Persona 4? Yeah, coming this month.

Well, all you persona fans, dust off the PS2 and get your memory cards ready for the next installment in the Persona series. Oh yeah, I’m talking about Persona 4. So what can you expect this time around? Well, here it is.

Synopsis (From Dev Games)

Inaba, there have been mysterious murders occurring whenever there was fog after heavy rain. There were also rumors about a channel on television airing only at midnight called Mayonaka TV (The Midnight Channel in the English version), during which it is said that one can see his/her “other half” when staring at the TV screen. After hearing about a recent unsolved murder which occurred during the fog, the main character, Chie, and Yōsuke—discuss how each of them had attempted to watch the mysterious TV channel and witnessed the murder victim. The protagonist later realizes that during midnight when the channel is on, his body can phase into his television set as a gateway to enter another world infested with shadows.  When first completely entering the world, dazed and confused, the main character meets Teddie. Mayonaka TV and the town murders seem to have a connection. The murder victims may be merely victims of Mayonaka TV. Everyone decides that they will together try to solve the mysterious murders by exploring the hidden world of Mayonaka TV.

Translation, Please ?

All, that means is this: More Persona goodness. If you are familiar with Persona 3 (and if not, go buy Fees, shame on you. Which you don’t have to) it takes place in the same world, but fourteen months afterwords. There have been various additions made to this game as well.

Well, the first self-evident change, a bigger world. Yeah, it is bigger than Persona 3, meaning more shops, more locations, and more things for you to do. So when you are not diving into the tube, you can be fishing, working a part-time job, and so much more. Plus, the Dark Hour is gone, you can go out at night time. That is the job of the weather forecast to help pull show when misty days come, it time for another dungeon shift.

Speaking of the tube and Persona 3, you no longer have to worry about going back to the same area. Well, to access the tube, yeah probably, but when you in dungeons, the locations are scattered, so you don’t have to worry about seeing the same old layout and floors.

Now, lets talk combat. A big change to P4 is that you can control all the characters if you want to unlike the previous installment. Now, it is still game over if the Main Character falls, but if you manage the social links right, your battle party will assist you greatly, even saving the MC from a “Game Over,” hit. Also, shadows can join the battle when you are done fighting one, so be on guard. But I don’t think that will be problem, with “All-Out” and “More One” returning, taking out the shadows is too sweet. Yea h, hence the glasses, which are another addition, but I let you find out about that on your own.

Now, the soical links. What are they? Well, when you speak to specific character in the game (Non-battle party or not) you can form a social link. Hanging out with character and being there friends net you awesome rewards like making more Personas or forces of the mind to help you out. Every time you spend time with a character, the social link increases and so does the ability to make higher level persona. Igor will help you there.

Igor, yeah that old dude with pointy nose. You may know him from pervious Megatan games, and he is back once more. With a new Velet Room and new lady assiasnt, he will help you create and fuse persona based on the soical links you made. Which makes them, better. Pretty sweet, right? You, bet.

Well, persona is a great game, and there is so much to get into that, it will be shame to shortern it by this messly review. So, if you have PS2, $39.99, and free-time, pick up Persona 4. I promise you, YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY. IT COMES OUT DECEMBER 9TH. WATCH FOR IT.

PS: WHEN YOU BUY THE GAME, you get a Free Music CD inside. Pre-order it, and you a get visual art book at no extra charge. Now, that is sweet.