Persona 4 Arena

It’s been a long wait but Persona 4 Arena is finally being released in Europe. If you’ve been following the saga then you’ll already know the ins and outs, or have maybe even taken to concocting some kind of conspiracy, and if you’ve not been following it then you likely don’t care. In reality the latter is the more ideal situation where you can just take this as news that a great fighting game is about to come out.

Hang on, a fighting game? I hear your uninformed mouth gasp! Isn’t Persona a series of JRPGs about self harming emos? Well yes, and no. Yes, the Persona series is about young people that have feelings and friends then use said feelings and friends to overcome evil, but no, not all of them are about shooting yourself in the head. Case in point would be the outstanding Persona 4.

Persona 4 Arena follows on from the fantastic Vita remake, Persona 4 Golden, in so much as the remake includes a single additional line of dialogue to pave the way for the story to continue. In short the investigation team from Inaba are reunited when the previously dormant Midnight Channel comes back on air and each of them are lured into… wait for it… fighting each other in one on one combat! See, it all comes together quite easily. Oh, some characters from Persona 3 join the fray too because they… umm… lost a secret weapon, and Persona 4 didn’t have enough viable fighting game characters. Fear not, in a wonderfully honest kind of way all the characters are as confused about what’s going on as you are now.

The story is crazy and convoluted but it is presented in such a way that fans of the series will want to follow every word. Be forewarned, though, that the full-on story mode is an yarn of epic proportions. The more casually interested will be best served by the succinct offerings of the arcade mode which still includes more narrative than most fighting games bother with. Those that have played through Persona 4, or Golden, will no doubt feel a very strong bond with the cast and will be very pleased to find that they have made the genre transition without losing any of the charm and character that made you fall in love with them.

However, charm and fond memories alone are not enough to make a fighting game great, and while I think I could have forgiven a substantial amount in the name of nostalgia I was comforted to find that no such clemency was required.

The 2D fighting mechanics fall somewhere between the simplicity of Street Fighter and the flamboyance of BlazBlue and are controlled with just four buttons. Attacks can be made as your character or using your ‘persona’, each with a light and heavy option. All other attacks are handled with traditional special move inputs or dual/triple button presses. The beauty of the combat lies in its initial accessibility and underlying complexity. Gameplay is very combo heavy with a lengthy, and quite effective, string of attacks being accessible by simply mashing the light attack button, albeit with a slight health penalty, but your opponent will quickly catch on and see this shortcut coming a mile off. It does however offer a new player some clues to more complex strings that offer you the flexibility to adapt as your opponent reacts. Robust training and challenge modes will ease you in gently and you’ll soon be filling the screen with fantastically choreographed carnage.

The characters and move animations can be quite stunningly beautiful with movesets drawn from the game’s RPG roots that feel spot on. Status effects such as poison and confusion are woven into the combat along with recognisable quotes delivered by the main and supporting cast. Matches are even commentated by Persona 4‘s battle narrator Rise.

This inspired copycat design is even more notable in the game’s presentation which can be best described as slick. Sharp angles, colourful stripes and an overarching TV inspired design come together perfectly to give the impression that you are indeed fighting on ‘The Midnight Channel’. Voice acting is enchanting, and the remixed soundtrack unsurpassed. This is quite literally the best of both worlds.


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One response to “Persona 4 Arena”

  1. Ross Manthorp avatar

    I am so ready! Great review Dan. Excited to get into the story mode :3

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