As fans wait impatiently for Atlus to share more news about Persona 6, insiders have taken the opportunity to share some information about other projects that the company is apparently working on, one of them being a Persona 4 remake. Persona 4 was originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2008, and it later received an expanded re-release on the PS Vita in 2012, called Persona 4 Golden. Since the Golden version of Persona 4 was ported to pretty much every modern console in 2022, it is no longer an inaccessible game. That said, it could still benefit from a remake, as the game hasn't aged that gracefully compared to some of Atlus' more recent titles.
Atlus released a remake of Persona 3, named Persona 3 Reload, early last year, so most gamers thought that a Persona 4 remake with a similar scope would still be a few years away from being released. However, it's apparently coming out a lot sooner than expected. According to recent rumors, the Persona 4 remake will be announced during the Xbox Games Showcase this June, and it will be released on Xbox Game Pass on day one, just like Persona 3 Reload before it. If this remake truly does exist, then it would be great if Atlus made some changes to Persona 4's gameplay by implementing a feature that was introduced in Persona 3 Reload.
A Persona 4 Remake Can't Repeat One Major Persona 3 Reload Trick
A Persona 4 remake could follow many of the same beats that Persona 3 Reload did, but it would have to differ with one key decision.
A Persona 4 Remake Should Borrow the Theurgy Mechanic from Persona 3 Reload
Persona 3 Reload Made Some Major Changes to Persona 3's Combat
In the original Persona 3, combat was very different compared to the series' modern installments. Players couldn't directly control the members of their team during battle, and some special ailments could prevent them from engaging in certain activities outside of combat. These odd design decisions made the combat in Persona 3 a much more grueling experience than it arguably should have been. Fortunately, Persona 3 Reload got rid of all the unnecessary features that made the original game more difficult, like the Tired and Sick status effects and the uncontrollable party members. It also added a major new battle mechanic known as Theurgy, which gave combat a new level of complexity.
The New Theurgy Mechanic in Persona 3 Reload Adds More Depth to Combat
The Theurgy mechanic operates much like the Showtime feature found in Persona 5 and Persona 5 Strikers. It is, in essence, an extra set of skills that are exclusive to certain characters in the game and can only be used after fulfilling specific requirements. Each party member in Persona 3 Reload has their own Theurgy Gauge that appears next to their HP bar during combat. The gauge increases whenever a player performs actions in battles; depending on the party member, some actions can increase the gauge faster than others. Theurgy skills can have a wide variety of effects during combat. Some can fully restore a user's HP and inflict massive fire damage on an enemy, while others can double the amount of damage an ally's magic attack can deal for one turn.
Most of the party members in Persona 3 Reload have two distinct Theurgy skills, one of which can only be unlocked by completing a Social Link. The game's protagonist, on the other hand, has access to up to six Theurgy skills, due to his Wild Card powers. These skills can be obtained by recruiting different kinds of Personas and fusing them together in the Velvet Room. Each of the Theurgy skills has a unique animated cutscene, which will play mid-battle whenever a player uses it.
A Persona 4 Remake Would Easily One-Up the Original By Implementing a Theurgy-Like Mechanic
Persona 3 Reload's Theurgy skills add a layer of depth to the combat system of the first Persona 3, and even though they don't make up for the occasionally boring Tartarus grind, they do at least give players a greater incentive to complete Social Links and collect Personas. That's why a hypothetical Persona 4 remake should have a feature similar to Theurgy skills, as well. It doesn't necessarily have to be the exact same, but any kind of major new battle mechanic in the vein of Persona 5's Showtime and Persona 3 Reload's Theurgy would be an obvious improvement over the original Persona 4's combat.
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