Topic: Persona Q compared to Persona 4

Hey everyone, who is playing Persona Q too? I love Etrian Odyssey and I was surprised at how Persona Q resembles it. A little background search was in order for me, I made a review for it here: http://wp.me/p43dCw-gn

Was wondering though: it's very different from the Persona games on the vita. Who has played those too? And how does it compare?

It doesn't. There is no comparison. They both have turn-based combat and they share some of the character's....names. That's it. There's nothing else that's similar between them. Persona Q as far as I understand is a lot less story-focused than a lot of RPGs - still more focused than Etrian Odyssey, but it doesn't compare to Persona 4, which had a 3 hour intro where you...didn't really get to control much, IIRC. Then there's the different tones (Persona 4 is darker), the sim-like aspects in Persona 4 (You get to talk to different characters and whatnot wjere you choose your dialogue, days go by where you can do different things that sometimes have consequences, etc.), the different perspective (First-Person vs. Third Person), the different combat (well, slightly different), the characters in Persona Q are kinda caricatures of the Persona 4 characters to make them a little sillier than they originally were, the fact that Persona Q AFAIK has only one dungeon while Persona 4 has several...

They're very different games in the end.

Most of the rules of the combat system and the persona system come from the main Persona games, too. Even if the combat looks much like EO's.

The characters do feel like they are the same ones from their source games, a little more exaggerated for emphasis, but still pretty much the exact same characters.

I haven't advanced much in PQ, but the intro seems to suggest that there's indeed more than one dungeon. Unless it's classic EO style and the deeper you go in the main dungeon it becomes a new one.

Other than that, the game's structure and story progression are more like a classic EO's than a Persona.

Considering it's ttaking from Persona 3 as well and that's how Persona 3's dungeon (singular) worked, I wouldn't be surprised.

But still, when entering the labyrinth it gives you a sub menu where "you in wonderland" is one of the options.

I think the school might be the main labyrinth hub and there's at least other 2 attractions you must enter.

You can see at least three different attractions in a part of the intro, the first shows the rabbit, another one shows a deer and the other one I couldn't identify.

Well, I don't own a Vita (yet) but seeing a bit of Persona 4 gameplay on YouTube I had picked up on the darker tones. I was an EO fan first, maybe that's why I like Persona Q that much then. @Caniswolfred, which one do you like best?

@Morpheel, I am on the third floor in Wonderland, and it feels like this might be the lowest level. I too believe there will be more dungeons to explore!

Persona 4 has three major focuses, and each of them take up about the same portion of game.

First is the main story narrative. It is very story-heavy, to the point where often you're just sitting and reading through dialogue for half an hour. It's almost like a visual novel sometimes. But it involves you in the narrative and relies on your interactivity and choices, so it's never boring.

Second is the social features. The personas that you summon rely on strong social links with various characters. Not just other characters in your party, but NPCs throughout the town as well, both good and bad. You advance these social links through a lot of slice-of-life type events and conversations, and can even go on dates and fall in love (with select few characters, of course not applicable to the old grieving widow or your 6 year old cousin).

Third is the dungeons. This part of the game actually plays a lot like PQ. You're split into front and back rows in PQ, just like EO, but you're not in P4. You also don't draw a map, and the camera perspective is 3rd person instead of 1st. Otherwise, it's very similar.

Thanks for your thorough answer. I'm thinking of buying the Vita for my birthday this week, and I'm guessing Persona 4 will be one of the first I'll buy! Sounds very good to me! I've always been a Nintendo only gamer, maybe it's time to look at the Vita too.

It's probably the best game available on Vita right now, so good choice!

As a head's up, the major theme of Persona 4 is uncovering the truth. It's important to remember this, because there's a point in the story (think it's late November or early December) where you're presented with several dialogue options concerning the fate of a character. You may choose to act in passion, seeking retribution, or to act rationally, seeking the truth. If you choose to ignore the major theme of the game, your game will end early in the "Bad Ending" and it is indeed a very bad ending. Hope that isn't too spoilery, but it would be a shame to see someone invest a lot into a game just to arrive at a bad ending. Save often and never stop seeking the truth!

Thank you @Caviarmeth, I'll take your advice to heart!

If you get the vita and like this game, I'd also recommend Persona 3 Portable.

It's really good. Just less graphic-intensive than Persona 4 on the same system, since it's a PSP game.

Thanks, I'll remember that. I was checking out last night which PS3 games can be downloaded for the Vita, silently hoping for Ni no Kuni. But I guess that's not downloadable, is it?