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Notes -
I've also been working through P3R, though I've been interrupting my routine a bit to make some progress in TOTK as well. I'm mid-September in Persona, just pushed to the first border floor in Tziah. I've previously played a bit of Portable, which I kinda bounced off of once I reached Arqa and got roflstomped, and FES, which I played through to the Priestess fight like a week before Reload was announced.
It's kinda funny that 5 (or 5 Royal specifically I suppose) is the best Persona game mechanically (in my mind anyway), but that as I play backwards through the older games I feel like the PThieves are the least interesting characters. I feel like 3 and 4 have the group dynamics nailed down better. Plus Koromaru > Sparkly Bishie Teddie > Teddie >>>>>>>>> Morgana, you can't change my mind on the animal/mascot party member tier list. I am very grateful that they brought
Baton PassShift over from 5, not having it in Golden was a bit of a learning curve. It doesn't feel like as much of a crutch as it could be in 5, but that could just be that I got gud somewhere along the line.Hmmm I don't really have a direction here. Anyway, I've seen some out-of-context clips of later game fights (Jin) that seem to happen in January, so hopefully I'll have enough time slots to max Yukari/Fuuka/Mitsuru and all that. Still need one more Academics rank to even start Mitsuru though.
Romance picks per game, first playthrough:
My partner says I have a type. She might be onto something.
I'd like to see The Answer in P3R, I've heard it's great. Maybe
whenif they release FeMC.Some unsolicited advice: Prioritize the social links that have to be done from school. School is closed for quite a few days, especially towards the end of the game. Holidays etc. Leave the always/nearly always available links for last in terms of maxing. I made this mistake and now I'm around 5-7 days short of maxing all social links before ending the game. ;( Unlike in 5, there's a (small) reward for maxing all links in this game. Don't start efforting by looking up guides though, that'll just make the game less fun.
I agree that 5 Royal is excellent mechanics wise. And I agree that the PThieves characters are weaker. Especially Ann and Ryuji. I got tired of their low IQ whining pretty quick. 4 has great characters/group of friends vibe. And I really like most of the ones in 3 too.
Hmm, Yukari isn't very similar to Makoto, Hifumi, Yukiko, IMO... I don't like Yukari, but I like all the others in your "type". Mitsuru is the queen babe in 3R though! :D Btw you can't start her link before mid November. So you have plenty of time to max Academics.
I think you've got a wire crossed: Yuko is the sports club manager, Yukari definitely isn't my type. 😛
Good to know about Mitsuru's time frame, that makes me feel better about putting off Academics. My partner is probably gonna be a bit annoyed that it's so far into the game though, she's been simping for Mitsuru since Anime Expo.
Re. P5, I just think there's not much by way of group chemistry, though I could just be biased by how much Morgana makes me cringe. I didn't have this problem on my first playthrough of OG 5, but it started to grate on ng+ and especially after I played 4. I don't even mind Ann and Ryuji being dumb since at least the other team members mostly counterbalance them. Those two meatheads are perfect for each other.
Oh whoops, I had forgotten the sports manager's name. Sorry. I just thought you had given Yukari a pet name, haha. Yuko is alright. I wasn't won over by her earliest interactions, but she grew on me later. I'm not able to max her though, so I kinda forgot about her. Next time! I'll probably play a NG+ before The Answer.
I wonder if we'll get a remake of P4G... It kinda sticks out now as a PS2 era game next to P3R and P5R...
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Interesting, I've only played 3 & 4, and I'd compare 4 to 3 like how you compared 5 to 4/3 - mechanically, 4 Golden was basically the perfection of the 3/4 gameplay formula, but it was hampered by the fact that the characters just weren't as good as in 3. I also preferred the darker tone and themes of 3, though perhaps the story is mostly a wash, since 3 kinda dragged in the 2nd half while 4 had solid pacing with its murder mysteries throughout.
Kinda sad to hear that P3R suffered from being too close to the source material, according to a lot of people. It really would've been great if it had combined the best of the gameplay the series had to offer with the best of the characters and perhaps tightened up the story. But perhaps the exclusion of FeMC and the Answer portion from FES was a sign that this was more of a cash grab than an attempt to create the definitive version of the game (obviously any remake is a cash grab, but there's a spectrum).
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