SPRING'S END - A PERSONA 3 SHRINE/FAN PAGE
What IS Persona 3? Why make a page dedicated to it?
Persona 3 is a JRPG in the Persona series published by ATLUS for the PS2 in 2006 initially, followed by two different updated versions (FES, still for the PS2, and Portable for the PSP), the latter of which would eventually get a port to more modern consoles like the Switch in early 2023. Gameplay-wise, it introduced a number of the series' staple mechanics which were not present in any previous Persona games such as Social Links (and therefore social stats as well), the entire daily/school life mechanic, having a wider range of party members to choose from when exploring, and the modified press-turn system from other Shin Megami Tensei games. Of course, as this was a major change to the look and gameplay of the series, many aspects of these mechanics ended up feeling clunky or frustrating to deal with in the original Persona 3, hence the multiple updated/improved versions in FES (featuring some changes and a new post-game called "The Answer") and Portable (featuring most quality of life changes from Persona 4, such as the ability to directly command your teammates, as well as a female protagonist option with different social links). It also received a manga adaptation and four movies, each one uniquely portraying the main parts of the game's story. I myself played the Portable version at the end of 2020 on my PS Vita, shortly after finishing Persona 4 Golden, and it immediately surpassed the latter in terms of story and characters for me.
As for why I adore this game so much, well, there are many reasons! But for now, let's get to explaining the characters and story - I will leave my personal ramblings until later.
Of course, this page will inevitably contain SOME spoilers, although I will not try to spoil every single plot point, there are some that may come up regardless due to the nature of this being a fan page about the whole game. Read ahead with caution!
CHARACTERS
THE PROTAGONIST: MAKOTO YUKI
Makoto Yuki, or whatever else you name him, is the protagonist and player character of most versions of Persona 3. He is a mostly silent character for the player to project onto so they can experience the game through his eyes, however other versions of the story such as the movies and the manga tend to give him a bit more personality, portraying him as a quiet yet competent leader, who helps where he can but generally keeps his distance. Aged around 17, he moves to the fictional location of Tatsumi Port Island and is set to attend the local school (Gekkoukan High) as a transfer student in 11th grade. Having lost his parents in a tragic car accident 10 years prior to the events of the game, he moves into the school's dorm to live with a small but growing group of students he soon finds out are part of a "club" called S.E.E.S. - the "Specialised Extracurricular Execution Squad". Naturally, after awakening to his Persona one troubled night, he joins said group and is invited to become their unofficial leader.
THE OTHER PROTAGONIST: KOTONE SHIOMI
Kotone Shiomi, or whatever else you name her, is currently only able to be chosen as the player character in Persona 3 Portable. Unsurprisingly, her backstory is pretty much an exact mirror of Makoto Yuki's. The will to portray both playable protagonists as existing in the same timeline/"canon" of the game has led many fans to consider them siblings or twins to resolve the contradictions or confusion that would otherwise arise from this situation, although no direct relation between the timelines of either has been confirmed in the game itself. The main differences Kotone's perspective provides are the social links, as she can actually befriend her entire team (wow!) and learn more about the male teammates in particular than playing as Makoto allows. Thanks to this, she can also subtly impact the fate of certain characters, although this only changes some small scenes and does not significantly alter the story apart from that.
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