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It's probably a case of importing the P3 characters into a P4 series entry. I've yet to play it, so I'll report back on that front. I imagine P4: Dancing All Night may also end up making the P4 cast slightly more diabetic than they were before. Then again, I love diabetes, so I'd probably end up enjoying both games regardless.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolf Kanno
So is the Arena duology and Dancing All Night canon? What about Persona Q? That mashed up both casts, is that canon too?
Arena series and Dancing all Night are canon, PQ is kind of in limbo as the creators keep changing their mind when asked.
The story of Q is done in such a way that it's canonicity is completely irrelevant as everyone forgets everything about everything anyway :monster: It's also painfully fanficky, but the character interactions and game mechanics make up for it, so really, if you go into this game, just don't worry about the plot too much.
We just can't see eye to eye now, can we, as I happen to ADORE Rise :love:
Oh goodness, a game that ends with all the events being undone? Bold choice. Bold choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fynn
I like Rise for everything but her passive aggressive streak. She doesn't treat Kanji very well. Her voice was annoying for me as well, at first, but I'm much more used to it.
Of the main playable cast, I'd have to say I like Kanji the most, especially when you do his S.Link and develop his character more. And Chie; she has great interactions with most of the cast.
Yeh, Kanji is the best. Big guy who's actually adorable is an instant win for me. Rise is a close second, though. In fact, I think her voice is one of the reasons I love her so much.
Why do you think Atlus did a long time doing P4/P3 cast revisits? That's Arena, Arena Ultimax, Persona Q and Dancing All Night. That's quite alot of games!
Not that I'm complaining, I love the cast of the games and I'd never miss the chance to spend time with them, but it is quite alot of side games.
Because Atlus are whores. Like dear god, they may be the biggest whores of the gaming industry.Quote:
Originally Posted by Formalhaut
That said they are Classy whores, and I like me a whore with class.
They're not whores. They're a company that makes money for a living. They know the Persona stuff will sell well, as the games have been huge hits. But despite the P3/4 stuff being a bit too... uh, everywhere, at least they haven't lost track of what makes a good game, and we still get lots of awesome SMT games, not just more Persona.
Although, Persona has become one of my favorite game series, so I'm more than happy to throw money at Persona. Persona 5 looks very interesting, though I saw a screenshot where you... fought demons? The crew were fighting Pyro Jack and Sandman. Aren't they your personas? Your allies?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fynn
See Persona 1 and 2, as well as the rest of the MegaTen series :p
Coming back to the topic of canonicity - SMT IV pretty much confirmed what SMT III suggested. SMT III introduced the Amala network, which connect different dimensions to each other, which is why despite many of the games taking place in different timelines, they are actually still connected. SMT IV builds on this saying different decisions just create different universes, meaning all endings to all games are actually canon. Yes, that means even the female path of P3 is canon, even if not to the main Persona timeline.
Also, an interesting thing to note is that all the Persona games take place in one timeline together with the Devil summoner games, which all branched off SMT if..., which is an alternate continuity to SMT 1 where the apocalypse never happened. So Persona is a lot closer to demons roaming wild than you'd think :D
Kanji IS the best. He's such a sweetie. :) He's actually my favourite character in the Persona series so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fynn
I've nearly finished Persona 4 Golden, by the way. I'm on the last day dungeon. I prefer 4 to 3, on the whole. 3 was so unrelentingly dark that I found it a bit of a slog towards the end. 4 is more optimistic, which suits me much better.
things can get too optimistic too.
It may have been realized by now but I just wanted to confirm that Danganranpa does work on the PlayStation TV. It was one of the first games I got for mine. I haven't actually dug in much since I got it but I did play an hour or so and it ran fine. So unless there has been some weird patch that broke it, you shouldn't have to worry about missing out on that one. I'm mire interested in Zero Escape: Virtues Last Reward as far as Vita adventure games go. But sadly mine doesn't get enough love due to my work schedule and crazy back log. Good point of note though is that the Vita TV is fully capable of playing all the digital releases of PSOne and PSP games. So P3P is feasible on the bug screen without the weird PSP connector. And you also get access to old gems like Corpse Party <3
I read this entire thread from start to finish out of boredom and thought I'd throw out those tidbits
It's an EU/NA thing with Danganronpa though, Vyk. It totally does work in NA, but in EU? Not so much. Licencing reasons, I think. So the EU has a completely separate compatibility list to what NA has.
Ugggh. Region locked gaming this day and age is such BS. My apologies and sympathies. Also the fact that Vita games need a patch to run on VitaTV is wasted potential. The console emulates the Vitas functionality just fine. Especially with a PS4 controller for anything needing quick precise touch pad support
P3 was too dark for you, Sam? Oh, my sweet summer child :p
We gotta get you guys converted to regular MegaTen games. Like Mirage said, there is such a thing as too optimistic :p
I've always loved the idea of the other MegaTen games and have given the old college try to a good portion of them but aside from their difficulty (which I really wouldn't even mind) they all tend to be huge grind fests with fairly slow pacing and not a lot of ability given to just walk around and explore and enjoy the atmospheres. I love that they exist and I will continue to dabble in them and hope eventually one will come out that's as dark as the others but as friendly to play as P4. And right now P5 and MegaTen x Fire Emblem look to be the most likely candidates in the near future
Don't get me started on that SMT x FE nonsense...
Right now I'm playing Strange Journey and having a blast, but I really think SMT IV is the epitome of what an SMT game should be like, with a chilling story, brilliant atmosphere, unforgettable characters (who are actually subtle and it's really unfair that people compare them to Persona because they're just a wildly different type of character writing), and a complex world that's a joy to explore. Seriously, I think anyone with a 3DS should play it, as not only is it immersive as hell, it's also the most accessible SMT to date.
I loved Strange Journeys story and atmosphere and even the good old fighting and making friends with enemies and stuff. Even the first person dungeon crawling was charming and fun. But the encounter rate and difficulty spike between areas begs for grinding and it turned me off as I got about halfway through exploring the second area :( I have a weak tolerance for these amazing games
Haven't tried IV yet, perhaps it will be the one that clicks. I know they are designed to be trouble. Just have to fund one with an angle or mechanics that feel worth it or enjoyable or something. My tastes can be annoyingly stud and picky sometimes
The next handheld game I get will almost certainly be Virtues Last Reward, SMTIV can be the next one after that. Its still readily available and affordable
What's wrong with Persona Emblem?! The games not even out yet, but it looks solid enough. Give it a chance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fynn
I enjoyed Nocturne more, but that really isn't saying a lot, as I don't think I beat more than the first boss of either game. The pacing is terrible, the dungeon grinding is way too central of a focus (especially given the difficulty), and the story themes are not compelling enough to make me want to keep playing.Quote:
Right now I'm playing Strange Journey and having a blast, but I really think SMT IV is the epitome of what an SMT game should be like, with a chilling story, brilliant atmosphere, unforgettable characters (who are actually subtle and it's really unfair that people compare them to Persona because they're just a wildly different type of character writing), and a complex world that's a joy to explore. Seriously, I think anyone with a 3DS should play it, as not only is it immersive as hell, it's also the most accessible SMT to date.
But at least Nocturne didn't feature first person battles.
Face it, SMT X FE is pretty much Persona Idol Singer with FE characters as summons. Not the game I think fans on both sides were expecting. It may still be fun game in the end but I must say my interest dies off a little more with each news update I read about it.
SMTIV is easily the most accessible entry in the series. The dropping of the defense stat actually makes battles go by incredibly quickly and it has one of the most user friendly fusion systems in the franchise's history. Nocturne in my opinion, is just the best game overall. The fusion system was a little more complex and the game certainly never gave you any kind of hints but it was also one of the most versatile and broken ones in the series once you figured out what you were doing (and probably using a guide). If you're looking for a strong narrative among the actual SMT games, I would stick to Strange Journey and SMTIV. You could also emulate SMT if... As it was the spin-off MegaTen that eventually created the Persona series.
I'm not saying it's going to be a bad game, Sky, and I'm still looking forward to it. But Wolf kinda summed it up for me. I came into this as part of the MegaTen fanbase, not the FE fanbase (I've played only one FE game to date, while MegaTen has really come to influence me through all the games I've played so far), so seeing Persona Emblem with Idols really disappointed me. It just feels like one half of the crossover is completely eclipsing the other, which is sad for those who were eager to see more of the latter - like me, and Wolf, I would assume.
Of course, it would be ironic if the story turned out to be as cynical as a regular SMT story beneath the saccharine surface, and I would really love that, but I doubt it happens. Perhaps we can at least get the Law vs. Chaos conflict, please?
I totally get it. When it was first announced I was totally looking forward to a gritty tactical game about demons and delving into the depths of human morality and stuff.
While it is obviously more inspired by Persona. And not just general persona, definitely NEW persona, as the first few were still dark and demonic. I got in on Persona 3 and moved on to Persona 4 so it doesn't phase me as much. But for anyone wanting a genuine MegaTen influence is getting kinda robbed. A least from the look of it
Sadly I can't say I blame them Persona 2 is too old and obscure. And Nocturne is only a bit newer (?). Even SMTIV was probably only enjoyed by a niche community. Persona 3/4 is more popular and well known. Though in that regard I think it really should have been Persona X Fire Emblem. It'd be more... honest? Though I do hope they still surprise us with more SMT influence than we realize. But as it stands there appears to barely be even much Fire Emblem influence. So who knows what they're going for
Actually, I've thought since the beginning that new Persona would make a lot more sense to cross with Fire Emblem, as the Support system that Fire Emblem uses parallels the Social Link system perfectly. So the fact that it was based around the Persona design is not only a relief to me (as I enjoy the series far more), but I actually think it makes a much tighter fit, design wise. Both games have a core theme of building relationships and the strength it brings out in a unit.
The more I learn of the game, the more influence I see from both series, and I'm quite happy with that. For example, the mirages. Yes, they're bound and used essentially as Personas. Yet, they're not. They retain their personalities, and have impact and stories with interactions with the main characters they are united with (which is, I suppose, an element of demon negotiation?). The relationship system has been expanded to building on relationships between party members, leading to team attacks (again, a nod to Fire Emblem).
The story, from what little I've discovered, does seem to tend towards being on the darker side, and ATLUS seems to have in fact used the contrast between the colorful pop elements and the darker story elements far better than they did with Persona 4. I don't think the story will be as dark as a standard Shin Megami Tensei game, but I think it's going to be a cross between Persona 3 and Fire Emblem. Dark, with elements of hope thrown in.
The battle system looks to have refined out several of the ideas that Persona used, with more consistent and tactical manipulation of turn order and weaknesses to execute combos and dual attacks. The use of the Weapon Triangle to bring various types of physical damage into the system also serves as an improvement even to Persona 3's handling of the weakness system.
It really does feel to me like a fusion of the core of the Fire Emblem games, and the Persona games, and I am hyped as heck for it. If you're disappointed that there's less of an overt Shin Megami Tensei presence... Well, I guess I can understand that, especially since all we knew about it was that it was a cross between Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem for a long time. So I suppose it is a bit of a bait and switch. But, personally, I've always enjoyed the Persona games so much more anyway, that it only gets me more hyped. Despite their overall pacing problems (which, again, are still far worse in the mainline Mega Ten games), the newer Persona series handles world building, player engagement, and game balance so much better than the mainline series that I would be very disappointed to get a mainline Shin Megami Tensei experience out of this.
Plus, Mega Ten has too much Nietzsche influencing its philosophies.
Well SMT is kind of the JRPG poster child for Crapsack world so it would need to be more Nietzsche. The funny thing is that the Persona team isn't working on this one, it's actually the Devil Survivor team and they certainly followed the newer Persona games influence in adding a much bigger anime influence on the series mythology for their games. I'm honestly tired of the newer Persona/Devil Survivor series feel, which is partly why I'm happy that P5 looks to be bringing back the darker elements while retaining the goofy absurdness of the series.
I was hoping for more of an actual mash-up as opposed to an original project being co-developed but the game may surprise me in the end. Unfortunately the bait and switch did largely curb my need to pick up the game immediately. The idol angle kind of irks me a bit too as it's a side of Japanese culture I never could grasp and find kind of stupid.
After an almost 2 month hiatus of Persona 3 Portable I picked it back up again today! 106 hours logged and finally, I'm almost there. 26 in game days left. I've just made it to the top of the 6th block after defeating the guardians on that floor so now I'm just going to level my party.
I may as well comment on my progress!
So I finished Persona 4: Golden. Mr. Carny finished before me, actually. We're now both playing Persona Q and we're, again, both loving it. I'm doing the P3 path, he's doing the P4 path. I'll end up doing the P4 path at some point, much how I intend to do the Male Protagonist for P3P as well at some point.
I'm at the final story of the Evil Spirit Club, and I'm enjoying the fairly unique game-play. I do have to say, that magic is fairly useless. Physical attacks are so effective in this game. SP is so rare!
Fynn keeps badgering me to get into the SMT series proper with SMT IV. I may do. I'm torn whether to continue my Persona fix and do either the Arena duology or go complete left-turn and consider Persona 2: Innocent Sin.
If you try SMT first, Persona 2 will be a bit less grating after 3 and 4. Can't vouch for Arena cause I haven't played it. But it's a fighting game, not an RPG, so it's something completely different.
Really, SMTIV is amazing and needs more love, so please try it :shobon:
Okay, okay, I've decided my playing order:
-Persona 3 Portable: Female Path
-Persona 4 Golden
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth: P3 Side
- Shin Megami Tensei IV
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin
- Persona 4: Arena/Arena Ultimax
- Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
- Persona 4: Dancing All Night
- Persona 3 Portable: Male Path
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth: P4 Side
Playing all of that will take a heck of a long time. By the time I'm towards the end, Persona 5 will be released and me and Mr. Carny will have a PS4, so that actually works well. Playing the Male and P4 paths of 3 and Q are sort of lopped on the end of that, really: if P5 comes out before I've done them, I'll postpone them until I've enjoyed P5.
If I end up really enjoying SMT IV, I'll look into SMT IV: Final and maybe even SMT III, but that's dependent on how much I enjoy SMT IV, really :p
I think P5 will be coming out sooner than SMT IV: Final, though.
Eh, I'm easy. I'm really looking forward to P5, actually. I've seen the trailers that have come out for it and it looks amazing. What do you think of it, Fynn?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fynn
Actually SMTIV:Final is getting released in February in Japan, whereas P5 still doesn't have a release date beyond "sometime in 2016". Makes sense due to IVF reusing a lot of content from SMTIV, especially when one remembers it started its life as SMTIV: Director's Cut before being turned into a spin-off.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fynn
I'm super stoked, honestly. I'm glad it's shaking up the formula, since as much as I loved P3 and 4, one more of the same would kinda be pushing it.Quote:
Originally Posted by FormalhautEh, I'm easy. I'm really looking forward to P5, actually. I've seen the trailers that have come out for it and it looks amazing. What do you think of it, Fynn?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fynn
Also, from what I read about it, it kind of fits a fan theory. In Persona 1 and 2 your main adversary was Nyarlathotep who was kind of a chaotic avatar, believing people would just kill themselves off. In 3 and 4 we had enemies on the neutral side, with death and apathy just reducing everything to zero. Apparently the heroes of P5 fight to be themselves despite authority and social stuff, so I guess that puts them in opposition to law.
If that means nothing to you, Formy, those are the traditional SMT alignments that play a huge part in the series and it's a nice touch that the developers are subtly hinting at this connection ;)
So I've finished Persona Q! And I have to say, having completed the last quarter of the game, it has only risen in my estimations, to be honest.
Major Persona Q Spoilers
What makes Persona Q work is the knowledge you bring along from Persona 3 and Persona 4, but most poignantly from Persona 3. Persona 3's story gets hit with three or so Wham episodes in the space of a term: October has Shinjiro's death (which I think is canon?), November has Ikutsuki's betrayal, and December as the whole Ryuji is Death thing. Basically, the latter half of the game takes a real dive.
Persona Q takes place just before all the crap hits the fan, basically, and because of that, all the character growth and development really stings because of my knowledge of what is to come. It stung the most with Shinjiro. In Persona 3, I don't think he got enough real development, and because he goes relatively quickly, I felt time with him was cut short, despite him bearing the Moon Arcana in my Female play-through. In Persona Q, however, we got to see more of him. He appeared lighter. He's still a fairly aloof individual, but through interactions with others, we really got a caring side from him, be it his cooking orders or his non-reaction towards Naoto's gender. These were great, but it stung because I knew that he would be gone soon, and I have to say that in Persona Q Shinjiro became one of my favourite characters. One thing that struck me is that no-one really jumped on Shinji for his talent in cooking, as opposed to Kanji, who can still barely disclose his hobby of sewing to his close friends.
Other points of development, such as Kanji's mentoring of Ken, and Mitsuru/Yukari's reconciliation, were handled well in Persona Q, but there's the nagging elephant of the room: none of this would stick. I admit, I'm going over a relatively small detail in the scheme of things, but it stuck in my mind.
Of course, the main plot of Persona Q is with Rei and Zen, and thematically, it all worked. I kinda called Rei's fate towards the end of the second labyrinth, and it was patently clear by the end of the third. But while her incessant food habit was annoying at times, the explanation for it (because she was dead, she had a ravenous appetite for life) worked. Really, the last quarter was astounding, and gripping. I particularly liked the enhanced role the Velvet Room attendants had, and I agonised as Margaret struggled to restrain divulging the fate of the P3 Hero from Elizabeth.
Basically, the game works because of hindsight, agonising hindsight. Much like how time is inescapable, the fates of Shinji and the P3 Hero are unavoidable, which makes all the interactions in PQ all the more poignant. If the memories weren't wiped, most of the troubles that occur in the latter part of the P3 story may have been averted.
Basically, I loved it. Definitely one of the best handheld games I've played, and arguably ranks as one of my favourite games in general.
Oh boy, I see you still have a lot of handheld games to play then :p
Not that I didn't enjoy PQ to bits, but I still think there's better dungeon crawlers out there. The character interactions certainly were the best thing about the game, even if they were a bit flat compared to the rest of the series.
Speaking of, i have jumped into Dancing All Night, and boy, is it addicting as all hell.
If it were completely standalone, I'd agree. I just feel I enjoyed it far more because of all the connections I was making between P3 and P4.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fynn
I guess that is kinda nice, but at the same time, it still felt kinda fanficky to me. Though I'll agree Shinjiro's personality actually benefited from this game. I kinda feel this is what he would behave like if he got to spend more time with the party instead of biting it.
But what they did to Akihiko was downright criminal.
What they did to him in Arena is criminal; what is he doing?!? He's pretty flanderised in Q, but I didn't mind so much.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fynn
I haven't played Arena yet and you're making me glad I didn't XD
I am worried about the Akihiko federalization from either game actually because I really liked his character. He was sweet and devoted and his character had some good subtlety to it which you just don't find enough of in some games, I think
Haven't played the spinoffs though so can't comment for certain!
I can tell you that the cast of P4 is pretty well represented in Dancing All Night so far, though I don't think I'm that far in yet. The new characters are kinda bleh, though, aside from Kanamin. It's nice to finally see her character after her being such a big part of Rise's S. Link and backstory in general.
Aside from the flanderization, Q is a really good game, just not sure if it's your style. Akihiko doesn't shut up about protein, but the rest aren't half that bad.
He still is sweet and devoted in Persona Q. I mean, he mentions protein constantly, but his interactions with Chie and Shinji are rather touching, and he learns from Yukari and the others about the distance that's occurred between S.E.E.S, and works to correct that. There's a small bit about Akihiko running headfirst into combat, which changed towards the end with him being slightly more cautious, which was nice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pumpkin
Really, Akihiko is fine in Persona Q. He's got enough development in there and you can overlook the protein gags. His brotherly connection with Shinji was both sweet and bittersweet, as Shinji's death shortly after made me realise just how close they were.
In Arena, Akihiko's changed into this weird topless caped muscleman. Get pictures, it is quite something. Having said that, his story does go into his anguish about the P3 Hero's sacrifice, which makes him surprisingly vulnerable at times when you read his thoughts. But yeah, on the surface, he's really changed.
I've finally completed Persona 3 Portable. I started off enjoying the game but come the end it became bit of a chore, maybe because I was grinding too much in Tartarus and made the story sections feel further apart than they were. To be honest I'm glad it's over, and I'm interested to see how Persona 4 Golden compares (although I think I'll give it a few days before I Junpei to that).
I think Mr. Carny has the same feelings toward P3P like you did. He enjoyed it, but found the last segments a bit of a slog. He also found ending rather melodramatic. Major P3 spoiler"The moon is Nyx? Whaaa?!".Quote:
Originally Posted by fat_moogle
Yeah, the ending was a quite a letdown. At least I can say I completed it, but it wasn't worth the 117 hours xDQuote:
Originally Posted by Formalhaut
You guys have no taste :colbert:
This is what happens when you play the version that doesn't have The Answer. :p
I don't know, I never cared for P3P as I feel the UI change to a visual novel style approach really made it hard to connect to the world, which was one of the things that really drew me to the game. The lack of the anime cutscenes and the character model work just makes the story feel a bit flat to me. The gameplay changes never set well with me either, but I'm probably sounding like a broken record now. I honestly feel that if you intend to play Persona 3, P3 FES is the way to go.
I've never played FES, but I watched the answer, and I honestly think the story is way better without it.
I mean, sure, the Aigis learning to live thing is great, but the conflict between the party members, while cool on paper, is handled incredibly heavy-handedly. It really made the whole thing very disappointing.
I didn't dislike the game, it just dragged on for too long xDQuote:
Originally Posted by Fynn
I thought I'd bump this thread seeing as though I started Persona 4 Golden today.
EVERYDAY'S GREAT AT YOUR JUNES!
EVERYDAY'S GREAT AT YOUR JUNES!
EVERYDAY'S GREAT AT YOUR JUNES!
EVERYDAY'S GREAT AT YOUR JUNES!
I'm only a couple of hours in, but so far it seems like a big improvement over P3P.
P3P was not exactly the best port. Glad to hear you're enjoying P4 though.
I enjoyed it well enough, but I'll probably try out FES for my male protagonist play-through, seeing how I finished the Fem!P3 path.
Meh. I still think the PSP version is optimal. The Answer is ridiculously overrated.
Quick Question: why doesn't this class as General Square Enix? Is it because Square only had something to do with it in PAL regions?
As far as I'm aware, Square Enix didn't have anything to do with Persona.
Yup. It was even published in Europe by Ghostlight. I don't think it ever had anything to do with SEQuote:
Originally Posted by Formalhaut
The Answer is a nice treat, but not the reason why FES is better than P3P. For me it has more to do with the better interface and it retains some of the more interesting ideas from P3's battle system, where P3P pretty much just aped P4's system.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fynn
I don't mind visual novels, but when the only options are talk to people, and fight, I tend to get tired of the fighting. And P3 is a grind, regardless of the alternatives. But having the option to walk around and talk to people makes me feel less confined. So I guess for me it is an interface thing too. It's a small thing, but I doubt I would have enjoyed P4 half as much if I wasn't allowed to wander around and do my own thing
It also helps that the original maintains the Fusion Spells for the hero giving him another angle for customization, the original also didn't have the "rescue people in Tartarus" side missions which seemed like a cool idea at first but forced you to deal with something most people hated anyway which was running through Tartarus. I also understand that P3's version of the battle system is a required taste but I honestly liked the artistic integrity of it as opposed to the functionality of P4's system. Course I'm the minority on that front.
About the only two elements I really love about P3P was the Female Scenario and the Skill Card system.
So I failed miserably at my first attempt fighting Shadow Kanji in Persona 4 Golden. Damn you and your lighting weakness, Yosuke! So I tried the battle again when I died with just Chie and Yukiko on my team and JUST managed to scrape victory with them both dead and my main on 20 HP.
Yeah, Shadow Kanji is one of the tougher bosses in the game. Having Yosuke pretty much constantly defending is good, with Yukiko on almost constant support. The key is getting rid of the two sidekicks as fast as you can, honestly.
I removed Yosuke from the team completely, so I had my main at level 20 and Chie and Yukiko at level 19. I think I was a bit under levelled, so I'll put in some more training before the next rescue mission.
Removing Yosuke wasn't a bad plan. I tend to keep him around, if only because if Yukiko can't keep on healing and your main character is hurting, Yosuke can pitch in with an item. Otherwise, yeah levelling is always a decent plan. And like always, have a good Persona repertoire for your main character is very useful. Thankfully, after getting Kanji you can swap someone out if they are weak to a boss or mini-boss, meaning you won't have to carry burdens.
Actually about Kanji - he's a strong physical attacker, much like Chie. You can have both of them in your party, but it is generally a good idea to have one or the other. With Yukiko a strong magical striker/supporter and Yosuke doing a bit of both, you have a balanced team.
Guard is your best friend for those initial battles. By guarding, characters can actually cover up their elemental weaknesses, making fighting Shadow Yukiko easier if you have Chie guard often, for example.
Oh that will be handy being able to swap people out. I stopped playing last night once I saved Kanji so I haven't had a chance to use him yet, so I've got to wait for him to recover. I'll play some more tonight.
Will i ever pick up this game again? Persona 4 i mean? I'm not sure.....i guess im a little disillusioned. I'm sure Kanno will talk me round eventually.....
Have you played P3?