Despite the fact that I have been a JRPG fan for quite a while, I have never actually played a Persona game until it finally came to Steam out of nowhere. A game from this critically and commercially successful franchise has interested me a lot, so I was willing to give it a try. Here's my full spoiler-free review of Persona 4 Golden!

I loved the story because it’s very well-written that fails to disappoint. The story takes place in the year 2011. You start out as a player-named Protagonist (or Yu Narukami by his true name) arriving to the rural town of Inaba shrouded by the mysterious fog from time to time. He stays with his uncle Ryotaro Dojima and his younger cousin Nanako, and attends school where he met amazing people along the way. However, upon arriving, strange murders start to happen. Intrigued by rumours circulating around about this so-called “Midnight Channel”, a group of high school students begin their exciting adventure!

One of the biggest strengths in this game aside from the plot is its main cast of characters. My personal favourite is Yosuke Hanamura because he can be so hilarious sometimes XD, but that doesn’t stop me from loving and getting attached to the rest of those endearing characters, such as the cheerful idol, Rise Kujikawa. Each and every character has their own moments and you get a chance to explore more of their individual stories through bonding events called “Social Links".

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2254670333

The overall plot is very interesting and immersive to the point that you have a mystery to solve which will keep you on your toes. There are even some emotional moments where you will laugh and even cry! Its main plot theme stems from real life topics, such as actual personas and shadows from Jungian Psychology. Lots of references to Japanese culture are involved and it certainly got me intrigued. Seriously, the story is just so epic to get you hooked up! All you will be doing is spending time with your friends during funny times, crazy adventures and heartfelt moments.

Note: This game has multiple endings that are caused by decisions you make, so at certain points of the game, choices do matter because it will affect how the story will end.

The gameplay is phenomenal. Described as a social JRPG, it’s safe to say that this game is a mix of a life simulator in the real world and a dungeon crawler inside the TV world with visual novel panels to explain the story. This game encourages time management and further consideration of the events, such as checking the date and the weather forecast, whilst making sure you go rescue/defeat someone in every dungeon you explore as your top priority. Random-generated dungeons can be tedious at times where you will have to grind for materials and experience to get stronger before fighting boss battles. One important element of the gameplay is building up your Social Links (as explained earlier) because not only are you getting to know your friends better, but it's beneficial for fighting in dungeons where you will be able to acquire boosts when you fuse Personas and have your party members' stats increase too. Bonds of people is the true power! Fighting with your Personas is just awesome!

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2183593017

For a life simulator, here are the things you can spend time on:
- Making friends or even going out with your best girl on a date (Boosting Social Links as mentioned above).
- Joining clubs in school.
- Taking part-time jobs.
- Buying equipment.
- Reading books.
- Studying (with your friends).
- Eating in a Chinese food restaurant.
- Paying fortunes for blessings.
- Fishing and Gardening.
- Travelling on a scooter.
- Inviting your friends to the movies.
- Drink coffee
There are a lot of things you can do! Some of these things can increase your social qualities consisting of Knowledge, Expression, Courage, Diligence and Understanding which are very useful as you journey your way through Inaba.

https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2231396148

The graphics are pretty decent and is just alright in some places. I know it's quite outdated, considering how long this game has existed for since 2012, but it isn't too bad at all.

The soundtrack composed by Shoji Meguro is top notch. I've always been listening to the songs over and over again because of how heartwarming they are. Every track manages to fit the atmosphere almost perfectly well, especially the dungeons. Every song was made with so much love and joy put into it.

There is a lot of content in this game which makes the game worthy of its current price. The main story takes approximately 70 hours to finish or even more if you're a completionist about a huge amount of side activities too, given the amount of freedom you can spend on. There's even a New Game+ which I'm sure will be worthy of your time because there are extra features in this game that are yet to see following your first playthrough. You can also rewatch anime cutscenes, view concept arts, listen to soundtracks, participate in extra Psychology lessons and even participate in a quiz show! All of them are worth your time.

I only have very few criticisms which are the technical issues. My first impressions upon its release are that this game used to crash frequently and have glitches and bugs lying around which prevents me from progressing through the game. I also suffered from laggy anime cutscenes, but there are patches that could fix your issues. However, I can say it's possible for them to be fixed, which I have finally managed to achieve so don't let this put you off.

Despite having its own minor problems, Atlus has done an absolutely amazing job to produce and develop a JRPG masterpiece like Persona 4 Golden. Everything this game offers has been a fun and worthy time for its players. This game is truly fantastic, very immersive and enjoyable to the point that you get addicted to it and can play it as many times you want. I’m sure you will never regret it. Since this is the first Persona game I have played, I had a really great time and I am proud to call myself a fan of the franchise. With the success of its release on Steam overflowing with Overwhelmingly Positive reviews, it seems like there is hope in the future for more releases to come to PC, such as Persona 3 FES and Persona 5 Royal.

This game is more than your typical everyday JRPG. It’s about friendships and families and it mostly teaches you to embrace your true self as a part of who you are. This game has taught me to accept myself for who I am. After playing the game, chances are your life has changed as a whole without realising it, such as being “cured” from depression.

An amazing game that is definitely recommended to anyone alike, be it JRPG fans. It’s long, but it’s worth every minute. One of the most incredible JRPGs I have ever played. I absolutely loved everything about it :D

P.S. Check out the anime adaptations Persona 4 The Animation and Persona 4 The Golden Animation if you’re interested although I recommend watching after beating the game to prevent spoilers. It can be a fun watch.

Every day’s great at your Junes!

[h1][b]★★★★★ PERSONA 4 IS SUCH AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE!!! ★★★★★[/b][/h1] Despite the fact that I have been a JRPG fan for quite a while, I have [i]never[/i] actually played a Persona game until it finally came to Steam out of nowhere. A game from this critically and commercially successful franchise has interested me a lot, so I was willing to give it a try. Here's my full [b]spoiler-free[/b] review of [i]Persona 4 Golden[/i]! [h1]PROS[/h1] [h2]Story: 10/10 and Characters: 10/10[/h2] I loved the story because it’s very well-written that fails to disappoint. The story takes place in the year 2011. You start out as a player-named Protagonist (or [b]Yu Narukami[/b] by his true name) arriving to the rural town of Inaba shrouded by the mysterious fog from time to time. He stays with his uncle [b]Ryotaro Dojima[/b] and his younger cousin [b]Nanako[/b], and attends school where he met amazing people along the way. However, upon arriving, strange murders start to happen. Intrigued by rumours circulating around about this so-called “Midnight Channel”, a group of high school students begin their exciting adventure! One of the biggest strengths in this game aside from the plot is its main cast of characters. My personal favourite is [b]Yosuke Hanamura[/b] because he can be so hilarious sometimes XD, but that doesn’t stop me from loving and getting attached to the rest of those endearing characters, such as the cheerful idol, [b]Rise Kujikawa[/b]. Each and every character has their own moments and you get a chance to explore more of their individual stories through bonding events called “Social Links". https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2254670333 The overall plot is very interesting and immersive to the point that you have a mystery to solve which will keep you on your toes. There are even some emotional moments where you will laugh and even cry! Its main plot theme stems from real life topics, such as actual personas and shadows from [b]Jungian Psychology[/b]. Lots of references to Japanese culture are involved and it certainly got me intrigued. Seriously, the story is just so epic to get you hooked up! All you will be doing is spending time with your friends during funny times, crazy adventures and heartfelt moments. [i]Note: This game has [b]multiple endings[/b] that are caused by decisions you make, so at certain points of the game, [b]choices do matter[/b] because it will affect how the story will end.[/i] [h2]Gameplay: 10/10[/h2] The gameplay is phenomenal. Described as a [b]social JRPG[/b], it’s safe to say that this game is a mix of a [b]life simulator[/b] in the real world and a [b]dungeon crawler[/b] inside the TV world with [b]visual novel[/b] panels to explain the story. This game encourages time management and further consideration of the events, such as checking the date and the weather forecast, whilst making sure you go rescue/defeat someone in every dungeon you explore as your top priority. Random-generated dungeons can be tedious at times where you will have to grind for materials and experience to get stronger before fighting boss battles. One important element of the gameplay is building up your [b]Social Links[/b] (as explained earlier) because not only are you getting to know your friends better, but it's beneficial for fighting in dungeons where you will be able to acquire boosts when you fuse Personas and have your party members' stats increase too. [i]Bonds of people is the true power![/i] Fighting with your Personas is just awesome! https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2183593017 For a life simulator, here are the things you can spend time on: - Making friends or even going out with your best girl on a date (Boosting [b]Social Links[/b] as mentioned above). - Joining clubs in school. - Taking part-time jobs. - Buying equipment. - Reading books. - Studying (with your friends). - Eating in a Chinese food restaurant. - Paying fortunes for blessings. - Fishing and Gardening. - Travelling on a scooter. - Inviting your friends to the movies. - Drink coffee There are a lot of things you can do! Some of these things can increase your [b]social qualities[/b] consisting of Knowledge, Expression, Courage, Diligence and Understanding which are very useful as you journey your way through Inaba. https://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2231396148 [h2]Graphics: 7/10[/h2] The graphics are pretty decent and is just alright in some places. I know it's quite outdated, considering how long this game has existed for since 2012, but it isn't too bad at all. [h2]Music: 10/10[/h2] The soundtrack composed by Shoji Meguro is top notch. I've always been listening to the songs over and over again because of how heartwarming they are. Every track manages to fit the atmosphere almost perfectly well, especially the dungeons. Every song was made with so much love and joy put into it. [h2]Content: 10/10[/h2] There is a lot of content in this game which makes the game worthy of its current price. The main story takes approximately 70 hours to finish or even more if you're a completionist about a huge amount of side activities too, given the amount of freedom you can spend on. There's even a New Game+ which I'm sure will be worthy of your time because there are extra features in this game that are yet to see following your first playthrough. You can also rewatch anime cutscenes, view concept arts, listen to soundtracks, participate in extra Psychology lessons and even participate in a quiz show! All of them are worth your time. [h1]CONS[/h1] I only have very few criticisms which are the technical issues. My first impressions upon its release are that this game used to crash frequently and have glitches and bugs lying around which prevents me from progressing through the game. I also suffered from laggy anime cutscenes, but there are patches that could fix your issues. However, I can say it's possible for them to be fixed, which I have finally managed to achieve so don't let this put you off. [h1][u]Verdict: Masterpiece 10/10[/u][/h1] Despite having its own minor problems, Atlus has done an absolutely amazing job to produce and develop a JRPG masterpiece like [i]Persona 4 Golden[/i]. Everything this game offers has been a fun and worthy time for its players. This game is truly fantastic, very immersive and enjoyable to the point that you get addicted to it and can play it as many times you want. I’m sure you will never regret it. Since this is the [i]first[/i] Persona game I have played, I had a really great time and I am proud to call myself a fan of the franchise. With the success of its release on Steam overflowing with [i]Overwhelmingly Positive[/i] reviews, it seems like there is hope in the future for more releases to come to PC, such as [i]Persona 3 FES[/i] and [i]Persona 5 Royal[/i]. This game is more than your typical everyday JRPG. It’s about [b]friendships and families[/b] and it mostly teaches you to [b]embrace your true self as a part of who you are[/b]. This game has taught me to [i]accept myself for who I am[/i]. After playing the game, chances are your life has changed as a whole without realising it, such as being “cured” from depression. [b]An amazing game that is definitely recommended to anyone alike, be it JRPG fans. It’s long, but it’s worth every minute. One of the most incredible JRPGs I have ever played. I absolutely loved everything about it :D[/b] P.S. Check out the anime adaptations [i]Persona 4 The Animation[/i] and [i]Persona 4 The Golden Animation[/i] if you’re interested although I recommend watching after beating the game to prevent spoilers. It can be a fun watch. [i]Every day’s great at your Junes![/i]