Summary
ThePersonaseries stands out from other RPGs because of its realistic settings, down-to-earth characters, and use of time. You’ll typically play through a few school semesters and have the freedom to create social connections or spend time alone to improve stats like courage, academics, and charm.
Persona 3 Reloadfollows this pattern and takes place over several months. From April to January, your character will grow from being the new kid on the block to an essential asset in the fight to save the world. Each month has memorable moments and side activities, but some are certainly better than others.
10January
The End Of The Adventure
January is the last month in Persona 3 Reload, and while the final confrontation and ending are exhilarating, the rest of the month feels empty and melancholy. By the time the month begins, you’ve likely already maxed out most of your social links and won’t have much to do during the day except work part-time jobs and tie up loose ends.
One of the worst aspects of January is that the punchy music that’s played for most of your adventure is replaced with drab drones. While these new sounds reflect the tone of the story, they take some of theexcitement out of the air for the rest of the journey.
9September
A Full Party
September feels like the last month in Persona 3 Reload with new opportunities before you start heading toward the end of the game. As you head back to school for the second semester, you’ll likely be able tostart working on social links for party memberslike Fuuka, Yukari, and Mitsuru, while also completing the team with the final addition - Shinjiro Aragaki.
September will likely be a very active month for you as you continue to work on and complete social links with other students. After hearing about the Culture Festival, September takes a bit of a nosedive after a typhoon cancels the event, and sleeping an entire weekend away also makes the month lose some momentum.
8December
The Decision
The beginning of December begins with an epic fight between friends that results in the truth finally being revealed about the Dark Hour, the Protagonist’s special abilities, and much more. After learning about the fate of the future, the party spends most of the month thinking about a decisionthey must make together at the end of December.
Between all of this, you still need to find time to study for your finals and possibly go on a Christmas date with your partner. December is a month full of self-reflection and difficult decisions, and if you decide to make the wrong choice, December will be the last month you see in Persona 3 Reload.
7October
Tragedy Strikes
It’s hard to deny that October doesn’t contain one of the most shocking and emotionally devastating scenes in the entire game. After a couple of party members fail to show up to a boss fight, you eventually find them, but it doesn’t result in a happy ending for everyone.
After this event, the party feelsmore motivated than ever before to complete their mission, and their Personas begin to evolve as they overcome their weaknesses. October is a very emotional month that pushes everyone toward focusing on becoming stronger to prevent any more incidents from occurring.
6November
The Beginning Of The End
After completing their initial mission of defeating the twelve Full Moon shadows, the party believes that their duty is done and celebrates with a giant sushi party. Once they figure out why Aigis and Ikutski are missing from the event, they discover something horrific at Tartarus that shows SEES that they still have some work ahead of them.
November is amonth that focuses on story momentum with high stakes and great momentsthroughout. The team feels scattered for a bit after the recent realization, and Mitsuru and Junpei are both unavailable to go to Tartarus after some personal losses. The school trip is a great stress reliever toward the end of the month and provides a fair amount of levity during a dark period.
5May
First Full Moon
After taking some time to settle into your new home, May allows you to have a bit more freedom than before tocreate new social links and check out local activities. Between facing your first real Full Moon boss and expanding your team with the addition of Akihiko Sanada, you’ll feel your team evolving in both strength and size during this month.
In addition to making progress in Tartarus, you’ll have to face another difficult challenge in May - your first week of exams. you’re able to partake in group study sessions in the dormitory that can improve your academics and provide you with precious time to bond with the team before the next obstacle arises.
4April
Welcome To School
April is the first month in Pesona 3 Reload, and it invites you into the world with style. The introduction of the Dark Hour, Sekkougan High School, and the lovable cast of characters are done incredibly well without ever feeling overwhelming. It’s the shortest month in the game - your first day is April 6th - but it sets the perfect tone to start your adventure.
While the end of Persona 3 Reload is an emotional rollercoaster, April is avery laid-back month with good vibes and little pressure to accomplish anything specific. You’ll spend most of your time forming relationships with fellow students and learning about the game’s many mechanics and possibilities.
3August
Dog Days Of Summer
Who doesn’t love the summer? Hot weather and no school means that you’ll be able to spend most of August hanging out with friends and working on social connections, but there’s a lot more waiting for you throughout the month. From two new party members to a couple of unexpected twists, there israrely a dull moment in the final weeksbefore school resumes.
From the Track Meet at the beginning of August to the Summer Film Festival, August is ultimately a month for focusing on social bonds, especially with the other members of SEES. Sure, you might have to go to summer school for a little while, but even that has little to no impact on the fun vibes and relaxing nature of August.
2July
Summer Vacation
After spending a few months familiarizing yourself with the daily life of a high school student tasked with fighting shadows at night, July finallysees the story gain some significant momentum. After completing the final exams of the semester, the team decides to take a break and travel to Yakushima for both business and pleasure.
One of the main reasons SEES travels to Yakushima is to meet with Mitsuru’s father to learn the truth about the incident from ten years ago that caused the shadows to exist in the first place. Every day on the island is a new adventure, from the boys trying to hit on women to meeting Aigis, a robot that joins the team to help them save the world.
1June
A Loaded Month
June haseverything you could look for in a Persona game. It begins with a mysterious ghost story spreading around the campus that eventually leads to the discovery of a new party member. You’ll unlock the ability to use theurugy abilities, obtain new gear for the team, meet Koromaru, and so much more in the jam-packed month full of discoveries and momentum.
Another great aspect of June is that it will finally allow you to spend time with fellow party members to help them learn new skills and abilities. From cooking to reading together, these moments provide excellent bonding time between you and whoever you choose and make your team even stronger in the long run. You also discover the Command Center recordings in June, which lead to some of the funniest events in the game.
