In 2008, two years into the PS3’s lifespan,Atlusreleased the critically-acclaimed JRPGPersona 4for PlayStation 2. Earning rave reviews from critics,Persona 4suffered a bit from being released at a time when many gamers had already moved well beyond the PS2. The game got a second lease on life in 2012 whenPersona 4 Goldenwas released for PlayStation Vita, but unfortunately, the Vita wasn’t all that popular. Now, in the wake ofPersona 5’s huge success,Persona 4 Goldenhas the chance to reach a much wider audience, as the classic game is finally available for PC.
The PC version ofPersona 4 Goldendoesn’t feature any major new content that wasn’t found in the Vita release, but it does have some definite enhancements. The most obvious is the visuals, which look better than ever. Some backgrounds and textures haven’t aged well, but the characters really pop and generally, everything looks as great as one could expect from an older game. It also features the option to choose between English and Japanese voice acting, which wasn’t available in theoriginalPersona 4 Goldenrelease.
The upgraded visuals and the ability to choose between English and Japanese voice acting make this the most complete version ofPersona 4to-date. Since it’s theGoldenversion of the game, it also includes the content that was added in the PS Vita release, which consists of a new character, expanded cut-scenes, extra Personas to collect, and much more.
Persona 4 Goldenon PC is the best way to experience the JRPG classic, so anyone that hasn’t had a chance to play it should certainly check it out. However, these improvements are not all that significant in the grand scheme of things, and so those that have already invested significant time into the PS2 andPS Vitaversions of the game may not find the PC port quite as compelling. Also, those that have already played throughPersona 5may find that there are some aspects ofPersona 4that are not as refined as its predecessor.
Personagames are notorious for starting slow, andPersona 4 Goldenis admittedly one of the most egregious. It takes about two and a half to three hours before players will even get to the first dungeon.Persona 5was a little faster-paced, so those who started with that game may find it difficult to get intoPersona 4 Goldeninitially. However, those that stick withPersona 4 Goldenwill be rewarded for their efforts, as the game eventually becomes impossible to put down.
Persona 4 Goldenhits its stride once players are given free rein over each day. Players can fill their days completing various activities andbuilding their relationships, with benefits that translate to combat and actually progressing the main story. Making an effort to improve the “Social Links” between the main character and the rest of the cast will give players significant advantages in battle, and so pursuing this side content is worthwhile. However, players have a limited amount of time to work with each day, so it’s necessary to plan ahead.
Video games with time limitscan be stressful for some, and that holds true forPersona 4 Golden. Without diving too deep into specifics, the basic plot is that people are disappearing into a TV dimension, and if they aren’t rescued within a week, they die and a gamer over screen appears. Players have a limited time to fully explore the missing person’s associated dungeon and defeating the boss at the end of it to progress the story.
It should be said that the randomly-generated dungeons make the time limit gimmick sometimes feel a little cheap.Persona 5had a mix of handcrafted dungeons and randomly-generated ones, and so it does feel like a step backward to have only one type inPersona 4. However, since it is an older game in the series, some drawbacks like this are to be expected.
While the dungeon design may feel a little outdated toPersona 5players, something that has aged tremendously isPersona 4’s combat system.Persona 4’s turn-based combat requires a lot more strategy than similar games, with players having to put thought into their actions if they want to succeed in the tougher fights. Players have to figure out the best move-types to use against each enemy so that they can knock them down, leaving them vulnerable to a second attack. They also have to decide when to spend a turn guarding to avoid taking significant damage or being knocked down themselves. But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes toPersona 4’s combat system.
What givesPersona 4’s combat real depth is the titular Personas. While it’s a far cry from something likePokemon,Persona 4 Goldenstill has a monster-catching element to it, with players sometimes receiving new Personas by defeating “shadows” in battle. These Personas can earn XP and learn new moves that may significantly change how one tackles any given battle in the game. Before too long, players will have a significant number of skills at their disposal, all of which will need to be taken into consideration when in a fight.
For some, it may actually become a little overwhelming, especially as players also have to manage multiple party members and their equipment on top of all the Personas. Luckily,Persona 4 Goldenlets players assign AI to their teammates and adjust their tactics to fit their needs. Players can always take a more hands-on approach and control every action of their teammates if they so desire, and it’s great that both the options are there.
Combat inPersona 4 Goldenis also engaging because of just how rewarding it is. Players get the usual loot that they expect from winningJRPG battleslike money and XP, but they also get the chance to participate in brief post-battle mini-games for additional bonuses. This can include things like cards that fully restore HP, XP boosts, stat increases, a map of the dungeon, and more.
Persona 4 Golden’s gameplay is great, but what makes the game truly addicting is its story.Persona 4 Goldenis set in the small town of Inaba, and it follows a group of high school students that gain the ability to travel to a different dimension through their television sets. The kids use this ability to save people from being killed by mysterious shadows, while also trying to solve the murders that have been going on around town. Despite how ridiculous the general premise is, the writing is sharp and the game is constantly introducing startling new story revelations to keep players hooked.Persona 4 Goldensuccessfully blends the page-turning suspense of a mystery novel with the quirky aesthetic of a JRPG.
Carrying this story isPersona 4’s tremendous cast of brilliantly-written characters that come across as genuine people. They don’t talk or act like generic JRPG characters; they all have their own distinct, multilayered personalities and don’t fall into any of the archetypes.Persona 4’s protagonistis really the only character that doesn’t feel quite as fleshed out or interesting, but that’s because they are a silent proxy for the player.
Persona 4’s cast and strong writing help keep the game interesting for the long haul, which is a tremendous feat considering the game can last 100 hours or more depending on how much side content players partake in. Many games struggle to justify being so long, and seem to throw tedious time-wasters at the player to artificially lengthen the experience. While it’s a slow burn, there’s really no wasted time inPersona 4 Golden, and it remains genuinely enthralling up to the end.
Persona 4 Goldenis a massive JRPG that looks better than ever on PC. Those that have already played through thePS2or PS Vita versions of the game may not find the HD visuals to be a good enough reason to double dip, but the game is highly recommended to new players. Anyone wanting morePersonaafter getting their fill ofPersona 5 Royalshould most definitely givePersona 4 Goldenon PC a try.
Persona 4 Goldenis available now for PC and PS Vita. Game Rant was provided a PC code for this review.
