Eternights Puts Some Indie in Your Persona | Push Square

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Persona is all the rage nowadays, so it's no wonder independent developers have begun filling the gaps as we await the sixth mainline instalment. Eternights, the debut title from Studio Sai, represents the crème de la crème of this new push from the indie world, with stunning cutscene visuals that would look at home in any Atlus game as well as an intriguing plot with various dating mechanics. With Persona 3 Reload not set to launch until next year, let Eternights fill the void in September.

We played the game's opening 45 minutes at Summer Game Fest Play Days, which gradually introduces the story and some simple combat mechanics. Playing as the «Protagonist» (they're not given a name, at least in the first hour), the first sequence introduces you to the game's dating apps before a sudden change signals a retreat to an underground bunker as the end of the world looms large. Some dialogue comes across a bit too pervy, but it's here where you shall begin a life equally split between dungeon crawling and searching for love.

The initial stages are obviously quite light on relationship building, so our only exposure to the dating features came as dialogue options, both in person and on the Tinder, Bumble knock-offs. In the full game, you'll be able to romance up to five characters, with deeper and more meaningful bonds unlocking new abilities for battle. These speech choices were always engaging, offering witty, thoughtful, and occasionally creepy responses. The demo also featured the passing of time and day changes, hinting you may need to secure a date before a certain threshold.

Most of our hands on session was instead spent exploring the underground bunker you've retreated to and fighting the monsters lurking within. You