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Hot on the heels of Persona 3 FES, Persona 4 invites players to another year of school in Japan. Slightly modifying and improving the mechanics of its predecessor and mixing in a well-written murder mystery to boot, Persona 4 is a very solid game. The biggest problem it contends with is that it has a hard time setting itself apart from Persona 3, as it borrows more than its fair share of game mechanics from the previous game, but can’t quite manage to tie everything together the same way. Still, Persona 4 is an enjoyable, challenging title with a lot to recommend it. Continue reading ‘Persona 4 - Staff Review’ »

Hoping for an expanded edition of Persona 4 like what happened with Persona 3 FES? We’ve got good news and bad news for you.

Continue reading ‘Persona 4 So Perfect it Cannot Be Improved Upon, Says Atlus’ »

Atlus just released a lot of new video content at its youtube page. Of the content, there is a new full trailer, and six brand new webisodes for your viewing pleasure.

If you need more Persona 4 goodies, Atlus has them for you on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.  It’s called the Persona 4 Social Link Expansion Pack, and, it includes a Teddie plushie, a Konohana Sakuya t-shirt, a second soundtrack CD, and a calendar to count the many days you’ll be playing the game.  The whole package retails for $29.99, but since quantities will be limited, you’ll have to act fast.  For clarity, it should be pointed out that this does not include the game.  That must be bought separately.

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With several upcoming titles slated for release this year, Atlus plans to release special pre-order editions of Luminous Arc 2, Eternal Poison and Persona 4 at amazon.com and gamestop.com.  These Spoils packages will include art books and soundtrack CDs at no additional cost, with the suggested retail price for each title at $39.99 US.

When moving from a bustling city to a quiet rural town, one would usually expect life to become more peaceful, but this isn’t the case in Persona 4. Instead, the main character’s arrival is followed by news of a scandal, and later, a murder. Rather than worry too much about that, he quickly makes a few friends and hears an interesting rumor regarding TVs and rainy days at midnight. While investigating, he and his friends instead find a connection between this strange phenomenon and what has now become a string of murders. Discovering that they may have the power to help the would-be victims, they set out to prevent as many casualties as they can while solving the surrounding mysteries and attempting to catch the culprit. Continue reading ‘Persona 4 - Staff Import Review’ »

When it was announced that Persona 3 was getting an expansion in the form of Persona 3 FES, most believed it would never see the light of day in North America, and were surprised and delighted when it did. Now European gamers will get to join in the festivities as KOEI has announced that it will be bringing the game to over this October. Continue reading ‘FEStival to Begin in Europe This Fall’ »

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We were able to attend Atlus’s Shin Megami Tensei panel at the Anime Expo, and they were kind enough to let us record it. Special thanks to my friend Tim who helped me out with the camera.
Continue reading ‘Anime Expo 2008 Atlus Panel’ »

During its event at Anime Expo, Atlus announced today that Persona 4 will be coming to North America on December 9 of this year.  As an added bonus, all copies of the game will include a special soundtrack CD. An official website for the game will be launched soon. Stay tuned for more details as we get our hands on the official press release.

Update: Atlus has opened up a site for Persona 4’s North American release, which can be seen here. It’s also been announced that the game will be selling for $39.99.

Atlus has decided to rectify the lack of a pop idol in Persona 4 by announcing Rise Kujikawa. She mysteriously drops out of the business just as she hits her stride. In the game, she acts as a support character, similar to Fuuka from Persona 3. Rise can’t fight directly, but she can analyze the enemy. She is joined by her Persona Himiko.

Translator: Adrienne Beck
Source: Famitsu

Under normal circumstances, when a Japanese company releases an expansion for a game, the rest of the world is left out of the loop. Thankfully for us in North America, Persona 3 FES is a rare exception to the rule. Offering a number of changes to Persona 3, FES adds some nice bonuses to the initial package, while adding on a good deal of new content and doing some overall re-balancing. FES’s changes range from the nice but inconsequential (new costumes), to the significant (an all-new 30 hour epilogue), to the inexplicable (Mara), but overall, FES is a solid and worthwhile addition to Persona 3.
Continue reading ‘Persona 3 FES - Staff Review’ »

Players who remember the dimly-it elevator that served as the Velvet Room in Persona 3 will probably feel right at home in Persona 4’s Velvet Room, which will take the form of limousine. Igor is back again, but has a new helper this time, a certain Margaret. Continue reading ‘Persona 4’s Velvet Room Hits the Streets’ »

Because no Persona game would be complete without a tough guy, a new leather-jacket wearing Persona 4 character has been revealed. The latest castmember, Kanji Tatsumi, is known around town as a delinquent, though he seems to attend the same high school as the main character. His persona is Takemikazuchi, but, so far, he remains otherwise mysterious.

Persona 4 is due out July 10 in Japan. As of yet there’s been no solid information as to a North-American release.

Source: Famitsu
Translator: Adrienne Beck