With Persona 4: Arena , Atlus' critically acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei sub-series finally makes its Xbox debut - in a completely different form. Instead of a modern-day JRPG that ruminates on the nature of life and relationships, Arena is a one-on-one fighting game.

+ Slick presentation with snazzy UI; character art; and phenomenal music; backed by a solid fighting engine; + Massive story augments the usual array of arcade; challenge; and versus modes

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A well-made integration of Persona 4 mechanics and characters into a delightfully complex fighting system.

Excellent visuals; Arc System fans will feel right at home; new, canonical Persona storyline; complex fighting system that incorporates personae

A little daunting for beginners; no easy-to-reference combo list; story mode is more visual novel than fighting game

The game's pace is quick, similar to that of The King of Fighters XIII. For newcomers, Persona 4 Arena is very accessible, thanks in part to the auto-combo system. Similar to the boost combos in Capcom's Street Fighter X Tekken , auto-combos are a series of easily connecting hits that automatically...

Fighting mechanics balance accessibility and complexity; Gorgeous visuals and animations; Stable online play with replay support; Extensive narrative modes; Fighting mechanics balance accessibility and complexity; Gorgeous visuals and animations; Extensive narrative modes

Sorting replays a chore; Dry narrative presentation; Bare-bones tutorial mode; Inconsistent online play; Dry narrative presentation; Bare-bones tutorial mode; Problems with replay downloading

Fighting games generally center around two combatants squaring off one-on-one or in a tag-team format. Persona 4 Arena combines these styles, requiring you to control two fighters in harmony: your character and his or her persona, an imaginative creature that fights at your side.

Fighting mechanics balance accessibility and complexity; Gorgeous visuals and animations; Stable online play with replay support; Extensive narrative modes

Sorting replays a chore; Dry narrative presentation; Bare-bones tutorial mode

This fighting game delivers all the fan service Persona fans can handle. Read our full review.

+ Simple concept with complex structures; + Amazing fan service; + Terrific story and acting; + Online works and works very well; + Accessible for new players

The story mode may not be for everyone; Matchmaking is off at times

Thus, Persona 4 Arena is a standout game; it marries theme and mechanics closely, and through its apparent simplicity allows a total novice to enjoy it all while layering on levels of strategy for advanced play based on positioning and timing rather than specific dexterity at inputting attacks.

: One of the best fighting games on the market today. Enough said.

While I have enjoyed many fighting games in my time, I have never been happier playing one than with P4A; The ultimate fulfillment of fun will be achieved by those who are fans of both the Persona series and fighting games.

: Story-mode appeals only to the most hardcore Persona or RPG fans and even then it could use more player-controlled fight sequences and less repetition.

Parents need to know that Persona 4 Arena is a fighting game set in the surreal fantasy world of the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona video game franchise. Players battle a series of characters and monsters from the previous games in the series, along with their partner known as a "Persona.

Offering little in terms of spoiling the previous titles, and doing a great job of leading you through the hoops of its own, P4A seems to have eloquently bridged the gap between poetic story and prosaic fighter.

When you think 'RPG', Persona is one of the first words that comes to many a gamer's mind. The Persona sub-series of Shin Megami Tensei captured the hearts of its players, with Persona 3 and 4 specifically being hailed as two of the greatest RPGs ever made.