Hello to the Sand Witch Review. I'm Mattysandwich and here is my review. Alright it's time for me to talk about one of my favorite things to this day, Shin Megami Tensei games. For all those who don't know about Shin Megami Tensei, you better get on your knees and start praying for SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI IS GOD! There hasn't been a single game that came out by this company that I have not enjoyed or given a five star rating. Alright now it's time to focus on this certain game, Persona 3.
Persona 3 was the first persona game to be released into the United States. The first two did not get an English release yet however the first one will soon be making an appearance on the PSP. Now let's talk about this game. While I can't say a lot or else I will ruin the story line I will say that in the opening cut scene there is a girl holding a gun to her forehead. Yes you're going to be seeing a lot more of that.
Alright not it's time to go into the first part of a good game, story line. As a Shin Megami Tensei game, the story line it practically already written in gold. If you are a fan of the traditional silent hero good versus evil then you will love this game. This story in particular makes me happy. It's creative, masterful, and leaves the the player completely satisfied. It revolves around the concepts of battling with creatures called personas. Now it's time for the unmasking of the details of a persona. Let's start off with it's actual definition. A persona is a metaphorical mask you wield in public. It takes the form of the emotions we wish others to see. Now imagine that this mask you wielded actually had a design. Now imagine it takes the form of a mythological or historical figure that could use magic and deliver powerful attacks. This is a persona. Personas in this game are based on you're own emotions and each persona is placed under the Tarot Card arcanas. The normal person only has one persona and it takes the form of your personal arcana. However your character is able to wield multiple personas and as such makes him vitally the strongest character in the game. Don't think that any person has a persona though. Most people aren't even aware that they can tap into such a powerful force and even those that are aware are unable to reach their potential. Only a very limited amount of people in this game are able to tap into their persona and only by meeting certain conditions.
Now it's time for the second part of the game, game play. The game is divided into two separate parts. There's life outside of battles and the battles themselves. During the outside world, you can socialize and make friends. It's very important to do so because by being more social you develop these bonds called social links. They strengthen the persona you create of that arcana. This makes socializing vital in this game as the stronger the persona you wield, the better you'll do in battle. Now it's time to talk about the battles. I describe the battle system of this game as a cross breed between Final Fantasy X and the dot hack games. While you're able to see the enemies on the board, you do not know how many bad guys are actually there until you go into battle. The battle style of this game is rather tricky at first. The first thing you'll realize is that it's turned based, giving it reason for me to like it already. Now it's time for the second thing you'll immediately notice, you can't directly control your allies. Instead you can give commands where your allies will then follow to a letter. When you leave your allies to fight themselves you probably won't be too disappointed for the minor battles however in boss fights YOU WILL DIE! I also love the music that plays in the back ground as you battle. It's bizarre, but somehow manages to catch the drift of the game.
Speaking of which, let's talk about the musical score. This is another one of Shin Megami Tensei's strength, they have such a diversity of music. They have jazz, they have rock, and it all fits so gracefully. I especially love the ending to the first part of the game "kimi no kioku." It's such a great song which I warn you if you translate the lyrics you're in for one major plot spoiler.
Now it's time to talk about the characters of the game. God that's one of the strength of socializing type games you fall in love with the supporting cast. They make you love everyone so that when you end the game, you feel ridiculously embarrassed for wanting to cry. While I won't go into detail, I will say that my favorite character is a girl named Aigis. While I can't say much about her, I can say that she brings new meaning to ghost in the machine.
Alright now it's time to talk about another issue, graphics. This is where I get a little picky. I am honestly not to big of a fan of this game's out of battle graphics. They sometimes make me feel a little too excited to battle which bothers me a bit. However that changes when the animated cut scenes come in. Those moments make me so happy.
Overall, I'm giving this game a five star rating. Shin Megami Tensei games have truly completed the requirements for what make a good JRPG. It's exciting, dark, amazing, and everything a good game should have. While I honestly am more of a fan to Persona 4, to which I will make a review for, I have to say that this game has a permanent place in my heart. Alright then I'm signing off now. Until my next review, This is the Sand Witch Review, and your time is up.
