Summary
- Rumors claim Persona 1 and 2 might be next in line for Atlus remakes, but the unique features of the originals present some challenges.
- Revelations: Persona stands out from the rest of the series with its esoteric old-school mechanics and isometric perspective.
- A potential remake of Persona 2 could bring new life to the game by modernizing gameplay and enhancing its well-written stories.
In the wake of Persona 3 Reload' s recent success, rumors are circulating that Revelations: Persona and the two Persona 2 games are next on the slate for the Atlus remake treatment. While this news has fans excited, it's also clear that remakes of the first three games will set some precedents going forward. Persona 1 and 2 are entirely different beasts from the more recent Persona titles, and Atlus is going to have to make some tough decisions about how faithful any potential remakes will be to the original games.
First released in 1996, Revelations: Persona was the first in Atlus’ wildly successful Persona series—a spin-off of the Megami Tensei games, a series of philosophically minded dungeon-crawlers that began in 1987 with Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei on the Nintendo Famicom. Setting itself apart with well drawn characters, intricate storytelling, and exceptional music, Revelations: Persona was an instant hit and remained the best-selling entry in the franchise until the release of Persona 5 in 2016.
Persona 2 was originally released as two separate games: Persona 2: Innocent Sin in 1999, and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment in 2000. With Eternal Punishment being a direct sequel to the narrative of Innocent Sin, it seems likely that any future remake will see Atlus combining the two games into a single experience.
Persona 6's Rumored Green Theme Explained
With rumors mounting that Persona 6 will feature green as its core color theme, it’s time to look at what that might mean for the upcoming RPG.
Revelations: Persona is Unlike any Other Game in the Franchise
Revelations: Persona is in many ways much closer to the Megami Tensei games the series span-off from than what the Persona series would eventually become. With first-person grid-based dungeons, top-down isometric exploration between dungeons, and an arcane set of mechanics governing magic and experience, a lot of Revelations: Persona’s identity rests on the very quirks a modern remake might look to ‘fix’.
Most noticeably, Revelations: Persona’s approach to side-content and alternative questlines can sometimes feel more like Dark Souls' abstract quest progression than anything players may have encountered in the recent Persona games—the notorious Snow Queen Quest is so obscure that it has split the fanbase ever since its discovery. It seems a no-brainer to remake the first Persona game and fix issues like this—streamlining everything that's weird, clunky and confusing by modern standards. But a remake that's too polished and too coherent risks taking away everything that makes Revelations: Persona such a unique entry in the franchise.
Persona 2 Is a Perfect Candidate For Remake Treatment
If the first Persona game’s odd late-90s identity and Megami Tensei holdovers make remaking it a tricky proposition, Persona 2 is the opposite. While Revelations: Persona is littered with strange idiosyncrasies, its two sequels have often been criticised for instead being too generic. A transitional phase between the Megami Tensei games and modern Persona, Persona 2 plays it safe, with standard Playstation 1 JRPG mechanics doing little to set it apart from its contemporaries.
A remake of both Eternal Punishment and Innocent Sin—potentially combining both games into one package—has the chance to remix and rework Persona 2 into something thoroughly modern, allowing the games' well-written stories and interesting characters to finally shine against a backdrop of interesting, challenging, polished gameplay. Rather than just giving the game a new coat of paint, a Persona 2 remake could be closer to the recent Final Fantasy 7 reboots, using the plot beats of the original game as a way to evolve and develop the franchise. With Persona 2's heavier emphasis on daytime character interactions, a remake could easily introduce the Social Links mechanic that has become core to the more recent Persona games.
Atlus Could Learn From Persona’s PSP remakes
If the rumors of upcoming remakes are to be believed, this won't be Atlus’ first return to Revelations: Persona and the two Persona 2 games. Released in 2009, 2011 and 2012, the now beloved PSP ports of the first three Persona games avoided making radical changes to the PS1 originals, focusing instead on higher resolution visuals, a more accurate translation of the original script, and upping the difficulty and complexity of combat.
Still, despite being embraced by fans, the PSP Persona releases weren’t without controversy. The games’ soundtracks had been changed to be more in line with the music present in Persona 3 and Persona 4. While the music itself was well received, many fans were disappointed that Revelations: Persona’s strange atmospheric soundtrack had been replaced with a series of jazzier J-rock compositions.
Atlus Has Built Up a Lot of Goodwill With its Recent Persona Games
At this point, it's impossible to know whether Atlus hopes to use its remakes to bring the first handful of Persona games in-line with modern Persona’s stylistic and gameplay sensibilities, or whether the iconic developer will instead attempt to retain the peculiar magic of its early Persona titles, warts and all. Regardless, the last few Persona remakes have built up enough goodwill that it's exciting to hear the mere prospect of modern remakes for Persona's peculiar origins.
Persona 3 Reload
- Released
- February 2, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into the shoes of a transfer student thrust into an unexpected fate when entering the hour "hidden" between one day and the next. Awaken an incredible power and chase the mysteries of the Dark Hour, fight for your friends, and leave a mark on their memories forever.
Persona 3 Reload is a captivating reimagining of the genre-defining RPG, reborn for the modern era.
Experience the pivotal game of the Persona series faithfully remade with cutting-edge graphics, modernized quality-of-life features, and signature stylish UI.
Fully immerse yourself in an emotional, gripping journey with new scenes, character interactions, and additional voiceover.
Choose how to meaningfully spend each day through various activities from exploring the Port Island to forging genuine bonds with beloved characters.
Build and command your optimal team to take down otherworldly Shadows and climb closer to the truth.
- ESRB
- Mature 17 / Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- P-Studio
- Franchise
- Persona
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, RPG, Life Simulation, Strategy
- How Long To Beat
- 65 hours
