Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES

 PlayStation 2
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 862 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 649 out of 862
  2. Mixed: 54 out of 862
  3. Negative: 159 out of 862
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  1. Laurier
    May 10, 2008
    10
    Persona 3 was an incredible RPG, with a unique vibe, great blending of two apparently different gameplay styles, and FES only adds to this greatness. No need to list all the additions here (especially since some would be rather spoiler-ish), but for 30$, you get more content than in the original game, more things to do, and even a separate new game to go with it, for a fraction of the Persona 3 was an incredible RPG, with a unique vibe, great blending of two apparently different gameplay styles, and FES only adds to this greatness. No need to list all the additions here (especially since some would be rather spoiler-ish), but for 30$, you get more content than in the original game, more things to do, and even a separate new game to go with it, for a fraction of the price. Definitely worth buying, whether you have the original or not.… Expand
  2. MarvinR.
    May 5, 2008
    10
    Persona 3 Fes is a blast...To those who haven't played a shin megami tensei game before..this is now the time to start experiencing one. The story and gameplay is very profound and addicting that you will find yourself playing this one through days without sleep. To those fans who played the original you will surely be overwhelmed with joy from all the new material...from new Persona 3 Fes is a blast...To those who haven't played a shin megami tensei game before..this is now the time to start experiencing one. The story and gameplay is very profound and addicting that you will find yourself playing this one through days without sleep. To those fans who played the original you will surely be overwhelmed with joy from all the new material...from new equipments made by fusion, enhanced social links with great never before seen cutscenes, a more enjoyable character status buildup system, to new kickass personas and a faster loading screen. Even the costumes of the characters in battle changes now according to what is equipped on them. Of course lets not forget "the answer" which is a brand new action packed game all in all and is a must play to those who want to know what happen after the ending of the journey. Overall Persona 3 Fes is the best RPG I have enjoyed in the ps2 console because of its original gameplay and well developed characters that you will surely love. If the original persona 3 has flaws this version is pure perfection.… Expand
  3. KevinR
    Apr 29, 2008
    10
    One of the lengthiest and most enjoyable games I've ever played. With well over 100 hours of content (great content), it shines as what may be the true swan song of the PS2.
  4. JonT
    Oct 6, 2009
    10
    Epic Adventure! For those who have not played persona 3 this is a must get! For those of you who have, FES has a bunch of new features and a Loonnggg epiloge! Its a must play!
  5. ChrisT
    Dec 5, 2008
    10
    Persona 3 FES takes the groundbreaking Persona 3 to the next level by making multiple improvements/adjustments and adding an entire new 40+ hour chapter to the already nearly 100 hour game. The perfect mix of traditional J-RPG and dating sim, Persona 3 delivers quite possibly one of the greatest RPG experiences of all time. Certainly the best on the PS2.
  6. VidM
    Apr 30, 2008
    10
    This game is BAD@$$ and blew away all of my expectations. If you're a FF fanboy or fangirl, it's high time you played a real RPG. Stop reading this and go buy it. Now. If it's even still available. Grrr, Atlas and your limited presses.
  7. AngelicaR
    Aug 16, 2009
    10
    This is probably one of the best RPGs I have played in a long time and a definite must-play for anyone who owns a PS2: Compared to your standard group of RPG heroes, this involves a group of high school students that fight during the Dark Hour: a hidden hour between midnight and the following day. When you are not grinding, you attend Gekkoukan High School and make friends that help This is probably one of the best RPGs I have played in a long time and a definite must-play for anyone who owns a PS2: Compared to your standard group of RPG heroes, this involves a group of high school students that fight during the Dark Hour: a hidden hour between midnight and the following day. When you are not grinding, you attend Gekkoukan High School and make friends that help strengthen your Personas.… Expand
  8. Mattxx
    Aug 29, 2010
    10
    One of the best RPGs of the past decade (in my opinion of course). This game is great. It's length is good ($30 for 120+ hours? Pretty good in my opinion), the actors do a very good job (aside from Fuuka who can go from pretty good to abysmal). The story is good and the characters really help push it along. The combat is the same as any other JRPG. One thing that most people complain aboutOne of the best RPGs of the past decade (in my opinion of course). This game is great. It's length is good ($30 for 120+ hours? Pretty good in my opinion), the actors do a very good job (aside from Fuuka who can go from pretty good to abysmal). The story is good and the characters really help push it along. The combat is the same as any other JRPG. One thing that most people complain about is the lack of being able to control your party members, believe me when I say, it's not as bad as it sounds. The worst of the AI is probably Misturu, but everyone else has pretty good AI, so don't worry about that. The Persona fusion system is a lot of fun to mess with, you could easily spend 20+ minutes fusing Personae together. Awesome game.… Expand
  9. theshonen8899
    Apr 19, 2011
    10
    This definitely comes in as one of my favorite RPGs of all time. Any fan of JRPGs or anime in general needs to pick up this game as well as Persona 4. The Social Link system is an amazing way to mix up the action, and the end result is a perfect blend of dungeon crawling, monster collecting, and visual novel. The grind might be repetitive, but the boss battles are great and theThis definitely comes in as one of my favorite RPGs of all time. Any fan of JRPGs or anime in general needs to pick up this game as well as Persona 4. The Social Link system is an amazing way to mix up the action, and the end result is a perfect blend of dungeon crawling, monster collecting, and visual novel. The grind might be repetitive, but the boss battles are great and the story/characters are amazing. Definitely not an RPG to be missed!… Expand
  10. SwitSwat
    Aug 3, 2015
    10
    I was warned that this game would take some getting used to if I played Persona 4 beforehand (Especially Golden, which is the version I played). They were right. The battle system, the social links, the time management - everything is harder in this game. Luckily, I do love a good challenge, and this game certainly provided one (Not that persona games are known for being really hard). ButI was warned that this game would take some getting used to if I played Persona 4 beforehand (Especially Golden, which is the version I played). They were right. The battle system, the social links, the time management - everything is harder in this game. Luckily, I do love a good challenge, and this game certainly provided one (Not that persona games are known for being really hard). But anyway, the game is amazing - Likable characters, dark, gripping storyline, and the funkiest battle music you will probably ever here in your gaming life. Highly recommended, even for people who already played through the original P3, as this has an extra chapter called "The Answer" which adds 30+ hours of gameplay. 10/10… Expand
  11. Samotslayer
    Jan 26, 2013
    10
    This game is truly a masterpiece, with It's brilliantly crafted story to It's perfect combat system this is one of best games made in the last ten years. If you haven't played it yet I would not only recommend doing so. I will guarantee you will have a great time.
  12. ageofwinter
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    I played Persona 3 FES, so I will submit this review for both the original and FES. Persona 3 is right up there on my list of "greatest games of all-time" alongside Shenmue. The story in this game is simply the best ever, it's emotionally engaging, great voice actors and really puts you in some tough positions when you have choices to make. This is RPG at it's finest. I fell inlove withI played Persona 3 FES, so I will submit this review for both the original and FES. Persona 3 is right up there on my list of "greatest games of all-time" alongside Shenmue. The story in this game is simply the best ever, it's emotionally engaging, great voice actors and really puts you in some tough positions when you have choices to make. This is RPG at it's finest. I fell inlove with all the characters here and I never stopped. The gameplay is top-notch, dungeon crawling has never been more fun, the combat is the best I've seen for a JRPG, the use of Personas gives it a nice, unique twist to it. When you're not in combat, you're either in the dorm, at the mall, in school or exploring the other areas of the city. There is so much to do, and the game is extremely long, took me ~110 hours to complete this. Oh and lets not forget the soundtrack, simply one of the best, if not the best, of all time. If you love JRPGS, great stories, and great combat, make sure you purchase this game, you WILL NOT regret it.… Expand
  13. RyuuzakiBjorn
    Mar 3, 2013
    10
    Having not played any of the previous Persona games, I went into this one with an open-mind, they way they summon their "inner-guardians" or Personas by shooting themselves in the head really struck me as "WTF" when I first heard about it. So naturally I had to give it a try. The game is absolutely fantastic, everything about it just bleeds awesome. The story, the characters, the gameplay.Having not played any of the previous Persona games, I went into this one with an open-mind, they way they summon their "inner-guardians" or Personas by shooting themselves in the head really struck me as "WTF" when I first heard about it. So naturally I had to give it a try. The game is absolutely fantastic, everything about it just bleeds awesome. The story, the characters, the gameplay. After playing Persona 4 as well, I have to say Persona 3 is a lot quicker to get into and if Persona 4 was named the best JRPG of all time, then Persona 3 would be close second. As I said in my Persona 4 review, if you're reading these reviews and wondering if you should buy the game or not; Buy it. Buy it 100 times and donate it to your family and friends; You all won't be disappointed.… Expand
  14. palladiondsw2
    Oct 2, 2013
    10
    Hands down my favourite JRPG. I know people love the 4th and stuff however this game i dont know it holds a place in my heart because its just so good. With this game you will be doing one of two things Grinding in tartarus or spending your days in school with some pretty amazing characters from a french exchange student to a drunk monk who hangs out at the night club.Some are alittle lessHands down my favourite JRPG. I know people love the 4th and stuff however this game i dont know it holds a place in my heart because its just so good. With this game you will be doing one of two things Grinding in tartarus or spending your days in school with some pretty amazing characters from a french exchange student to a drunk monk who hangs out at the night club.Some are alittle less interesting while others are badass.The only problem i had was grinding...it does get on your nerves sometimes but I'm not gonna fault this game for that...this amazing game you can get on psn,psp and ps2 and it is well worth your money.… Expand
  15. Kyle34
    Dec 29, 2013
    10
    Excellent music and great characters make this game truly satisfying from beginning to end. The game can be extremely unforgiving if someone wants to get 100% completion on their first play through but, do not let that deter you. The boss battles are very challenging and the combat is fluid and makes leveling up less of a grind.10/10.
  16. blade6309
    Oct 31, 2014
    10
    Oh man I barely know where to start. While this was my childhood go to game and still holds the number 1 spot on my all time favourite games I guess I need to explain why...
    First off if your new to the game don't worry about getting social links and just enjoy the story and the personas, Once you've beaten the game go back and play it again with the goal of getting all the social links    Oh man I barely know where to start. While this was my childhood go to game and still holds the number 1 spot on my all time favourite games I guess I need to explain why...
    First off if your new to the game don't worry about getting social links and just enjoy the story and the personas, Once you've beaten the game go back and play it again with the goal of getting all the social links you can then play the answer. Honestly if someone where to ask me for a RPG this is ALWAYS my go to. Character development is slightly lacking sometimes though and once you've played it 2 or 3 times you see there's less personas but still that AFTER you've played it. Persona 3 is worth getting a PS2 or worth the buy on the PS3 store this game gets a full 10 for me.    … Expand
  17. VidyaBum
    May 21, 2015
    10
    The greatest success of this game is without a doubt its tone and atmosphere. Persona 3 is dark. I mean really dark. It's a story of human tragedy, loss, sadness, regret, heroism, teenage life in its best sense(the learning about life sense), deep personal problems with relationships or self-image, impending doom, abandonment, deadly sickness, social violence and of course, rejecting theThe greatest success of this game is without a doubt its tone and atmosphere. Persona 3 is dark. I mean really dark. It's a story of human tragedy, loss, sadness, regret, heroism, teenage life in its best sense(the learning about life sense), deep personal problems with relationships or self-image, impending doom, abandonment, deadly sickness, social violence and of course, rejecting the very desire to live further.

    This tone is also very well served by the characters, as each of them is very specific and different, yet they all come together as a wonderfully cohesive world, none of them ever breaking the dark and realistic tone of the game, except President Tanaka, who is over-the-top to the max, but is as enjoyable as it gets.

    The tone is excellently served by everything in the game, the music, the visual art style(which is kinda sucky sometimes, especially in cutscenes), the characters, the story, the themes, everything in this game just screams sadness, depth and a profound love for the less bright side of life and human society. By itself, the tone makes this one of the best games ever.

    But the characters are the second most awesome part of it. From the best (Mitsuru, Akinari Kamiki, Tanaka, Shinjiro Aragaki, Aigis, Ryoji) to the least interesting (Mamoru, Kenji), there isn't a single bad apple or even a mediocre one. The least deep or most one-note characters still feel like complete and well-rounded imitations of real-life people. The social links all provide a new insight in life from a different personality, and there is no part of the social link planning that I dislike simply because no matter how much of a hassle it is to plan for all of that, the whole game is such an enjoyment for me that I never dislike the idea of planning for hours if I have to. I want all the social links at every playthrough, and it's not because of a completion spirit, it's just that they all are so good that I want to miss none.

    With that said, the whole soundtrack has a few flunks. Some hip-hop and jpop mixes come off as really wierd for a non-japanese like me, even as poor taste at the start; But I warmed up to all the tunes over time, except for one or two. The vast majority of the soundtrack is an amazing hit though, especially the inevitable Aria of the Soul, which needs to be listened to on Youtube at least once if you never heard it.

    Graphically, it's weak. It's a late PS2 title yet FFX looks quite a lot better. Atlus doesn't have the resources of bigger devs and it shows. The anime cutscenes are particularly weak and I always think that engine-based character animations look a lot better.

    The battle system just sucks.

    The system relies on 4 elementals, 2 Instant death elements, and 3 types of physical attacks. It's weak. It wouldn't be so weak if it was only part of the gameplay system, but because of the weak+all out attack system, it becomes the main feature of every fight.

    In P3FES, if you can strike an enemy with the type of attack it's weak to, it'll go into a "weak" state. If all the enemies are in such a state, you can launch a devastating all-out-attack. The problem is that about 80% of the enemies of the game have at least one elemental weakness. Logically, that means that about 80% of the fights are done WITH THE EXACT SAME TACTIC EVERY TIME. Grating is an understatement here, it's just outright boring as hell.

    The fights that don't use elemental weakness are also long and generally boring since the system is very stiff and relies on extra large health bars for bosses. The status effects are too random and unreliable, the buffs are too stiff(they always last three turns and give the same bonus no matter your level), the whole gameplay just lacks any sort of fun factor. Its saving grace is the card minigame and the 170 Personas you can fuse, these breathe a lot of life in this overall bad system.

    But poor gameplay or not, this fully deserves 10/10. I have to state that after having played RPGs over 20 years, I have never been blown away from start to finish like this. Not a part of this game is bad, and its best is literally amazing.    … Expand
  18. Xtord
    Feb 19, 2015
    10
    Persona 3 fes Review
    This game is an absolute masterpiece. I heard it was a little like final fantasy in terms of turn based gameplay. My friend persuaded me and after a long discussion he gave me the last push to buy this game on psn , and I don’t regret for it for one second. This game is brilliant.
    When it comes to the story is very good and actually some of the twists I did not    Persona 3 fes Review
    This game is an absolute masterpiece. I heard it was a little like final fantasy in terms of turn based gameplay. My friend persuaded me and after a long discussion he gave me the last push to buy this game on psn , and I don’t regret for it for one second. This game is brilliant.

    When it comes to the story is very good and actually some of the twists I did not see coming. Your are a transfer student. And one every full moon you are going to face a boss as long as you level up in tartarus they shouldn’t be that hard, and you will keep on reminding yourself that the gameplay isn’t that bad. Yes, you cannot control your party members except from the main character but you can give them commands and if you learn to use it, they aren’t that bad. . You are going to use most of you time leveling up social links. And the social links are mostly very well done
    The atmosphere, the graphic design and music is absolutely phenomenal and the character development is magnificent. The ending is also very good.    … Expand
  19. Ishi123
    Oct 31, 2016
    10
    An absolute must-own for JRPG fans. Persona 3 is an amazing adventure from start to finish, and the new FES version adds even more to the already stellar Persona 3.

    The gameplay is centered around dungeon crawling juggled with high school life. The characters are well presented and the turn based battles are fun and strategic. Although I lament the fact that I can't take direct control    An absolute must-own for JRPG fans. Persona 3 is an amazing adventure from start to finish, and the new FES version adds even more to the already stellar Persona 3.

    The gameplay is centered around dungeon crawling juggled with high school life. The characters are well presented and the turn based battles are fun and strategic. Although I lament the fact that I can't take direct control of party members, there are only a few instances in which this actually became a real issue.

    The story is the real selling point of this game, and it deals with some pretty depressing themes, such as death and depression. The game tells its story incredibly well, and near the ending, you really feel the weight of your entire journey so far on your shoulders, and it all culminated to a bittersweet but immensely satisfying ending that you will remember forever. But just in case that wasn't enough, FES has added a lengthy epilogue chapter called "The Answer", where you play as a different character and go on another adventure to discover a truth after the main game.

    The characters are very well written and believable. Even if some characters get on your nerves, it's not for lack of characterization. The characters in this game feel relatable, and a few of them you will downright love as you go through the adventure together. They become stronger with you, in battle, in their connection with you, and in themselves. It's a hell of a feat to get the player to care as much about the characters of a game as Persona 3 does, but this game manages it wonderfully.

    Persona 3 alone was already an amazing and unforgettable experience, and FES only makes it better with the addition of some new and altered Personas, new sidequests, costumes, and The Answer. If you're a JRPG fan, and even if you aren't, this game will amaze you in so many ways.    … Expand
  20. CorixAsk
    Jan 31, 2021
    10
    To the person that was hurt so badly by the Shin megami tensei so much that review bomb all the games in the franchise
    Wtf is wrong with you?
  21. jptiamzon
    Dec 27, 2017
    10
    GOOD:
    MUSIC
    STORY (Executed well in my opinion and the best one yet compared to newly released persona games)

    BAD:
    MECHANICS (You can only control the protagonist during battle)
    THE F ING GRIND IS REAL

    One more thing:
    REMAKE PLEASE
  22. Benonline27
    Sep 27, 2020
    10
    Masterpiece doesn't even begin to describe this game, from the story to the sound, it was absolutely amazing and isn't just one of the best jrpgs but one of the best games of all time, a tragic story full of twist and turn (there are quite a few inconsistencies though), the unique thing about this game is that all the characters are very significant in some way, game play is a bit meh butMasterpiece doesn't even begin to describe this game, from the story to the sound, it was absolutely amazing and isn't just one of the best jrpgs but one of the best games of all time, a tragic story full of twist and turn (there are quite a few inconsistencies though), the unique thing about this game is that all the characters are very significant in some way, game play is a bit meh but that is with most jrpgs, sound is the best out of any game i have ever seen, please play this, there are tons upon tons of hours of awesomeness, you won't regret it one bit… Expand
  23. AkiraKurusu
    Dec 30, 2017
    10
    One of best JRPG ever. The story, gameplay and music are amazing. You must play this game, if you really love anime or wonderful games. 10 of 10!
  24. Ryuail
    Feb 1, 2020
    10
    If ever you needed a master class example of theming done right in games look no further than Persona 3.

    Death is the name of the game, and much like the tarot card Death doesn't just mean one thing to the characters of Persona 3. The looming omnipresent threat of death is there sure, but the game explores other meanings of death too. Death of innocence, Death of self as a means to    If ever you needed a master class example of theming done right in games look no further than Persona 3.

    Death is the name of the game, and much like the tarot card Death doesn't just mean one thing to the characters of Persona 3.
    The looming omnipresent threat of death is there sure, but the game explores other meanings of death too.
    Death of innocence, Death of self as a means to change, Time as Death, and so on.

    A warning though, FES is the superior edition of Persona 3 as it fixes some exploits in the original, but do NOT play "The Answer". It cheapens the experience of the base game, and informs nothing to the observant player.    … Expand
  25. Vadrael
    Apr 7, 2018
    10
    This was my First Shin Megami Tensei game and one of the best JRPGs in History.
    Great Music,Story and Characters.
  26. ArturReview
    Nov 9, 2020
    10
    Persona 3 FES has a masterful blend of gameplay and character development. By introducing the Social Link system to the series, all of the characters you interact with feel more conected to the action aspect of the game. Dungeon crawling has been expanded to great heights and both main and secondary characters are masterfully written, with beautiful development to their stories. Even if itPersona 3 FES has a masterful blend of gameplay and character development. By introducing the Social Link system to the series, all of the characters you interact with feel more conected to the action aspect of the game. Dungeon crawling has been expanded to great heights and both main and secondary characters are masterfully written, with beautiful development to their stories. Even if it hasn't aged well in many elements, Persona 3 FES is still a must play game because it starts what makes the Persona series great.… Expand
  27. Lulcy
    Jun 27, 2019
    10
    One of the most emotional high school drama videogames out there. Can't say more than that. I wish the grind was a bit less punishing though.
  28. Revoltado
    May 6, 2018
    10
    Melhor Persona!! Trágico, personagens super interessantes com histórias interessantes.... E o melhor de tudo diálogos na medida certa (diferente do 4 e 5)
  29. Verrus
    Jun 11, 2018
    10
    One of the best games i ever played,The story is lengthy and rewarding,the main highlight of the game to me is the Social Links,with interesting and complex characters,The game is Jam-packed with content,The music is upbeat,catchy and matches the atmosphere of the game really well
    The only criticism i can say about this game is the animations and graphics look really outdated compared to    One of the best games i ever played,The story is lengthy and rewarding,the main highlight of the game to me is the Social Links,with interesting and complex characters,The game is Jam-packed with content,The music is upbeat,catchy and matches the atmosphere of the game really well
    The only criticism i can say about this game is the animations and graphics look really outdated compared to today's standards,And the combat can get repetitive and a bit frustrating at times but nonetheless,this game is truly a masterpiece and i can't recommend it enough,Play it you will have the time of your life    … Expand
  30. Jc360x
    Nov 29, 2018
    10
    Whoever is review bombing needs to get a **** life. This game was at 8.8 a few weeks ago.
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PS2 Game of 2008
2
#2 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2008
5
#5 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. GameZone
    80
    Persona 3: FES will increase your appreciation of its storyline. The characters are great, the dialogue is believable (how’s THAT for an RPG!?), and if you enjoyed the gameplay last year, there are several new reasons to play through the original quest all over again.
    Read full review
  2. G4 TV
    80
    The three interwoven role-play threads in Persona 3 FES are so deftly sewn that it's easy to tune out the rest of the noise.
    Read full review
  3. Game Informer
    83
    With a mere $30 price tag, it's the perfect way for fans and newcomers to experience this exceptional RPG. [May 2008, p.94]
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »