Feb 29, 2024 15:38:17 GMT Big Pete said:

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.

It's why when I had a choice of AIGIS/FUUKA/BEBE/MITSURU. I opted to take on the 2 lategame social links just to not play the game that deep in for them. Fuuka is like 10-15 hours in and Bebe is before that but I think it's asking a lot for someone to have to go to NG+ to just get a couple of social links, especially if it's the ones late into the game.

I feel like it should not be a timelock to see additional content in a game and by late game, I was stuck doing absolutely nothing with no social links or attributes to boost. The old Persona games, this was meshed well since the fatigue factor mattered for Tartarus runs but in this one where that is completely gone(And rightfully so), it sticks out like a sore thumb to not have social link chances in the dorm for your team. You can walk Koromaru and maybe stumble upon a not fully maxed out social link to better your relationship but to actually progress them it needs to be daytime and given you have 4 exams and two major week long trips, you aren't necessarily getting full chances. I had to opt out of activities with my team for side content at times to try and get a shot to improve a social link. 

Feb 29, 2024 15:49:12 GMT Blindy said:

Fuuka is like 10-15 hours in and Bebe is before that but I think it's asking a lot for someone to have to go to NG+ to just get a couple of social links, especially if it's the ones late into the game.

You're not playing NG+ for the social links, it's because you can't get enough of the game and want that experience. I feel like it cheapens it if you could do it blind all in one go.

Feb 29, 2024 15:56:33 GMT Big Pete said:

Feb 29, 2024 15:49:12 GMT Blindy said:

Fuuka is like 10-15 hours in and Bebe is before that but I think it's asking a lot for someone to have to go to NG+ to just get a couple of social links, especially if it's the ones late into the game.

You're not playing NG+ for the social links, it's because you can't get enough of the game and want that experience. I feel like it cheapens it if you could do it blind all in one go.

That normally sounds good but in a near 100 hour playthrough, that's asking ALOT for people trying to get the most out of their time with the game. 

Putting additional content behind a "Git gud" part like what Souls games do is fine but putting it in a timewall I think is asking a lot for as long of a game as Persona 3 Reload is. I can look up the social links on Youtube sure but the completionist element in me really wanted that final trophy and didn't want a day by day spoonfed guide towards getting it. 

I also have an issue with Soulsbourne doing stuff like "Do this in order to get the true ending, do 1 thing wrong, and it ruins the entire questline" nonsense AKA look it up to do this completely perfect. 

Feb 29, 2024 15:56:12 GMT Blindy said:

That normally sounds good but in a near 100 hour playthrough, that's asking ALOT for people trying to get the most out of their time with the game. 

It's not going to be for everyone, but then again you're not missing out on much if you don't master every social link in a single playthrough. I think it's fine if the game has that challenge and requires a level of expertise but take the point that there shouldn't be so much trial and error in a 100 hour game. Does Reload have a way to check everybody's schedule so you can plan ahead? I know there was a rewind feature, which already felt like cheating.

Also didn't realise that Elizabeth is no longer NG+. Again, I thought it was like Persona 5 where you're required to at least beat the game twice if you want that plat.

Feb 29, 2024 16:29:45 GMT Big Pete said:

Feb 29, 2024 15:56:12 GMT Blindy said:

That normally sounds good but in a near 100 hour playthrough, that's asking ALOT for people trying to get the most out of their time with the game. 

It's not going to be for everyone, but then again you're not missing out on much if you don't master every social link in a single playthrough. I think it's fine if the game has that challenge and requires a level of expertise but take the point that there shouldn't be so much trial and error in a 100 hour game. Does Reload have a way to check everybody's schedule so you can plan ahead? I know there was a rewind feature, which already felt like cheating.

Also didn't realise that Elizabeth is no longer NG+. Again, I thought it was like Persona 5 where you're required to at least beat the game twice if you want that plat.

Yeah Elizabeth is endgame but you have to either do all of her requests OR beat The Reaper which makes you level 99 after winning.

You get told this character is available on __days but there's so much daytime social links vs evening social links that you're begging for content by the very end. for the latter. I would go to the club and hope the CPU guy inside has new stuff to check out just for the sake of. You do get chances to chat with your teammates late night to get new battling abilities but even I got them all by like December where the final month had me chilling excluding like 2 times I went to Tartarus. There's 2 Sunday daytime only social links for example(Maya and the terminally ill social link which hits the feels), could have put one of them at night just to change it up a little. Just little nuances like that. 

You just lose so many days due to the exams, school trips, having to go back to the dorm on full moon to engage with the big bosses etc. Even your character loses like 3-4 days due to catching a severe cold! 

Maybe the lone blemish for this remake which otherwise was so good I beat it in like 3 weeks. Haven't had a good 7-8 hour late night session with a game in a long time and this P3Remake did it.

Expansion pass just announced which includes EPISODE: AIGIS coming out in September. Seeing the chiptune remixes of other Persona games coming into this seems cool.

Have to see how this is handled as someone who played this on Game Pass.

LETS FUCKING GO. FUCK YES!

Glad they are adding the Answer. Bummed seems this confirms no Fem MC.

Only played like 2 hours of Episode Aigis, going to put in more work tonight with it. It is pretty much what I remembered, a Tartarus without it actually being Tartarus. It's probably why a lot of reviewers of Episode Aigis say this brings out the best and worst of P3Reload. If you liked Tartarus, you will probably like the structure of the game but if you hated that element and wanted social links and romance/comradery, this might not be it.

Tartarus got heavy QOL improvements and thus far, the abyss works the same way although your set at a certain level and have to play with the personas your given. It makes you really think(Playing on HARD difficulty) and really makes you utilize strategy and how you play, depends on if you like that or not.

Aigis is basically the Main Character now with using all personas and her "sister" Metis takes over the Aigis role of being the hard hitter but with Bufu magic which is useful since Mitsuru is doing her own thing early on.

This music slaps though, pretty good battle music:

Not trying to be spoiled with it but I can't wait to see how they remix Heartful Cry which was my favorite track off The Answer. 


Still think much like with Tartarus, those battles will be Podcast listens or album listens. Though they did give you P4 and P5 OST that you can jam too as well.