Persona 3 Reload trailer shows off overhauled cutscenes and gameplay

After being officially announced last month, Atlus has unveiled a new trailer for Persona 3 Reload. The trailer puts more focus on the game’s cutscenes and combat, as well as the graphical updates which the remake will be bringing compared to the PS2 original.

The trailer shows off some snippets of gameplay in Persona 3 Reload. Both the exploration of Gekkoukan High in the real world, and the combat against the monstrous Shadows in Tartarus during the Midnight Hour, are showcased here. The game’s menus, user interface and graphics in general have been substantially overhauled, with the character models in particular utilising the high-quality 3D anime-esque designs used in Persona 5. Gameplay-wise, Reload is aiming to be faithful to the original version on the PS2, albeit with some of the combat innovations from more recent ports of the game.

Being a remake of the PS2 original, rather than the PSP remake, Reload once again has Persona 3’s real world setting being fully designed in 3D as opposed to 2D backdrops. It is still a bit of a disappointment that the additional content introduced in the PSP remake, such as the playable female protagonist, were not included here, however. Also, if you thought some of the characters sounded a little different from what you’re used to, the English voice cast from the original game isn’t making a comeback either. Despite this, the new voice actors seem to be solid fits for the characters based on the dialogue that we could hear.

Persona 3 Reload is still quite a while off, with an early 2024 release window still advertised. The game will be heading to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam and Windows, with a day one Xbox Game Pass release as well. With Persona 3 having reintroduced itself to modern audiences with the modern port earlier this year, Persona 3 Reload will be well-placed to give both old and new fans something truly special when it comes out next year.