There’s been loads of deserved criticism thrown Persona 3 Reload’s method for not implementing Persona 3 Transportable’s feminine protagonist route into its ground-up remake. Nevertheless, we’re not speaking sufficient about one of many few components of the feminine protagonist route that did make its method into the fashionable revitalization of Atlus’ traditional RPG: We lastly get to hang around with the very best boys Akihiko Sanada and Junpei Iori in a method we couldn’t as a male participant character till now.
The primary (and solely) time I performed Persona 3, I performed the male protagonist’s route on Persona 3 Transportable. So once I was given an hour of free rein to play the remake in January, I discovered myself falling into the identical habits I did once I performed the unique. I am going to high school, I cease by the shops at Paulownia Mall to top off on provides, then I collect my get together and journey up the countless flooring of Tartarus, preventing demonic shadows alongside my buddies. However once I obtained some free time to simply hang around with people across the metropolis of Tatsumi Port Island, I used to be ready hang around with get together members Akihiko and Junpei, study extra about their backstories, and bolster our relationship out and in of fight. These aren’t technically labeled as social hyperlinks like different relationships in Persona 3 Reload. They’re as an alternative referred to as “linked episodes,” however so far as character improvement goes, they’re functionally the identical factor.
Learn extra: Palms-On: Persona 3 Reload Remakes The One Factor That Didn’t Want Remaking
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Trying again, Persona 3’s lack of social hyperlinks for the male get together members was baffling within the unique recreation, and has solely turn into extra ridiculous in hindsight. Even when Persona wasn’t daring sufficient to let a male protagonist enter a romantic relationship with its age-appropriate characters (we don’t acknowledge the Ken romance right here), the collection is, above all else, in regards to the bonds of friendship. Arbitrarily denying the participant an opportunity to get to know its male forged higher felt tied up in some heteronormative nonsense.
Fortunately, this inane omission of male camaraderie hasn’t been repeated since. Persona 4 and 5 have social hyperlinks for the male get together members, and people relationships really feel extra pure by way of constructing an intimate relationship between shut buddies, to the purpose that it felt abrupt that they couldn’t culminate in romantic relationships. If Persona 3 Reload had recreated this oversight, it will have been jarring for newer followers who got here in after Persona 5, and a disappointment to longtime followers like myself who’ve by no means understood why these relationships have been made unique to a feminine protagonist run. We are able to speak in regards to the visible replace, the brand new voice actors, and the brand new music, however recognizing these decade-and-a-half-old blind spots is simply as important an replace within the remake.
The boys of the shadow-fighting group S.E.E.S. have been full characters with out social hyperlinks, and I nonetheless think about Akihiko and Junpei a few of my favourite Persona heroes from throughout the collection. Reload taking the chance to proper a incorrect from the unique Persona 3 reveals simply how far the collection has come…whereas additionally highlighting that it nonetheless has some methods to go by way of increasing its view of how males relate to 1 one other.
On the finish of final yr, Persona 5 Tactica had a scene the place the participant, as Phantom Thieves chief Joker, was capable of categorical romantic emotions for its male forged, even when it didn’t culminate in an precise romantic relationship. The Persona collection hasn’t dedicated to a queer romance path since Persona 2, however trying again at Persona 3 and revisiting its Social Hyperlink dynamics since Reload, it’s clear the collection is very slowly making progress in the way it views male intimacy. Persona 4 and 5 allow you to attain correct vulnerability along with your bros, and thru Persona 3 Reload, the S.E.E.S. boys can lastly attain the identical closeness. However the pure subsequent step Persona must be prepared to make is acknowledge that males are able to being greater than buddies, too.
Persona’s relationship writing is the very best half about it. It revels in moments mundane and large, and even when its protagonists are largely silent, I purchase into each friendship as a result of there’s an earnestness to every social hyperlink that cuts by the components about this collection that depart me deeply jaded. Persona 3 Reload letting bros be bros is a beautiful recognition that the workforce did issues incorrect the primary time. I simply hope there’s extra progress in how this collection handles male relationships in future Persona video games.
Persona 3 Reload launches on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Collection X/S on February 2.
Pre-order Persona 3 Reload: Amazon | Finest Purchase | Humble Bundle
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