Persona 3:FES on the PSN.

[Slothy]

I'd post a link but one probably isn't necessary. Persona 3: FES is on the Playstation network now so those who are able should probably buy it since it's only $10. I missed this version when it came out and never seemed to have the cash for a used copy, so digital release for $10? Sign me up. Maybe now I'll actually finish the thing after 3 failed attempts to complete the original Persona 3.

[Mirage]

Does it look better than on the PS2?

[Slothy]

Hell if I know actually, I won't be able to pick it up until next week. It didn't say it was in HD so I think it's just one of the standard PS2 re-releases, but I'm fine with that. Persona 3 looked good anyway, on top of being a pretty damn amazing game.

[Mirage]

I guess the real question is, can I easily import my PS2 saves to the PS3?

[Roto13]

I guess the real question is, can I easily import my PS2 saves to the PS3?

No.

[JKTrix]

I'm not sure if they still make these, but I have one. Amazon.com: PS3 Memory Card Adaptor: Video Games (http://www.amazon.com/PS3-Memory-Card-Adaptor-Playstation-3/dp/B000K1GZIU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334257229&sr=8-1)

That's definitely the easiest way to get your own PS2 saves onto the PS3. I'm sure there are old ways of digitally backing up your PS2/PS1 memory cards onto your computer, but that likely involves buying other hardware like a Gameshark or doing some other kinds of modding.

[Del Murder]

Is FES the best version? I forget which P3 Wolf told me to play.

[Roto13]

FES is the best version on PS2. There's a PSP version that's missing the FES content but has its own new content (playable female protagonist, controllable party members) that just got a price drop on the PSN store.

They're both valid choices.
I'm not sure if they still make these, but I have one. Amazon.com: PS3 Memory Card Adaptor: Video Games (http://www.amazon.com/PS3-Memory-Card-Adaptor-Playstation-3/dp/B000K1GZIU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334257229&sr=8-1)

That's definitely the easiest way to get your own PS2 saves onto the PS3. I'm sure there are old ways of digitally backing up your PS2/PS1 memory cards onto your computer, but that likely involves buying other hardware like a Gameshark or doing some other kinds of modding.

PS2 download games don't use virtual memory cards like backwards compatible PS3's do, unfortunately. They use a new type of save, so importing saves won't work.

[Wolf Kanno]

Is FES the best version? I forget which P3 Wolf told me to play.

Yes, FES is my favorite version because it's the Director's Cut version essentially, with a tone of added content and some rebalancing, as well as a semi-sequel attached to it that adds some nice closure to the game.

The PSP version is a valid choice as well, though I do miss traveling through town like a typical RPG. P3P is more point and click since P3's too big for the PSP to handle. Luckily the dungeons work the same, and P3P does allow you to change the gender of the character and the female MC gets several exclusive Social Links to keep both versions feeling fresh.

None of you have an excuse not to own this game now. :colbert:

[Roto13]

I own a trade demo copy of the PSP version. :P No label or anything.

[Mirage]

[COLOR="#RTRDED"]
PS2 download games don't use virtual memory cards like backwards compatible PS3's do, unfortunately. They use a new type of save, so importing saves won't work.

Ultrafail.

[Roto13]

[COLOR="#really retarded"]

Ultrafail.
Stop using Fluffy Puff.

[Skyblade]

Is FES the best version? I forget which P3 Wolf told me to play.

Yes, FES is my favorite version because it's the Director's Cut version essentially, with a tone of added content and some rebalancing, as well as a semi-sequel attached to it that adds some nice closure to the game.

The PSP version is a valid choice as well, though I do miss traveling through town like a typical RPG. P3P is more point and click since P3's too big for the PSP to handle. Luckily the dungeons work the same, and P3P does allow you to change the gender of the character and the female MC gets several exclusive Social Links to keep both versions feeling fresh.

None of you have an excuse not to own this game now. :colbert:

I personally prefer P3P. I love the inclusion of skill cards and the Female Protagonist.

And I'm not actually a huge fan of the Answer from FES. While it does provide some closure, it does so at a heavy cost. Your party members tend to act fairly out of character, with most of them becoming outright jerks throughout its story, and it does change the original ending a bit. I love the actual stories it adds, but I hate the final conclusion and the way it changes the characters.

[Wolf Kanno]

I don't feel the characterization was off base, I felt they were responding in a very realistic way to P3's ending, and I feel the idea of changing the past would split the party up given the situation that arises. My issue with The Answer was the lack of Social Links and the Demonic Compendium made the gameplay side a bit tedious. Granted, once you get past the very heavy dungeon crawler section at the beginning, the plot picks up and you get some really nice boss battles for the rest of the game. I felt the story took a very interesting turn and added a better sense of closure to the cast after the dust settled.

The issues I have with P3P is purely visuals, and they borrowed a bit too much from P4 in gameplay. I've never been fond of cutscenes being 99% just someone's picture "talking" and a generic background, so I appreciate I actually have character models in FES to accompany the talking heads. I also happen to like the anime cutscenes over the in-game engine cutscenes, Minato's(Male MC) anime cutscene version of his Persona awakening is far more haunting, disturbing, and setting the mood for the game better than the Female MC's version. I also wish they had kept P3's persona list, cause I like it better that P4's. I was also sad that the Girl's Social Links are made up mostly of your fellow S.E.E.S. members, it just makes the world feel smaller when the SL focus primarily on all the characters that appear in all the main story cutscenes. I liked how P3 gave you a ton of people outside of the main conflict to get to know. Other than that, P3P does add some nice gameplay elements and it still an excellent game that I recommend; I just prefer FES due to minor differences.

[Laddy]

P3 is one of the greastest RPG's of all time, imo. The battle system, music, plot, and characters are all original and entertaining. And the ending has been able to invoke more emotion in me than most any game. Check it out. :bigsmile:

[Jiro]

I'll definitely have to pick this up since my copy went AWOL!

[Mirage]

Yeah, well, it's on the NA PSN only. Those mother fuckers.

[Hollycat]

So, I've never played persona before, is it full control/ active battle (see kh) or is it a party battle like ff?

[Mirage]

It's a strict turn based battle system, with AI control over three out of four party members. The developers stopped being retarded around the time of the PSP version, and let you control all four manually.

[Wolf Kanno]

It's a strict turn based battle system, with AI control over three out of four party members. The developers stopped being retarded around the time of the PSP version, and let you control all four manually.

Except the A.I. is actually really good. :p

For HP: It works like FFXIII's system where encountering a new enemy, if you have your navigator scan the enemy for you, the party A.I. will know exactly what to do. Despite this, you can still give orders to your party or individuals, like telling them to concentrate on healing, or exploiting enemy weakness, or even prioritize a specific target. The scanning option also has the amusing side effect of helping you in boss battles, because the game won't reveal the strengths and weaknesses of a boss to the player, but the A.I. party will know, so it saves you from doing a silly physical attack that will backfire and kill your party instead. It a clever elements that makes the game far more noob friendly than P4.

The A.I. party also served a story purpose because the designers wanted the player to really feel like the other characters were their own people. This is the reason why in the console versions, you have to actually give your party members equipment by talking to them in dungeons, instead of just opening the menu screen and fiddling (you can still do fiddle afterwards if they try to equip something you don't want them to) it's little touches like this that make the game pretty interesting as the gameplay and story overlap. I dare say the A.I. in this game is actually one of the best in the genre outside of using Gambits. Despite that, all the real action comes from your main and fully controllable main character who gets more options than the basic party anyway and is the one who sets the pace and strategy of battle anyway.

[NeoCracker]

I'm with Wolf.

While I feel they should give you more tactics options early on, I also feel the set up does a great job at giving you more of a command role over the party. You actually get a lot of control over the other members without controlling them directly.

Mind you, Its a set up I wouldn't enjoy a lot of games to implement. I loved P4 gives you full control over the party for example. Put it's a fun and effective way to spice up the game play. :p

[Depression Moon]

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!
YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!
YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!
YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!
YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

[Mirage]

It's a strict turn based battle system, with AI control over three out of four party members. The developers stopped being retarded around the time of the PSP version, and let you control all four manually.

Except the A.I. is actually really good. :p

For HP: It works like FFXIII's system where encountering a new enemy, if you have your navigator scan the enemy for you, the party A.I. will know exactly what to do. Despite this, you can still give orders to your party or individuals, like telling them to concentrate on healing, or exploiting enemy weakness, or even prioritize a specific target. The scanning option also has the amusing side effect of helping you in boss battles, because the game won't reveal the strengths and weaknesses of a boss to the player, but the A.I. party will know, so it saves you from doing a silly physical attack that will backfire and kill your party instead. It a clever elements that makes the game far more noob friendly than P4.

The A.I. party also served a story purpose because the designers wanted the player to really feel like the other characters were their own people. This is the reason why in the console versions, you have to actually give your party members equipment by talking to them in dungeons, instead of just opening the menu screen and fiddling (you can still do fiddle afterwards if they try to equip something you don't want them to) it's little touches like this that make the game pretty interesting as the gameplay and story overlap. I dare say the A.I. in this game is actually one of the best in the genre outside of using Gambits. Despite that, all the real action comes from your main and fully controllable main character who gets more options than the basic party anyway and is the one who sets the pace and strategy of battle anyway.

I didn't think I would ever see someone defending "talk to character to change gear", but here we are. Developers can use AI to make me feel like the characters are real people when I can talk to these "real persons" and plan an elaborate strategy with them. Until then, screw that tit.

If the AI was so good, why did they change it to manual control in Portable and P4?

As for best AI, I don't think it's really on the level of the AI used in Tales of Symphonia (using that game because that's the most recent tales of game I have played), and the battles in that game requires more complex control than P3 as well. That's a game where I could actually rely fully on an AI healer during a boss battle, and it would only very rarely perform actions that were less optimal than what I would have done myself.

[krissy]

should i buy this or ff9
i have played neither but only have 16 bux in my psn account

[Hollycat]

FF9 for sure

[Laddy]

I prefer FF9 but it's a really, really, really damn close and you should gtet both eventually.

[Wolf Kanno]

I didn't think I would ever see someone defending "talk to character to change gear", but here we are. Developers can use AI to make me feel like the characters are real people when I can talk to these "real persons" and plan an elaborate strategy with them. Until then, screw that tit.

I felt it was a neat idea, and as I pointed out, you could still manually go in a set it up as you want, so as far as I'm concerned, no harm, no foul. As for planning strategies with the A.I. you do basically do that since they often are reacting to your decisions, whether it's shouting out commands, or reacting to enemy scans, or even reacting to your last action. So while they don't out right plan with you, I feel the A.I. reacts pretty well to your decisions, and paying attention to your characters actions will allow you to easily predict how the A.I. will react, it really becomes a game of building strategy around manipulation. It's a far cry better than the A.I. of FFXIII.


If the AI was so good, why did they change it to manual control in Portable and P4?


Mostly because people like you bitched and moaned that they wanted to play as everyone despite how limited you're supporting party is. Luckily for these people, the Persona team listens to their fans, but I would like to point out that the A.I. is still in both P4 (It's the default setting actually) and in P3P, so it's not like they abandoned the system either. They just made it accessible for the A.I.-phobic fans. :D


As for best AI, I don't think it's really on the level of the AI used in Tales of Symphonia (using that game because that's the most recent tales of game I have played), and the battles in that game requires more complex control than P3 as well. That's a game where I could actually rely fully on an AI healer during a boss battle, and it would only very rarely perform actions that were less optimal than what I would have done myself.

I can't really say much on this because I've never played Tales of Symphonia, the Tales franchise has never really impressed me and I found the earlier installments were way too easy. Though it sounds to me like the A.I. falls into "takes care of itself" territory which is what I don't really care for in thew A.I. companion debate. To clarify, I feel the A.I. in P3 is the best because I never felt it hindered me, nor did I feel like I could just hit X and go make a sandwich because the A.I. would do all the rest. So for me, it hits that sweet-spot of being just useful enough to be reliable but not something that undermines my own usefulness in battle. This is mostly due to the Pokemon style design of your party members, so for me, it's a well designed game and they handled the A.I. rather well imho.
**************************************************************************
Between P3 and FFIX, I would say get both, but if you had to choose one, I would actually say P3.

[Mirage]

ToS' AI does take care of itself, to a certain degree. You can still jump in and override their actions, and change their routines. There are several behaviours to select from for several aspects of the game, and they can be changed independently. Such as for example you can set their positioning to "do not pursuit", "keep away from the enemy", "keep in melee range", then combine this with targeting settings such as "enemy taking least damage", "enemy taking most damage", "enemy not targeted by anyone else", and "enemy targeted by player". Automatic use of certain spells can be turned on and off at will, and the AI remembers elemental weaknesses. You can also easily change between these tactics during battles. There are a few more settings too, but I can't remember them right now. It has been a while since I played it.

And no, you can't just "set and forget" it, and even if you could, there's a lot more actual player still involved in ToS' fights, considering it is real time, direct control and hitboxes. Not inputing any commands yourself would essentially be like playing with 3 characters instead of 4, which would be suicide in most battles that weren't complete pushovers.

In other news, P3Portable works flawlessly in a PSP emulator now. Maybe that's what I should get.

[Depression Moon]

Between P3 and FFIX, I would say get both, but if you had to choose one, I would actually say P3.

Booooooo!

[Wolf Kanno]

Sorry, but behind Chrono Trigger, P3: FES is probably my second favorite JRPG of all time. :p

[krissy]

i went with ff9! but will get p3 asap too...although when i'll actually play it i dunno.

do you guys think p4 will come out on psn too?

[Roto13]

Probably not for a long while. Gotta move the Vita version first.

[Del Murder]

Will I be lost in P3 without having played the other games?

[Wolf Kanno]

No, the games are loosely connected. There are shout outs and some Easter eggs to the older titles but mostly P3 is a stand alone title. Only P1 and P2 are directly connected and even then, it's not a requirement to play P1 to enjoy P2, since the P1 plot stuff is mostly minor. P4 also follows suit with a few shout outs to P3 but the game is also a standalone title that doesn't require playing the earlier games to enjoy. So it's easy to start with any entry actually. I got into the series with P2: Eternal Punishment, the Part II of the P2 Duology which is probably the only exception to this rule.

P3 was pretty much designed to reboot the franchise, its battle system is a streamlined and refined version of Shin Megami Tensei III's system, and most of the gameplay mechanics of the first two Persona games are absent. It's a much more forgiving title as well, though it's still more challenging than most JRPGs on the market now. It is the most newbie friendly entry in the franchise, though The Answer epilogue in FES is more like the older games in terms of being a difficult dungeon crawler, but it's also optional. ;)