Ever wanted to summon a being based on your own personal ethics and views simply by shooting yourself in the head, well… Persona 3 Reload, P3R for short is exactly the game for you! A remake anticipated by fans of the series, developed by Atlus Entertainment and published by Sega. P3R, is a turn-based action RPG with slice of life touches which is common in the persona series, which happens to be a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei Series. Atlus’s goal for this remake was to show that a remake did not need to have extravagant changes to the story nor gameplay to proceed its predecessor, as they nearly added zero new scenes to this game and kept the mechanics loyal to the original edition, showing that a new coat of paint to something perfect would not change its perfection.

We follow our orphaned nameless protagonist, but officially known as Makoto Yuki, ten years after his parents death recently transferred to Gekkoukan High located on Tatsumi Port Island. This silent protagonist of ours when arriving at his new home is greeted and unphased by a global power shutdown and coffins on the street where people once stood, this will be later known as the dark hour, a mysterious hour etched between 12:00 and 12:01. When arriving at our dorm we are greeted by a mysterious kid, later to be known as Pharos,  to sign a contract which would be where the player inputs their own original name for the protagonist. Then this is where the game truly begins. A standard slice of life simulator game based on reliving your high school years but instead of late night studying, you enter the fortress of Tartarus fighting monsters known as shadows to save the world.

With an in-game message that literally shoots you in the face constantly which is how the characters activate their abilities, their Persona, which is supposed to represent their desires and who they are as people. The way to activate such an ability in this installment of the series is to shoot yourself with an evoker which not coincidentally looks very much like a gun. Such a sight for a first time player may put them off the game but for others it was grab, something you could not let go or look away from, because in a way as you go further into the game you understand the reason why the director of the game took such a  path to activate their persona. 

As the entire story and meaning of the game may pull on your heart strings you must recall that the entirety of this game is left unchanged. The gameplay aspects changed slightly but the importance of the story and meaning of this game is unchanged. No major scenes added, essentially playing the same game that was made nearly 20 years ago. An unforgettable reminder that a strong story doesn’t need changes to make it stronger.

With a spoiler-free explanation, it’s the representation of the acceptance of fate and one's own death. A sorrowful meaning for an otherwise cheerful game… for most of the part, but such meaning will tear at your heartstrings as you get closer to the end, an ending that remains the same as the original. As I played through this game I remembered my experience when I first played the original many years ago, a perfect game then that continues to be perfect now. That is what Persona 3 Reload shows to the players, it's perfection in its story that formed the franchise to what it is now.