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Can RPG fans enjoy Persona 4 Arena too?
This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer. I've had Persona 4 Arena in my house for a week now, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around what a glorious oxymoron the game is. Has there ever been a more contradictory mash-up than fighting and role-playing?Fighting games, of all genres, have proven the most resistant to the "RPG elements" embraced by shooters, puzzlers, and even rhythm games. It's a genre predicated on the notion of a level playing field. Street Fighter and its ilk are hard enough to balance as it is without throwing in added variables like stat bonuses and special equipment.That's to say nothing of the fact that the play styles are oil and water. Fighting games are competitive, twitch-based affairs – not the best fit for the average RPG fan who enjoying whiling away the hours constructing an optimal party. Probably the closest thing we've had to a true fighting game/RPG hybrid is Dissidia Final Fantasy, which was definitely an interesting spinoff with some solid RPG elements, but couldn't really be called a traditional fighter. Persona 4 Arena, by contrast, is a classic 2D fighter that wholly embraces its setting and even adds to the overall lore. It's also more or less devoid of RPG mechanics though, which might be a tough sell for traditional fans of the series.So will fans of the Persona series find this unlikely spinoff to their liking? Here are a few thoughts from the perspective an RPG enthusiast who happens to be pretty bad at fighting games.%Gallery-160947%
Persona 4 Arena review: Scary monsters, nice sprites
As I've had an extensive history with Persona 4 Arena's older sisters BlazBlue and Guilty Gear XX #Reload, I felt I knew basically what kind of experience I had in store with Arc System Works' latest 2D anime fighter. I was wrong, as it turns out, in a surprising and endearing way.Now, while my knowledge of Arc System Works' back catalogue is virtually all-encompassing, my know-how of the Persona series is substantially less-than, which is to say "nonexistent." What a shock it was, then, to be thrown head-first into a developed, storied world with characters I've never known and places I've never seen, only to come out the other side deeply invested and hungry for more. Without a doubt, no fighting game has ever made me care about its characters like this.Persona 4 Arena gave me feelings.%Gallery-148152%
Persona 4 Arena videos display sick moves, goofy work environment
This latest quartet of trailers for Persona 4 Arena communicate two very important concepts: One, entering combinations of directional inputs and button presses result in impressive feats of daring do while playing, and two: Being a voice actor looks really, really fun.The behind the scenes video above gives a glimpse into the recording process for P4A's English dub, while the three other videos tucked beyond the veil break down Elizabeth, Labrys and Shadow Labrys' special move sets. Not only did we learn a bit more about the game's characters, but we also added the word "gesitantly" into our ever-growing vocabulary of portmanteau, which was a pleasant surprise. A "plurprise," if you will.
Persona 4 Arena screens take a break from fighting
These screens of Persona 4 Arena focus on things outside of the battlefield, like menus, the training room, dialogue and cutscenes. If you're tired of being inundated with fighting screens from this fighting game, this is ... the gallery you want, we guess.
Persona 4 Arena trailer is a spectator sport
For Persona 4 fans, Arena represents a new chapter in the storyline of the Atlus RPG universe. For everyone else, it's a bunch of stylish teens beating the elegantly appointed stuffing out of each other. Either way, it's a spectacle!
Atlus explains Persona 4 Arena's region lock, expresses surprise at 'force' of community disapproval
The unprecedented decision to region-lock the PS3 release of Persona 4 Arena will not lead to a "slippery slope," Atlus PR and sales manager Aram Jabbari said in a statement (available in full after the break)."This is NOT the beginning of a new ATLUS policy, nor do we view it as a precedent or a slippery slope," Jabbari said. "If anything, your determination and dedication to what you believe in has certainly stood in the face of that. This is an isolated case, a situation precipitated by a number of factors, some of which are simply out of our North American hands." He admits that Atlus was "completely unprepared for the force with which the community communicated their disapproval."Jabbari explained that the North American release contains both Japanese and English audio tracks, and will be released very close to the Japanese version (August 7 in North America and July 26 in Japan). "The unforeseen consequence in all of this was that we had a version of our biggest game of the year releasing within a couple weeks in two territories, both identical in content, but at radically different price points."Because of the difference between the yen and the dollar's values right now, this situation could lead to mass importing, which would "cannibalize the performance of a title in one territory to the benefit of another." For reference, the Japanese retail price of Persona 4 Arena is ¥7,329, roughly $92, versus $59.99 in North America."The decision to region-lock P4 Arena was a business one, one that has very clearly affected how many perceive the project," Jabbari concluded, "but we ask you to please not overlook the exceptional efforts of the people behind the game and to work with us through constructive dialogue."
Persona 4 Arena will be region locked on PS3
The PlayStation 3 version of Persona 4 Arena carries with it an unusual distinction: The Arc System Works-developed fighter will be region locked, meaning that North and South American copies of the game won't function on Japanese PS3s, and vice-versa."Yes, the PS3 version game will be region-locked. I certainly can't offer details as to why, but there might be an official response at some point," said an Atlus employee on the company's official forums."To reiterate, our version of the game works for the North and South America regions. Also keep in mind that both the NA and JP versions have both English and Japanese text/voice options, making them nearly identical. I'm unsure of what the case will be for the EU version."While Blu-ray film playback has been subject to regional limitations since the get go, PS3 games have only been limited by the differences between PAL and NTSC -- standards which have waned in relevance since HD televisions became more prevalent.
Persona 4 Arena includes soundtrack for pre-orders
Atlus can generally be counted on for a free soundtrack with launch copies of its new games, and, delightfully, the publisher is upholding that reputation with Persona 4 Arena. Pre-ordered copies will include the "Persona 4 Arena Arranged Soundtrack" with "select songs" from the game.If you're interested in picking up the soundtrack – and the game that just happens to be included with it – it'll be released August 7.
Seen@E3: Atlus' custom Persona 4 Arena arcade stick
During E3, we met with Atlus to check out Persona 4 Arena, among other things, and upon sitting down at the small table in our private presentation room we were surprised to find a P4A arcade stick waiting for us. Immediately, our hearts were all a-flutter with the prospect of a nice limited edition arcade stick."There is an official HORI stick in Japan," Aram Jabbari told us, "but this is a Mad Catz that we've customized. There is no official North American stick at this time," and as quickly as they had arisen, our hopes were quickly dashed. Jabbari, who is Atlus' Manager of PR and Sales, said we could post about the stick so long as we promised not to insinuate that it was a real product, or that it was ever going to be released. So! Expect to see it on store shelves before the end of the month.(But seriously, there is no North American stick at this time.)
Persona 4 Arena starts a North American fight August 7, includes Japanese voice track
Persona 4 Arena, the upcoming fighter from Atlus and Arc System Works for Xbox 360 and PS3, received a North American launch date of August 7 on this E3 morning. The game will feature an English-speaking dub and also include the original Japanese cast."Persona 4 Arena represents one of the biggest investments in Atlus history," said Atlus VP of sales and marketing Tim Pivnicny. "While it remains a feature we are unable to add in every one of our releases due to any number of factors, we are incredibly excited to be able to offer our fans the frequently requested dual language option in as highly anticipated a title as Persona 4 Arena."
Playing Persona 4 Arena, Episode 1: Buttons and systems
Despite the exceedingly rudimentary tone of this video's first half, Atlus' new series of Persona 4 Arena tutorial videos will undoubtedly come in handy for those less mired in the intricacies of fighting games, yet still interested enough to give P4A a shot.This first episode covers basic movement and button functionality, as well as P4A's cornucopia of special techniques and gameplay systems. RPG fans following the series into this brave new world will undoubtedly be able to handle concepts like "blocking" and "jumping," but the game's "Auto Combo," "Furious Action," "Burst," "All-out Attack," "SP Skill" and "Awakening" mechanics are probably worth familiarizing yourself with ahead of time.And by "probably," we mean "We're never going to remember any of this."
Persona 4 Arena's release window narrowed to August 2012
Persona 4 Arena, Atlus and Arc System Works' confrontational extension of the Persona universe, was announced two weeks ago with a rather vague "summer" release window for its North American launch on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Apparently that meant "the tail end of summer," as Atlus has specified a slightly more specific August, 2012 window on the PlayStation Blog.When it does launch, the game will include the prerequisite Online mode, as well as a console-only Story mode, which Atlus is attempting to populate with the English voice actors used in Persona 3 and Persona 4. In situations where English actors aren't available, we always recommend using Scottish or Welsh actors as a substitute. Their geological proximity to England often gives them a familiarity with local dialects that can be useful when replicating an accent. ... Oh, English.
Persona 4 fighter officially coming stateside this summer
The mystery of that spooky teaser email has been definitively solved. Atlus announced plans to localize Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena for PS3 and Xbox 360, under the title Persona 4 Arena, which we won't have to look up every time we write about it.Developed by Arc System Works, the fighter features battles between Persona 3 and 4 characters in high-resolution 2D, and will be delivered to North America this summer. So if you were planning to summon a demon to bring this to you -- or import a copy -- you can cancel plans for those extreme measures.%Gallery-148152%
Atlus teaser email suggests Persona 4 fighter localization
Last night, Atlus sent its "Faithful" mailing list the most mysterious email ever. The subject line was "_____" and the body consisted only of a giant black rectangle. Or so we thought.Destructoid fiddled with the black levels in the image and found the above. Yes, Atlus hid a teaser, which seems excessive. Readers then pointed out that the pattern behind the text can be found in the logo for the fighting game Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena, suggesting that the crossover fighter could be the next localization announcement from the publisher.We're asking Atlus in the hope that it will respond with more than just underscores.
Persona 4 fighter hits Japanese arcades in March
The Japanese console release of Arc System Works' Persona 4-based fighting game is due this summer, but you'll be able to play the game sooner ... if you happen to be near a Japanese arcade or an American arcade that really keeps up.Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena will hit Japanese arcades in "early March," developer Arc System Works announced today. We're just going to think about this as a very long testing period, so Atlus can get an idea of balance tweaks before announcing the American release of this lovely 2D fighter. Right?
Persona 4 fighting game footage unleashes some demonic Supers
A fighting game about pugilistic students with their own indentured demon buddies has got to be pretty cray-cray, right? You don't need to guess, because you can just watch the Persona 4 Arena footage above and confirm your own cray-cray suspicions.
The Persona fighting game caught on video, straight from TGS 2011
When we first heard about a rumored Persona-based fighting game from BlazBlue dev Arc System Works, we couldn't believe our eyes. And then Famitsu's full report on Persona: The Ultimate In Mayonaka Arena went live, officially detailing the bizarre mashup of Persona and the fighting game genre.Now, just a few short weeks later, we've got a full 10 minutes of the game being played on video, courtesy of Japanese video sharing site Niconico. If you woke up this morning hoping to see a virtual female viciously beaten with a chair, look no further -- this video's just for you.
