Persona 3 Reload in “Final Adjustment Stage of Development,” Reveals Director

In Famitsu issue #1802, the full Atlus interview featuring the staff of the upcoming Persona 3 Reload, was released. Notably, this exchange includes general producer Kazuhisa Wada, director Takuya Yamaguchi, and producer Ryota Niitsuma.

We purchased the issue and discovered that there really wasn’t much that wasn’t already shared in the free excerpt we previously provided coverage for.

However, the ending of the interview did reveal some new tidbits, translated below via our team’s Ryuji:

Interviewer: …I see. As a fan of Persona 3 myself, I can speak for a lot of fans that we’re excited to see this game.

Yamaguchi: Thank you very much. We are now in the final adjustment stage of development, and I am confident that the people who have been waiting for this game for many years will be really satisfied with it. During the development process, when I was faced with a difficult decision, I often forgot about my position as an Atlus employee and thought about what would make me happy if I were a fan that was eagerly waiting for this remake. The entire staff has been working on this project with this perspective in mind, so please look forward to it.

Niizuma: From the proposal stage, we had the keyword “resurrection” in mind for this title. In other words, the entire team worked on this title with the idea that it would not be an evolution of Persona 3 but rather a “deepening” of it, and I am sure we have succeeded in creating a deeper dive that won’t betray fans’ expectations, and I would be happy if you paid attention to it.

Wada: I am very happy that we have reached the stage where we are able to finally present [our project] to the public. We can’t wait to get the game out to everyone. We hope that those who have been waiting for this game for a long time, as well as those who have never played Persona 3, will be able to get their hands on it. Thank you for your continued support!

TL Note: This part from Niizuma sounds confusing, but it’s because “deepening” and “evolution,” while they share the same hiragana, have different kanji associated with those words. It seems he tried to do a play on words.

So, Persona 3 Reload is in its final adjustment stages of development, likely meaning that it’s playable from beginning to end. But the team is in a polishing phase, essentially needing to clean up bugs, gameplay balancing, and such.

Niizuma’s statement at the end is also interesting since it seems this isn’t a completely faithful remake but a “deepened” one of sorts.

In case you missed it, check out our announcement coverage of Persona 3 Reload, comprising a trailer, screenshots, English voice actor information, and more.

Persona 3 Reload is a remake of Persona 3 made in Unreal Engine. The game is confirmed to release for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows in early 2024. It will also be playable for Game Pass subscribers on launch.

Atlus also confirmed that Persona 3 Reload will receive special teasers on “each official full moon.”

Persona 3 was initially a PlayStation 2 title that birthed the concept of Social Links that would follow in Persona 4 and Persona 5. Then, a director’s cut version named FES launched later, featuring a new playable epilogue called The Answer and added enhanced gameplay features.

Years later, Persona 3 Portable was released for the PSP, which removed The Answer and the ability to walk around town but added the option to play as a female protagonist and new post-game challenges.