Persona 3 Reloadreceived massive acclaim upon release, seen by many as a triumph of a remake. Its time in the sun is far from over, thanks to Episode Aigis: The Answer. Episode Aigis is a newly released DLC epilogue to the main story, and it has made nearly as many improvements to the original asPersona 3 Reload.
Persona 3 Reloadwas already considered the new definitive version of the game. However, its story wasn’t complete without The Answer, anepilogue story first introduced inPersona 3 FES. Now,Reloadis correcting this absence, with Episode Aigis serving as its very own version of The Answer. The original version of The Answer had a number of controversies, but Episode Aigis is already showing its hand on some major improvements.
Episode Aigis: The Answer is a Swan Song for Persona 3 Reload
Historically speaking,Persona 3has never had a “definitive edition”, and that almost remained true after the initial release ofPersona 3 Reload. Enhanced re-releases are commonplace for thePersonaseries, butPersona 3was stuck in a tricky situation.Persona 3 FESandPersona 3 Portablewere both re-releases of the original game, but both had features not shared by the other.
Persona 3 Portableprimarily distinguishes itself by including an optional female protagonist, whilePersona 3 FESfeatured The Answer to give closureto its protagonists and players alike. Neither of these drastic improvements were contained in the other, and more concerning, neither were included inPersona 3 Reloadat launch. Instead,Reloadbuilt itself primarily upon polishing the foundation created by the original, and including quality of life improvements from later releases.
Despite some fan outcry, thefemale protagonist is still absent fromPersona 3 Reload. Developers remarked that the overhaul required to implement FeMC’s route would be too large of an undertaking, but this thankfully didn’t extend toPersona 3 FES. However, developing The Answer as a DLC is remarkably different from developing it as a part of a full scale re-release. Now that it has been released, Episode Aigis has shown a remarkable approach to one of the biggest challenges of adapting The Answer.
Episode Aigis: The Answer DLC Lets Players Pick Up Where They Left Off
The Answer caused controversyat the time for a few reasons, though none of them detracted from its legacy. Among other things, the original version of The Answer is known for its tedious grinding and difficult boss fights. This has always been mostly overshadowed by the catharsis provided by its story, butPersona 3 Reloadhas not skipped out on making improvements with Episode Aigis.
InPersona 3 FES, players don’t get to carry over theirPersona Compendiumfrom the base game into The Answer. It’s possible that this was done to align with the theme of the story along with a certain character’s absence from the epilogue. At the end of the day though, it was simply a massive inconvenience. Since The Answer was already a bit cumbersome to get through, it’s no wonder that developers might want to figure out how to lighten the load.
There are a number of improvements made to address this, and the baselinequality of life provided byPersona 3 Reloadwas already an outstanding head start. However, the best signal of Episode Aigis' priorities is seen in its handling of the Persona Compendium. Players can now carry over their progress from the base game, which is great news for completionists. Furthermore, it significantly aids players through difficult combat encounters in general, especially when it comes to accessing Theurgy Spells.
Episode Aigis is the cherry on top forPersona 3 Reload. The game’s story wouldn’t be complete without it, but it’s nice to see that significant improvements have been made to gameplay as well. Players had to start from scratch in the original version of The Answer, and Episode Aigis provides a great alternative for players who want to be better prepared for the difficult battles that ensue.
Persona 3 Reload
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.
