Chickaroo Reviews - Persona 4 (PS2)

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chickaroo1
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Chickaroo Reviews - Persona 4 (PS2)

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The Persona series is back with another instalment. With a twisted story and amazing characters, this is without a doubt, a freaking fantastic game. But what makes it so great?Game: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 / Persona 4 Golden
Systems: PlayStation 2, PlayStation Vita
Release Dates: PS2: 7/10/08 (JP), 12/8/08 (NA), 3/12/09 (AUS), 3/13/09 (EU) 4/8/14 (NA, PSN)
PS Vita: 6/14/12 (JP), 11/20/12 (NA), 2/21/13 (AUS), 2/22/13 (EU)
Developers: Atlus
Tune In, Turn On, Drop Dead
Story: In the town of Inaba, a new student arrives to live with his uncle and cousin. But as soon as he arrives, mysterious things have around town. Dead bodies have been hanging among telephone poles and wires. How strange, eh?
So after moving in with your uncle, Ryotaro Dojima and his daughter Nanako, you then get to attend school. And you wonder what fun, exciting adventures await you at your new high school. Once there, you meet a few students named Yosuke Hanamura, a kid who used to live in the city, just like you. Chie Satonaka, a tom-boy girl who loves kung-fu and steak (and has a wicked haircut and outfit). And finally, Yukiko Amagi, a shy, sweet girl whose family owns a famous inn in the town. Chie then tells you and the others about a rumor floating about town and it goes a little something like this: on a rainy day at midnight, look into a turned-off tv and it’ll turn on automatically and show you your soul mate. The main character(whose nameless until you name him) decides to go home and try the rumor out. Turns out the rumor is sort of true, as he sticks his hand through the TV and felt something bite him! But he did not see his soulmate though…
The next morning he goes to tell his new friends about what happened. They laugh it off and don’t believe him. But they all decide to go to Junes, this big department store that Yosuke’s father manages. The protagonist then shows them sticking his hand in the TV. They all freak out and accidently fall into the TV, discovering a world beyond the screen. As they wander around the world, they stumble across a disturbing room with creepy posters and a noose. They put the pieces together and come to find out that the recent murder in town happened inside the TV, somebody threw them in the TV! The protagonist, Yosuke and Chie decide to make it their mission to figure out who the murderer is and stop them before other people get killed. And thus, the crazy story unfolds in the town of Inaba. Who else will be thrown in?
Student By Day, Dungeon Crawling Detective By Night!
Gameplay: So yes, this game is a pretty big, long JRPG. Gameplay wise, it’s a bit similar to the previous game, Persona 3 but with some major improvements.
For the first two to three hours of the game, it sets up the plot and shows the player how the game works. After that, you’re free to go and save your new friends that you will make along the way. In the daytime, you will attend school as normal. After school however, you are free to explore the school and town and all it has to offer. At the school, you can talk to classmates and sign up for sports or clubs, which can help your Social Links. Social Links in the game are the bonds / friendships you develop with people, which creates an ability to fuse your personas together to make stronger ones. If you make a strong Social Link with someone on your team, they can die for you in battle.
Now for the battle gameplay! So what happens is that when someone gets thrown into the TV, you and your group of pals are headed off to help save them before they die (and yes if you take too long, the character will die and you will be taken back two weeks to try again). The dungeons are a manifestation of something that that character stuck in the TV wants to hide and or not share with anyone else. Going through the dungeons you will come across shadows. Now they will float there, and if you get close to them, they will follow and attack you if they touch you. In battle, you can now control all of your team mates! Hallelujah. They each have their own persona to use in battle and they have their own powers too. For example, Chie’s persona has ice powers, so most of her special skills is ice related. Now, as the main character, you are allowed to have multiple personas while everyone else only gets one. You can use normal attacks with your characters’ weapons, but depending on the enemies, you will definitely want to use their special skills in battle.
Boss battles can be tough too. Especially since they pretty much have a strategy to them. And they can be very lengthy too. This game can and will keep you busy for a while. As the game goes on, it can become very challenging, so grinding is highly recommended!
This Forecast Predicts Wonderful Graphics
Graphics: This game looks stunning, both on PS2 and Vita. From the rare 2D cutscenes to the rest of the game. It really does feel like an anime that came to life in 3D. From everyone’s models, to the environments, this game is amazing to look at.
Wonderful to Listen to, But Repetitive
Music: The soundtrack to this game is pretty good, but honestly, it’s not as good as Persona 3’s soundtrack. Don’t get me wrong, I do like this soundtrack, but it might be because that the music is repeated so much throughout the game that it can be annoying. From the battle song “Reach Out to the Truth” to the dungeon songs, it can get old. But it is pretty good too.
Music is composed by Shoji Meguro and Atsushi Kitajoh.
Will You Reach Out to the Truth?
Overall: Persona 4 is a fantastic game. From its story , amazing characters, and gameplay, it’s a wonderful experience. It has made me laugh and cry. It’s a very moving and touching game. And I also highly recommend the anime adaptation too. Go check out the game or the anime if you can. You’ll never forget it.
5 / 5
See my past reviews here! The Chickaroo Reviews Archive List is here!

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