Persona 4

P4 is a role playing game (RPG) set in a fictional town in Japan.You  shouldn't be put off by the fact it's part of the Shin Megami Tensei metaseries as the game stands alone. The protagonist, is sent to stay with his guardian, a detective. People start going missing and links are made by your friends and yourself to the "Midnight Channel", a TV station which shows disturbing images of the missing until they turn up dead in the real world. To say any more would render the start of the game even duller but the whole story is interspaced with some nice Anime from time to time.

Sometimes a slow start helps add drama but Persona 4 (P4) offers little player interaction in its first two hours other than pressing X. Add to this the constant repetition of the plot points during this time period and the game's potentially a write off.

After the beginning P4 picks up pace, although slowly. By the time several hours have passed plot and characters have developed and the games underlying story comes to the fore. This really is a rich and multilayered tapestry which allows the player numerous options while an engaging plot and situations throw spanners in your path. You'll really never expect to be so bothered about the weather.

P4 is definitely not a game to rush. The game mechanics almost deny that possibility with the only way to truly develop your character being through various activities. It's advisable to get a job, study, join school clubs and talk to, at very least, the main characters. All these things increase your development. Questions in class also increase your abilities and while they may seem laughably simple at the start of the game this doesn't last.

Two other factors are friendships and persona. Persona are "demons" linked to your characters. You can control more than one persona and every fight can release another to be "captured" through a simple card game. These persona can be attached to your character, combined with others or discarded. Combination mainly leads to more powerful persona and can be influenced by the combination forecast. Your friends have only one persona gained from defeating their own worst enemy, a clever insight into the characters themselves.

Friendships itself creates bonds between your character and others symbolised by the major arcana of the Tarot pack. These friendships can be increased by spending time with the character. As they strengthen they help power the demon combinations of the same arcana. This may sound complex but it's well explained during gameplay. With time limits for rescuing people the game is finely balanced retaining a sense of urgency to its credit. Often sacrificing valuable rescue days is essential to hone attributes or increase friendships.

While the menu system is nice and clear, combat is very retro. For a game that is so rich in other ways, to develop your character by having to battle through constant arrays of monsters to gain money and experience is tiring. Although the boss fights are well handled and can be easily terminal if you're not prepared.

The fighting is forgivable though in what is a memorable and attractive game for last generations console. If you like RPG's you will be in your element and if you've never played one before you could do much worse than play P4.

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Want another opinion?

TestFreaks: 9/10 ( http://www.testfreaks.co.uk/playstation3-games/persona-4/ )
IGN: 9/10 ( http://ps2.ign.com/articles/937/937080p1.html )
1UP: A+ ( http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3171567&p=2&sec=REVIEWS )
Eurogamer: 8/10 ( http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/shin-megami-tensei-persona-4-review )