Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable

Of all the times I've played through Persona 3, this latest time was the fastest. Well, there was one time that had a lower total playtime, but I skipped all the dialogue. I couldn't do that this last time as some of the dialogue had changed, as the main character was a female for the first time.

While the total playtime was about the same as my other Persona 3 play-throughs, I managed to get through the game in record time this last time. What was my trick? Having Persona 3 in my pocket. I could set the system on standby and leave it in my pocket, pulling it out whenever I had free time to get in another Tarturus floor or social link.

What I noticed is that my sessions changed to be less about getting through the game and more about exploring and enjoying the game at my own pace. Being able to play such a long game at a casual pace, and at any location, made me see one of my favorite RPGs in a while new light. 

At its core, Persona 3 Portable is the same game that we gave our Editor's Choice award to back in 2007, when it was first released for the PlayStation 2. And it borrows a bit of the gameplay improvements from the next Persona 3 release, Persona 3: FES, which we gave a perfect score to back in 2008, and even a bit from Persona 4, which we also loved.  It's clear to see that we've played this game a few times, and that we really like it.

We also really like this new one.

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