Which one to start with
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Marc
"Marc's the sugar daddy of gaming" - Artisan 2020
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Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 on the PSP if you want to get into Persona.
I started with Shin Megami Tensei IV on the 3DS but that's not the best game to get into the games. The graphics are great, the gameplay is fun and it's packed with content to keep you occupied for hours. Some of the characters are boring compared to the characters from Devil Survivor Overclocked but the different choices you can make and replay value are there though.
Devil Survivor Overclocked is an excellent game to start with even though it's a spin-off. The characters are interesting and I enjoyed it more than Shin Megami Tensei IV. I just wished that it had as many demons/angels as in Shin Megami Tensei IV =/
Shin Megami Tensei IV - http://3dspedia.com/shin-megami-tensei-iv-review/
Pros :
- Days of gameplay and lots of content.
- Challenging gameplay. Minotaur made people rage quit.
- Lots of demons (you can talk to them during battle, recruit them, etc).
- Reply value. Four different endings. I tried to be evil during my first playthrough to get the chaos ending >.>
- Lots of items and weapons.
- Third-person view when not in the overworld (most areas are beautiful) :
Cons :
- Storyline doesn't really pull you in. It's just accept it and play.
Devil Survivor Overclocked - http://3dspedia.com/shin-megami-tensei-devil-survivor-overclocked-review/
Pros :
- Challenging gameplay. The snowman was tough but not as tough as Minotaur from SMT4.
- Good storyline. The characters are interesting and funny.
- Reply value. You have three different paths to choose from at a certain point in the game.
Cons :
- Lack of icons to represent demons.
- Text is difficult to read (I'm talking about HP and stuff like that) when you begin to play.
You don't need to play a Persona or SMT game to jump into Persona Q btw,
I started with Shin Megami Tensei IV on the 3DS but that's not the best game to get into the games. The graphics are great, the gameplay is fun and it's packed with content to keep you occupied for hours. Some of the characters are boring compared to the characters from Devil Survivor Overclocked but the different choices you can make and replay value are there though.
Devil Survivor Overclocked is an excellent game to start with even though it's a spin-off. The characters are interesting and I enjoyed it more than Shin Megami Tensei IV. I just wished that it had as many demons/angels as in Shin Megami Tensei IV =/
Shin Megami Tensei IV - http://3dspedia.com/shin-megami-tensei-iv-review/
Pros :
- Days of gameplay and lots of content.
- Challenging gameplay. Minotaur made people rage quit.
- Lots of demons (you can talk to them during battle, recruit them, etc).
- Reply value. Four different endings. I tried to be evil during my first playthrough to get the chaos ending >.>
- Lots of items and weapons.
- Third-person view when not in the overworld (most areas are beautiful) :
Cons :
- Storyline doesn't really pull you in. It's just accept it and play.
Devil Survivor Overclocked - http://3dspedia.com/shin-megami-tensei-devil-survivor-overclocked-review/
Pros :
- Challenging gameplay. The snowman was tough but not as tough as Minotaur from SMT4.
- Good storyline. The characters are interesting and funny.
- Reply value. You have three different paths to choose from at a certain point in the game.
Cons :
- Lack of icons to represent demons.
- Text is difficult to read (I'm talking about HP and stuff like that) when you begin to play.
You don't need to play a Persona or SMT game to jump into Persona Q btw,
dwikrid
Noblesse Oblige
Towns Folk
1. Shin Megami Tensei IV. It has Mature rating so you wouldn't probably like it. DS Overclocked is more suitable with teenagers, though having some dark theme as well.
2. Persona 3 Portable. The key of daily life/dating sim, if you are into stuff like this. The other else are fine, also bittersweet story.
3. Persona 2: Innocent Sin. If you want to taste old Persona series in remake mode. Also Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. Different system compared to newer Persona, no daily life/dating sim. Darkest Persona title.
2. Persona 3 Portable. The key of daily life/dating sim, if you are into stuff like this. The other else are fine, also bittersweet story.
3. Persona 2: Innocent Sin. If you want to taste old Persona series in remake mode. Also Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. Different system compared to newer Persona, no daily life/dating sim. Darkest Persona title.
2
2205
Still annoyed...
Towns Folk
Thanks Marc!
@dwikrid "1. Shin Megami Tensei IV. It has Mature rating so you wouldn't probably like it. DS Overclocked is more suitable with teenagers, though having some dark theme as well."
Can I have an explanation as to why I wouldn't like it and teenager stuff?
@dwikrid "1. Shin Megami Tensei IV. It has Mature rating so you wouldn't probably like it. DS Overclocked is more suitable with teenagers, though having some dark theme as well."
Can I have an explanation as to why I wouldn't like it and teenager stuff?
dwikrid
Noblesse Oblige
Towns Folk
@SunnyWindy SMT series is well-known for religious/moral choice as its central theme, so it is not accessible to everyone. Some people would get insulted (I hope it's not you) since their religion is discussed in the game (like when you joined power with evil against God, it's shown explicitly).
SMT series is heavily about Christianity/Judaism, while its spin-offs, takes other mythologies as well. Some Persona titles are about Greek and Japanese mythology, while Digital Devil Saga discusses about Hinduism.
I would say that Devil Survivor series is between SMT and Persona. Persona is absolutely "light" and SMT is "dark", while DS is in "grey area". It's more focused about character development, just like in Persona (versus idealism in SMT), a central theme suitable for teenagers (and most people).
SMT series is heavily about Christianity/Judaism, while its spin-offs, takes other mythologies as well. Some Persona titles are about Greek and Japanese mythology, while Digital Devil Saga discusses about Hinduism.
I would say that Devil Survivor series is between SMT and Persona. Persona is absolutely "light" and SMT is "dark", while DS is in "grey area". It's more focused about character development, just like in Persona (versus idealism in SMT), a central theme suitable for teenagers (and most people).
2
2205
Still annoyed...
Towns Folk
Ha now it makes sense. I thought you assumed I wouldn't like deeper/darker/heavier games.
Thanks for the precision, I don't really mind this and I've never been offended by religion, as long as no one impose me one, but discussing about it is interesting and I don't mind many points of view, even from video games. Thanks for placing them on a dark/grey/light scale, it might help me as well!
Thanks for the precision, I don't really mind this and I've never been offended by religion, as long as no one impose me one, but discussing about it is interesting and I don't mind many points of view, even from video games. Thanks for placing them on a dark/grey/light scale, it might help me as well!
Ashkil
Space Cowboy
Towns Folk
Persona 3 Portable is really excellent, and will last you 100+ hours easy. It has a great story, excellent music, good gameplay and some of the most real characters I've ever seen. The portable version is even better because it lets you play both as a female and male main character, making for great replay value. If you want a good RPG with excellent characters and a semi-social simulator, I couldn't recommend it more. Plus playing it will really help if you ever plan on buying Persona Q, as you would be familiar with the characters
Fyzzu
go away
Towns Folk
A bit late, buuuut: the Persona 3 games are definitely the best ones to start with. If you've got a PS2 (unmentioned, I know) then I'd say Persona 3 FES is the best of the lot, but P3PSP lets you play as a female protagonist, which heavily changes a lot of the events, conversations, and even character interpretations. I'd almost say it's worth playing P3PSP as a female and then going and playing Persona 3 FES anyway, as they both offer a few unique twists on the same base game.
But yeah, the Persona sub-series (from Persona 3 onwards) manages to combine the mythology and dungeon-crawling of the main series with really strong characters, good plots, and a superb social simulator aspect that really does have an impact on play... while still being brutally hard. It's a good introduction to the general themes and mechanics of the series, while simultaneously being one of my favourite games of all time. Just be prepared for a bit of frustration!
If you enjoy that, then you can move onto one of the others without too much hassle. There's Devil Survivor if you fancy a more tactical Fire Emblem approach, and Strange Journey or Shin Megami Tensei IV if you want to delve into the more unforgiving main series. The main series is a lot less focused on characters/story and a lot more focused on dungeon crawls, which is worth bearing in mind.
But yeah, the Persona sub-series (from Persona 3 onwards) manages to combine the mythology and dungeon-crawling of the main series with really strong characters, good plots, and a superb social simulator aspect that really does have an impact on play... while still being brutally hard. It's a good introduction to the general themes and mechanics of the series, while simultaneously being one of my favourite games of all time. Just be prepared for a bit of frustration!
If you enjoy that, then you can move onto one of the others without too much hassle. There's Devil Survivor if you fancy a more tactical Fire Emblem approach, and Strange Journey or Shin Megami Tensei IV if you want to delve into the more unforgiving main series. The main series is a lot less focused on characters/story and a lot more focused on dungeon crawls, which is worth bearing in mind.
Major
Nintendo 3DS Legend
Towns Folk
It really depends . If you don't mind some old games Persona 2 innocent sin and eternal punishment has a psp port . For SMT I recommend SMT 4. They're really good games and personally i'd recommend all the games cause they're all just awesome but to start with I'd say those 3 are good. I think you'd find them rather enjoyable. The 1st two have a bit older style to them but even now they hold up pretty well. It's because of Persona 2 that I got into the Persona / SMT games.
A
Arkthelad
The Gaming Piano Man
Towns Folk
I think Devil Survivor is an excellent starting point, especially if you're used to strategy RPGs like Fire Emblem. It's also one of my favorite SMT games (including all spin-offs).
By the way, the religious aspect of the series (which is present in Devil Survivor) is, in my opinion, interesting because it's not exactly the religion per-se, and doesn't talk about going to church or having faith or things like that. Instead, it uses characters from Judeo-Christian beliefs (God, Lucifer, the archangels, etc.) and creates stories that require you to evaluate your own beliefs on law and chaos (and it's never truly good vs. evil. In fact, sometimes both Law and Chaos are depicted as evil). At least, that's how I see it.
Sorry to veer a bit off-topic, if you have a PS2, make sure to get SMT III: Nocturne (the Western releases don't have the "III" in the title) when you're ready. It is a veeeeery hard starting point, but an excellent game.
By the way, the religious aspect of the series (which is present in Devil Survivor) is, in my opinion, interesting because it's not exactly the religion per-se, and doesn't talk about going to church or having faith or things like that. Instead, it uses characters from Judeo-Christian beliefs (God, Lucifer, the archangels, etc.) and creates stories that require you to evaluate your own beliefs on law and chaos (and it's never truly good vs. evil. In fact, sometimes both Law and Chaos are depicted as evil). At least, that's how I see it.
Sorry to veer a bit off-topic, if you have a PS2, make sure to get SMT III: Nocturne (the Western releases don't have the "III" in the title) when you're ready. It is a veeeeery hard starting point, but an excellent game.
2
2071
Hallelujah
Towns Folk
So instead of making another thread , I found this one 
but I still only have a 3ds so only a few choices . I think these options would be great . Nice information about the games in this thread too 