Richard

P4G, P3R, P5R.

Persona 4 Golden is both the oldest, and simplest game of the "Big 3". It's a great intro to the game mechanics. And while the art is a bit simpler than the other two, Inaba is absolutely charming. I want to live there and grow veggies with my buds. If it wasn't for those damn TV's. Also, my favorite intro/menu song of any game ever. This was my 2nd Persona game, I wish it had been my 1st.

Persona 3 Reload is based on the oldest main Persona game, but is technically the newest. It looks fly AF, the combat is stellar, and it's Elizabeth's best appearance. Also, the most intense, best-written, and best voice acting of the three. However... It takes forever to get going (like 4 hours before you do much more than click "next"). It's also got the most disturbing theme of any game I've played in a decade. I had a nephew kill himself. The mechanic of teens shooting themselves in the head (even symbolically) should be plastered in "Trigger Warnings". (Sorry/not sorry for that one).

Persona 5 Royal might be the current king of the hill. Despite having the weakest story and least interesting "Scoobies", everything else about this game just shines. (And "weak story" is just compared to 3 and 4...it's a better story than 90% of JRPG's). It is SOOO good, that that's why you should play it last. It will spoil you.

So...P4G, P3R, P5R, I think is both the most satisfying, and most sensible way to play.

Hard no. Tolkien was not particularly good at horror. We came for the Hobbits, not the Balrogs. IDK how Tales of the Shire will play, but the last three LOTR games have been grim and gritty failures. I hope Tales breaks the mold.

I didn't like the first Citizen Sleeper that much. I found it ponderous and cliched and WAY too text-heavy. But it eventually won me over. It's one of those games that requires a pretty significant time-sink before the game (not you) starts to "git gud".

I'm following CS2, if they learn from their mistakes on the first game, this could be a jammer.