A remake of Persona 3 has been officially unveiled during the Xbox Games Showcase with a fast-paced announcement trailer! Called Persona 3 Reload, this remake is being created in Unreal Engine and is planned for release on all major consoles, including Nintendo Switch. The remake is being made from scratch, with a visual overhaul, new original and re-arranged music, and improved gameplay. The updated visuals bring Persona 3 almost completely in line with Persona 5, and so far the results speak for themselves.
Persona 3 Reload will contain the base game with updated features, but will reportedly not include content from the 2007 add-on disc Persona 3 FES or anything that was added to the PlayStation Portable version. In an interview with IGN, Persona 3 Reload producer Ryota Niitsuma stated that their intention was to “really genuinely work on recreating the [original] Persona 3 experience”.
Persona 3 FES added a well-received epilogue to the story, while the Portable version added an optional female protagonist, some new difficulty options, and the ability to directly control each party member during battle. The only aspect that is planned to be retained from these versions is the ability to control your party members, as well as small improvements to gameplay and user experience.
This news is sure to disappoint some fans who were hoping for a definitive version of Persona 3. We may yet get such an edition later down the road, but Atlus has not confirmed that it is planning anything like that. For now, Persona 3 Reload will release on PS4 & PS5, Xbox consoles, PC, and the Nintendo Switch sometime in early 2024, and it will be included with Xbox Game Pass.
About the Author
Edie W-K
she/her
If it isn't video games, Edie doesn't care about it. She's been playing games since the N64 era, and only spent enough time away from her 3DS to earn a Bachelor in Games Design from RMIT.
