Fans have their favourites when it comes to any series. For Final Fantasy, mine is 8. For Yakuza, it’s 0. And when it comes to Persona, I can’t get enough of 4. Or Golden, if we’re being really particular. It should come as no surprise then that when I see Persona 3 getting all this love and attention with the shiny new Reload remake, I want Persona 4 to be given the same treatment, too.

It’s not just Persona 4 that deserves a new lease of life, though. It’s all of the older titles. While Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden received ports to modern consoles last year, the rest of the series (and even other versions of those titles) are languishing on obsolete consoles, largely unavailable to anyone who might wish to play them unless they fancy forking out a hefty sum for an original copy and console. Emulation is probably your best bet.

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The series has been popular for years, but its Western fanbase especially boomed after the launch of Persona 5. After discovering a new favourite, many wished to explore the series' roots, but it’s easier said than done when the games are scattered across older generations. The perfect solution to this problem is to port them like they did last year for 3 and 4 or give them a remake like Reload. And let’s face it, if we’re going for wishful thinking, let’s push the boat out.

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Imagining what the characters and world of Persona 4 would be like in the modern, crisp graphics of Reload is exciting. Though the game featured 3D character models and environments, the blockier, stiffer character models and less detailed scenery betray their age, even in the recent remaster. I want to see Teddie in all his glory with the benefit of a new engine and modern graphics.

There’s a good chance that if Reload proves successful, Atlus will look at its back catalog and consider which title to overhaul next. If remakes bring in profits, why wouldn’t you do more? The beautiful thing about Reload is it’s not just simply a fresh coat of paint on an old game that leaves the bones of the gameplay beneath untouched. It’s a new evolution of the title.

The gameplay has many new facets and tweaks, such as new battle mechanics or the removal of unloved features such as the Fatigue system. The team has breathed life into the world like never before, adding its own touches with brand-new scenes and giving the SEES squad a fresh set of threads. There’s also reason to hope there may be something even more exciting planned, as fans believe a recent trailer has hinted at a new character.

If Reload offers a new twist on an old favourite, it could prove to be an unmissable entry to the series. After all, with each new iteration of FES and Portable, we all flocked back despite the main narrative being largely the same. If there are new plot details or characters, even minor ones, fans will eagerly devour them.

It could also mark the beginning of a new branch of the series that revisits old titles, bringing them up to date and introducing them to modern consoles for new fans while treating long-term fans to a few surprises. Hey Atlus, Persona 4 Golden is next, yeah?

Persona 3 Reload launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on February 2, 2024.

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