Summary
Persona 3 Reloadhighlights one aspect of the game’s social mechanics that would be perfect for a reprise inPersona 6. The social aspect of thePersonaseries has become about as important as the RPG elements, andPersona 3 Reloadis no different in that regard. If anything,Reloadhas the chance to improve on what already made that game’s Social Links so good. Not only that, it furthers a tradition thatPersona 6would be wise to replicate. These links provide plenty of entertainment, and they can make the player more invested as well.
Whether it’s through theConfidant System ofPersona 5or the original Social Links of previous games, thePersonaseries wouldn’t be the same without its social dynamics. In each game fromPersona 3onwards, players can build bonds with party members and certain NPCs and get rewarded for it. Generally, they get boosted XP for Personas of the arcana in question, as well as unlocking a new Persona at maximum rank.Persona 5’s Confidants took this a step further, unlocking various perks and upgrades as Confidant levels rose. These social systems work well as a compliment toPersona’s strategic RPG mechanics.
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As a series tradition,Persona’s protagonists visit the Velvet Roomwhenever they need to re-summon a Persona or fuse a new one. The Velvet Room is always watched over by Igor, as well as at least one of his assistants. InPersona 3there was Elizabeth or Theodore, depending on the protagonist;Persona 4had Margaret, with Marie being added inGolden, andPersona 5had Caroline and Justine. InPersona 4andPersona 5, the attendants ended up having their own Social Links and Confidants, respectively. However, it was Elizabeth inPersona 3that truly started the trend regarding the attendants.
One of Elizabeth’s most amusing traits was shown off inPersona 3 Reload’s latest story trailer. ThroughoutPersona 3, starting withFES, Elizabeth would occasionally make requests for the protagonist to take her to various places around town. This leads to some entertaining moments, such as Elizabeth walking up a down escalator and making up a song on the fly while playing the piano. OtherPersonagames would also let the attendants enter the real world for certain scenes, but for some reason, this only ever happened in the expanded editions. So far, no Velvet Room attendants have been able to visit the physical world in the base game.
WhilePersona 3 Reloadis bringing back Elizabeth’s excursions with the protagonist,Persona 6can rework Velvet Room relationshipsand make such scenes available without needing an update. The moments created by these scenes have been one of the best ways to expand on the personalities of the Velvet Room attendants, making them more fun and interesting as characters.Persona 6would be wise to capitalize on this, especially if it intends to give its attendant a Social Link once again. Bringing attendants out of the Velvet Room to see the world is a winning formula thatPersona 6should be sure to use again.
Persona 3 Reload’s opportunities to hang out with Elizabeth in the real world should act as inspiration for the next game. Thestory path thatPersona 6takeswill inevitably cross paths with the Velvet Room again, and that means that Igor and his attendant a necessary part of the game. Rather than improving their relationship by fusing Personas, spending time with the attendant out of the Velvet Room could be a better way to deepen their relationship, not to mention far more fun. WithPersona 3 Reloadreminding players of these social events,Persona 6shouldn’t pass on the same opportunity.
Persona 3 Reloadwill be released on May 23, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
