Persona 3 Reload devs didn't want to make major story changes out of "respect" for the original JRPG

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"We wanted to remake the Persona 3 experience as it was"

Persona 3 Reload
(Image credit: Atlus)

Persona 3 Reload's creators decided against making significant changes to the story out of "respect" for the original game.

Persona 3 Reload adds plenty of fresh and exciting features, including new combat mechanics and an overhaul of Tartarus, the JRPG's main dungeon. Still, for all its enhancements and added extras, developer P-Studio was keen to keep the core narrative experience very much the same as it was in the PS2 classic.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, Persona 3 Reload game director Takuya Yamaguchi explains ideas for changes to the story were toyed with very early on, but these were quickly discarded. "We really wanted to respect the original," he says. "We all thought it was an amazing game, and we wanted to remake it – you know, the Persona 3 original experience as it was for a modern audience."

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Of course, one of the most striking changes is the visual overhaul, which borrows heavily from the series' more modern offerings, in particular, Persona 5 Royal. Updating the looks was a big focus for the Persona 3 Reload team, as producer Ryota Niitsuma explains." We were thinking about what would be good to change would be the visuals here," he says. "And the reason was a lot of people expect a lot from visuals in Persona, and I think personally that our designs are pretty cool. So we know that people are looking for a much lovelier visual experience."

Anne-Marie Ostler
Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.