This or reload?

[nonel9]

Kinda wanna play both. Graphics isn't an issue, mainly asking about qol features and story stuff. I've heard the port is garbage but fixable so I don't mind modding it if necessary

[Mechanical Lizard]

p3p is a more accurate experience for p3, reload ruined more than it added

[Evangelion]

Reload is a remake so it has the best QoL features and also includes new content that easily makes it the best way to play persona 3. It also has the canon extra epilogue as DLC.

Portable was made for the psp so it removes the overworld and the epilogue, but instead features a new optional 2nd protagonist that is different from the main one. It also doesn't have cutscenes but the visual novel format has its charms too.

All in all it depends what you look for the most. If you like VNs and want to play as the female protagonist, then chose p3p. It's also much cheaper. If you want the overall best experience with the most fleshed out main route, then chose the remake. Since Reload has as good as everything from previous versions including new stuff, i'd recommend it the most. P3P is also still worth playing afterwards for the extra protagonist; if you feel like it.

[nonel9]

Originally posted by Evangelion:

Reload is a remake so it has the best QoL features and also includes new content that easily makes it the best way to play persona 3. It also has the canon extra epilogue as DLC.

Portable was made for the psp so it removes the overworld and the epilogue, but instead features a new optional 2nd protagonist that is different from the main one. It also doesn't have cutscenes but the visual novel format has its charms too.

All in all it depends what you look for the most. If you like VNs and want to play as the female protagonist, then chose p3p. It's also much cheaper. If you want the overall best experience with the most fleshed out main route, then chose the remake. Since Reload has as good as everything from previous versions including new stuff, i'd recommend it the most. P3P is also still worth playing afterwards for the extra protagonist; if you feel like it.

The second protagonist alone seems like a good reason to try p3p, she's really charming from what I've seen. But yeah, I don't wanna miss out on all the new stuff, especially if it serves to flash out the story and characters. Still can't make up my mind haha. Thank you for the answer!

[n#n#m#]

As a someone who bought P3P just for feMC... Don't pay for this garbage, literally AI-slop, and a half-assed at that. Thought could be fixed with mods - nope, a lot of mods are either a) discontinued and thus hidden, b) 60% finished and c) finished with caveats, but could cause conflicts like killing script triggers, so you need to fiddle and disable them before some kind of scene happens which means you have to play the game beforehand to know when to do just that. If your acc is in KZ region I could add you to family sharing, but the port is so not worth it that it hurts.

[nonel9]

Originally posted by n#n#m#:

As a someone who bought P3P just for feMC... Don't pay for this garbage, literally AI-slop, and a half-assed at that. Thought could be fixed with mods - nope, a lot of mods are either a) discontinued and thus hidden, b) 60% finished and c) finished with caveats, but could cause conflicts like killing script triggers, so you need to fiddle and disable them before some kind of scene happens which means you have to play the game beforehand to know when to do just that. If your acc is in KZ region I could add you to family sharing, but the port is so not worth it that it hurts.

Не думала, что всё настолько плохо. Спасибо за инфу и за предложение! Воздержусь тогда от покупки, всё равно есть копия на псп, просто на пк было бы комфортнее и хотелось попробовать. Так долго откладывала прохождение, что ремейк вышел, отсюда и дилемма. Спасибо ещё раз!

[n#n#m#]

Originally posted by nonel9:

Не думала, что всё настолько плохо. Спасибо за инфу и за предложение! Воздержусь тогда от покупки, всё равно есть копия на псп, просто на пк было бы комфортнее и хотелось попробовать. Так долго откладывала прохождение, что ремейк вышел, отсюда и дилемма. Спасибо ещё раз!

Да не за что. Раз на пк удобней то может эмулятор выручит, https://dtf.ru/1212348 сама думаю вот так проходить потому что аудио в псп версии игры неиронично звучит лучше чем в пк-порте, а раз есть нормальный мод с текстурами, то и глазам не больно.

[Crystal Sharrd]

Originally posted by n#n#m#:

As a someone who bought P3P just for feMC... Don't pay for this garbage, literally AI-slop, and a half-assed at that. Thought could be fixed with mods - nope, a lot of mods are either a) discontinued and thus hidden, b) 60% finished and c) finished with caveats, but could cause conflicts like killing script triggers, so you need to fiddle and disable them before some kind of scene happens which means you have to play the game beforehand to know when to do just that. If your acc is in KZ region I could add you to family sharing, but the port is so not worth it that it hurts.

Well, upscaling isn't the same thing as AI slop. Though it would have been preferable if remade by hand. Portable is still superior to Reload, which is the actual garbage. Especially if you use the Kotone CUtscene Project mod, which is also available for the PlayStation Portable version.

[n#n#m#]

Originally posted by Crystal Sharrd:

Well, upscaling isn't the same thing as AI slop.

I agree, but unfortunately in this case it is. The upscaled backgrounds look like they were made using one of the worst free AI upscalers you could possibly find. The smearing is horrendous, that's why I used this wording.

Originally posted by Crystal Sharrd:

Portable is still superior to Reload, which is the actual garbage.

Can you elaborate on that? It seems like Reload was well-received across the board.

Originally posted by Crystal Sharrd:

Especially if you use the Kotone CUtscene Project mod, which is also available for the PlayStation Portable version.

I've tried using this mod and encountered numerous bugs/performance issues as well as crashes (both on Win PC and Steam Deck) just like with others 'essential' mods that are supposed to fix P3P. Idk maybe PSP version is more stable while heavily modded, but PC version is a disappointment.

[Crystal Sharrd]

Originally posted by n#n#m#:

Originally posted by Crystal Sharrd:

Well, upscaling isn't the same thing as AI slop.

I agree, but unfortunately in this case it is. The upscaled backgrounds look like they were made using one of the worst free AI upscalers you could possibly find. The smearing is horrendous, that's why I used this wording.

Originally posted by Crystal Sharrd:

Portable is still superior to Reload, which is the actual garbage.

Can you elaborate on that? It seems like Reload was well-received across the board.

Originally posted by Crystal Sharrd:

Especially if you use the Kotone CUtscene Project mod, which is also available for the PlayStation Portable version.

I've tried using this mod and encountered numerous bugs/performance issues as well as crashes (both on Win PC and Steam Deck) just like with others 'essential' mods that are supposed to fix P3P. Idk maybe PSP version is more stable while heavily modded, but PC version is a disappointment.

To be fair, I've only tried the mod on the PlayStation Portable version running on a PlayStation Vita, using a copy purchased from the PlayStation Store, never actually tried it with the PC version because I keep hoping Atlus will fix the remaster.

As for Reload, well, it's $70 for an incomplete remake that charges an additional $35 for some of the missing content that was previously available for free. And even then you still don't get the full Persona 3 experience after spending $105 on it. Also personally not a fan of the Persona 5 artstyle or the awful redesign of the UI.

[n#n#m#]

Originally posted by Crystal Sharrd:

As for Reload, well, it's $70 for an incomplete remake that charges an additional $35 for some of the missing content that was previously available for free. And even then you still don't get the full Persona 3 experience after spending $105 on it.

Sounds like they really done P3 dirty for some reason. I can only hope P2EP and Tsumi will get a better treatment in case remasters happen.

[Evangelion]

Originally posted by n#n#m#:

Sounds like they really done P3 dirty for some reason. I can only hope P2EP and Tsumi will get a better treatment in case remasters happen.

Other than the questionable pricing (which it got review bombed for), not really. I mean look at how well the game is received by the people that did actually play it.

Also FES was considered DLC for the base game, but considering the ps2 didn't support DLC it was released via a re-release; so it was never really free to begin with, but it should def have been included in the base game. P3R is also not really incomplete, since the only thing missing (femc) was exclusively made for the psp version so that already existing players would buy it again. For a remake, they stuck to what they consider the "canon" p3 story, and expanded upon it rather than focus resources on what they consider extra or an "add-on"

It would also give people 0 reason to get the portable edition, which was ported only like a year prior, so p3r had already long been in development. They planned it that way it seems

[CloudKira]

Reload costs thrice more than Portable but got way better graphics and plenty of additions to the Male protagonist route (like options to befriend females, extra events with male SEED members and expanded Strega content) that Portable does not have. It also includes a DLC that offers a bit improved version of the Answer. The DLC is not so cheap tho.

Portable offers inferior PSP level graphics and features a visual novel like gameplay (we cannot see any character move except in Tartarus) where we just point via cursor where we wanna move. No extra Reloaded content for Male MC. However, it offers the Female MC route which the Reloaded version does not have at all which includes new social links and changes to some events plus how some characters treat the Female MC. It is also a fair deal cheaper.

So I guess it comes down mostly to the price issue (Reload with DLC over 4 times more expensive than Portable) and whether one wants a more complete Male route version with much better graphics or a less complete Male route but having the chance to play with the Female protag as well as enjoy some old mechanics (like the tired/rested system) which were removed in Reload.

[Coffee Addict]

i would say play P3R first as its an amazing game, and after you've beaten it and you still want more P3 then give P3P a go

[Conor965]

Portable with the cutscene mod is the best way to play P3