Persona 3

Persona 3 is a 2006 role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus for the PlayStation 2.

Persona 3 is a 2006 role-playing video game from Atlus, originally released for the PlayStation 2. It blends turn-based dungeon exploration with a social simulation set in a high school calendar year.

What it is

Persona 3 is the fourth main entry in the Persona series. It follows a group of students at Gekkoukan High School who form the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (S.E.E.S.). They investigate the Dark Hour, a hidden period where monsters called Shadows appear, and explore a tower called Tartarus. The game was released in Japan in 2006, then in North America in 2007 and Europe in 2008.

Why it matters

Persona 3 is a landmark title that helped define the modern Persona formula, combining dungeon crawling with social simulation and calendar-based progression. It has seen multiple expanded releases: Persona 3 FES (2007), Persona 3 Portable (2009), and a full remake, Persona 3 Reload (2023). These versions have reached Canadian players on PlayStation 2, PSP, and newer platforms through North American releases.

Key details

During the Dark Hour, the party fights Shadows using Personas — psychic manifestations summoned with a gun-like Evoker. The game's calendar system ties combat to school life, where building relationships (Social Links) improves abilities. Tartarus, a massive dungeon, is the main area for battles. The player character is a transfer student who joins S.E.E.S. at the start of the story.