Can you start the Persona series with Persona 3 Reload?

Persona 3 Reload is a comprehensive remake of Persona 3, which originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2006. This has been a heavily requested remake from fans of the series, but what’s all the hype about? If you’re completely new to the Persona series, is Persona 3 Reload a good place to start?

In several ways, Persona 3 Reload is the best place to start the Persona series. Persona 3 was a complete reimagining of the series when it originally released, and it was the first Persona game to mix life simulator elements with RPG dungeon crawling. While there are very small references to the first Persona games here, they’re inconsequential to the overarching story.

At the same time, Persona 3 Reload modernizes the game significantly. While you can tell it was a PS2 game in spots, the game is overall very sleek with several quality-of-life features. Even if you’re mostly new or unfamiliar with RPGs, Persona 3 Reload also includes several difficulty settings. Additionally, it introduces its life simulator elements slowly, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble grasping that side of it. In other words, Persona 3 Reload is a good way to ease into the series.

Alternatively, start with Persona 5 Royal

While Persona 3 Reload is a great starting point for someone looking to get into the Persona series, each Persona game is mostly standalone. Future games do reference Persona 3 in notable ways, but not to the point that you wouldn’t understand the overarching stories. Therefore, if you’re determined to only play one Persona game, you may prefer Persona 5 Royal instead.

Persona 5 is arguably the most popular game in the series, even among people who typically dislike RPGs. Persona 5 Royal is the expanded version of the title, packing in even more content to optimize your bang for your buck. While Persona 3 Reload is the “newest” game in the series, Persona 5 is the newest “from the ground up” game. So whereas things like the dungeon design in Persona 3 Reload can feel more oldschool, Persona 5 Royal won’t have that same issue.

The other consideration, of course, is the price. If you own Game Pass, you’ll have immediate access to Persona 3 Reload, which makes it more appealing. However, Persona 5 Royal is $10 cheaper on most storefronts, and it’s easier to find it discounted too. So keep that in mind when you’re making your decision.

Ultimately, Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Royal are very good games, and both are suitable starting points. Heck, you could even start with Persona 4 Golden if you’d like. Just take the above into account and pick which game looks most interesting to you.