Persona 3 Portable

 Switch
Persona 3 Portable Image
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 25 Ratings

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  • Summary: The Dark Hour, time "hidden" between one day and the next. Unfamiliar stillness swallows the city, people turn into eerie coffins, and otherworldly monsters called Shadows swarm. One night, the protagonist is attacked by these Shadows and the power of the heart, their Persona, is awakened.The Dark Hour, time "hidden" between one day and the next. Unfamiliar stillness swallows the city, people turn into eerie coffins, and otherworldly monsters called Shadows swarm. One night, the protagonist is attacked by these Shadows and the power of the heart, their Persona, is awakened.

    As a member of a secret school club, you must wield your inner power--Persona--and protect humanity from impending doom. Will you live to see the light of day?    … Expand

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Persona Collection Trailer | Xbox & Betheasda Games Showcase 2022

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Hey Poor Player
    Jan 17, 2023
    100
    Carefully straddling the line between modern and classic Persona titles, Persona 3 Portable is a phenomenal title sporting an enchanting style all of its own and double the content of the original Persona 3. The argument between whether Persona 3 Portable or Persona 3 FES stands as the “ultimate Persona 3 title” is still something that goes on to this day, but Persona 3 Portable will always be the winner in my book.
  2. Nintenderos
    Jan 17, 2023
    90
    Persona 3 Portable remains the classic that reinvented the Persona franchise and with this remaster it looks better than ever. Its gameplay may not have aged very well, but its story and combat system are still outstanding. Plus, its translation into more languages such as Spanish makes it more accessible than ever to new players.
  3. Vooks
    Jan 17, 2023
    90
    Persona 3 Portable is probably the best game in the Persona series, even if it feels a little dated at times. A fantastic story told with restraint and great care, tackling some heavy themes and doing an incredible job. It’s compromised, sure, but it’s wonderful nonetheless.
  4. NintendoWorldReport
    Jan 17, 2023
    80
    Even though its sequels would largely improve on the formula, Persona 3 Portable remains an enjoyable but formidable challenge. It packs a healthy amount of content into its lengthy runtime, and if the combination of school life sim and dungeon crawler strikes you, there's little reason not to dive right in. It's worth considering that P3P does feel a fair bit darker in tone and theme, complete with characters needing to shoot themselves in the head to summon their personas. For those who first played the game on PSP or Vita, the visuals and performance have received a noticeable boost over the original version, in addition to now being able to quick save your progress at any time. The update doesn't reinvent the wheel, but added quality of life features definitely make this the ideal way to play Persona 3 Portable.
  5. Siliconera
    Jan 17, 2023
    80
    With Persona 3 Portable, we get an experimental way of handling an entry in the Persona series. It is one that can be more inclusive in some ways, while also pulling back to offer a more minimalistic approach. It might not be as robust as Persona 3 FES, but it is an important part of the series’ history and its new ports are appreciated. Especially since Persona 3 Portable runs so well on the Switch. In some ways, it isn’t the most comprehensive version of Persona 3, but it is a fantastic take on the story.
  6. COGconnected
    Jan 18, 2023
    75
    A game about depression, starring depressed characters, is an acquired taste compared to other titles in the series. At the same time, Persona 3 Portable has more bite than either of its successors. All in all, I would recommend Persona 3 Portable to anyone interested in an old and troubled classic. But Atlus, please add the animated cutscenes back for the next remake.
  7. Nintendo Life
    Jan 17, 2023
    70
    P3P remains an enjoyable JRPG, but we would say this is easily the most skippable of the mainline Persona games on Switch at present. An engrossing story and well-balanced gameplay loop easily justify a purchase, though things like Tartarus’ repetitive floors, the visual novel presentation, and the lack of FES content hold this one back from the heights its successors reached. We’d give P3P a recommendation, though only after having played both P4G and P5R, and only if you still find yourself needing more Persona in your life. This is still a great installment for Persona fans and will be best appreciated by players who have that contextual series knowledge, but its rougher edges may put others off.

See all 22 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. OnTheWall9459
    Jan 22, 2023
    9
    While the "ideal" version of P3 would be the in-game animation & cutscenes of P3 FES (along with it's epilogue, "The Answer"), combined withWhile the "ideal" version of P3 would be the in-game animation & cutscenes of P3 FES (along with it's epilogue, "The Answer"), combined with P3P's direct command of your party and an additional campaign, for now P3P is the best option for you to play P3 in terms of gameplay. Let's just hope for that official remake combining all the best parts of Persona 3 into one definitive package.… Expand
  2. KoolMB
    Jan 25, 2023
    8
    P3 is still a great game but desperately needs a remake. Please listen to the fans Sega/Atlus!!
  4. rrafemi
    Jan 26, 2023
    7
    No deja de ser un Persona. Buena historia con muy buenos combates. Pero lo veo todo demasiado desangelado y hasta repetitivo. Todo se resumeNo deja de ser un Persona. Buena historia con muy buenos combates. Pero lo veo todo demasiado desangelado y hasta repetitivo. Todo se resume en recorrer el mismo pasillo aleatorio, solo que va cambiando de color. No hay sensación de progresión.… Expand
  5. dharma
    Jan 24, 2023
    7
    I played the Persona series essentially in reverse; starting from 5 and the progressing to 4 and 3. You can see the breakthrough that AtlusI played the Persona series essentially in reverse; starting from 5 and the progressing to 4 and 3. You can see the breakthrough that Atlus has achieved in this installment. The negative point is more because of Tartarus itself, which was quite repetitive in today's standard. But the storyline and combat was first class. This is THE installment that need a big makeover to be on par with today's standards.… Expand
  6. CriticoDubioso
    Feb 2, 2023
    5
    Very lousy port based on the original PSP version of Persona 3:
    i) much worse audio quality than the original PSP version
    ii) poorly    Very lousy port based on the original PSP version of Persona 3:
    i) much worse audio quality than the original PSP version
    ii) poorly upscaled 2D images by AI which make the visual novel sections look wierd
    iii) resolution is boosted but the 3D models and corresponding texture are not updated at all, still using the model and combat animation of the PSP ones instead of the superior PS2 ones, so it's all blurry in dungeon at docked mode, and hence battles become less impressive as the camera angle in PS2 ones are closer to action with better sound effects
    iv) other changes are only quick-save function and free-to-change difficulty on the fly
    v) no 3D real-life world like PS2's Persona 3 and additional content and features from Persona 3 FES on PS2

    Based on the rumor floating around the internet, fans of Persona 3 would very likely to be milked 5 times before they can get the "definitive version" of Persona 3 updated to modern standards:

    1st release: lousy port of Persona 3 Portable

    2nd release: HD upgrade of original Persona 3 in PS2 (using Persona 5's art style)

    3rd release: HD upgrade of Persona 3 FES in PS2 (using Persona 5 Royal's art style)

    4th release: Persona 3 Portable Definitive Edition: combining features of Persona 3 Portable and Persona 3 FES (but in the art style of Persona 3 Portable, so still no 3D real-life world)

    5th release: Persona 3 Remake: combining features of Persona 3 Portable and Persona 3 FES (probably using future Persona 6's art style)

    6th release: Persona 3 Remake Encore: Persona 3 Remake with gameplay finally updated to modern standards (probably using future Persona 6 Royal's art style)

    To be honest, Persona 3 is already a pretty old-game with very slow pace in unlocking social links with both poor dungeon and story mission designs, completely dragging down the pace of game to tell a meaningful story with depth. So, a lot of time player is just skipping the calendar date to wait for something impactful to happen. Without any kind of serious overhual and HD upgrade, it really can't hold a candle against Persona 4 and 5 nowadays.

    Unfortunately, with such poor treatment of Persona 3 right now, a worthy remake of Persona 3 probably would only be released after Persona 6 Royal, in which its release date was unknown to begin with. So, it may take up to 5-6 years or even more before the definitive version of Persona 3 materializes which would then be the heart treasure in the fans' palace, withstanding the test of time.    … Expand

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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best Switch Game of 2023
4
#4 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2023

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