With Persona 3 Reload releasing to generally positive reviews in 2024, it seems likely that Persona 4 could be next on the list for a remake. Developer Atlus has confirmed nothing officially, but rumors indicate that the game, which originally released in 2008 for the PlayStation 2, could see a remake announced in the near future. While a Persona 4 remake could benefit from many of the changes featured in Persona 3 Reload, such as upgraded graphics, overhauled combat, and new stat-raising activities, it will also have the advantage of being able to add Persona 4 Golden content without having to eliminate any characters or paths.
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Persona 4: 7 Things The Remake Needs
If you’re wondering what could be improved in a Persona 4 remake, we’ve got some ideas.
Persona 3 Reload Saw Criticism For Ignoring The Female Protagonist
In the original version of Persona 3, the protagonist was male, and only female characters could be romanced. In addition, male members of the SEES team lacked Social Links, meaning the protagonist had fewer opportunities to bond with them. The Persona 3 Portable edition added an alternative route featuring a female protagonist, male romance options, and redone Social Links including both new characters and the existing male SEES members. While previous Persona games featured minor branching routes that determined which party members the player would acquire and which foes they faced, this was the most dramatic example of such branching in the series.
Persona 3 Reload opted to include only the male protagonist’s route and Social Links, and ignored Portable’s female route. It did, however, incorporate some additional content from another enhanced edition, Persona 3 FES, including the Aeon Social Link for robotic party member Aigis and the post-game DLC Episode Aigis, originally known as simply The Answer. Some fans were disappointed that the female protagonist was not included, especially as she has generally been less favored than the male; she was ignored in spin-offs like the Persona 4 Arena games, although she did appear in Persona Q2.
A Persona 4 Remake Could Likely Include Golden’s Content With Ease
Like Persona 3 before it, Persona 4 saw an Enhanced Edition in the form of Persona 4 Golden, initially released for the PlayStation Vita in 2012. Unlike Persona 3 Portable, Golden did not feature a split path, and maintained a single male protagonist. Instead, it added new events, a new dungeon to explore, and two new Social Links. One of the new Social Links, Marie, was a romanceable character and deeply tied to the game’s expanded plot. The expanded events of Golden would later see an anime adaptation and be directly referenced in spin-off titles such as Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.
While it has not been confirmed whether a remake of Persona 4 would feature Golden’s additional content, it seems highly likely. The character of Marie, the additional dungeon, and the Social Link for Tohru Adachi could be included in a potential remake without having to sacrifice any of the content of the original Persona 4, unlike Portable‘s split routes and Social Links.
Atlus has also begun to embrace Golden as the definitive version of Persona 4; it was Golden that received a port to Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles in 2023, which came after a 2020 port to PC through Steam. This makes it even more likely that Golden will be the version of the game that will be remade, should the rumors of a Persona 4 remake in fact be true. Atlus could blend Golden‘s enhanced story with Persona 3 Reload‘s updates to combat and stat-raising – particularly the Theurgy system, which gives each playable character access to unique and powerful skills – to create a new take on the fourth installment in the Persona series, perfect for the current generation of consoles.
- Released
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December 9, 2008
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ due to Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence