Persona 3 Reload has been out for a few weeks now, but if you are like me, you are probably still enjoying the game and have put some hefty hours into it. However, that doesn’t mean you aren’t on a Persona 3 Reload high and already thinking about what game you want to play next.
Do you want to play something similar, set in a school; maybe you like the whole demon aspect or even the social linking. Whatever it is you like about the game, I am sure this list will cater to you and what you should play after your adventure into Tartarus.
Persona 3 Portable
This is the most obvious, but if you have enjoyed Persona 3 Reload, you may just want to play Persona 3 Portable. I know what you are thinking, but haven’t I just played this game? Yes and no, because Persona 3 Reload is a remake of Persona 3 from the PS2 and not Persona 3 Portable, which some say, and still say, is the most definitive version of Persona 3 as it adds a whole new playable character (female main character) which adds different aspects to the story.
Although, the graphics aren’t anywhere near as good as Reload, and it plays from a first-person perspective when exploring. It also doesn’t have the Answer expansion, nor does Reload yet. Honestly, the main reason to play this after Reload is for the female MC and to experience the story from a different perspective.
Persona 5
Another obvious choice, but if you wanted to know where Persona 3 Reload got its remake inspiration, it is right here, which is why Persona 5 is the better choice for your next Persona over Persona 4 Golden. While the story is different, most elements are the same, like the school setting, Personas, social links, romance, managing school life and fighting shadows; plus, you can also fuse Personas and speed up the game; what’s not to like? This is most likely the game most will go to next as it is the most similar and best of the Persona series.
Soul Hackers 2
This may not be as obvious as just playing another Persona game, but it is part of the Shin Megami Tensei series with adult characters and no schools. Besides there being no school setting, Soul Hackers 2 is a Persona game with adults, but instead of Personas, it is demons and characters are known as demon summoners. Why are they known as demons instead of Personas here, even though they all look the same? For story reasons, but besides that, they are mostly the same, like the exact same monsters in both games.
It is an Atlus game, after all, so it is allowed. That’s not the only thing that is similar for both of them. You can fuse monsters and create new ones, light social link elements and an area that is comparable to Persona 3’s Tartarus. While this won’t be to everyone’s liking, I thought it was a fun alternative.
Caligula Effect 1 and 2
Moving away from the Atlus-developed games, you will find a few similar games. One of these are the Caligula games developed by FURYU Corporation and published by Nis America. Like Persona 3 Reload, the Caligula Effect games take place in a school. However, you won’t be doing too much schooling or studying here as you are technically in a computer world (think the Matrix). Most of the students and people are NPCs, unaware that they can be turned into monsters that attack the player at any moment. Like Persona, players get a silent protagonist, and in the second game, they can also choose their character’s gender, something still unavailable in the Persona games, bar Persona 3 Portable.
In addition, the Caligula Effect has its own version of social linking with your party members and NPCs, allowing you to grow closer to each one, which mostly involves completing quests. The similarities don’t end there, as both games are developed by people who worked on the Persona games, including Tadashi Satomi, who wrote the first three Personas (Persona, Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment). Music also plays a big part in this series, and if you loved the music in Persona 3 Reload, you will love it here even more. You can read the review for Caligula Effect 2 here.
Monark
Made by the same team behind the Caligula Effect games comes Monark. Once again, this RPG is set in a school and involves teens saving the day or not. In Monark, you get to explore two worlds: the real world and the Otherworld, which sounds much like the Dark Hour or something similar. While there are a lot of comparisons, like the use of the seven deadly sins and a dark world while taking on your study, there are ways the game differs, mainly with combat, which is probably more similar to Persona 5 Tactica than Persona 3 Reload.
The only downside is that most people consider Monark to be an average game. Some will love it, and others may not. This is one to play if you have already played all Personas and Caligula Effect games. You can read a review here.
Loop 8: Summer of Gods
If you said one of your favourite things about Persona 3 was the school setting, but you wished it was in rural Japan instead of Tokyo and the 80s instead of modernish times, then your prayers have been answered because that’s what Loop8: Summer of Gods is meant to be. Loop8: Summer of Gods has you play as a teenager trying to pick up the ladies, who then, in turn, fight with you.
Also, did I mention there is a time loop function? No, well, there is that too. Sadly, a lot of this game is considered to be not good. Unlike Persona, you spend most of your time in visual novel territory with some combat and exploration here and there. It is also meant to be buggy, but from some of the reviews, some have enjoyed it, and it may be worth it for a deep discount if you are really desperate for something persona-related.
Tokyo Mirage Session #FE
What if Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei series crossed over? It seems like such a weird crossover, yet here it is. Take characters from the Fire Emblem series and make them Personas/demons, which can be summoned by the characters in Tokyo Mirage to fight for them and to use their powers.
This is probably the least like Persona 3 Reload, but it has a musical element; you can explore Tokyo, and you have Fire Emblem characters that help you fight instead of Personas; it can basically be considered Nintendo’s version of Persona developed by Atlus. I haven’t played it myself, but it comes highly recommended for any Shin Megami Tensei fans, especially Persona, plus, it has Fire Emblem characters in it which gets bonus points from me.
Honorable Mentions
Persona 4 Golden
Atelier games
Lost Dimension
There may be more games that are considered similar to Persona 3 Reload, but the seven in this list are some of the closest out there. They also offer a variety. While Persona 4 Golden is an honourable mention, it is a great next game to play after Persona 3 Reload; just be aware that it has seen better days and may feel much slower than Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5.
