Persona 3 Reload might be a pretty faithful remake but it is adding some much-needed changes to the gameplay. Unsurprisingly, the gameplay systems of Persona 5 are being brought into this remake, making battles a lot less tedious in the long run.
Dengeki’s coverage of the remake (translated by Noisy Pixel) confirms that the expanded Dark and Light attacks are now part of the battle system. Eiha (Dark), Kouha (Light), and their more powerful versions can be used in battles to exploit weaknesses for All-Out Attacks.
For those unaware, the original Persona 3 didn’t have Eiha or Kouha. Dark and Light attacks were limited to one-hit kill skills like Mudo (Dark) and Hama (Light). Because they killed enemies in one hit, they had low accuracy and would often miss in most battles.
“Regarding Persona skills, we can confirm the addition of the Light-element attack Kouha and the Dark-element attack Eiha! Perhaps there will be a change in the skill structure of Ken Amada and Koromaru, who excel in Light and Dark?,” said Atlus.
These new skills mean that characters like Ken and Koromaru will actually be worth keeping in Persona 3 Reload. While they were fine characters, their reliance on low-chance insta-kill skills made them unfit for the player’s party.
It’s not just these new skills that are influenced by Persona 5. Obviously, the enhanced visuals look like a much better version of its fifth successor. The unique menus and attack animations are also heavily influenced, though the use of the color blue does differentiate it from 5.
While these new quality-of-life features are much appreciated, Persona 3 Reload is still a weird remake due to Atlus cherry-picking content. Tartarus is still a hollow and empty tower filled with Shadows to fight, for better or worse. Fan-favorite character Aegis will have her social link from FES but players can’t play through that game’s epilogue or choose a female protagonist.
Read More: Persona 3 Reload makes it easier to keep Social Links
Persona 3 Reload comes to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC on February 2, 2024.