Persona 4 Showed Me What Most Of The Biggest RPGs Are Still Missing

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Something has been bugging me about the relationships in major RPGs, but it took playing to realize what had been missing the whole time. Having previously played , I had an idea of what to expect from ’s Social Link mechanics. What I wasn’t expecting was how much more intimate the relationships in the game would feel compared to major releases like or the series. I was so drawn to the characters that I even played through both of ’s spin-offs to spend more time with them.

That isn’t to say ’s relationships are perfect. In fact, many of the actions taken by the game’s male leads are downright deplorable. However, despite these flaws, ’s main cast still has one of the strongest relationships in any RPG that I’ve played. This is due in large part to the more authentic feel of ’s relationships.

Each of the 24 arcana needs to be completed before the end of Persona 4 Golden. However, conflicting dates and holidays can make planning hard.

Many major RPGs have followed a similar formula for handling interparty relationships as far back as in 2003. When not on a mission, the player’s party largely hangs around in a central hub, and the player can talk to each of them individually to progress their relationship. This formula has hardly been improved upon over the years, even in games that are otherwise mechanical marvels like. fixes many of the issues with this model.

One major way the series makes its relationships feel more authentic is through the main characters’ differing schedules. Instead of being constantly available whenever the player decides they want to have a conversation with them, characters in the mainlinegames have their own schedules. If players want to spend time with a specific character, they need to prioritize doing so when that character is available. This often means missing out on other things that one might want to do that day.

Though this mechanic initially caused me some stress, I quickly came to realize it made progressing the relationships