Persona 4’s New Mechanics Show Why a Remake Was Needed

A New Era for Persona 4

During the Summer Game Fest this year, fans were given their first extended look at Persona 4 Revival. The two-minute trailer for the Persona 4 remake, although brief, showcased a variety of new features that hint at a significant upgrade to the classic game. As a huge fan of not just this game but the entire Persona series, I was thrilled to see the changes Atlus has made to previous versions of the game. While I will miss the original voice cast, it seems like Persona 4 Revival is shaping up to be the definitive version of the game.

The most recent version of the game, Persona 4 Golden, was released back in 2012. In the 14 years since then, Atlus has made numerous improvements in their RPGs that Persona 4 Revival appears to be benefiting from. Although the older versions of the game are by no means unplayable — I still strongly recommend Golden to any RPG fan I know — it’s nice to see these innovations making their way into the remake.

Replaying Persona 4 Golden Can Be Frustrating

As much as I love Persona 4 Golden, some of its dated mechanics make it hard to replay. One issue is the lack of combat innovations that newer Persona games use to streamline encounters. Features like Baton Pass, for instance, are sorely missed in Persona 4 Golden, especially when not having access to them means allowing an enemy to recover from being knocked out before you can set up an All-Out Attack.

Beyond combat, there are other features Persona 4 Golden lacks that are a big improvement in newer games. For example, the ability to automatically cycle through dialogue is a huge plus added in Persona 5. While the game allows you to fast-forward dialogue if you want, I rarely want to skip cutscenes in a Persona game, so I prefer an option where I can see all the lines without pressing a button between each one.

Additionally, Persona 4 Golden‘s UI leaves something to be desired after playing later games in the series. This is true both inside and outside of combat. Fortunately, it seems like Persona 4 Revival is addressing most of these issues.

Persona 4 Revival Is Adding Plenty Of New Combat Features

We got quick flashes of combat from the Persona 4 Revival trailer, but like any dedicated fan, I paused each frame to examine the new combat UI and added features. With one of my biggest complaints about Persona 4 Golden being the lack of Baton Pass, I was pleased to see that the feature made it into the remake. However, the updates to combat don’t stop there.

Persona 4 Revival includes new moves for each character called Series Finales. These appear to be similar to Persona 3 Reload’s Theurgy attacks, as they are powerful finishers unique to each character. While it isn’t entirely clear how to set up a Series Finale, there are hints in the trailer. In one shot, we see Yukiko starting her turn with a “Four More” prompt, and there is a “Prime Time” indicator on the side of the screen showing four stars. This could mean that Series Finale attacks are set up by having all four party members perform a move that grants them a “One More” attack.

It also seems possible that Persona 4 Revival may be taking inspiration from Metaphor: ReFantazio. In the trailer, the protagonist is able to parry an enemy attack outside of combat to set up an advantage in the encounter. This is a welcome change, as it was unclear when you would get an advantage in combat in the original game. It’s unclear if there will be more in-depth mechanics for fighting enemies in real time, like in Metaphor, so we’ll have to wait for more details.

Although mostly aesthetic, there also seems to be an update to All-Out Attacks. In the trailer, we see one ending with the protagonist getting a special animation at the end of the All-Out Attack. This could mean that each character has a unique animation based on which one triggered the initial attack. These are exciting changes, but Persona 4 Revival seems to be expanding its updates beyond just combat.

Persona 4 Revival Is Reshaping The Game Outside Of Battles

It’s clear from the Persona 4 Revival trailer that the game is revamping more than just its combat mechanics. One of my previous gripes with Persona 4 Golden, the lack of auto dialogue advancement, has been addressed. The remake now offers the option to advance dialogue automatically, meaning players won’t need to click a button every time they want to progress through a scene.

In-engine cutscenes have also been completely revamped. Not only are the 3D character models updated for a new visual style, but the camera angles within these cutscenes are much more dynamic. This creates less of a stark separation between the anime-style cutscenes and the ones done in the game’s typical medium.

An obsessive frame-by-frame pause of the Persona 4 Revival trailer also reveals a “Join/Leave Party” option available in the pause menu. This seems to be a way to quickly swap out party members instead of having to return to the beginning of a dungeon. This will make it much easier to swap characters and reduce the likelihood of stagnating with one party composition for convenience.

Overall, Persona 4 Revival looks like it will be the definitive version of the game. Although at some point I would have said I didn’t need a remake to enjoy the original, I’m glad a new version of the game is coming out, complete with all the technical upgrades that Atlus has made since its original release. While I will never stop loving Persona 4 Golden, I’m glad to have a version of the game that eliminates some of the dated and frustrating elements present in it.