Summary
In the wake ofPersona 3 Reload’s recent success, rumors are circulating thatRevelations: Personaand the twoPersona 2games are next on the slate for the Atlus remake treatment. While this news has fans excited, it’s also clear that remakes of the first three games will set some precedents going forward.Persona 1and2are entirely different beasts from the more recentPersonatitles, and Atlus is going to have to make some tough decisions about how faithful any potential remakes will be to the original games.
First released in 1996,Revelations: Personawas the first inAtlus’ wildly successfulPersonaseries—a spin-off of theMegami Tenseigames, a series of philosophically minded dungeon-crawlers that began in 1987 withDigital Devil Story: Megami Tenseion the Nintendo Famicom. Setting itself apart with well drawn characters, intricate storytelling, and exceptional music,Revelations: Personawas an instant hit and remained the best-selling entry in the franchise until the release ofPersona 5in 2016.
Persona 2was originally released as two separate games:Persona 2: Innocent Sinin 1999, andPersona 2: Eternal Punishmentin 2000. WithEternal Punishmentbeing a direct sequel to the narrative ofInnocent Sin, it seems likely that any future remake will see Atlus combining the two games into a single experience.
Revelations: Persona is Unlike any Other Game in the Franchise
Revelations: Personais in many ways much closer totheMegami Tenseigamesthe series span-off from than what thePersonaseries would eventually become. With first-person grid-based dungeons, top-down isometric exploration between dungeons, and an arcane set of mechanics governing magic and experience, a lot ofRevelations: Persona’s identity rests on the very quirks a modern remake might look to ‘fix’.
Most noticeably,Revelations: Persona’s approach to side-content and alternative questlines can sometimes feel more likeDark Souls' abstract quest progressionthan anything players may have encountered in the recentPersonagames—the notorious Snow Queen Quest is so obscure that it has split the fanbase ever since its discovery. It seems a no-brainer to remake the firstPersonagame and fix issues like this—streamlining everything that’s weird, clunky and confusing by modern standards. But a remake that’s too polished and too coherent risks taking away everything that makesRevelations: Personasuch a unique entry in the franchise.
Persona 2 Is a Perfect Candidate For Remake Treatment
If the firstPersonagame’s odd late-90s identity andMegami Tenseiholdovers make remaking it a tricky proposition,Persona 2is the opposite. WhileRevelations: Personais littered with strange idiosyncrasies, its two sequels have often been criticised for instead being too generic. A transitional phase between theMegami Tenseigames and modernPersona,Persona 2plays it safe, withstandard Playstation 1 JRPG mechanicsdoing little to set it apart from its contemporaries.
A remake of bothEternal PunishmentandInnocent Sin—potentially combining both games into one package—has the chance to remix and reworkPersona 2into something thoroughly modern, allowing the games' well-written stories and interesting characters to finally shine against a backdrop of interesting, challenging, polished gameplay. Rather than just giving the game a new coat of paint, aPersona 2remake could be closer tothe recentFinal Fantasy 7reboots, using the plot beats of the original game as a way to evolve and develop the franchise. WithPersona 2’s heavier emphasis on daytime character interactions, a remake could easily introduce the Social Links mechanic that has become core to the more recentPersonagames.
Atlus Could Learn From Persona’s PSP remakes
If the rumors of upcoming remakes are to be believed, this won’t be Atlus’ first return toRevelations: Personaandthe twoPersona 2games. Released in 2009, 2011 and 2012, the now beloved PSP ports of the first threePersonagames avoided making radical changes to the PS1 originals, focusing instead on higher resolution visuals, a more accurate translation of the original script, and upping the difficulty and complexity of combat.
Still, despite being embraced by fans, the PSPPersonareleases weren’t without controversy. The games’ soundtracks had been changed to be more in line with themusic present inPersona 3andPersona 4. While the music itself was well received, many fans were disappointed thatRevelations: Persona’s strange atmospheric soundtrack had been replaced with a series of jazzier J-rock compositions.
Atlus Has Built Up a Lot of Goodwill With its Recent Persona Games
At this point, it’s impossible to know whether Atlus hopes to use its remakes to bring the first handful ofPersonagames in-line withmodernPersona’s stylistic and gameplay sensibilities, or whether the iconic developer will instead attempt to retain the peculiar magic of its earlyPersonatitles, warts and all. Regardless, the last fewPersonaremakes have built up enough goodwill that it’s exciting to hear the mere prospect of modern remakes forPersona’s peculiar origins.
Persona 3 Reload
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into the shoes of a transfer student thrust into an unexpected fate when entering the hour “hidden” between one day and the next. Awaken an incredible power and chase the mysteries of the Dark Hour, fight for your friends, and leave a mark on their memories forever.Persona 3 Reload is a captivating reimagining of the genre-defining RPG, reborn for the modern era.Experience the pivotal game of the Persona series faithfully remade with cutting-edge graphics, modernized quality-of-life features, and signature stylish UI. Fully immerse yourself in an emotional, gripping journey with new scenes, character interactions, and additional voiceover. Choose how to meaningfully spend each day through various activities from exploring the Port Island to forging genuine bonds with beloved characters. Build and command your optimal team to take down otherworldly Shadows and climb closer to the truth.
