Summary
Persona 3 Reloadreceived wide acclaim upon its release and is commonly seen as the new definitive version ofPersona 3. This comes with one caveat, being that the game did not include an epilogue called The Answer, which was introduced inPersona 3 FES.Persona 3 Reloadwill correct this soon thanks to its upcoming DLC, Episode Aigis: The Answer, which itself seems to be hiding some great news.
Although the original version of The Answer provided a satisfying conclusion for many fans, it certainly isn’t without its faults. Remakes have the gift of hindsight, meaningPersona 3 Reloadshould avoid The Answer’s controversieswhenever possible. First and foremost,FES' version of The Answer is a linear dungeon crawl. This is a far cry from the social simulation mechanics that have become synonymous withPersona, but one obscure detail in a recent trailer may hint atPersona 3 Reload’s intention to depart from this design.
The Pros and Cons of The Answer in Persona 3
The Answer is an essential piece ofPersona 3’s story, but it’s far from sunshine and rainbows. The Answer is fondly remembered among most fans now, but its reception was a much more mixed bag at the time of its release. Adapting The Answer into a modern game such asPersona 3 Reloadpresents one challenge above all else: The Answer’s biggest problem is simply a result of its greatest strength.
The Answer was first introduced inPersona 3 FES, which was the type of expanded re-release that has become increasingly common throughout thePersonaseries. Although it was certainly satisfying on its own, the ending ofPersona 3’s original story left both its characters and players lacking some necessary closure. Thankfully, The Answer was developed in order to provide that closure. Many characters had their arcs completed, and the epilogue earned its reputation as required reading.
Although its reputation has softened significantly over time, The Answer is still remembered for the problems it raised as a consequence of its design. The Answer was designed as a linear dungeon crawl, meaning there are no opportunities for the player to go on extracurricular social outings. This is somewhat necessary thanks to thepremise of The Answer, so it was lent the benefit of the doubt. However, when these outings were replaced by frustrating boss fights and a certain degree of grinding, it left some players with a bad taste in their mouths.
There was very little expectation that Episode Aigis: The Answer would do much to overhaul the core design of the original. After all, most criticisms of The Answer’s gameplay could be resolved through simple adjustments. Meanwhile, changing its structure from the ground up would be much more demanding and unreasonable to accomplish. Despite this challenge, a recent trailer revealed that developers may intend to do the impossible after all.
Though nothing has been confirmed,Persona 3 Reload’s newest character trailer for Metissignals good news ahead. Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed what appeared to be a hang-out scene with Metis in the dorm room. This is not only a departure from the original version of The Answer, but an addition altogether. In fact, it may even indicate an effort to reintroduce additional social mechanics to The Answer.
The announcement of Episode Aigis: The Answer was undoubtedly exciting. IfPersona 3 Reloadis going to truly feel definitive, it needs to deliver on the narrative’s epilogue. The highest priority for The Answer should still be concluding the story of the original game, but gameplay will need some polishing as well if players are to have the best experience possible. While dramatic additions seemed unlikely, new information seems to be disproving this notion. Hopefully, Episode Aigis will continue to exceed expectations with future updates.
