Another Full Moon! New Persona 3 Reload Trailer
August 1st means a new full moon, and with every full moon comes a threatening dark hour! Or in the world of gaming, an update on the long-awaited remake of Persona 3 (2006), Persona 3 Reload.
With this month’s full moon, Atlus, the leading developers behind the Persona series, treated fans to an extended cut of a previously exclusive Japanese trailer, with new scenes to pick apart. Though many may see it at face value, the snippets of Tartarus, Naganaki Shrine, and everyone’s favorite moving toaster Aegis creaked open the door for more content coming in the future. Although fans only got small amounts of information this time around, the cutscenes and scenery prove why fans are so excited for this game.
The truth will come to light… 🌕
— Official ATLUS West (@Atlus_West) August 1, 2023
Observe this month’s full moon with this extended trailer for Persona 3 Reload!
Will you answer the call? pic.twitter.com/bS2r9zqqKW
About Persona 3
Persona 3 was a large stepping stone in the Shin Megami Tensei spin-off series, serving as the main transition from the multi-dimensional battle style to a more concise turn-based rpg system. The introduction of multiple physical attack styles served to open the rift between Atlus’ main Shin Megami Tensei games and the Persona series. The risk paid off, turning Persona into a staple of Atlus’ library that is considered one of their greatest hits to this day.
Persona would eventually split off from mainline Shin Megami Tensei games in order to serve as its own independent Atlus product; With the overwhelming positive evolution following Persona 4 Golden (2012), Persona 5 (2016) and Persona 5 Royal (2019). Close followers of the franchise began requesting a fresh take on this emotional, deep, and gruesome story of the dark hour as the Persona team grew. After many nights of waiting, long-time members of S.E.E.S. can finally appreciate the close-to-monthly new information, art, gameplay, and trailers focusing on this long awaited retelling of Gekkoukan High. This full moon is no exception.
This game contains mature content and themes, including violence and self-harm. You have been warned. If you or a loved one is suffering from depression and self harm, please reach out for help or call the Suicide and Crisis Hotline (988).
The English TV Scientist
Being the first sequence in the last Japanese trailer, the ominous TV voice makes its return with a new voice over. Fans of the game will be able to recognize the voice lines, connecting the story-heavy character to his previous experiments and the regret he has behind his words. This time around though, the newest voice actor captures the emotion of his lines very expertly, keeping the dark tone of the empty space.
Though there is not an official announcement of who this voice is, with voice actors such as Aleks Le and Zeno Robinson on board, it’s safe to speculate that actors like Yuri Lowenthal (the previous voice of the protagonist) could be on board, too. With Lowenthal’s great acting for the Persona series in the past, it would make sense for the Persona team to bring him on board again.
Naganaki Shrine’s New Soul
A fan-favorite spot in the original game, we finally get a good glimpse at Naganaki Shrine. Home to the Inari Sushi prayer site, it’s no wonder why a revitalized version of this location would pique the interest of prospective fans.
Along with amazing new graphics, a glimpse of the UI is on display. Reflective of Persona 5’s efficient interface, small icons can be spotted on the minimap to guide players to interactable spaces. With that also comes speech bubbles, in a new, simplistic design reminiscent of the game’s main color scheme. The interface may not need to say a ton, but the old man in the screengrab seems eager to say something. Whether it’s important to the plot or not, players will figure it out upon the game’s release.
Tartarus’ Spacial Improvements in Persona 3 Reload
Running off of a new, highly-detailed engine, it’s easy to see just how much more mysterious Tartarus can feel. Being the main dungeon in the game, it’s only right that its atmosphere is established with bright colors, deep rooms, and cinematic angles. Though fans were previously given a better glimpse at other floors, looking at the stairs of Arqa (specifically the forty-second floor) shows a great example of how much the series has improved since the first version’s release. It’s astonishing how much better the scenery looks when in comparison to its predecessors.
The amount of detail previously impossible in Persona 3 FES (2007) or Persona 3 Portable (2009) is what makes this game look so promising. The technical limitations of the past are no more. If nothing else, it’s the graphical upgrade that makes the style the forefront of this game. Although we may be familiar with this high-scaling school, the new inclusions have the ability to make it a fresh and creative experience.
The Meaning of Future Armbands
With a release date planned for early 2024, it’s no wonder that people are excited to figure out how to pull the evoker’s trigger once again. With a new art style, more detailed characters and dialogue, quality of life improvements to the battle system, who wouldn’t be excited to start scaling Tartarus again?
Follow Atlus West on Instagram, Twitter/X, and YouTube, and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest news on Persona 3 Reload, and keep a navigator’s eye out for the multi-platform release across Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox!
Bro, this article is awesome!! Super hyped for this game!