Which Version of ‘Persona 3’ Should You Play?
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The “Persona” series has exploded in popularity over the past few years. What was originally just a spin-off of the larger “Shin Megami Tensei” franchise has now become its own series. The unique style of the modern “Persona” games blends turn-based dungeon crawling with social life simulation. “Persona 3” was the first game in the series to combine these two concepts, and it has stuck ever since.
Now, you’re probably wondering what I mean by the “different versions” in the title. “Persona 3” broke new ground for the series and the developer, ATLUS, when they decided to release different versions of the game, each with its own unique content and features. These include the original, “FES” edition, and the portable version.
The original and “P3 FES” are Playstation 2 exclusives (although “P3 FES” is available on the Playstation 3 store). “P3 Portable” is available on the PSP, the PS Vita, and modern consoles. Honestly, it isn’t too hard to obtain the means to play all of these versions, so you shouldn’t feel the need to compromise one for the other. However, these games take a very long time to complete, so it may be in your best interest to choose only one.
But which one should you choose?
“Persona 3” is the original. I can’t really say much about it since it’s the base game. All it really contains is the original story. I’ll go out of my way now to tell you that you should not choose this version. The other two have much more content for you to engage with, whereas this has the least amount. You will basically be settling for a one-story house when a two-story house for the same price is also available.
But then that begs the question: Should you play “P3 FES” or “P3 Portable?” The answer is a lot more complicated than it may seem.
“P3 FES” contains the base game of “Persona 3” but adds more Personas for you to choose from. It also enhances the visuals a bit for a smoother experience. The biggest change comes from the new epilogue that was added to this version, one which wasn’t present in the original release.
The epilogue, titled “The Answer,” takes place after the story of the base game ends. It stars Aigis, a party member from the original story. You take control of her as she uncovers mysteries not solved in the story. Did I mention that this epilogue is roughly 30 hours long? You basically gain access to an entirely new game that wasn’t present before. Additionally, this mode can be accessed from the title screen, so you can begin with it right away if you feel so inclined (though I wouldn’t recommend it).
The lore of the “Persona” series treats this version of the game as canon (the “official” version). If you want to experience the full story that this game has to offer, then “P3 FES” might be for you.
That being said, “P3 Portable” might be an even better choice depending on your preferences.
“P3 Portable” has two major changes from “P3 FES.” First, you gain the ability to control your party members and their actions. In the other versions, party members were controlled by an AI during battle. You could choose to have your party members focus on different types of attacks, but ultimately it was out of your control regarding what they did. “P3 Portable” however lets you choose the specific attacks of your teammates.
This change is needed. I don’t know what ATLUS was thinking, but uncontrollable party members were an awful idea. Half the time, your teammates choose the worst combat option as you just sit there wanting to reach through the screen and slap them. Like, it’s actually obnoxious how stupid the AI can be sometimes. This isn’t a problem in “P3 Portable” as you can decide what actions your party takes.
The other major change is the option to play as a female protagonist. You can choose your gender when starting a new game. The male route is the same as the male route in the original game, besides adding the new personas that showed up in “P3 FES.” The female route makes changes to the original, however. There are new people to meet, new events to experience, and new changes from the male’s story.
I absolutely love the new route you can take in this game. It provides a way to experience the story, with twists and turns that differ from the original. It’s great for replaying the game after beating it once. While the epilogue from “P3 FES” isn’t present, the female route makes up for it.
“P3 Portable” also adds new game plus (allows you to replay a game from the beginning with aspects automatically unlocked using data from a previous save file) content that isn’t in the other two versions. It revolves around a character from “Persona 4” that returns to provide challenges for you to complete.
I should also mention that “P3 Portable” does have some changes that aren’t necessarily for the better.
Besides dungeon crawling, the game is a point-and-click. That means that cutscenes from the other two versions do not exist. You get used to it after a while, but it does feel pretty annoying to not actually see anything playing out on screen. Yes, this also means that the animated cutscenes present in prior versions are absent here. All you see is an image of the location you’re in, with points of interest to move your cursor over and click on. A text box appears, sometimes accompanied by an image of a character if they have importance to what’s happening. This is the biggest thing that keeps people away from this version.
But with all that said…which version should you play?
“P3 Portable.” You should play “P3 Portable.”
Ultimately, it’s up to you. However, I believe that “P3 Portable” is the superior version. Not only does it make improvements to the gameplay, but the female route is such a nice addition. While the epilogue may not be present, it isn’t that big of a deal. You can manage to understand the overarching lore without playing it.
All in all, I can’t tell you which version to play as they all have their strengths and weaknesses. “P3 Portable” just has the least amount of weaknesses, so I’m telling you to play that one. Hopefully, we’ll someday get a remake that incorporates the best elements of all the versions so we won’t have to choose. But for now, choose “P3 Portable.” Trust me on this one.
Andrew • Jul 19, 2023 at 11:22 am
I’m sorry but fes is not good. The answer adds absolutely nothing to the story and characters besides Yukari. Not to even mention that the game has the worst MegaTen gameplay overall. Yeah the lack of cutscenes and visuals in portable are a detriment to the story but at least the game is playable during combat. You can still understand the story and themes in portable without the cutscenes. It comes down to having cutscenes or having a playable game. I want to play the game not watch my party ignore the tactics I give them. Turn based games that don’t let you control your party are poorly designed. There’s a reason why atlus ported portable and not fes because fes’s gameplay is outdated.
Sarah • Mar 27, 2023 at 8:43 am
Opposite to the other comments, I actually agree with you on your opinions here. I’ve played both FES and Persona 3 Portable and I had more fun with portable. The Answer was nice, but I think it felt tacked on at the end rather than integrated into the narrative. The female route provided just enough of a difference to allow me to replay the game without feeling entirely unfamiliar. I know there’s discourse here about the controllable party members, but it really is not that big of a deal. They can be turned off and on at will, making it more accessible than FES. Also, I’ve been reading Joel’s articles for a few months now. He writes his gaming articles in such a way that experienced gamers can deeply understand him while simultaneously those without much gaming knowledge can grasp onto his thoughts. Portable is absolutely the game to pick when you’re a casual gamer. If you liked it, then maybe consider spending time with fes.
Brandon • Mar 26, 2023 at 7:58 pm
Yeah imma have to disagree. The whole point and impact of the game is taken away because of not having certain cutscenes. The epilogue missing in my opinion is not made up with FeMC with the basic fact being, one piece of content is canon and the other is not. You recommended not playing the game more than you have to which is exactly what portable is to me. Play the same game twice with, in my opinion, very minimal changes. And the reason you can’t control the other characters was for another philosophical reason and impact. It’s meant to be annoying. The philosophy is you can tell people around you to do something but they have the free will to do what ever they want still. Though it can be very annoying it also makes winning feel more rewarding. I played Fes first and what a trip it was playing without full control, but when I played portable it got stale really fast. The amount of dopamine in my system after winning a boss fight is fes is just nuts. Like climbing a bigger mountain everytime. Those are my reasons for choosing fes.
Taso Canido • Mar 26, 2023 at 3:38 pm
I can tell you what the designers were thinking with the uncontrollable party members. “This is a game about death; specifically, about exploring what it means to come to terms with the unpleasant, but immutable fact of one’s own mortality.” Uncontrollable party members may be frustrating as a game element, but that is part of the *point.* When designing game mechanics around a themed narrative, it is essential to choose mechanics that immerse the player in the concept of that theme.
We do not always choose how we die. There are always forces at work we cannot begin to conprehend, let alone control. Yet even so, we can come out ahead. Among these forces is other people. We can prod them in directions we want, but they are not our puppets. And yes, they can get us killed, whether they intend to or not. The most we can do is plan around them, befriend them, trust them, and hope for the best. So at the end of the day, the choice to implement an unpleasant but immutable game mechanic is directly in service to a story about unpleasant and immutable fact of life we all learn to deal with. For this and other reasons, I think, thematically, P3P is the weaker game.
Shazam • Mar 24, 2023 at 2:34 pm
Won’t trust you on this. As someone who’s played both I can quite confidently say that FES is the superior product. The 3D roaming makes it the better version all on its own. The party being controllable in Portable is great and all but P3 wasn’t designed around it so the game ends up being extremely easy. FES also has “The Answer” which is a canon continuation of the base games story. Giving all that up for a female route and a badly implemented party control system is just not the way to go.
Joel Hendricks • Mar 25, 2023 at 9:25 am
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I’d argue that the controllable party members do not make the game too easy. Playing on the harder difficulties still provides a decent challenge regardless if you’re controlling your party or not. Besides, there is still the option to have party members act on their own, so anyone wishing to formulate their play style similarly to the base game would be able to do so. I also appreciate your opinions on the female route. I enjoyed my time playing and didn’t feel it was badly implemented at all. I’m happy to hear that you thought differently, as it shows how our conflicting opinions can influence which version we like better. Yes, the lack of the epilogue and the 3D roaming is upsetting, but the many quality of life improvements make up for it. I didn’t mention this in my article, but playing “Persona 3 Portable” followed by only the the epilogue in “Persona 3 FES” might be the way to go for some (since you can access the epilogue right away from the title screen). Regardless, I am thankful for your willingness to vocalize your opinion on this debate!