Persona 3 Reload fans have a major release to look forward to in September: the game’s Episode Aigis expansion. This DLC is a faithful remake of the 30-hour epilogue from Persona 3: FES, which directly picks up after the ending of the main game and follows the adventures of Aigis and the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad as they try to escape from a time loop. The Episode Aigis expansion was announced during an Xbox Partner Preview event in March 2024, only a month after the release of Persona 3 Reload. The DLC is slated for release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC as part of a $35 expansion pass (or at no additional cost to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers).
Persona 3 Reload's Episode Aigis expansion makes some significant changes to the content added in P3 FES. The upcoming DLC not only gives FES's epilogue a complete graphical overhaul, it also adds several new features to the game, including revamped soundtracks, new music, new Theurgy spells for Aigis, and new animated cutscenes. Episode Aigis also introduces some major quality-of-life improvements that weren't present in the original release, such as Persona compendium access and controllable party members. With all the new content Atlus is incorporating into this remake of Persona 3: FES's epilogue, now is the perfect time for the developer to take things a step further by adding a feature that was sorely missing in the original release: a social link for Metis.
Persona 3 Reload's Joker Boss Battle Brings Persona 5 DLC Full Circle
The inclusion of Joker as a boss fight in Persona 3 Reload's upcoming Episode Aigis Expansion Pass brings the series full circle back to Persona 5.
Atlus Should Give Metis a Social Link in Persona 3 Reload's Episode Aigis Expansion
Metis is a Major Character That Made Her Debut in The Answer
First introduced in Persona 3 FES' The Answer epilogue, Metis is a mysterious android that claims to be the sister of her fellow robot Aigis. She, like the aforementioned S.E.E.S. Member, is an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon who was designed to defend others from dangerous threats with the use of her Persona. While Aigis was tasked with protecting the player character in Persona 3's base game, Metis is tasked with protecting Aigis herself. In Persona 3 FES, Metis effectively takes over the role of Aigis in combat. Since Aigis gains access to the P3 protagonist's Wild Card ability, she is unable to use her special Orgia Mode power, but Metis is able to use an improved version of this very same skill instead.
Metis essentially serves as the counterpart to Persona 4's Marie and Persona 5's Kasumi Yoshizawa. All three of these female characters made their debut in the definitive editions of their respective games. Metis first appeared in Persona 3 FES, whereas Marie was introduced in Persona 4 Golden and Kasumi Yoshizawa was added in Persona 5 Royal. These Persona 're-release girls', as some fans like to call them, have been a staple of Atlus' games for quite a while and have had similar roles. However, there is one trait that Marie and Kasumi had in common that Metis oddly lacked, and that's having a social link.
Metis Deserves More Character Development in the Episode Aigis Expansion
Despite playing a major part in the game, Metis didn't have that much screen time in Persona 3 FES. Since Atlus primarily prioritized dungeon-crawling and combat over story and social simulation elements in The Answer epilogue, players weren't given the opportunity to interact with and learn more about Metis outside of story-related sequences. Atlus could easily fix this major flaw in P3 FES by giving Metis a social link in the Episode Aigis expansion, preferably one that's on par with the social links present in Persona 3 Reload.
Luckily, the recent trailers for the Episode Aigis expansion do suggest that new socialization events involving Metis will be added to the epilogue. While it's hard to tell for sure if these new activities are more in line with social links rather than dorm hangouts, it's still a promising sign nonetheless. Hopefully, this indicates that Atlus will flesh out the relationship between Aigis and Metis more in Persona 3 Reload's upcoming DLC.
Persona 3 Reload
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- February 2, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17 / Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- P-Studio
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into the shoes of a transfer student thrust into an unexpected fate when entering the hour "hidden" between one day and the next. Awaken an incredible power and chase the mysteries of the Dark Hour, fight for your friends, and leave a mark on their memories forever.
Persona 3 Reload is a captivating reimagining of the genre-defining RPG, reborn for the modern era.
Experience the pivotal game of the Persona series faithfully remade with cutting-edge graphics, modernized quality-of-life features, and signature stylish UI.
Fully immerse yourself in an emotional, gripping journey with new scenes, character interactions, and additional voiceover.
Choose how to meaningfully spend each day through various activities from exploring the Port Island to forging genuine bonds with beloved characters.
Build and command your optimal team to take down otherworldly Shadows and climb closer to the truth.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Franchise
- Persona
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, RPG, Life Simulation, Strategy
- How Long To Beat
- 65 hours
