Gamertell Review: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona for PSP
by at September 1, 2009 10:01 am
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Revelations: Persona orginally debuted in North America in 1996 on the PlayStation. At the time it was somewhat revolutionary. It was a dark RPG set in modern times, where high schoolers fought demons with personas that represented other aspects of themselves. The game was difficult to find. It also was noted for its less than stellar localization, which changed characters’ identities, altered the setting and totally removed an additional storyline called the Snow Queen quest.
Now, 13 years later, after the success of Persona 3 and 4, the original Persona getting is getting its due. Atlus has ported it to the PSP as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona and has gone to great lengths to fix all of the inaccuracies and faults of the original game. Finally, North American audiences get to experience this fantastic game the way it was meant to be played.
Experimentation with an urban legend lends power to battle demons.
SMT: Persona begins in what appears to be an ordinary high school. Some students are in an empty room, playing an urban legend game called, appropriately enough, Persona. (Think of it like Bloody Mary or Light as a Feather.) Once the game has finished, the students seem disappointed that nothing happened. Suddenly the room starts shaking and there’s electrical energy in the air. Four of the students promptly pass out and all experience the same dream where a masked man named Philemon tells them about their “other selves.”
When they awake, they find themselves in the school’s infirmary. The nurse and their teacher tell them to head to the hospital to have themselves checked out to be sure they’re in good health.
From there, it’s up to you. You can either play the main SMT: Persona storyline, or start down the Snow Queen side story.
It occasionally feels a bit dated, but still a relevant and challenging experience.
Those who loved Persona 3 and 4 and are coming into SMT: Persona expecting more of the same are in for a surprise. While many of the series’ hallmarks are there (personas, high school protagonists, real world setting, demon attacks, a “save the town/world” mission), it bears more resemblance to old school, first person dungeon crawlers and the Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner series.
The only flaw I can see comes from the map. Now first, let me preface by saying it is vastly superior to the original Revelations: Persona map. I gave up playing the original Revelations: Persona at one point because the map became too convoluted and difficult to navigate. This time it’s much better, everything is laid out easier and there are multiple save points and doctors office. The problem now is how you traverse the map. It’s similar to the Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner games, where your party is represented by a little icon moving along the streets. The problem is, it can be difficult to make a turn onto a side street when you’re already going in one direction. Which leaves you prone to more demon attacks.
One thing I noticed while playing SMT: Persona is that this time it felt quicker and easier to play. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m older and more patient, if it’s all the wonderful changes Atlus made to fix the original or if it’s because I have a hint at what’s coming. It just felt like there was no filler. There aren’t any dull or stale moments, and the story is always moving.
An opportunity to acquire what was once a rare game and see how the Persona series began.
The Persona spin-off has become the darling of the Shin Megami Tensei series, thanks to the PS2 hits Persona 3 and Persona 4. Fans of that series owe it to themselves to check out where it all began with SMT: Persona. It doesn’t follow the exact formula of later games, but it’s still a wonderful adventure with many concepts that were revolutionary at the time, and still daring in the video game world.
Even if you aren’t a Shin Megami Tensei fan, or don’t even know the first thing about the games, SMT: Persona is a wonderful starting point and fantastic addition to the PSP’s robust RPG library.
Read [Gamertell] Site [Shin Megami Tensei: Persona]
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