Amazon.com Review: The Seven Sisters high school is the setting for a series of gruesome murders, and it's up Maya Amano, a cub reporter for popular teen magazine Coolest, to get to the bottom of the murders. Yes, in the spirit of Scooby-Doo and many afterschool specials, when the police fail, it's time to call in the high schoolers!
Seriously, though, Persona 2 is an interesting title. It is the sequel to a popular import with a story that is, for the most part, involving. Even in their small sprite form, the anime characters in the game are very well done and blend nicely with the gaming environments. The character movements are a bit jerky, but it's still better than most role-playing games.
Unfortunately, the game's slow-moving story line and somewhat tedious character interaction ruin the game's early momentum. Things get back on track later in the game--but obviously only for those gamers who have stayed on through the dry spots. Patient players are rewarded with 80 different persona summons, or spells, that can be unlocked throughout the game. You can also chat with the monsters, which is fun at first but grows tiresome. Also, the game's straightforward battle system lacks the strategic elements found in other games of this genre.
Perhaps Persona 2's most interesting gameplay element is the rumor system, which allows you to gossip about other characters in the game. A properly spread rumor can trigger in-game events and create whole new story arcs. This adds considerable replay value and most RPGers should appreciate this to no end. --Todd Mowatt
Pros:
Great dialogue
Eerie music sets appropriate tone for the game
Rumor system lets you affect the game's story
Cons:
Talking to enemies gets very repetitive
Too-simple combat scheme
Poor pacing in the game's middle
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Very fun and challenging...
Persona 2 is another rare collectible rpg for playstation. A deep expansive battle summoning system is the core to this game. The setting is the modern day which is a nice change from the normal villages, blacksmiths, and potions of most rpgs. Solid graphics, great storyline, and challenging enemies makes this a well put together game. I would love to see a part three but its been awhile so perhaps we are out of luck. I reccomend this game for any rpg fan cause its just plan fun and interesting and thats what rpgs are all about, right?
Rating: - A beauty of the Persona series
I played the original Persona and loved it. When I heard about a second one, I had to get it. Of course, many know there are three Persona games in the Shin Megami Tensei series:
Revelations: Persona
Persona 2 Innocent Sin (Batsu in Japan)
Persona 2 Eternal Punishment
Innocent Sin was never released here due to its very questionable content, but only those who played that one will know fully what's going on in Eternal Punishment. On the other hand, it's not difficult to comprehend what's going on in this story (but it can be if you don't pay attention to every single detail). The plus side is that if you played Revelations, then you'll get a real treat in this game. I know I did.
In any case, this Persona outclasses Revelations in quite a few things. The mighty Persona return to supply your characters with magical attacks against demons. However, they have improved on a few things. First, you don't have to have the Persona's exact level to equip it like in Revelations. You just have to be in range of the Persona's level. Second, the fusion spell system, the game's biggest battle highlight, makes combat a little less painful. By combining certain spells and elements to form powerful big magic, you can clear the screen of enemies in nothing flat. An even nicer bonus is that when you defeat monsters using fusion spells, there's a chance your Persona may mutate, giving it some kind of bonus such as two learning levels gained, a parameter boost, its hidden spell gets unlocked or the chance of turning into a completely new Persona. You can further customize Persona in the infamous Velvet Room, a place familiar to all Persona fans. You can add specific spells and even increase the parameters of a Persona upon its creation using magic cards before the process. Third, the battles are a bit more smooth flowing since range does not matter anymore. In the original, your members were limited to only certain actions depending on where they stood. Now, your party and the monsters jump all over a seemingly endless terrain. You can fight monsters with weapons or Persona, as well as negotiate with them using not only one person but as many as three people, making for entertaining compromises. Also, you can switch Persona if you're carrying extra ones without wasting turns, thereby allowing you access to several fusion spells at any given time. And even better, you can set the game to auto battle with specific orders so they can build Persona levels without you having to cycle through the commands over and over again (in the meantime, you can go read a book or get a snack).
Now on to what makes this Persona much greater in difficulty than Revelations. First, the dungeons. The many dungeons in this Persona become exceedingly huge and confusing after the first dungeon. Twists and turns galore (along with time limits in some of them and constant combat) can drive many RPG veterans crazy. Many dungeons take patience to finish, and there's even a feature where an Arab gentleman asks you to map the current dungeon on your list. If you can bearably map it all out, bring him the finished product and he'll reward you with items that can help you out in the Velvet Room. Second, many boss battles get very tough and sometimes impossible if you don't prepare properly. You need levels, lots of items, decent weapons and Persona with a variety of magic to win most of the boss battles with everyone intact. Since you have five people to prep, this gets time-consuming and expensive.
A nice side feature of this Persona is the rumor system. Spreading rumors to get certain monsters to appear, alter a dungeon's appearance or get a store to sell certain things it never did before are just some of the neat rumors you can spread. You can even make new Persona available when no other way is possible to get them.
The characters, story and music are excellent. Persona 2 stars the older characters from Innocent Sin as the heroes. Also, two of the many high school heroes from the first Persona can join your team, bringing back fond memories of that game. Many of them are actually seen and mentioned in this one, so it's a real treat for Persona fans. The story is only complex if you haven't played Batsu (which many of us haven't) but you don't need to play Batsu to comprehend it. There are lot of main points to keep an eye on, so watch for them. The music rules in every Shin Megami game. It mostly draws on the pool of techno, heavy metal and rock, mostly due to the fact that the game takes place in present day Japan, not a fantasy realm. This keeps the feeling that you're playing a "real world" game.
All and all, yet another great PS1 RPG and a reason to keep your fondness for the series strong. The game includes a very difficult extra dungeon that I myself have never finished because of the extreme length and monster madness. Don't let that stop you from trying. The end is a real surprise.
Rating: - Quite possibly, my favorite RPG.
This is truly on of the greatest RPG's on a console. It has a modern setting, dark story, and truly challenging combat. Although the 'monster collection' aspect may turn off some. The endless mazes (although automapping is some help) do make the game a little tedious, as do the endless character voicings. But the beautiful interactions between characters (even at the end, I was stumped with regards as to who would pair up), the difficult combat that really requires strategy, and the huge amount of 'essential' items to collect make this one a must have.
Rating: - Fantastic!
This game is absolutely excellent - it really leaves nothing to be desired. The story and characters are all very drawing. You will really find yourself wanting to know more about the deep history and pasts of all characters. The artwork is lovely, and the battles are truly innovative. Talk to demons and tell them to leave the battle, or give you cards to summon new personas! The only complaint I might have is that this game is very, very difficult. Right from the bginning, battles will be a challenge, but if you can get over that (gameshark), then you'll be very very satisfied with this game... a must-own piece of Japanese pop-culture phenomena.
Rating: - Wonderfully different
This game is not that hard. I guess if the only RPGs you've ever played are on the Playstation, it might seem difficult. But if I were to criticize its challenge level, I would say it's not hard enough.
There are a few quirks; if you want some of the extras, you have to walk on every step of certain dungeons. But since you can get out of random battles by talking to monsters, this is much less frustrating than in could be. This game also shows some of Japan's less savory aspects; one of the adult female characters is slightly obsessed with getting a boyfriend. But since she's a strong, foul-mouthed kickboxer, this isn't quite as irritating as it could be. And the characters are generally likeable, interesting, and believable -- and you'll learn something about modern Japan from their interactions. Plus, you can shape their growth by equipping them with a Persona that will increase a certain stat that they need help with, or that is their most important aspect.
The voice acting is very good, the graphics are nice, the monster designs are delightfully kooky, and the anime sequences are great. This is a game for teenagers and adults; not because it's especially violent or sexual, but because it's mature. It takes patience to unlock all the extras and grow your Personas, which allow you to use magic and do necessary combos with others. It also takes judgement to decide which Personas to use. Remember when all RPGs required those things? If you wish they still did, or if you're just looking for something different, try this game.
- Very fun and challenging...
