Persona 3 Reload has been out for almost two months now, and Portable for a little over a year on PC. Having two Persona 3 versions out in the market right now begs the question: Persona 3 Reload vs Persona 3 Portable, which one should you get?
What is Persona 3?
First off, let's talk about what Persona 3 is. Persona 3 is role-playing game that first came out back in 2006, and is the fourth main installment in the Persona franchise that was being developed by Atlus. It was originally a PlayStation 2 game, and arrived in North America back in 2007. Afterward, Persona 3 FES came out worldwide in 2008 for the PlayStation 2. FES was an enhanced version of the game with a playable epilogue, as well as some other changes. This was followed by Persona 3 Portable, which came out in 2010 for the PlayStation Portable. This has since then been ported to the Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Series X|S, and PC in 2023. Finally, there's Persona 3 Reload, which is a remake of the core game, and came out in 2024 on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and PC.
As Persona 3 and Persona 3 FES are no longer readily available to the public (thanks to it being a PlayStation 2 game), we will be focusing more on the two readily available games: Persona 3 Portable and Persona 3 Reload. We'll go through various aspects of the game, listing down its similarities and differences, starting with the gameplay.
Gameplay
In terms of gameplay, both Persona 3 Portable and Reload share a majority of their gameplay. Both games require the player to improve their social stats, go to Tartarus, and more. Both games involve Personas and everything that entails, from combat to fusion. If you take a look at some guides for both games, you will notice that they are telling you the same thing, even if the games are more than a decade apart.
The main difference, however, is when the player is playing the “Student Side” of the game. Reload is a third-person game, be it when the player is in Tartarus, or if they are going about their daily lives. In Portable, however, things are a little more 2D. Each location in the game has a 2D map, with the interactable objects highlighted. The player can't walk around freely, instead opting to scroll through an image of the location, with objects and people that the player can interact with.
Other than the difference in overworld exploration, both games are actually pretty similar in terms of gameplay. Now, let's move on to the story.
Story
In terms of story, both games have basically the same story. Players play as Makoto Yuki (or Mak0t0 Yuk1, or whatever you choose to name him), a transfer student to Gekkoukan High School who, during his first day, experiences the Dark Hour. He joins the fight against Shadows, and work together with other students to figure out just what the Dark Hour is, and how to stop it.
As mentioned above, the games basically have the same story. However, there is one key difference between the two. For starters, Portable allows the player to play as the Female Main Character or FeMC for short. This allows the player to experience the game in a whole different light. Playing as the FeMC changes who the player can romance, for example, as well as the identity of the game's various Social Links.
Reload, on the other hand, allows players to play The Answer. Originally added in FES, The Answer is a playable prologue that focuses on Aigis, an android that players will befriend and fight together with in the base game, as well as how the events of the base game affected all of the S.E.E.S. members.
Graphics
In terms of graphics, Persona 3 Reload and Persona 3 Portable are like night and day. Portable retains most, if not all, of the graphics design that the original PlayStation 2 game had. In short, there are fewer polygons in the 3D models, the 2D sprite art style reflects the anime art style of the 2010s and more. That doesn't mean that the graphics are bad, but they definitely did not age all that well.
Comparatively, Reload's graphics are up to par with modern game standards, and are very close to the graphics of the most recent mainline Persona game, Persona 5 Royal. The 3D models are more fleshed out, the 2D sprites of the characters are updated but still retain the features of the original, and more. It is more pleasing to the eye, and less rough around the edges.
Music and Sound Design
Persona 3 Portable and Persona 3 Reload both feature amazing music, most of which will likely give players Last Song Syndrom thanks to how much of an earworm they are. Portable's tracks were sung by Shuhei Kita, Mayumi Fujita, and Lotus Juice. Reload's, on the other hand, was sung by Azumi Takahashi and, again, Lotus Juice.
The main difference in the music between each game is that the ones in Persona 3 Reload were also remade to match the times. Players who have played both games can easily recognize the updated tracks, as they retain most of the melody, beat, and lyrics of the originals. Some players would argue that the original soundtrack is better, but personally, both of them are great.
Verdict – Should you get Persona 3 Reload or Persona 3 Portable?
To be perfectly honest, I would recommend both games. Although Persona 3 Portable is behind in terms of graphics and gameplay, the FeMC story is one that you cannot do without, thanks to its expanded story. On the other hand, Persona 3 Reload wins in terms of basically everything and even has The Answer later this year. Its only downside is that it will never have FeMC.
As such, as much as possible, try to get and play both games. If you can only afford one game at the moment, play Persona 3 Reload first, so that you can play the game in its current best form. Afterward, if you find yourself falling in love with the series, then get Persona 3 Portable to play the FeMC route. Then, once The Answer comes out, play that on Reload as well, rounding out your Persona 3 experience.
That's it for whether you should play Persona 3 Portable or Reload. Want more of the latest gaming news, updates, and video game releases? Subscribe now to the ClutchPoints Gaming Newsletter to receive your weekly dose of video game information.
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