More Persona 3

Playing Persona 3 FES is turning out to be more fun that I thought it would be. My bad encounter with Persona 2 left me with a bad impression of the series. Persona 2 was the kind of non-scary scariness that just makes be want to find something else to do. I'll admit that Persona 3 relies on darkness and pools of blood too much, but at least the entire world isn't grey (unlike Persona 2).

But enough about what Persoan 3 isn't; let me mention what it is. Specifically, Persona 3 is fun combat. It's very refreshing to have a combat system that rewards you for finding new attacks and matching your attacks to your enemy. You're given a party to quest with. However, while you have a party, you don't directly control the actions of the other party members, you just set their general tactics (e.g. heal, attack, wait). And you have complete control over what members are in or out of your party.

In combat, well chosen attacks are rewarded with another turn. Your Personas have different abilities, and each turn you are allowed to attack with two Personas. It's confusing to explain, but it's not confusing when you play; it just makes a lot of sense and they guide you through the process.

Another aspect I'm liking is social links. You can fuse personas to create new ones; and each persona has a particular type called an arcana. You can form social links with others in the game, party members and NPCs alike, that will strengthen your ability to create personas of a certain arcana.

It all sounds like gibberish, but what it amounts to is this: you are rewarded in combat by the friends and relationships you make outside of combat. Befriending, impressing, hanging out with, and dating people in the game world will strengthen your level and enhance your ability to make new, more powerful Personas.

I'm loving it, and I can't stand to sit here and write about it anymore. I must play!