In Persona 3, assume the role of a high school student, who was orphaned as a young boy, and has recently transferred to Gekkoukan High School on Port Island.

Only days after he arrives at the school dorm, he is attacked by a Shadow. The assault awakens his Persona, Orpheus, his only chance at defeating this creature of the night. He soon discovers that he shares this special ability with other students at his new school.

From them he learns of the Dark Hour, a hidden time that exists between one day and the next, swarming with Shadows that have been slowing claiming victims known as The Lost - poor souls who have inexplicably been turned into walking zombies. Under the supervision of school chairman Shuji Ikutsuki, he joins his new friends in confronting this evil threat...

With your school as the primary battlefield, you are forced to juggle between two lives: student by day, defender against evil by night. And your greatest challenges await you on the eve of each full moon. [Atlus]

The long-standing Shin Megami Tensei series, it’s often odd, often compelling, often confusing, and often… well… not very good in critical or consumer terms. That said, this Japanese action RPG franchise can always be relied upon for being a little different. Sure, the Digital Devil Saga games were bogged down through masses of banal battles, which all but killed the overall RPG elements, but there was a decent experience in there trying to get out.

Can Persona 3 on the PlayStation 2 take the Shin Megami Tensei platform to the next level? Can it evolve beyond the rinse-and-repeat boredom of Digital Devil Saga? Or will it just feel like another glossy version of Final Fantasy? Listen now as the gathered critics tell you what you want to hear – or not as the case may be.

Spend or Lend?

Click below for a wealth of review opinions and some Persona 3 trailer goodness…

Trailer footage provided by GameTrailers.com.

90% - GameSpy - "We can't recommend Persona 3 highly enough, although a lack of even an option for controlling your whole party directly is a real shame."

85% - GameSpot - "At times shocking and always intense, Persona 3 is not a game you are likely to forget."

85% - Game Informer - "Persona 3 holds its themes together with solid gameplay and cool characters, and thoroughly rewards you for the time you invest."

83% - IGN - "Amazingly deep, with tons of replayability in both the dungeon crawling and social link directions, Persona 3 is an incredibly engaging title."

79% - GameZone - "If you like games that step outside the bounds of normality – games that defy reality and present the strangest imagery imaginable – Persona 3 is your RPG. But if you prefer the lighter Dragon Quest or Final Fantasystyle of games, stick with those. Persona 3 was not made for that audience."

Verdict: Spend