What is a comfort game? A comfort game is by my definition, a game you can plug in, play, and forget about all your worries. It fills you with a nice sense of relief for however long you play for. Persona 3 Reload has been the game I’ve been playing lately, and it speaks to me in a way very few comfort games have spoken to me. Persona 3 Reload is a recently released JRPG by Atlus, and published by Sega on modern platforms.
Persona 3 Reload is a from-the-ground-up remake of the original game, Persona 3 from the Playstation 2 era. The original game is a fan favorite. It’s really challenging when it comes to the dungeon-crawling and combat sections of the game. Its social-simulator sections, on the other hand, are much beloved by fans. Persona 3 Reload is a full-on remake, capturing the same vibe, aesthetic, and story of the original, and this game is just so cozy.
Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There
Like I mentioned earlier, the first half of the game’s gameplay is a social simulator. During the day and sometimes the evening, the player will be free to do whatever they desire. You play as a high school student in Japan who lives in a city, so you can explore it to your heart’s content. The player can do social activities like go to the local cafe, the karaoke bar, the movie theater, or the library. Doing these activities will increase your stats, which will let you get new social links.
Social links are the heart and soul of the Persona games. In Persona 3 Reload, just like the other games in the series, there are many different NPCs that you can spend time with. These social links progress as you spend more time with them, and you not only get bonuses in the dungeon-crawling fights from this, but you also get to experience the different social links’ stories. Some characters are party members, some are random kids in your class, and some are even sketchy characters that you ease up to.
Exploring Tartarus
These social links are a ton of fun, and the heart of the experience. The other part of the Persona 3 Reload experience is the dungeon crawling. The dungeon is called “Tartarus”, it’s a huge sprawling, demonic-looking tower that the main party explores during the night. During this section of gameplay, it’s completely different. There’s combat, and it’s turn-based. Each character has their own Persona to summon, and they all have different abilities and weaknesses.
The dungeon crawling in Tartarus is really fun and addictive. The game runs on a weakness system, very similar to Pokemon, so your party members have elements that enemies are weak to, and vice versa. It’s simple, but easily gets very deep and complex when bosses, ailments, and status buffs are introduced. It’s a tried and true combat system that has been a through-line in the Persona series, and Persona 3 Reload has a stellar combat system all around.
Persona 3 Reload’s Aesthetic
So what makes Persona 3 Reload the ultimate comfort game? I would say the day-to-day gameplay. Each day that passes in the in-game calendar lets you do whatever you want, whether it’s forming new bonds with social links, strengthening old ones, or bettering yourself. The game isn’t really that stressful. Don’t get me wrong it has its fair share of tough and intense battles, but those are so sparsely given to the player that it really doesn’t feel like they happen that much.
When I put Persona 3 Reload in, I feel so relaxed. The vibe, the music, the aesthetic, all of it. This game is beautiful visually, and it has a very calming, blue look to it all. The menus are so slick and clean, and it all just looks really clean. The music is this cool synth/ hip hop combination that just feels so youthful and energetic. It’s just fun and so comforting, because the characters are great. It feels so cozy. It feels like you have a group of friends to hang out with. That’s what comfort games are all about, feeling like you’re reuniting with an old friend.
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