Persona 4 Arena (PS3) - Review

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.

Persona 4: Arena

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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Persona 4 Arena

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

Persona 4 Arena Review

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

Persona 4 Arena review

The first time I played Guilty Gear X, I was simply blown away. Though I'd played many 2D fighters before, nothing had prepared me for Arc System Works' style of blistering fast gameplay, the lineup of stylish anime-style characters all bouncing around the screen at mach 5, stringing together insane...