Which Persona game should I get? (PSP)

[suttonmitchell]

I really want to start digging in to the Persona series on PSP before P4 comes out on Vita. Can I get any suggestions from you guys on which Persona you think is best and why?

I plan to buy one tonight, I am personally leaning mostly towards P3P, but I really want to check out your opinions.

[vampko]

P2 and P1 are nothing like P4 or P3

So, if you want to do it to be 'prepared' for P4G, then don't bother with P1 or P2.

Otherwise, I'd go with P1.

[suttonmitchell]

P2 and P1 are nothing like P4 or P3

So, if you want to do it to be 'prepared' for P4G, then don't bother with P1 or P2.

Otherwise, I'd go with P1.

Please elaborate vamp! I have played the PS2 version of P3, so I know what it is like. How is the original different from P3?

[vampko]

P2 and P1 are nothing like P4 or P3

So, if you want to do it to be 'prepared' for P4G, then don't bother with P1 or P2.

Otherwise, I'd go with P1.

Please elaborate vamp! I have played the PS2 version of P3, so I know what it is like. How is the original different from P3?

The first two persona games had none of the 'dating sim' elements. They were dungeon crawlers pretty much. Closer to the Megaten main series, but with more of an emphasis on befriending/negotiating with demons. They also didn't use the 'year' thing.

[Venus]

Innocent Sin. Why? Because it's the best Persona game to date.

[suttonmitchell]

Innocent Sin. Why? Because it's the best Persona game to date.

How is it the best? I want you to elaborate, that is the point of this discussion.

[Venus]

Innocent Sin. Why? Because it's the best Persona game to date.

How is it the best? I want you to elaborate, that is the point of this discussion.

1) Innocent Sin/Eternal Punishment maintain the dark atmosphere that the Shin Megami Tensei series is known for. This reminded so up until Persona 4. Something about the tone bothered me. I don't know what they were thinking using yellow and happy go lucky music. Sure the game was dark like a Megami Tensei game it just felt like a giant juxtaposition.
2) Shin Megami Tensei games are known for their music but the Persona 2 duology is just a cut above everything else. The Persona 3 soundtrack comes awfully close though.
3) Two words. Tatsuya Suou. To this day he remains my favorite Japanese RPG main character. He's quiet, strong, independent but that's not what really makes me like him it's all the shit he goes through. I can't really say without spoiling it but you actually feel sorry for him by the end of Eternal Punishment. Outside of Tatsuya, Lisa, Maya, Eikichi, and Jun I mean they actually seem like real high school teenagers just with special powers. I know this is done in Persona 3, 4 etc but I really felt a strong bond with these characters and by the end like Tatsuya you feel bad for how things turn out for them.

[Shizuka]

All of them.

[Arnold Teddie Rosario]

Persona 4 is the best if you ask me. If you got the cash you can buy a PS2 Slim and a copy of Persona 4(Equals less than $100) and get a jam out of that. Or if you have a Powerful enough computer you can emulate PCSX2 like I do and run your Persona 4 disk on your emulator via computer. Your choice, Be warned if you intend to emulate you must have a 2.6 ghz dual core processor or higher, 512 mbs of V Ram and 2 GBs of Ram or higher.

Your choice.

Or you can just wait until the P4 Golden comes out this fall.

[suttonmitchell]

All of them.

Touche! I think I might just go ahead and start with P1 and go from there!

Is there a reason why P2 is so much more expensive?

Persona 4 is the best if you ask me. If you got the cash you can buy a PS2 Slim and a copy of Persona 4(Equals less than $100) and get a jam out of that. Or if you have a Powerful enough computer you can emulate PCSX2 like I do and run your Persona 4 disk on your emulator via computer. Your choice, Be warned if you intend to emulate you must have a 2.6 ghz dual core processor or higher, 512 mbs of V Ram and 2 GBs of Ram or higher.

Your choice.

Or you can just wait until the P4 Golden comes out this fall.

I am certainly getting it in the fall.
My computer can run the emu for sure, as I can run Skyrim on Ultra High.

I did hear there is glitches in the game if you use an emulator though for P4?

[Arnold Teddie Rosario]

^ just moderate slowdowns here and there also when fighting shining enemies, otherwise it runs spot on.

[Venus]

All of them.

Touche! I think I might just go ahead and start with P1 and go from there!

Well if you want to get technical Shin Megami Tensei: If... is in many ways the first Persona game. Well it's more like Persona ZERO. But yes for the most part I agree with Shizuka you should play them all. They all take place in the same univese, there are a lot of character references, cameos, shout outs, etc.

Spoiler:

Well the universe thing is complicated because Innocent Sin takes place in a timeline that is ultimately destroyed at the end. In fact the timeline if I remember looks something like this.

Shin Megami Tensei: If...
Persona
Persona 2 Innocent Sin --> Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Persona 3
Persona 4

[lopez]

P3P all-around. Good story, cool characters and great music. The visuals are decent, but they're way better than the 2D visuals in P1 and P2.

I'd also recommend P2:IS PSP for the story. Music is a mixed bag and the characters are interesting. This is a port of a PS1 game, so don't be too shocked when you see the visuals. Gameplay is fairly boring, compared to P3 and P4.

Overall:

P3P > P2:IS P > P1P

[Hero]

Go with P3P. In terms of newer Persona games, it's arguably the best and most well rounded.

[suttonmitchell]

Go with P3P. In terms of newer Persona games, it's arguably the best and most well rounded.

Forgot to post my friends! I got P3P yesterday in the early morning before school. After I pay off a few other PS3 pre-orders, I will probably get 1 + 2. Thanks for all of your opinions, and the topic can be closed if Houk wishes it so.