Persona 4 Arena [PS3/X360/Arcade]

[TornZero]

Persona 3/FES/Portable/Manga & 4/Arena/Golden/Manga

This used to be a thread specifically for Persona 4 Arena, but the topic quickly trailed into the entirety of Persona 3 and 4 overall, so I said "screw it" and changed it. If you wanna see the original OP, I put it in a spoiler. If someone could change the actual title of this thread, please do.

Spoiler:

Yes, I did have to make this, and let me say that after going down Yukiko's "bad end" path, so to speak, I have never been more afraid of her than I was at the end.

For anyone who's gotten this game, please share your opinions. (I've heard a few already: love for Kanji's humorous story, too much text (and I have my own comment about that one), and complaints about the low amount of characters. For the 360 it's been complaints about the faulty online, but at least it's being fixed and the patch is presumably guaranteed to be localized.)

As for the comment I noted, the amount of text required feels perfectly normal for a Persona game, not to mention even an Arc System Works game. ASW has done well making fighting games that had visual novel storylines.

 

[dcjboi]

It sounds better than I thought it would be. The idea of Atlus changing the type of game it was threw me off and made me not want to buy it because I was absolutely dedicated to P4. I think I may look more into it.

 

[ZetaZaku]

Finally a fighter that got the boss right. I was tired of all those new games having OP bosses on Normal, and I don't wanna play on Easy. I always hated that, as I'm not an experienced player, and the difficulty jump from a normal opponent to boss is too high.

Haven't tried the story mode since I don't have much time ATM, but the Arcade run was fun with Chie. I was slightly disappointed with the finishers though. It too easy on normal. I ended up defeating all opponents with it. I think that Astral Finishers weren't that easy in BlazBlue, but maybe I was just bad at that game, as I only played with Bang, who's supposed to be a difficult character for beginners.

 

[machomuu]

I'm a little sad that they changed some of the VAs, the Voice Acting was one of my favorite things about P4 (it had what I think is the best voice acting I've ever seen in a game, English or otherwise), and what's more is that those same VAs will be doing voice work in Persona 4: The Golden. I don't blame the game for that, though, and the new VAs aren't bad at all. Anyway, I'm going to see if there's a demo I can try out (hopefully there is).

 

[TornZero]

It sounds better than I thought it would be. The idea of Atlus changing the type of game it was threw me off and made me not want to buy it because I was absolutely dedicated to P4. I think I may look more into it.

You'll notice that it's not just a fighting game; the visual novel style between the minute-long battles is a great sight to see, as long as you're up for seeing a lot of internal monologues (including from every character's separate points of view in concurrent plot points) instead of constant dialogue.

The fighting is also reminiscent to Arc System Work's normal style, with new mechanics developed for P4A. It's designed to be easy to get used to for even the newest gamers. (That said, like ZetaZaku, I wasn't exactly proficient with ASW's BlazBlue series, but the Lesson Mode in P4A was very useful.)

I'm a little sad that they changed some of the VAs, the Voice Acting was one of my favorite things about P4 (it had what I think is the best voice acting I've ever seen in a game, English or otherwise), and what's more is that those same VAs will be doing voice work in Persona 4: The Golden. I don't blame the game for that, though, and the new VAs aren't bad at all. Anyway, I'm going to see if there's a demo I can try out (hopefully there is).

There's no demo that I can see on the PSN, but gameplay videos should suffice. As I mentioned above, the story's told mostly in internal monologues and a few voice-acted bits like a visual novel, and there are a few cutscenes to go with it. (It's possible to skip these parts, but the fights are only about a minute long depending on the amount of rounds and your skillz.)

 

[Spinosaurus]

Don't care about stories in fighting games, but this one game is actually catching my eyes. I've been looking for a 2D fighter for a while as since SFxT's disappointment I've stopped playing Street Figheter (as much as I like 4 and 3) and only have been playing Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. I've had my eyes on King Of Fighters 13 for a while but I'm not willing to spend time it considering I'm already focusing on Tekken and Blazblu doesn't interest me. This though, seems like an easy to grasp, fun game like UMvC3 so it's perfect, at least to satisfy my wait for another Darkstalkers if I don't end up liking it as much.

So for anyone who has played it: I haven't done much research on the game as it only caught my eyes pretty recently. Is there any character in this game who's playstyle consist of space control with great zoning capabilities and is at least good in getting in your face? Kind of like Bison in Street Fighter and Dormammu in Marvel vs Capcom 3 (my mains in their respective games, actually), since that's my preferred playstyle in 2d fighters. I also like the heavy, strong characters who require patience to use effectively because of their lack of speed, like Haggar and Anakaris.
I actually use any type of character save for the jack of all trades, gimmicky and the super speedy types, but I'm just wondering since I can't say I care about the characters in this game.

Finally a fighter that got the boss right. I was tired of all those new games having OP bosses on Normal, and I don't wanna play on Easy. I always hated that, as I'm not an experienced player, and the difficulty jump from a normal opponent to boss is too high.

Huh? This generation of fighters has incredibly disappointing bosses compared to the older games. The only one I'm thinking of that could potentially be hard is Azazel in Tekken 6 but really if you got a strategy against him and know your basic (which does take a while in Tekken) he's easy.


EDIT: Oh, what is the preferred console for this game? I'm debating on which system I should get it on but I'm kind of pushing for 360 because I only have an arcade stick for it and don't like gamepads for my fighting games. (Might get a fightpad for PS3 though.)

EDIT2: Scratch my question, I did my research on characters and ended up finding the one I'm looking for pretty fast. Though one character isn't enough to get me sold on a game I'm still skeptical about so I'm checking all other characters.

EDIT3: A boxing character. Screw it I'm buying. Now to wait for September 7.
Though I'm kind of getting bored of all these in-fighter boxers in fighting games.

 

[machomuu]

EDIT3: A boxing character. Screw it I'm buying. Now to wait for September 7.
Though I'm kind of getting bored of all these in-fighter boxers in fighting games.

Well they've gotta have some variety, right? And in his case, Akihiko was into Boxing in Persona 3 for various reasons (he even fought with a Boxing Fighting Style), so it'd be pretty out-of-character if they changed him.

 

[Spinosaurus]

Well they've gotta have some variety, right? And in his case, Akihiko was into Boxing in Persona 3 for various reasons (he even fought with a Boxing Fighting Style), so it'd be pretty out-of-character if they changed him.

Well I know nothing about Persona and this may very well will be my first game in the whole Shin Megami Tensei series, but I'm not getting it as a Persona game but rather a fun 2D fighter.
I'm very well aware he's purely an in-fighter though, but my remark wasn't exactly towards him but rather the fact other boxing styles haven't got exposure in fighting game. It's nothing more than just me who would love to see an out-fighter/classic boxer or a counter fighter in a fighting game, being someone who enjoys the sport. But honestly I don't mind more in-fighters.

Anyway, I'm loving what I'm seeing of Naoto, and I love the way she can control both ground and aerial space in battle, but I figured out that her defensive options are pretty bad (traps disappear when hit? ugh..) and her low health isn't helping. I should've specifically mentioned that I liked DEFENSIVE zoners and space controllers rather than offensive ones. I'm still planning on maining her day 1, since a zoner is still a zoner but her horrible defense and health is kind of turning me off on her. At least her pokes seem to be pretty good.

I'm liking Akihiko the more I see of him. But I like all boxer characters anyway.


Honestly right now I'm looking for a third character, since this game seems to be one that I could actually have three mains without much trouble. More character, more fun I say! I'm thinking of Labrys right now since I love me some heavy hitters.

 

[TornZero]

If you want to skip the story, you can go into the options and turn on Unread Text Skip. Then you can just hold R2 (I recommend getting it for the PS3) and go straight to the choices and fighting in Story Mode. (That said, I really recommend going through the different storylines; each one's just so different [though mostly hilarious] and you get a good feel for the characters, even if you've never even heard of the Persona series before.)

You'll probably enjoy playing as both Labrys and Shadow Labrys. Great range with the giant axe (which is called a labrys |D ) and a decent variety of attacks when you use their Personas. Also, if you like Naoto, then you'll likely feel right at home with Aigis. (You may very well hate Elizabeth, though, considering she's a jack-of-all-trades/mercilessly-innocent kind of fighter.)

 

[Spinosaurus]

If you want to skip the story, you can go into the options and turn on Unread Text Skip. Then you can just hold R2 (I recommend getting it for the PS3) and go straight to the choices and fighting in Story Mode. (That said, I really recommend going through the different storylines; each one's just so different [though mostly hilarious] and you get a good feel for the characters, even if you've never even heard of the Persona series before.)

I probably won't skip the story, even if I don't understand what's going on for the most part. Though the more I see of this game, the more interested in the characters I get so I'm thinking of getting a general idea of Persona 4 before playing. (And 3, maybe.) Is the anime a good adaption or do I need to play Persona 4 to know what's going on?

And yeah I'm dead set on the PS3 version, since apparently it's the definitive version and I honestly want to try fightpads instead of just using an arcade stick all the time for my fighting games.

You'll probably enjoy playing as both Labrys and Shadow Labrys. Great range with the giant axe (which is called a labrys |D ) and a decent variety of attacks when you use their Personas. Also, if you like Naoto, then you'll likely feel right at home with Aigis. (You may very well hate Elizabeth, though, considering she's a jack-of-all-trades/mercilessly-innocent kind of fighter.)

Thanks for the suggestions! Labrys definitely, but not Shadow Labrys. Because from this...

You might not like Shadow Labrys if.....

• You have no interest in using one of the more complex characters in the game
• You're not okay with having low-damage output outside of awakening
• You don't like keeping track of two characters(examples - Carl Clover / Liesollotte)

...I probably won't like her, since I'm not interested in a mix-up heavy character with low-damage output at the moment. But I'll definitely give her a try, because who knows, I loved Strider in UMvC3 and she kind of reminds me of him.

I don't know about Aigis. She seems to be one of the hardest characters to pick up, and as much as her playstyle is appealing to me, I HATE stance characters. (Should have mentioned that.) Plus, her character in general is something I really don't like. Naoto is a detective so that was a plus for me, and the more I see of her the more I'm liking her. Apparently she can switch from playing a keepaway game to rushdown and vice versa, which is AMAZING for me. I love characters who can do that. (Dormammu for instance.)

About Elizabeth. From what I read about her, she actually seems like a character I'd like. Long range zoner, close range grappler? Sounds pretty fun, and I like annoying characters. (<333333 Guile and Firebrand.) Definitely gonna give her a try, but her character isn't too appealing sadly.

I'm dead set on maining Naoto and Akihiko, but finding a third character is harder than I thought haha. Probably should wait until I get the game before deciding.

 

[TornZero]

The anime adaptation is pretty good, honestly, but it's nothing compared to the experience of the game. That said, if getting the game is an option (be it the original PS2 version or even the soon-to-be-localized Vita remake), do so, but there's no reason not to check out the anime adaptation.
Since Persona 3 characters are featured as well (namely Aigis, Akihiko, Mitsuru and Elizabeth), I also recommend getting Persona 3 FES from the PlayStation 2 Classics on the PSN ($10, which is honestly a serious bargain since a physical copy of Persona 4, new or used, STILL goes for $40, and Persona 3 Portable is $20 on the digital store right now).

As for Shadow Labrys, most of the damage comes from simultaneous attacks in her strategy (and Asterios can act as a defense, too). It's not difficult to manage both her and Asterios at once knowing their attacks can be synchronized well. If you don't end up using Personas much (as in relying on regular attacks), the experience is really not much different from using the real Labrys.

I can't say much more about Elizabeth, though, since I don't have as much experience with her as my own character (as I'm not a Persona-centric player; she doesn't fit me too well), but I can guarantee Thanatos will dish out serious damage.

 

[Spinosaurus]

New avatar shows that I am officially hyped for this game.

The anime adaptation is pretty good, honestly, but it's nothing compared to the experience of the game. That said, if getting the game is an option (be it the original PS2 version or even the soon-to-be-localized Vita remake), do so, but there's no reason not to check out the anime adaptation.
Since Persona 3 characters are featured as well (namely Aigis, Akihiko, Mitsuru and Elizabeth), I also recommend getting Persona 3 FES from the PlayStation 2 Classics on the PSN ($10, which is honestly a serious bargain since a physical copy of Persona 4, new or used, STILL goes for $40, and Persona 3 Portable is $20 on the digital store right now).

Yeah, I'll watch the anime. I don't have a vita and I'm not interested in it, and I'm leaving my PS2 to collect dust until I feel I have a very good reason to boot it up again. I'm not really a fan of JRPGs, but I'll give Persona 3 a look. Is it a long game like most JRPGs or actually not too time consuming?

As for Shadow Labrys, most of the damage comes from simultaneous attacks in her strategy (and Asterios can act as a defense, too). It's not difficult to manage both her and Asterios at once knowing their attacks can be synchronized well. If you don't end up using Personas much (as in relying on regular attacks), the experience is really not much different from using the real Labrys.

I can't say much more about Elizabeth, though, since I don't have as much experience with her as my own character (as I'm not a Persona-centric player; she doesn't fit me too well), but I can guarantee Thanatos will dish out serious damage.

It's not that playing technically two character at the same time is the problem, but more of my lack of interest in using a mix-up heavy but low damage output character at the moment. I actually like playing two characters simultaneously if it's executed right, but S.Lab just doesn't interests me much. I'll still try her just for the sake of it.

Regarding Personas, I don't really have a real opinion towards them, and will reserve judgment until I try the game out. If I see myself liking them I might end up using Elizabeth a lot, but it'll depend entirely on my experience with them.

 

[TornZero]

Yeah, I'll watch the anime. I don't have a vita and I'm not interested in it, and I'm leaving my PS2 to collect dust until I feel I have a very good reason to boot it up again. I'm not really a fan of JRPGs, but I'll give Persona 3 a look. Is it a long game like most JRPGs or actually not too time consuming?

It is a long game, I'll say that, but it's extremely easy to drop out and back in. It has a turn-based battle system, so you can literally just leave the game alone for hours on end in the middle of a long battle (or just open the pause menu while exploring Tartarus or anywhere, really, you can even stop while the characters are talking!), then come back in and pick the controller up like you never left. (I've actually done this myself a few times.) The only things you can't drop out of are the cutscenes, and those you can just skip through with the Start button to save time.

 

[Spinosaurus]

It is a long game, I'll say that, but it's extremely easy to drop out and back in. It has a turn-based battle system, so you can literally just leave the game alone for hours on end in the middle of a long battle (or just open the pause menu while exploring Tartarus or anywhere, really, you can even stop while the characters are talking!), then come back in and pick the controller up like you never left. (I've actually done this myself a few times.) The only things you can't drop out of are the cutscenes, and those you can just skip through with the Start button to save time.

I went ahead and ordered Persona 4 online, new and sealed, for a pretty good price. (around $15.) Decided to bring my PS2 with me to Ireland and buy a new memory card and controller since the ones I have are busted I think. Should find it at home in Ireland.
I'm afraid watching the anime first wasn't a good idea since I probably spoiled (I guess you could say that...?) myself most of the game, but I sure hope not. If I end up liking the game I'll definitely buy Persona 3 FES on PSN.

On Persona 4: Arena related things...

THAT DAMAGE! I also think it's pretty cool she has a Hazama alt color.

 

[machomuu]

^Persona 4 is probably my favorite RPG (maybe even my favorite game), so I can definitely say that you made a great purchase. Granted, you definitely shouldn't go into the game with expectations, it will ruin the game for you. Even still, despite the fact that you already watched the anime, there is still a crapload of content (about 80 hours worth) that wasn't in the anime, and because of the differences that exist between the game and the anime, you'll still have a lot of fun with the game. Can't wait for Persona 4: The Golden, it gives me a good excuse to play the game again.

Also, whatever you do, don't watch the P4 movie. If you want to savor the experience, you'll refrain from watching or reading about it and just play the game. Trust me, you'll be happier that way.

 

[Spinosaurus]

P4A European date possibly delayed to end of October, but no confirmation yet.

If true,

On the plus side, at least I'll have plenty of time to beat Persona 4 before trying the game out.

Also I saw this somewhere...

Spoiler:

This is a work of beauty. Depending on my experience with the fightpad, I might get it if the price is right, since I'm planning on moving to the PS3 for my fighting games.

^Persona 4 is probably my favorite RPG (maybe even my favorite game), so I can definitely say that you made a great purchase. Granted, you definitely shouldn't go into the game with expectations, it will ruin the game for you. Even still, despite the fact that you already watched the anime, there is still a crapload of content (about 80 hours worth) that wasn't in the anime, and because of the differences that exist between the game and the anime, you'll still have a lot of fun with the game. Can't wait for Persona 4: The Golden, it gives me a good excuse to play the game again.

Also, whatever you do, don't watch the P4 movie. If you want to savor the experience, you'll refrain from watching or reading about it and just play the game. Trust me, you'll be happier that way.

Don't have any big expectations, but 80 hours...? Damn. At least the only thing that could distract me from my free time this year is boxing.

 

[TornZero]

The 80 hours is arguable (as I managed only 40 hours for the True Ending on Normal), but should you decide to pursue maxing out Social Links, taking out the Reaper, and beating the mega-powerful optional boss (as in more powerful and annoying than the True Ending boss [although not QUITE as annoying as P3's optional boss]), not to mention going through New Game+ for some extra fun (being what brought me over 100 hours of enjoyment to date, though I haven't booted up my PS2 in a while), you can very easily stretch it out.

Anyways, back on P4A: first, you should take a look at Elizabeth's Instant Kill. Second, that fightpad is a wonder to see. Sadly, it may never make it out of Japan without importing. I really hope to see that kind of thing stateside instead of just the very limited Persona 4 Golden pre-order bonus. (It's a very smexy Vita skin with accompanying wallpapers.)

[Off-topic about the topic now, should I just change this to a P3/P4/P4A/P4G thread instead of just P4A? All of them are wholly connected anyways, even if P3 and P4 were related only loosely until P4A.]

 

[machomuu]

I don't think you need to, all of this talk of P4 will re-emerge nearing the release of P4G.

 

[TornZero]

Yeah, and with the eventual release of P4G (and the awesomeness that is brought with it, such as being able to PICK WHICH SKILLS ARE INHERITED THROUGH FUSION; raged so much whenever I ended up wasting half an hour on trying to get just a single skill combination in P3 and 4), it only gives me more reason to change the thread topic instead of having a new one made.

 

[Spinosaurus]

Looks like 2013 is actually a possibility for the EU release. But I want the game soon, even October looks like a good date. :(

Also, whenever we actually get the game, I'm gonna hold off on using Akihiko and will only use Naoto offline until I get a better idea on the mechanics. Since they're hard to use and not exactly the best out there, I want a beginner friendly who not only is easy to use, but generally has good match ups all around. I guess you could call him my main for a while, because I'm gonna be using Teddie exclusively for the first month. Depending on the situations, I might even sub him after that, since he can destroy the top tiers. I think using an easier, beginner-friendly character to start out with in fighting games is always the best thing to do.

Also, since using one character is boring, I'll actually learn and will use Kanji instead of Labrys alongside Teddie. Not only does he have the best looking Persona and the best IK (It's called "The Man Series: Brofist"...), but I'm liking what I'm seeing of him A LOT. QCF grapples are godsend.