I’ve got it here, not sure if I’ll have time to get to it after Infinite Wealth, and FFVIIR before Rise if the Ronin. Might be a future play when things slow down, but definitely play it eventually. Funny thing is, I bought it (FES) on PS2…but have never found the opening for it (or 4). Just keeps going to the back burner despite 5 being one of the few turn based games I’ve enjoyed (though I have softened to them in my old age).

Feb 9, 2024 2:25:27 GMT c said:

Just unlocked the dorm stuff, it is super cool. Really makes the team feel more like a family.

Hit floor 60 in Tartarus. Really need a physical Persona for when I start to run two teams, as healing health is far cheaper in terms of items than healing SP. Physical Persona usually are the harder ones to build while fusing, at least for me. Buffers, ailment and magic all good at, but physical always feels like you lose important shit on fuses.

Remembering now how much of a grind Elizabeth's FES quests got to be. For a game that was not supposed to have FES content, there is a whole lot in here. Guessing they just meant the Answer, which I assume has to be DLC. They got the engine, should not be too hard to pound that out and charge $30 for it.

Was announced earlier game sold a million copies making it the best launch title Atlus ever had.  Whole lot of people gonna be horrified next week or so when they get to the point characters are straight out murdered Merica style.  

I saw that, so happy for Atlus and this game to sell as much as it has, especially when it's available for Game Pass too! 

Yeah I like the dorm stuff and if you fully complete 3(?) cutscenes with a character, they pick up a new ability to fight with. I just got one with Akihiko last night.

One day away from 3rd moon, you're gonna stumble into missing persons that come into Tartarus that (optionally) you will want to save and thus lose an evening to Tartarus. Given I don't want to just go pick them up and leave immediately, it's been twice already I had to kill like 2 hours grinding in Tartarus and exhaust all of my characters MP. So I am a little overleveled I feel for where I am at during the game. 

All stats are 4-4-4 but really want to see if I can make it to 5 for intelligence since another set of exams come this year. IIRC there's only 2 major tests in this game and a trophy/achievement is attached to "acing" an exam so I think you need 3 intelligence for 1st exam and 5 intelligence for 2nd. Could be wrong. 

Got a couple of 7's and 8's for social link which is playing with house money at this point during the game. I believe you get an exclusive persona once you get the social link max that you can fuse. 

LOVE the social/online feature of this game, you can see who people are social linking or what they're doing for an evening. Of course you get spoiled of the boss names during the Tartarus blocks so beware but it's a neat little feature. 

EDIT: 4 exams!?!?! What are they doing to my MC? Japan is no joke.

Feb 9, 2024 13:43:56 GMT RagnarokMike said:

I’ve got it here, not sure if I’ll have time to get to it after Infinite Wealth, and FFVIIR before Rise if the Ronin. Might be a future play when things slow down, but definitely play it eventually. Funny thing is, I bought it (FES) on PS2…but have never found the opening for it (or 4). Just keeps going to the back burner despite 5 being one of the few turn based games I’ve enjoyed (though I have softened to them in my old age).

What a month for Atlus going Infinite Wealth and Persona.

For some reason thought you were one of the people who got me into it.  Maybe was SMT: N on the old boards.  Thought I learned of these games forever ago on the old boards though.

Feb 9, 2024 15:08:32 GMT Blindy said:

Feb 9, 2024 2:25:27 GMT c said:

Just unlocked the dorm stuff, it is super cool. Really makes the team feel more like a family.

Hit floor 60 in Tartarus. Really need a physical Persona for when I start to run two teams, as healing health is far cheaper in terms of items than healing SP. Physical Persona usually are the harder ones to build while fusing, at least for me. Buffers, ailment and magic all good at, but physical always feels like you lose important shit on fuses.

Remembering now how much of a grind Elizabeth's FES quests got to be. For a game that was not supposed to have FES content, there is a whole lot in here. Guessing they just meant the Answer, which I assume has to be DLC. They got the engine, should not be too hard to pound that out and charge $30 for it.

Was announced earlier game sold a million copies making it the best launch title Atlus ever had.  Whole lot of people gonna be horrified next week or so when they get to the point characters are straight out murdered Merica style.  

I saw that, so happy for Atlus and this game to sell as much as it has, especially when it's available for Game Pass too! 

Yeah I like the dorm stuff and if you fully complete 3(?) cutscenes with a character, they pick up a new ability to fight with. I just got one with Akihiko last night.

One day away from 3rd moon, you're gonna stumble into missing persons that come into Tartarus that (optionally) you will want to save and thus lose an evening to Tartarus. Given I don't want to just go pick them up and leave immediately, it's been twice already I had to kill like 2 hours grinding in Tartarus and exhaust all of my characters MP. So I am a little overleveled I feel for where I am at during the game. 

All stats are 4-4-4 but really want to see if I can make it to 5 for intelligence since another set of exams come this year. IIRC there's only 2 major tests in this game and a trophy/achievement is attached to "acing" an exam so I think you need 3 intelligence for 1st exam and 5 intelligence for 2nd. Could be wrong. 

Got a couple of 7's and 8's for social link which is playing with house money at this point during the game. I believe you get an exclusive persona once you get the social link max that you can fuse. 

LOVE the social/online feature of this game, you can see who people are social linking or what they're doing for an evening. Of course you get spoiled of the boss names during the Tartarus blocks so beware but it's a neat little feature. 

EDIT: 4 exams!?!?! What are they doing to my MC? Japan is no joke.

LMAO, welcome to Japanese education.

Yeah I do not use the social stuff much, but it is neat to see.

Exams and whatnot I will do on the second playthrough.  Curious how this works as it sounds like your level carries over and you keep your final Personas.  So my main goal is simply maxing social stats this run and filling out the compendium as much as possible.  Then banking as much gold as I can for playthrough 2.

Kind of bummed there does not seem to be too many fun costumes in this game for your people.  I hope if they add the Answer we do get some fun outfits to play with.  Or even as DLC, I know the other games got a bunch.

Also I already gave up trying to mix max party SP and tartarus. May need it on hard, but for me ass a level of annoyance I do not want. I play through until I get bored then bounce. I suspect even on hard you end up massively overleveled by the end anyway and only die to multishot crits or instant deaths.

Feb 9, 2024 20:51:52 GMT c said:

Feb 9, 2024 13:43:56 GMT RagnarokMike said:

I’ve got it here, not sure if I’ll have time to get to it after Infinite Wealth, and FFVIIR before Rise if the Ronin. Might be a future play when things slow down, but definitely play it eventually. Funny thing is, I bought it (FES) on PS2…but have never found the opening for it (or 4). Just keeps going to the back burner despite 5 being one of the few turn based games I’ve enjoyed (though I have softened to them in my old age).

What a month for Atlus going Infinite Wealth and Persona.

For some reason thought you were one of the people who got me into it.  Maybe was SMT: N on the old boards.  Thought I learned of these games forever ago on the old boards though.

Wouldn’t have been me on the old boards, Persona 5 was the first one I gave a chance, and didn’t get to Nocturn until the PS4 re-release. I’ve never much cared for turn based, but some modern entries I’ve enjoyed well enough. Persona 5, the South Park Games, Like a Dragon; Nocturne is the oldest one I’ve played since opening up to them, and that was in 2021. I much prefer straight action or a hybrid like FFVII Remake.

Whoo made it to summer break. Also dating Chihiro finally. Like the other games makes it clear when you are dating. So now fuck the world, gonna lay on the beach and bang my girl while we watch the world burn. Love cock blocking Junpei during the beach event.

I assume you discovered it, but if you did not Blindy there is a catch-up mechanic added for power-leveling your alts. No clue how common it is, but leveled Junpei earlier 6 levels in one fight.

And man that third block of Tartarus sucks. Thus far avoided the reaper, but super scary given how hard it is to gauge the layout. Area is so scary.

Also did get wiped in Tartarus - option for death is reload, or return to the start with all progress in it wiped. Also if you totally fuck up a social link, can rewind it. Ditto for class questions and what not. So long as you did not do tartarus the night before it is very handy. Do whatever you did before, fast forward then replay the next block.  Good too if you want to see what happens if you brick up a social link by picking the asshole answer.

///

Right before fourth moon now.  Third block of tartarus is long and hard.  So much crap added to it here, mazish at points, and if you have ambush a weird start stop style that it is not setup for at all.

Also OMG hurting for cash badly.  I did get a high crit chance bow though that is awesome.

Before fifth moon now.

Tartarus Monid side bosses are freaking rough. Cool gimmicky fights, but man they will fuck you up if not caught off-balanced. Doing numerous of them in a row can be challenging. Looks like a card to help your social stats in there too. Guessing bi-nightly patterns gonna be in the future. So glad I am not trying to do the perfect run.

Also, like P5, the crit stack multi-shot combo is still OP here.  Using it to do the bosses. 

///

Got bestest boy.  Forgot how fast he eats through his SP.

Also how a harem conversation when exploring with all girls.  It is hilarious.

If you not done it Blindy, the Hermit, the first shadow you fight when you return to school, is a bitch. Does a fuckton of electric damage. I am 40 on normal and can one shot me. Missing the mechanic most likely, but thing is nasty and has a billion or so hitpoints.  Not even  seen it's second phase yet.

I am considering rewinding to prepare better as my crit tactic is useless here.

Person who leaked most stuff about the P3R says Persona 6 due 2026. Will be a SMT game put on first.

Feb 12, 2024 3:59:14 GMT c said:

If you not done it Blindy, the Hermit, the first shadow you fight when you return to school, is a bitch. Does a fuckton of electric damage. I am 40 on normal and can one shot me. Missing the mechanic most likely, but thing is nasty and has a billion or so hitpoints.  Not even  seen it's second phase yet.

I am considering rewinding to prepare better as my crit tactic is useless here.

I just beat this today, you are def ahead of me! With this fight, I came into this at level 45 but the main thing is you have to have a team that pops it while it's doing that charge. Ken for the healing since Yukari gets blown up by lightning, Akihiko for lightning resistance and Mitsuru for rakunda to lower defense. Akihiko can debuff attack for the enemy too. I had Thunderbird with Auto Attack/accuracy up to begin the fight and then swapped it out for a persona(one of the warrior personas, forgot the name as a couple look identical) who can reflect lightning back. When The Hermit put up the physical barrier, my Persona had Agidyne so I was willing to throw that at it. The end of the fight got a bit wild where it had the ultra charge but before that you have to concentrate attacks on it and wipe it out to have it not charge and get access to powerful attacks. The King and I Theurgy is so good, Black Frost(And previously King Frost) are no joke. Agudyne AND Bufudyne(With ice boost) this early in the game is cray cray.

The clock gimmick that helps 2 characters who have fallen behind is clutch money, I am stunned that wasn't introduced earlier in Tartarus but it's great. Still feel like I want to get the most out of the Tartarus visits so I wipe out my MC's MP all the way. Shinjiro is an attack monster, I forgot how amazing he is. I had Koromaru do his attack buff Theurgy move and Shinji went over 999 damage which instantly triggered the achievement for it. Of course he is good because of you know why but still he is a powerhouse offensively, magic what? 

2 max social links and am close to getting 6-6-6 for traits, we cooking right about now. Think I am on 9/9 date. 

I am like 9-16 or so now.

Need a few more academics and I hit 6-6-6. Think five social links maxed.

Noticed in all these games pure attack is the best strategy. Well until something is attack immune then you suffer horrible. I love crit build though as they knock down enemies so easily even when they have no weaknesses.

I am level 45 now so we are very close. Sounds like you have better personas as I just randomly mash shit together trying to only keep crit all up and a multi hit attack. I am not getting as much catchup stuff, but I am also not going into Tartarus much now. I wait for people to get stuck to go in. But this playthrough I see as merely setting up for the next one now, and been grinding social stats so I can ignore them next time and have a lot more free time.

Got to level 50 and have a killer army of Personas, just got to the end of the 1st half of 4th block of Tartarus. I will finish the Monad door gauntlet next time I come in, presumably when the missings people come in. I hit the Titania and Rangda requests for Elizabeth, I will get her to my room damnit(There's an achievement attached to it!). Feels good to enter a new spot in Tartarus and instantly everything is running away from you sans the special effect shadows.

With Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II here might take 1-2 break and recharge myself.

I hit a wall near the end of the fourth 4th block and need to grind a bit. Need stronger personas and more levels. Likely will go back a few floors and build up a fighting team when I play next.

Finished fourth block, the Monad passage for me was easier than the floor bosses o.O  Grinding time now to max academics and get up some stronger personas.  At least a lot of stuff in this block weak to basic weapon attacks.

Finally got 6-6-6 stats.  Did the next moon and got the Ken cutscene.  Just as amazing in this one as it was in the original.  

Done with fourth block of Tartarus. Found the first in the first half of the block far harder than the second half. Did a mindless fusion and lost two of my fav persona. Registered though so can get them back.

Now social stats are done, plan to grind doors and gold at night when I cannot do social links or dorm shit. Helps a lot knowing I will carry over most of this stuff to the real playthrough.

///

Fourth block corridor boss is a bitch.  Two bosses with opposite weaknesses so need to single target light and dark attacks and to pass back and forth.  Then they decrease your defense and start slamming top tier attacks on everyone.  Looks easy enough with a specialized party, but with a general party they just rip your ass apart.  So not cool.  Also have insane health pools too.

Time to level Ken and the dog I guess.

I just finished all of the 4th block, at Level 58 with MC. Poor Junpei is like 13 levels behind, the minute I get that clock, he gets first dibs. I still use him for the fire and to save Koromaru for his dark spells. The rage minotaur actually killed me, got me rage'd twice and my MC attacked his instant reflect barrier for the kill. Pure RNG, next try I rocked him in like 3 turns. One of the fights in the 4th Monad gauntlet you can end in a turn if you have accuracy up, accuracy down the enemies and have Ken/Koromaru hit both Hama & Mudo to instant kill. Koromaru via late night bonding has an ability to instantly lower the accuracy of 1 opponent so with all of this, the rate of hitting in the instant death magic favors you so much.

You need to really focus on accuracy up for your party and accuracy down on them. You don't even need them, if you have items with medium Mudo or hama spells, you might be fortunate enough.

I have a Siegfried which you need with Endure to finish an Elizabeth request and he has auto defense and accuracy up for the party instantly, he gets swapped out due to his weakness to death but the major point is the instant accuracy up which helps you. Siegfried also has critical bonuses and can hammer hard with deathbound so he's my major player right now. He also gives you a new thegery attack with another persona(Mithras?) which does severe slash damage which is so good. 

I got past that moment

SPOILER: Click to show

Shinji's death

. More misery/tragedy will happen soon, but this is where the story gets good.

We are pretty much in the same place.

Did not know mini-bosses could be instant killed <.< Need to try that. I used chained Ken and doggo to hit weaknesses and then all out attack and heal with yuka for the mudo and hama towers.

And yeah story gets going now with the shinji stuff.

Beat the Hanged Man boss overnight, that one is going to make you work. Took like 15-20 minutes, it eats up turns like no tomorrow. Reminds me of a Nocturne boss. Am Level 62 at the moment after that full moon and of course

SPOILER: Click to show

Fucking Itkutski's betrayal/assassination of Mitsuru's dad in front of her

which I think is the final true heartbreak moment of the game since I plan on doing Junpei a solid. It's just

SPOILER: Click to show

The Almighty Nyx/The Fall staring at you as far as "oh shit" goes.

.

Going to do a 5th block Tartarus run tonight without 2 party members due to story line reasons. I got Elizabeth to mah room, that's what's up. Still a free agent with the romance(I triggered the trophy with Yuki but rewinded, think I am going hard for Mitsuru or Yukari, no other way around it).

Currently on 12/21, had a nice 7 hour session just now. Currently at level 74, have some hard hitting personas and just finished off the 5th Tartarus Block, including 1 shotting a border boss with the Theurgy. One of the personas I got(Vashiki I think, probably botched it's name! Sorry) has near 80 strength so the severe almighty attack is stupid strong, add it does an auto attack up for everybody when you start and yeah.

The story is getting good, this is the "Doomsday is upon us, how are we going to approach impending doom? In fear or living our lives for the moment or going against the improbable", this is the home stretch. Think I am going to miss 1 social link but could be wrong, I am in deep portions for everybody pretty much sans Bebe the poor French kid who I am at 4. Never say never but I have him, Mitsuru, the Elderly Couple, The art student, Fuuka, Yukari and the fat kid left but everyone else is at a social link of 6 or higher so I feel good about them.

One of the arcana rewards you get allows you to get personas that are 5 levels higher than you, this means we are right around Beezelebub territory(He's 81, not sure if the special fusions count) but for sure this is Tharnatos territory. This is the A+/S class level of demons/angels we're talking about here, the ones you need to rock The Reaper for the trophy. I feel I can take down Nyx with what I got on the MC. Getting Debilitate which is a SMT staple of GOAT spells would be the clincher though.

Holy shit I did it at level 77, I beat the Reaper. Holy shit that was 30 minutes of intenseness on hard mode. I had Yukari who is like level 75, Koromaru who is like level 72 and fucking Aigis who was level 66. Fucking Yukari and Koromaru ran away via fear at the very end so they missed out on experience but fucking Aigis was getting abused throughout but she and I are now level 99, she got absolutely gifted a ticket to my final party to face Nyx.

I HAD NO IDEA The Reaper gives you that type of experience, holy shit. I can fuse Messiah who is another achievement, I can fuse everybody LMFAO.

What a fight that was, The Reaper has such good AI. He exploited Yukari and Aigis elec weakness, I had to use Attack/Magic mirrors, had to use debilitate gems. What an insane fight. I can't believe he got me to level 99. My jaw dropped so hard when I saw that. I feel so bad for Koromaru, he was 1 attack away from staying and getting that experience. Aigis legit just came in after a month of being on the shelf via story and just stole that level 99. LMAO. 

I just got into the final Tartarus block but I wanted to give an ol' college try vs The Reaper, I can't believe I got him. I can't imagine that fight on Merciless mode, I am on 2nd hardest difficulty and that son of a bitch was trying to end me with Mudoon/Hamaon spells where I had to be honest with my Personas who can protect me from that shit. Fucker ate up all of my Homongenous/protection of instant death spells. 


EDIT: I forgot about the clock gimmick, I can get 2 people to join me on the 99 path. Probably Yukari who has earned it as the healer(She's my GF in this game) and maybe Mitsuru. Gotta have a Charm Null for Yukari if so for reasons. This wasn't planned but I may roll out Team Harem to slay Nyx and save the world. :rofl: 

Feb 25, 2024 5:33:39 GMT Blindy said:

Probably Yukari who has earned it as the healer(She's my GF in this game)

I'm glad you stayed in your lane.

Only a true connoisseur can date Mitsuru.

Need to gear up and finish this. Got distracted by Pacific Drive.

Feb 25, 2024 6:13:34 GMT Big Pete said:

Feb 25, 2024 5:33:39 GMT Blindy said:

Probably Yukari who has earned it as the healer(She's my GF in this game)

I'm glad you stayed in your lane.

Only a true connoisseur can date Mitsuru.

Time is money, and Yukari wanted to mingle early vs Mitsuru being a shut in for like more than half the game. You snooze you lose, when you're the hottest free agent in Gekkoukan HS, you can't wait on no one. Also gets awkward when one is 18 and the other is 17. 

I have Mitsuru(7)/Fuuka(7)/Art Student(9)/Bebe(4) left at this point. I forget if Aigis link eats days up but I am going to give this a shot to get em all done, I am on 1/1 so basically 30 days(or maybe less). 

I did the clock for Mitsuru and Yukari, they don't let them go to 99, both are like level 92 and 91.  

Feb 25, 2024 15:53:06 GMT Blindy said:

Feb 25, 2024 6:13:34 GMT Big Pete said:

I'm glad you stayed in your lane.

Only a true connoisseur can date Mitsuru.

Time is money, and Yukari wanted to mingle early vs Mitsuru being a shut in for like more than half the game. You snooze you lose, when you're the hottest free agent in Gekkoukan HS, you can't wait on no one. Also gets awkward when one is 18 and the other is 17. 

I have Mitsuru(7)/Fuuka(7)/Art Student(9)/Bebe(4) left at this point. I forget if Aigis link eats days up but I am going to give this a shot to get em all done, I am on 1/1 so basically 30 days(or maybe less). 

I did the clock for Mitsuru and Yukari, they don't let them go to 99, both are like level 92 and 91.  

This is why you're a better Japanese high school student than me. I'd spend years pining over Mitsuru, make a jackass of myself and settle for whatever I could get. :lol:

Such is life!

They actually made the Jin and Takaya fights actually tough. Jin and Takaya always can identify your weaknesses and exploit them(Hence why Messiah who nulls everything is a legit god, MC doesn't get targeted at all) but Jin nearing death pulls a theurgy where he basically injects himself with suppressants and gets his health back and does double damage while getting his drain zapped each turn which is wax poetic for him. Takaya is even worse, his near death theurgy has him do a Megodalaon style move where it does severe damage AND eats up all but 1 MP from you. He actually was able to kill my party members a few times but not MC.

Both those fights leading to Nyx were complete jokes in P3 & FES, Atlus made them actually tough. Not Reaper tough(Or even Elizabeth who I tried and got destroyed in like 3 turns, I read you actually have to do a _____ damage each time and not reflect or null her demons or else she gets baited into using the 9999 megidola spell. That is such a stupid fight.) but honestly impressed.

I'll be back, now here comes Nyx. See you in 2 or maybe 3 hours. I got the Narcissus flower add on for all 4 of my characters, hoping there's no shenanigans pulled here.

Interest rumors, P6 will not use a high school setting.

Finished up Nyx late Sunday evening and with the epilogue, it was honestly nowhere near as long or draining. I remember Nyx was basically an evening in itself with the different arcana forms and if it can charm you to a full health recovery by the last stage. The addition of Theurgy blow this open IMHO, and being ridiculously high level probably attested to it but the fight took no less than 45 minutes.

Such a great game, if I count a remake on my top 10 list(I did for RE4 but not Super Mario RPG), this might be my GOTY. I had that much of a great time with P3 Reload. Felt so good to go back to these cast of characters, felt sorta rough to leave everybody as the game ended. Will def. be in for jumping into The Answer as long as it's DLC and not thrown into a new edition of Persona 3.

Tartarus was manageable if you had a good podcast or album to listen to, I thought the voice acting was pretty good to great for the most part, music was nowhere near as bad as some made it out to be. The QOL elements were good(Full party control)but the lone blemish I had was they needed to have more chances to up social links in this game. Giving only 2 social link characters(Tanaka/Monk) is pretty poor, I ended up missing the full achivement reward by 4 days(2 on Fuuka, 2 for Bebe). You can't tell me that you could not social link with Mitsuru, Fuuka, Aigis and Yukari at your form, especially when by end game you have to repeat the same chores or sleeping in bed or CPU surfing to better relationship with a character. You are missing game content due to this! There's too many exams or visits to places where you end up missing out on valuable days that you could use to get the full social links mastered. You have to be borderline perfect with day management to get everything done with the social links when it should never be that necessary. It's such an easy QOL fix.

Overall, an easy 9.5/10. Near 100 hour playthrough(It went over 100 due to inactivity!), this will be by far the longest game I play this year for the XBOX so when the year end statistic pages show up, this bad boy is going to take a bunch of accolades. Hitting that true ending theme song was sweet and brought back really good memories, they did such a good job capturing some of the magic of Persona 3. The Answer DLC has some great tunes in itself, forgot Brand New Days was apart of that, easily one of my favorite tracks of Persona 3.  The remixed Burn My Dread theme for the true final fight after the iconic The Battle for Everyone's Souls(Which remains rather untouched upon first listen which is a great thing) brought back some good nostalgia too. 

Really hope the rumors are true and the next game is not in a high school. Feels like we played out that setting so much. Would like to see something like working in a coffee shop ala P5. Could have the same sort of interactions after work, but the the job could add a lot of depth and older characters so things like dating would not get as creepy at times.  So many people wanting to hook up with a high schooler is just kind of weird.

Feb 29, 2024 3:08:07 GMT Blindy said:

You have to be borderline perfect with day management to get everything done with the social links when it should never be that necessary. It's such an easy QOL fix.

While I take your point, it's just there to draw you into NG+ if you so desire. It's just another perk for sticking with the game and learning more about the world, even if NG+ kind of take away from the themes of the genre. (You can't have it all, but if you apply yourself you can have a fulfilling time all the same)

I actually like that there is a perfect path and solving it is like trying to figure out a rubix cube. It takes me back to Tokimeki Memorial and the lengths you have to go to date the best girl.