Persona 3 Reload fans are loving the glow up - apart from one character

Persona 3 Reload
(Image credit: Atlus)

Following its leak, Persona 3 fans are comparing the remake against the original game to check out its glow up.

Yesterday on June 8, Atlus unfortunately leaked two Persona games - Persona 3 Reload, a complete remake of the original game, and Persona 5 Tactica, a tactics-based spin-off of the latest game in the series. Thanks to the leak for the former, we now have a good look at how Persona 3's remake, called Persona 3 Reload, will look at launch, and the game looks mighty impressive.

Just below for example, we can see HD makeovers for the likes of Junpei and Yukari on the left, as well as supporting side characters Kenji and Kurosawa on the right. All four characters have been transplanted from the PS2 era to modern consoles with glorious HD attention, especially Yukari, who no longer has that weird shadow on her portrait that makes her nostrils look impossibly large.

There's a little bit of hesitation from Persona 3 fans on Junpei's glow up, though. Some think our best friend took a huge 'L' with the new portrait for Persona 3 Reload, while others think he needs a touch more facial hair to really make his look complete.

There's also a really good look at the makeover for protagonist Makoto in the leaked trailer. Seen just below, Makoto's been through a few minor transformations over the decades, getting a little bit of a glow up for Persona 3 Portable and Persona 3 FES, but now he's got true high definition visuals.

According to the leaked trailer, Persona 3 Reload will launch in early 2024 across PC and Xbox platforms. We can safely assume from the trailer that the remake will be announced over the weekend at the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 presentation, and until then, we'll have to wait and see whether the remake is actually coming to PlayStation platforms.

Check out our Summer Game Fest 2023 guide for a full recap of all the announcements that were made yesterday as they were actually meant to happen.

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.