of the first P3, the additions within FES make it worth every penny. If you've never had a chance to experience the game for yourself, at $30, FES is a well priced addition to your collection, and one I highly doubt you'll regret. It is one of the best RPG's to call the PS2 home, in fact I dare say it is one of the best RPG's on any system, simply a must own for RPG fans!
  
  
• Second time around as good as first
  By AX3PRV8OJZYAY on 2008-05-20
  While Persona 3 FES is technically a "re-release" of last years game of the same name (sans "fes") there is enough new content to make it worth another run through. More social links to make, new Persona's to summon which mean more weapons to make from them and more fusions to try. excellent voice acting. Top Notch localization while staying true to many of the original japanese influences. I highly recommend this game for any RPG fan, and for non-rpg fans as well. ATLUS has done it again.
  
  
• JRPG of the highest calibur
  By A1S2OE9UT1U8F1 on 2008-05-27
  Persona 3 has been touted as the undisputed pinnacle of games in the Shin Megami Tensei series, and rightfully so: the narrative combines thought-provoking dialogue with emotionally engaging voice-overs; characters are fleshed out with peculiar (and oftentimes conflicting) personalities; the universe is rich with mythological allusions; the musical score is top-notch and surprisingly catchy, changing according to the mood; bonus content breathes new life into an already time-consuming soul-eater, and the battle system is excellent to boot! From a technical standpoint, Persona 3 is mediocre at best--it doesn't quite strain PS2 hardware to its limit. However, it compensates for what it lacks graphically in virtually every other aspect, which feels remarkably polished for a third-party game. Reviewers claim that the story is not nearly as 'dark' as previous games in the series, but I find such a statement to be truly ironic. After all, the plot revolves around extinction--can it get much more serious then that? Exploring Tartarus can be tedious at times, but the ability to issue party commands gets rid of this minor inconvenience. Dungeon-crawling is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the gameplay is as deep as this. (Besides, a true RPG fan should have extraordinary patience!) I recommend Persona 3 to everyone who is not claustrophobic.
  
  Overall evaluation: 9/10
  
  
• Holy cow, what a game!
  By A2ADC6UFAWT5DA on 2008-05-28
  Fantastic, especially if you go for the offbeat and slightly disturbing (but not that disturbing, really, just kinda gothy).
  
  My only complaint is that the fighting system is typical and a little simplistic (FFX-esque). I needed to start over on "hard" for it to be challenging at all, and even then the battling is just not that interesting. But the story line, graphics, and other elements make up for that issue and keep the game exciting.
  
  
• A great experience for any fan or novice to RPG's
  By A2XZJ1CB8XMRA3 on 2008-07-07
  I have played through dozens of turn-based RPG's and Persona 3 is one of the best. It's rare for me to finish a game and say, "I'm going to play this again as soon as I can!"
  
  From the first cut scene you'll be hooked asking yourself what is going on? Unlike many games, you have one school year to complete your quest and almost everything you do, takes up time. During the day, you attend school and spend time doing activities; but at night, you journey to a labyrinth called Tartarus to wage war against beings called shadows that feed on human flesh. To assist you in battle, you can summon "personas" that are managed by "social links" which you achieve by establishing and creating friendship bonds with fellow students. As a student, you have to improve abilities like courage, charisma, and even academics to be able to talk to certain individuals. As a warrior, you must find the answer to stop the shadows before life as you know it ceases to exist.
  
  ONE GAME IS NOT ENOUGH IN THIS PACKAGE, there is a second journey called The Answer which picks up where the first one leaves off. It is similar but much harder. It's not as long but it's almost as much fun as the original.
  
  Overall an awesome package at a very low price and a must own for any fan of RPG's.
  
  
• Amazing Dating-Sim Style RPG
  By AGAGEPAYCTV5E on 2008-07-20
  LOVED:
  + incredible social interactions (picking which girls to date)
  + wide range of demons to summon
  + live day to day student life
  + join after school clubs or sports
  + visit the mall, ramen shop, or bookstore
  
  LOATHED:
  - tedious grinding
  - almost no replay factor
  
  Definitely buy the FES version. It's everything the original was, plus added content. New personas, extra missions, costumes, and more. <3
  
  
• Persona 3 Fes is an outstanding addition to the Persona series
  By A19YE53M3HFG0C on 2008-08-12
  Atlus has improved upon one of its best games (who knew this was possible)...The Fes edition has added layers to the original awesome Persona 3 RPG by adding new personas, a weapons creation engine, and new quests to complete.
  
  In addition, there is also a new chapter entitled "The Answer", which is a dungeon-crawling, grinding heaven not for the faint of heart.
  
  In a word, superb.
  
  
• Major Improvement
  By A21KD8WQTYSP8A on 2008-08-14
  Being someone who has personally played through Persona 3 (the original) and Persona 3 FES (the remake), I can honestly say that buying the FES version was definitely worth it. It has everything the original had, but with so much more added! More anime cut scenes which help move the story along as well as extra elements within the game to keep yourself occupied. I enjoyed taking the dog on walks with a friend and seeing what event would take place depending on the friend you take. I also enjoyed the dating sim element within the game and wish they made more games that let you go on dates like that. The power of love strengthens you in battle. I regret getting the original when this one was so much better.
  
  
• Two Words...Fan Service
  By A1J2ACZJ4MQ46G on 2008-04-25
  If you've played the original Persona 3, FES edition expands some of the character interactions and adds a lot more personas and even a few new skill sets. Divided into The Journey(your character) and The Answer(Aegis) both solid parts and I'm loving the game. I hope that Japanese developers like Square Enix take note that people want these kinds of games outside of Japan. Also if you've played the first Persona 3 you're personas carry over but reset to basic stats, no weapons or items other than from maxing social links carry over. You have to start at level 1 all over again, but not that bad considering all the new personas, items, skill sets, and even a new social link. A must buy for anyone who likes RPGs. My only complaint is that modified personas don't carry over, I spent a lot of time leveling up and adjusting skills through fusion, but really that's minor.
  
  
• simply too good to pass up!
  By A2KAR0FKRHQ0FY on 2008-05-24
  p3:fes is truly one of the best offerings the playstation 2 has to offer in both quality and price. not only are you getting an enhanced version of persona 3 (which was originally $50) but you're also getting the expansion-like continuation of the story that can be played on it's own from the start.
  
  given that a "must" recommendation for a game is something i wouldn't toss around lightly, i want to make it clear that this game earns just that for anyone who enjoys turn-based rpg games.
  
  
• P3F review
  By A1IIVDLX4JUSMZ on 2008-05-27
  This game is simply amazing. It's psycological nature forces you to think and feel the game, and even 70+ hours through, I was still having tons of fun (and still amazed by the story).
  
  Thank You, Atlus.
  
  
• Excellent game
  By A12537U26TMU8E on 2008-05-30
  Is an excellent game, it adds a bunch of good playing hours to the original shin megami tensei:persona 3, is a must buy if you really liked the original
  
  
• One of the best if not best RPG on the PS2
  By A3V8BQU85FHGWV on 2008-06-16
  Hands down P3FES is one of the best RPG games to grace the PS2 console. The story is deep and the characters I got attached to. Soundtrack is great too. For the 29.99 price tag this game is a bargain. So those of you who haven't bought this game get out and get it before it's gone. Let's hope Atlus makes the right decision and releases Persona 4 in the US as well. Really hope that game makes it stateside!! Anyhow, buy this game..you will NOT regret it!!!
  
  
• It's the little things...
  By AW2Z91UQD26ZO on 2008-06-19
  I'll keep this short so..
  
  It's the little things that Atlus/SMT added that make this game so much better than the original. The costumes, the dialog, Elizabeth!! Oh man, she is so cool. The fact that you can import your demons and social attributes (even if you didn't beat P3)is pretty nice as well. All the times you wished that the arcade was open or the train station was a little bigger: Fulfilled. Buy this game, and never trade it in.
  
  
• Amazing game @ an Amazing Price
  By A390SK87TQ7IU4 on 2008-06-19
  So, the best RPG I played all last year gets an awesome special edition.
  
  This comes with an expanded edition of the original (new character costumes, Personas, and social links) 100 hour+ RPG. t also comes with the, previously only in Japan, Expansion disc with another 50+ hours f gameplay. That's 150+ hours of gameplay from this little collection, of one of the most interesting and unique RPGs to come out EVER for the PS2.
  
  Needless to say, I was Very Impressed
  
  
• Great, But
  By A395PTCJ4SP5OR on 2008-06-30
  The game concept is excellent. Good storyline, graphics, music, and level grinding. But I don't yet see any real goal to the midnight grinding yet.
  
  
• Long plesant game
  By A50HDLT0XWQKB on 2008-07-14
  A nice RPG that goes for a nice presentation in characters and game design, the history I havent see it all since this is a LONG game, I think around 100hrs.
  Dont be afraid of the teens pointing fake guns to their heads, that is just the way they summon the Personas, and that happens so often that you get to not notice it, and is not that disturbing.
  The Personas, there are so many and you can fuse them to make even stronger personas is a nice touch.
  The social links and the live at school is other nice touch that improves your character towards the nights of fighting.
  Its a nice RPG that I recomend, maybe the weakest point is that the game is so long (that is good), that the story develops very slow pace (this is bad).
  
  
• Interesting Take on an Interesting Title.
  By A1ZPWL1FV1FKZ on 2008-07-30
  If you liked Persona 3, FES is a refreshing addition to your collection.
  While you might be saying "Oh, I've beaten it already" the disc adds hours of bonus content as well as a bonus "second" chapter of the game introducing a new character.
  
  You can also upload your save data from Persona 3,bringing certain stats over, making things slightly easier.
  
  For those who have yet to play Persona 3, FES includes the main game. (plus the aforementioned extras such as new quests, personas, etc.)
  
  
• Another great JRPG for your collection
  By A3BCXTT3E84DPF on 2008-08-09
  Split your days building a social network (which boosts your combat capabilities), improving your own stats, and dungeon crawling in this stylish JRPG. Lots of repetition, so not for the casual gamer. Those willing to do the (considerable) time will be well rewarded with an intriuging story and addictive gameplay. Highly recommended.
  
  
• cool game
  By A2AQBBDYR4UYH1 on 2008-08-29
  It is like the sims life stories with action. A role playing game that isn't all battle, to be successful you have to manage the main characters personal life.
  
  I an hooked
  
  
• Nonsensical story, bad music, mediocre gameplay
  By ALJBS76X34KEW on 2008-09-09
  I'm usually a fan of Anime style games, but this one eludes me. The story makes little sense, the art style is...not all that. Really wish I'd saved my money now, this game isn't my cup of tea.
  Rap music of the Japanese/Engrish variety filled my ears 90% of the time I was playing, (sorry, but that's just no good, I don't care for that kind of 'music', being pounded by lines that make no sense like 'Burn my dread' over and over just got on my nerves).
  The gameplay itself was about what you'd expect from a Final Fantasy RPG clone, nothing new there to keep you plugging away at it.
  Top that off with 'random' appearances of 'the Reaper', Death, which was at most levels unbeatable, and it turned into a real annoying game real fast for me. If you really need to play yet another Final Fantasy clone, just go play FF12, or something, this game's nothing new or inspiring.
  
  

• Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
• Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection
• Arcana Heart
• The World Ends With You
• Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne