[Originally posted on NFOpocalypse]

The biggest thing that impresses me about Persona 3 is how integrated every component of the game is. This is a game that is intended to be seen as a cohesive whole. Every element draws you in to the game world, makes it that much more real. Nothing feels out of place, even while you're shooting yourself in the head to summon creatures that attack your opponents. Hence the title of the article.

The biggest part of the game that feels like it could be out of place is the music. Since I own both the original and FES, I have the soundtrack to Persona 3 (which came with the original game). Listening to it on its own, the music is very good, even though by all means it shouldn't be. It's a crazy eclectic mix of styles that don't seem like they should work together, but they do. We're talking pop-jazz-rap-metal-rock-symphony here. Yet somehow it still sounds good and fits the style of the game.

The best way to describe Persona 3 would probably be as the son of a Japanese RPG and dating sim. You have to balance your time between doing well in school, making connections with your friends, and battling demons in the Dark Hour, a period of time where most people turn into coffins and shadows come out to consume souls. It's a big change from the previous 2 (well, 3) entries in the series which were mostly about demons and personalities, but it's not a bad change. I actually like the surreal, anime styling of Persona 3 better than the original Shin Megami Tensei-style of Persona and Persona 2. Sometimes the third time is the charm (something that rabid Fallout fans need to take to heart).

Every system in the game is well-developed and never feels out of place. Reinforcing relationships with your friends allows your personas to grow stronger when you fuse them. Battling puts a focus on exploiting enemy weaknesses and juggling controlling yourself and determining companion AI. The quest, fusion, and dictionary systems give an emphasis on experimentation and finding new combinations. It's all very compelling.

I must say that my favorite part is the fact that Persona 3 is a glorified rogue-like. Sure, you can't do the same things as you can in rogue-likes (although you can do some things, like the relationships system, that you definitely CAN'T do in a rogue-like). But the feel of it is much the same, just with JRPG battles when you touch an enemy instead of D&D battling. A randomized dungeon every time you travel it, the emphasis on everything interacting, and so on make it feel like the Japanese answer to our own western rogue-likes.

There's an impossible amount of compelling things in Persona 3. I guess this is why it will always hold a place in my heart. As someone described it to me, it's a game made by developers who know how to make a great game. It's an experiment that turned out incredibly well. I guess this is why I lent it to my friend (who subsequently got hooked on it). You just have to share how great this game is.

Japanese RPGs could certainly learn a lot from this masterpiece. I'm looking at you, Squeenix.