PS2 2K7

Persona 3

What's it all about?

So you've got a typical mute teenage RPG hero. Pretty run-of-the-mill. He's got several companions of a similar age group. Again, nothing new. Sounds like an average bunch of students... who somehow get involved in fighting the demonic forces that roam the school halls at night. Oh and they can project themselves through the aid of spirits called Personas, which they call upon by aiming a gun-like device at their temples and firing. Does this sound interesting now? Trust us, it gets even better once you play it.

What's the big deal?

The Persona series, last seen on PSone, has always been one to stick out from the RPG pack. Persona 3 is no exception. Rather than a linear "Move from town A to dungeon B to event C" progression you see in most RPGs, Persona 3 takes place over a calendar year. During the day, you manage your school duties and your relationships with other characters. But at night when the demons come out to play, you and your pals gear up to enter the alternate world of Tartarus and kick their asses.

How does it stack up?

There's nothing quite like Persona 3 available on the US market. Its combination of life/relationship simulator and demon-busting dungeon romping makes for a very intriguing package. Could Persona 3 be the most unique RPG of 2007? Definitely.