Persona 3. Persona 3 FES. Persona 3 Portable. And now, . There have been so many versions of the 'first modern' Persona game that it can all feel rather overwhelming. And - barring the very first release - they all have at least one thing the others don't.

But Persona 3 Reload's list of changes is arguably the most vast. So much has been revamped - strengthened in some fashion - even if the omissions from FES and Portable have us scratching our heads. Here are the seven most substantial deviations between Reload and its Persona predecessors.

1 ๊Sharper Script

Persona 3's script is far from bad, but so many little moments could have benefited from the retranslation seen in Persona 3 Reload. Characters speak more naturally; their thoughts are conveyed more convincingly. Junpei, the main male sidekick, has seen the greatest improvement of all - he's gone from occasionally creepy to consistently entertaining.

Almost nothing's been genuinely changed (the major exception being the removal of a transphobic scene which, frankly, had no excuse for being there in 2024). Rather, it's all so much crisper that we've fallen in love with this cast all over again.

2 Theurgize Me ꧂ ꦍ

Combat🤡 revamps are nothing new to Persona re-releases. Persona 3 FES and especially Portable both see a healthy number of upgrades, not to mention Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal. Reload carries this tradition in style, most notably in the form of Theurgy.

Theurgy is somewhat akin to other extra-special attacks throughout RPGs, like Final Fantasy's Limit Breaks. Each party member's Theurgy Gauge is filled for separate reasons during battle, and when it's fully charged, they unleash powerful moves. Even Fuuka joins in the fun, granting stat boosts that can turn the tide.

3 Hangin' With The Squad

You can now hang out with your fellow SEES members, which enhances your bonds with them while shining added light on who they are as individ🍸uals. Many of these activities take place at the dorm, whereas others are more expansive multipart affairs that can occur throughout the city.

Some of the 💫most popular recurring gameplay mechanics in the Persona series are renowned for the ways in which they synergize with other mechanics in tangible ways. The aforementioned Theurgy Characteristics are a sterling example,𝔉 as spending time with your teammates will unlock bonus Characteristics for them, enabling you with new ways to fill that gauge.

4 ♚ ൩ Oh No, No Kotone

On the flip side, Persona 3 Reload does not include Kotone, the female option for the story's protagonist. Her inclusion in Persona 3 Portable isn't just terrific in its own right. It has a huge impact on the game; rather than the gals, it's the guys in SEES with whom you can develop Social Links.

This expands these characters' arcs, of course. What's more, several of the Social Links for non-party-members are also altered, with some of P3's best characters getting their introduction - and subsequent elimination - from Portable to Reload.

That said, those SEES hangouts can go a good deal of the way toward expanding on Junpei, Akihiko, Amada, and Aragaki. It's brand-new writing, too, which is nifty for veterans. But there's no sugarcoating the fact that this one's a net loss.

5 Hear꧃ing Is Believing

What Atlus doth take away, it replaces in kind. No previous version of Persona 3 has had anywhere near this much voice acting. It's about on-par with what we'd come to expect via Persona 5 Royal, and in some ways, it surpasses it. Every Social Link character's ranks are fully voiced. That alone puts it over Persona 5 in spades.

With full respect for the original voice cast, the (mostly) new one is amazing. So, hearing them deliver all these lines is a treat-and-a-half for Persona 3 veterans, and𓂃 a nice housewarming gift for first-timers.

6 Be Kin♓d, 🐭Rewind

Sometimes, tiny tweaks can have the biggest impact. WIth the introduction of the 'Rewind' feature, players are effectively given several rotating save slots automatically, allowing us to hop back up to a few days into the past.

This means we can get better results from a Social Link conversation, or answer a class question we got wrong, or even see one-time scenes with every permutation without having to reload a manual save. Honestly, it's also made writing guides for Persona 3 Reload an uncommonly breezy feat...

7 𝕴 We No Longer Have The Answer ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ

Well, this one wasn't in Persona 3 Portable, either. Exclusive to the revamped PS2 release, Persona 3 FES, The Answer is an epilogue chapter starring the cyborg Aigis as she wrestles with the ramifications of the original ending.

It's a grind-heavy experience with a rather divisive story, though many can at least agree that there is catharsis to be had in seeing everyone again after their dangerous ordeal. It's also nowhere to be found in Persona 3 Reload. Alas.