Persona 3

" A teenager who was orphaned as a young boy returns to the city of his childhood. Shortly after transferring to Gekkoukan High School, he is attacked by Shadows — creatures that feed on the minds of their victims. The assault awakens his Persona, Orpheus, his only chance at defeating these creatures of the night. He soon discovers that he shares this special ability with other students at his new school. From them he learns of the "Dark Hour," a hidden time that exists between one day and the next, swarming with Shadows. He joins the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES), and with his new friends, confronts the threat of the Shadows. " - Wikipedia Article on Persona 3

The main character (bottom right) with Akihiko Sanada (bottom mid), Yukari Takeba (top left), Fuuka Yamagishi (top) and Shinjiro Aragaki (bottom left)

The game is mixes RPG elements found in games like the Final Fantasy series with typical Japanese dating simulation games. During the day you're a teenage high schooler, making friends, taking exams and dating girls and during the Dark Hour you fight Shadows. The RPG elements are the same as any other RPG and the date sim parts can get very tedious after a while.

The main character summoning his Persona

The better points of the game lie in its intriguing storyline and artistic presentation. Each character and their Persona are well developed and detailed. The soundtracks fit the mood of the game very well especially with the many different environments the characters would be in (school, bloody dungeons, school trips, dates, deaths, etc.).

Overall, a good solid RPG with a good plot. Good sounds and art but unfortunately may only appeal to fans of the Shin Megami series or hardcore gamers.

Score: 7 / 10