IfPersona 3gets another remake, a few mechanics fromPersona 5 Royalwould make for perfect additions. These are abilities or features that would enhance the already-solid gameplay ofPersona 3, and most of the features fromPersona 5 Royalwould likely fit into the game naturally given how much overlap there is between the Atlus' work.
Persona 3has been remade twice, first withPersona 3: FESand then again with therecently remasteredPersona 3 Portable.FEStweaked several aspects of the game while introducing an epilogue called The Answer, starring Aigis.P3 Portableadded a new playable female protagonist, with a selection of unique social links - including those for party members who didn’t get one previously.Personais no stranger to upgrading past titles with gameplay improvements, as seen with recent updated versions ofP4andP5, and there’s a lot more that the third entry can take on.
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Persona 5 Royal’s Baton Pass Would Be Excellent In Persona 3
Persona 5’s Baton Pass mechanic deserves to return, unlikePersona 5 Royal’s largely pointless security levels. With Baton Pass, after the player strikes an enemy weakness or lands a critical hit, they have the option to pass their extra turn to another party member. The ability was originally locked only to characters who had progressed to at least Level 2 in their Social Links, apart from Ann who unlocked it at Level 1. However,Persona 5 Royalmade it available to everyone from the beginning.
Baton Pass' best use comes against groups of multiple enemy types, letting the player swap characters mid-turn to hit different weaknesses in a row. WithPersona 5’s variety of damage types, this ability was invaluable, especially given Baton Pass empowers the next attack - with repeated passes making the boost larger. This boost increases the effectiveness of healing in addition to damage, letting the player finish a chain by healing an incredible amount of health.
Persona 3has made adjustments to its combat system in the past, most famously whenPersona 3 Portablelet players control their party members directly. Adding Baton Pass would be anotherdifference from past versions of Persona 3that increases combo opportunities. Although adding Baton Pass would likely make the game easier, that shouldn’t be an obstacle when it comes to adding more engaging mechanics.
Confidants From Persona 5 Royal Would Make Persona 3’s Social Links More Rewarding
One of the many tweaks thatPersona 5made to the series was a partial reworking of Social Links. Links were known as Confidants in order to fit the game’s heist themes, and everyBond Skill fromPersona 5’s Confidantsoffered players advantages in multiple fields. They range from granting the player new gun abilities to revealing extra information about enemies. The rewards for pursuing Confidants makes them more valuable than past Social Links, which should become the norm.
Confidant abilities were often related to the character themselves, such as shooting game expert Shinya granting and empowering new gun techniques.Persona 3Social Links likewise have potential to grant bonuses based on a character’s personalities or skills, a concept first explored inPersona 4’s Confidant-like Fox Social Link. For example, Maya - who the male protagonist meets in an online game - could have her gaming knowledge translate into an ability to discover enemy weaknesses and resistances. Another possibility is Tanaka the shady businessman, who could sell the player some useful trinkets once he trusts them.
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Confidants were one ofPersona 5’s best improvements, making each link seem more impactful since they can all provide the player with something beyond a new Persona. Even if Confidants don’t make their way into aPersona 3remake, they are apast mechanic worth returningPersona 6. The Confidant gimmick made every character with a Social Link more important.
Persona 3 Could Benefit From Persona 5 Royal’s Negotiation Gimmick
Negotiation has appeared in several games from theShin Megami Tenseiseries, but it was completely absent fromPersona 3andPersona 4- likely due to the monsters being shadows rather than the series' usual demons. One of theadvantages ofPersona 5was the return of negotiation with a new twist to the established mechanic.
Negotiation inPersona 5required the player to down all active enemies, similar to setting up an All-Out Attack. Instead of attacking, players had the option of convincing an enemy to give the party an item or money to escape with their lives. However, the most interesting aspect of negotiation was the ability to convince the enemy to become one of the player’s personas. Learninghow to negotiate inPersona 5was important, as players have to answer a couple of questions based on the enemy’s personality.
The biggest obstacle to incorporating negotiation intoPersona 3is likely the use of shadows rather than demons, but a remake could either bring demons back or make shadows reveal internal Personas during negotiation. It would be a big shift, and possibly affectPersona 3’s Shuffle Time mechanic, but negotiation would add an extra twist to increase the challenge.
The history ofPersona 3remakes offers hope that a future incarnation could take elements from other entries to improve the experience.Persona 3 Portabletook the controllable party members fromPersona 4, so it could learn a few things fromPersona 5as well. While it’s hard to determine what will come next for thePersonaseries,Persona 5 Royalpresents a number of upgrades that leave aPersona 3remake with lots of potential, should it come to pass.
Persona 5 Royalis available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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