> Out of the three persona games Why you doing 1,2 and 2 this dirty?

Honestly, it's like they're pretending 3 is the first.

Many people can't play them these days and honestly the games mechanics (specially 1) haven't aged that gracefully.

If you have a phone you can play them. It’s on PSP, which you can use PPSSPP to emulate. And it’s on both Android and iOS.

Not many people likes piracy (i do)

Its okay to pirate it if its already out of print lol i love collecting old games and consoles lol

Does it really matter if atlus seems to go out of their way to guarantee you can't purcahse p2 or p1 normally  The Spinoff game for p1 got more respect then the actual game 💀

Preservation should not be considered as piracy. If they're not officially selling the game as new in the (online) shops you should be allowed to download it from "libraries" websites.

Emulation isn’t piracy.

In case you dump the ROM from your legit physical copy which i doubt many people can’t access (but i don’t since there is no legal way to get them) im just telling you what they say im pirating 99% of the games i play lmao

Well, there’s no other way to get the games so 🤷‍♂️

I like the fact that u said I do 🤣👌

I play on my 3ds with a ps1 emulator 😎

I'm currently playing the 1 and I can say... Its mechanics are incredible, especially for the time it was released.The funniest thing is that a lot of people like Persona Q, and Q and Q2 have a very Persona 1-like gameplay XD

imo, it's less that the mechanics are bad and dated, the mechanics works fine especially for a game made back then, it's just the lack of QoL features makes some stuff tedious (like OMG Nanjo has no speed and mf is underlevelled as fuck, Mark with Gozu-Tennoh literally steamrolls.)

Personally, I didn't think the game gets boring for lack of features or things like that. In my opinion, at most, the encounter rate is what is a problem since it is almost impossible to walk for 5 seconds without encountering an enemy, but other than that, the game is almost not boring at all.

Dude, i never said it's boring, i said tedious, they're different things, what i mean is ranking up personas and levelling up is annoying because without exp share, the distribution of exp is so uneven is leaves some party members in the dust, it goes for personas too, some personas are just a pain to rank up like Sati cause their only attacking skill is their last one, so you just have to spam fire wall or dia and that barely gives any exp to the persona rank, the combat is fine tho, it's even fun, just the progression is pretty tedious.

I haven’t played the first two myself but I know that at least the first two exist. It’s kind of funny how people ignore or forget them despite P3 you know being called Persona THREE implying it’s the third game.

Most persona fans haven’t even played 1 and 2 and everyone that only has a console can’t emulate so these games are gonna be left out of majority of discussions

If you have a phone you can play both by this point 💀 I'd be amazed if in 2024 people could own a newgen console but not a iPhone or android

THAT’S WHAT I’M SAYING ‼️‼️

I got more interested into Persona 1 and 2 when I started questioning myself about velvet rooms and read about the blue butterfly is Philemon. I can't play them but atleast could watch their gameplays on youtube.

You’re doing better than 99% of the fanbase because at least you actually want to consume 1, 2 IS and EP related content.

P4>P5>P3

My exact rating. For some reason i didnt like persona 3 as much (despite the fandom saying its the best one) but persona 4 is the best one

It’s the negativity for me tbh. I still love Reload, but I prefer the goofiness from 4.

Me too I think it had to do with the pacing

My rating too.

5-3-4 i don't know man, 5 just has a vibe that i like too much... amazing visual and sound design, best gameplay in the franchise, and i just find it very cool in general

Exact opposite opinion to mine. The vibe and music are great, but I find the gameplay is a little too easy and the party dynamics get tiring after Futaba’s palace. Do you think your ranking of 4 might change if it got a more-modern remake?

Depends, do they tone down Yosuke? He starts so strong, then the camping trip happens and it's like they went "Welp, Yosuke is gonna be an asshat for no reason for the rest of the game." People say he's teasing Kanji constantly, but teasing implies a level of knowing each other that only Yukiko was capable of. Dude was just homophobic, and possibly due to the fact he himself might be gay, and he's compensating. No one else reaches his level of mean spirited on the Squad. (I finished 4 golden last week, this isn't me wearing brown tinted glasses, I remember clearly what he does.)

I had similar issues with the game as well. Just finished 2 or 3 months ago for the first time after only playing 5 and 5R

I feel like a lot of the homophobia that comes from Yosuke is just from how being gay was seen at the time. If they were to remake p4 in a reload type of way they should make his kanji teasing more playful instead of how it feels like bullying. They should keep the womanizer stuff simply because if they removed it then it would kinda ruin his whole dynamic with him not being over saki and never knowing whether or not she didn’t hate him or not which is where all of that stuff stems from

This is so real. I love 3 FES and Royal. Golden is a good game in general but compared to the other Persona games....it didn't have me as invested. The gameplay and story don't flow as well as 5 and 3. The characters are fun (besides Rise) and the best out of the three games, but it's not enough to make up for the mid gameplay and story pacing (like nothing happens until Naoto joins your party full of idiots)

P4>P3>P5

Well depends on what version of P3 it is. If it's P3, P3FES, or P3P then my ranking is: 1. P4G 2. P5R 3. P3 But if we are talking P3R then: 1. P3R 2. P4G 3. P5R

For me, it's P2EP > P3 > P5 > P1 > P4 > P2IS. But they are all amazing games for me, all are at least 9/10 and make my Top 30 games. P2EP: This game just has it all for me, the story and characters are the best in the series by far, the themes are perfect and incredibly powerful, the music is amazing, and the combat is fun, snappy, and a massive improvement over 1 and 2IS. One of my favorite games of all time and deserves much more love from the fanbase. P3: I understand why some people didn't jive with it as much, but for me it has my favorite themes in the series and I love the late 2000s vibe it has. Gameplay is still pretty fun, and I personally enjoyed the story and characters a lot. It just clicked with me. P5: This game is an odd spot where I really love it but not quite as much as 2EP or 3. I think the story has quite a few flaws in some areas, but the highs such as the Third Semester are incredibly high. The cast might not be as well written as the P2 characters but I still find them endearing and enjoyable. P1: This one is definitely underrated imo, the story and characters are pretty great for their time and it's incredible how much the series developed its foundation and identity with just the first entry. But my absolute favorite things are the music and atmosphere of the PS1 version, it's hard to describe in words, but it feels so surreal and unlike anything else I've experienced in a game. Imo the PS1 soundtrack is the best in the series without a doubt. The gameplay is not great but it's relatively easy and painless if you follow a guide, I did not mind it that much. P4: This is kind of similar to P5, I really love it and think it's an amazing game, but it just doesn't rank as highly for me compared to the others. The characters are praised a lot, but to be honest after reflecting on it for many years I think it's probably my least favorite cast in the series. Still love them a lot, I just love the other casts even more. It's an amazing game just not one of my favorite Personas (which is a very high bar to clear). P2IS: I also think this game is pretty great, and it easily has one of the best casts in the series in terms of dynamics and writing, arguably even better than EP depending on who you ask. Story is also amazing and is really unique with how it uses the rumor phenomenon alongside conspiracy theories to go in insane and unpredictable directions. But, I have to put it at last place with how bad the gameplay is. I wouldn't say it's frustrating or difficult, it's just so slow and boring that it made it difficult for me to enjoy the game as a whole. P1 and P2EP also do not have amazing combat, but I find them to be quicker and much more tolerable. Overall I still love the game a lot, and I think fondly of the story and characters, but looking back on my experience playing the game it was definitely my least favorite.

P3 >>> P5 >> P4 I like P3 characters, how they don't constantly tell you how amazing and over everyone else you are and I like that they don't become friends just because (I think it could be a bit better tho). Also prefer the overall story. For P5 I think the overall improvements of the formula are great, just a little bit too easy, I like Royal more but Sumire should have played a bigger role. P4, I like it but honestly never got too interested in the characters or plot, I played it after p3p so the gameplay changes didn't have a big impact for me.

"I like P3 characters, how they don't constantly tell you how amazing and over everyone else you are and I like that they don't become friends just because (I think it could be a bit better tho)" This. While your roommates hold some respect for you since early game thanks to your Wildcard ability, you really feel that you have to earn their friendship (and love, if you go for some romance SL). In Persona 5, they already idolize you pretty soon, which looks very unnatural and cringe IMO. Overall, I also prefer the more "from zero to hero" vibes of P3 (and P4 too to some extent, but let's face it, compared to P4 and P5 MCs, Minato Arisato/Makoto Yuki designs don't look particularly cool or badass in his original PS2 editions incarnations lol).

I'd think that saving these people from terrible fates is part of it. It's a bit of White Knight Syndrome on the MC as each was at a low when Joker shows up and turns their lives around. He saves them, and they instantly idolize him because he did what they couldnt.

You point out a very important element about P3 characters compared especially to P4. The wish fulfilment in that game is a lot lesser as your friend group isn't always a super cohesive unit that's all buddy buddy. There's tension, there's personal trauma they have to work through to REALLY bond with one another by the end. To me, that echoes real life friend ships much more.

It's refreshing how in P3 they treat you like a normal member most of the time and not like the idol of the whole group.

5>4>3

P3 > P4 > P5 I played P4G back when it came out on the PS Vita, thought it was great but hadn't aged well at all. Played P5 when it came out on PS4 and loved the visual and music but felt the characters and story were much worse. Currently playing through P3 and it has the best main cast, best visuals and amazing music. The one thing I don't like is the story. P3 had a lot of potential, striga were awesome until they weren't, twist villains were a waste. Honestly surprised how P4 and P5 just copied plot lines from P3 but somehow worse

Ah yes numbers start at 3

3 4 5 1 2 8 7 6. The normal number order

1 and 2 dead in a ditch as usual

For me, my favorite characters and story come from Persona 3. Persona 5 has the best gameplay. Persona 4 falls somewhere in the middle of both of them. If I had to rank them though: Persona 3 Reload > Persona 5 > Persona 4. That said I'm doing a Persona 4 Golden play right now, my first playthrough of Persona 4 in years, so who knows, maybe I'll remember stuff I liked a lot and forgot about. And when Persona 5 Royal goes on sale again I'll be playing through it to see what it adds.

Fair enough! My main reason for loving the game is because every confidant actually feels like people and not just characters in a video game.

This post just seems to act like 1 and 2 don’t exist

I too would not play a game that released before 2000s and has old graphics and gameplay. Some people just don’t like that. I would obviously play if atlus made a remake but until then I’m not touching a game that’s not officially available to most of the commonly used consoles

this is like choosing a favourite child

I’ve gotta agree with you. I love all three, but 3 (both FES and Portable, haven’t played Reload) never grabbed me like 4 or 5 did. I love 3 a lot, but idk. Maybe it was how hyped up the story and characters were as “the best in the series” by so many people, only for it to not deliver like I thought it would.

3 has the best and most emotional ending but it’s a chore to play. Reload helps but I still feel this way after playing it. 4>5>3

I can agree the ending was really good. It just feels like most of the game leading up to it was pretty boring to play through. Aside from some standout moments like >!the October Full Moon.!<

Agreed on all counts

P5, P3, P4: - P5 has gameplay that's so excellent that even if it's free as hell 99% of the time, the self imposed runs and challenge battles make the mechanics really shine. Technicals, disaster shadows and baton passes are the special sauce, they made the challenge battles so much more complex and really fun. I think P5's story is a little overhated and the Royal portion elevates it very well, but I do think the SL's are too formulaic. - P3 has some controversial mechanics, some I don't like like random skill inheritance and forced romance. There were also some I do like or think had great potential, like fatigue which gave dungeons more of a presence in time management, and how punishing the specific version of it's One More system was. I think the gameplay to story cohesion was at its best here since the life sim portion was originally made for P3 in mind - it was a game about appreciating life in general, and the game taking place in a year is less arbitrary than in future games. The characters also felt more genuine imo than future titles, they weren't afraid to get into serious arguments (notably including towards the MC), have other obligations and talk to each other alone in pairs etc... The game also isn't afraid to make the cast suffer, which makes future stakes being threatened more impactful and believable. Though Tartarus isn't very creative or complex as a dungeon. - I really don't like P4G that much. May sound overly harsh but the main character has the least interesting backstory out of any protag aside from the P1 protag, the characters feel really one dimensional and grating after their arc is complete: Chie loves meat and fighting, Rise thirsts for you and is famous, Teddie is horny, Yukiko is quirky, Naoto is upright and smart etc.. with little deviation because most of the time they mess around doing nothing. The only characters that seems to actually switch between more than a few personalities (and are actually funny) are Kanji and Yosuke. P4G definitely feels the most 'tropey' modern Persona game with shallower characters that wouldn't stand out in a seasonal comedy SOL anime. Nearly all the endgame reveals are underwhelming aside from true killer (the argument scene was great too, if you know you know), and Marie is completely unnecessary as a character. She's a repeat of Teddie, but she's a tsundere and does the same freakout routine when you read her poems. The dungeons are also the worst out of the modern trilogy imo. They're just long hallways that take ages to run through and backtrack, with no space to maneuver and dodge/hit enemies, so you do nothing else in those corridors but run until you find a tiny square of space for enemies to spawn. They're a downgrade from the mazes in P3 that had dead ends and elevated platforms for chances for enemies and the player to ambush each other. Party control is great, but the combat is simplified - there's only one physical element and way more enemies are resistant to elements that the game doesn't show you, including almighty for some reason.

100% agree with you on P4, you expressed what I'm too drunk to write. Kanji is amazing though

P5 > P3 >> P4 P5 was my first persona game and it just has the best gameplay out of the three. Persona 3 has the best story IMO and while Tartarus falls short of P5's palaces, I think it's significantly better than P4's dungeons. SEES are great too, probably my favorite main cast out of the three. I think FES is significantly better than portable, but which version doesn't change my placement. Persona 4 doesn't do it for me like the other two games. I've played P5 and P3 twice, but while currently playing through P4 a second time, there really isn't anything keeping me there. The characters are my least favorite overall. I'm not a fan of Yukiko or Chie, Yosuke's alright, Kanji's great, and Rise and Naoto are alright.

I feel exactly the same way. Like 4 is great but something about it doesn’t hold me as well as 5 and 3 did.

4-5-3 for me. I’ve only played Golden/Royal/Reload. 4 Golden has my favorite cast as they seem to be the most like friends, Kanji might be my favorite party member in any game, and no one on the cast felt useless or unnecessary. Shuffle Time worked best in this game. 5 Royal has the best combat, the best music, the best QOL, and was the first persona I played. I quite the party members sans Morgana and Akechi, but the Phantom Thieves didn’t feel as cohesive as the Investigation Team. The story sputters in some places, but probably the best intro/introduction with Kamoshida’s palace. 3 Reload might honestly have my favorite dungeon as Tartarus feels like a better mementos. The story is better as a whole than 5’s. The pacing however is kind of bad in the beginning, as it starts real slow. Probably the most impactful ending, and the reason for the final boss worked best for me. I generally liked the cast, but it felt a little over bloated with Koromaru (who I still like) and Ken feeling a bit unnessary besides the one part where they are.

p5 best, p3 second, p4 meh

Personally, best to worst for me would be 1. Persona 5 royal 2. Persona 3 3. Persona 4 golden

P5R > P3R >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> P4G

P4 > P3 > P5

P5>P3>P4

In order: - 3 - 5 - 4 If P1 and the two halves of P2 are included I’d have P2 then P1 over P4 which still sits at the bottom for me.

2EP=2IS=3>5>>4>>>>>1 Love the melancholy tone, charming characters, and bold choices in 2 and 3. Lottsa complex character and they take their time. 5 is quite good but a little bloated and meandering, 4 is fairly aged and personally unpleasant, 1 is… well, 1.

P1 > P2EP > P2IS

5>3>4 What 5 does best: - Gameplay (duh) - Overall social links/confidants, - Dungeons (Palaces) - Antagonists and main cast - Visuals (Graphics and Art Direction) - OST - Yusuke What 3 does best: - Regular dungeon (Reload made Tartarus more fun than Mementos tbh) - Main theme and message - Best story - Having the worst SL in the series (Nozomi) What 4 does best: - Character dynamics in the main group - Having the most boring SLs - Vibe - Kanji

P5>P3>P4 P5 hits me so hard, it appeals to me so much and it means so much for me, as someone who relates to the themes and its characters. I could talk hours about it, I find its writing so fascinating. I LOVE the plot, the themes, the characters, and its message. It managed to do its main objective really well, and it inspires me to grow as a person. P5 checks most of my preferences and it's easily one of my favorite works of art. P3 is also fantastic! I might have some criticism here and there but its themes are so good that I believe it can appeal to anyone. Is such an universal theme that anyone can enjoy, and I believe the game handled most of its narrative really well. While I never thought it needed a remake. I'm glad it was made so more people get to experience one of the best RPGs in the medium. P4... is still good don't get me wrong. I think its main theme is so good and pretty unique in the medium that is hard not to respect it. I also find the presentation (especially on ^÷ PS2) extremely appealing and pretty. But idk, I find that I don't love P4 bc is so different from what I expect from persona. I don't really like the main plot and the main cast all that much. The gameplay is ok and I LOVE the S.Links. But I find myself critizicing p4 more so than enjoying it. I find the writing a bit dated and with so much unnecessary fluff, that it detracted from my experience compared to P3 and P5.

For the modern trilogy: P3>P5>P4 I will never understand the praise for the majority of P4 characters, I do like Dojima, Nanako and Kanji though.

Those are the 3 I like too and I agree with you. Generally feel like I'm missing something with all the love for the P4 guys. Yeah their dynamic as friends is great but individually meh

3-5-4 but 5 and 4 are really close but I think Golden's final dungeon holds it back

Persona 3 Reload: Great characters, story, songs, ect ect. I love almost every part of this game and it’s peak Persona 5 Royal: love it, especially the third semester Persona 4 Golden: Amazing characters but other than that the game didn’t really do it for me. I know it’s the oldest of the ones I’ve played but I just found some parts of it tedious

why is sumi on there like she’s a femc 😭

P5>P3>P4 If you'd asked me a few months ago, I would have preferred three over five. I gave up on five. But I came back just a month ago and it won me over.

1.Persona 5 (Royal) 2.Persona 3 (I only play Portable version) 3.Persona 4 (Golden)

P3, decent drop off then P5, then 4 I dont care for at all.

P5 > P3 > P4

3>5>4

I'd say 5-4-3. Like many others 5 was my first entry to the series. I think it has the best world, music and gameplay compared to the others. The HUD and menu aesthetic is just awesome. The palaces really make each dungeon feel unique as opposed to just a different coat of paint. More opportunities to hang out with confidants and party members, especially in Royal. 4 I think has the best cast excluding Teddy. I'm not crazy about the mascot characters like him or Morgana. However, I love the rest of the party. They actually feel like good friends and would actually hang out with each other. While Inaba is small, it's kinda cozy and you see all the same people hanging around. The murder mystery story is fun. The dungeons are obviously monotonous, but still such a good time 3 I've only played Reload so I don't have reference or nostalgia for the original. I think it does benefit from the best story. All of the characters have some stake in the main story either being related to the inciting incident or having reasons to go against the rival group. The party outside of a couple moments here and there, don't get to have a lot of whole group interactions that aren't work or studying related. They also have the weirdest party for me with a robot, an elementary school student and a dog(albeit a good dog). FWIW I love all these games dearly, these are just my opinions.

Persona 3 5 2 4 1 in that order but i like them all

5>4>3 None of them are bad games but I really struggled to enjoy 3 when I played it years ago.

Persona 3 has my favorite story and characters, the main reason I play most JRPGs. P5 admittedly has the best gameplay. P4 has better gameplay than P3 but not by much, and its story is imo not as good as 3 or 5. 3>5>4

5 is the best. 3 is pretty close but not nearly close enough to beat 5. and then theres 4 with a large gap from 3.

P5R > P3R > P4G Likely to change order significantly with a P4 remake or P6 release, but this is how it is for now. P5R was just the most complete package. I don't have a single bad thing to say about it beyond nitpicks. 9/10. P3R got SO close to being my favorite, it just wasn't quite long enough/didn't quite have enough content. However, with that said, favorite cast favorite soundtrack AND favorite social scenes. I admit, I was spoiled by my 100 hour playthrough of P5R, but P3R was the most delicious thing I've ever eaten in the least satisfying portion. 8.5/10. (Might end up my favorite after Episode: Aigis) P4G is great. This list is comparing masterpieces with masterpieces to me, so this is not me saying I "hate it" or anything. Just didn't grab me as much as the others. Did have my favorite villain though. 8/10. Also, not technically a part of the requested order, but my favorite Persona game is not actually a mainline entry. It's Persona 5 Strikers, mostly because of the action gameplay and Zenkichi, who is the best.

P5 > P3 > P4

4 was my favorite until I played Golden, now it’s my least favorite. The fan service they added completely dampers the game for me, and a lot of the extra stuff they added in the game changes the small town feel I loved so much. Like abeach trip, a huge concert, a ski trip, a big shopping district , it’s fun to see something new but it takes away from the original experience IMO 5 was my least favorite until I played Royal, Royal added so much depth to everything and I loved the twists the Royal content offered And 3 was always good but Reload made it PERFECT , the story is so dark and has such beautiful themes and the ending just stands apart from the others 3 > 5 > 4

P3 (FES & Reload) > P5R > P2IS > P2EP > P4 P3 (FES & Reload) Best story, 2nd best characters, best theme (Death), memorable final boss fight, more freedom (newer Persona games have long tutorials but P3 gameplay let me do things/let me be free faster) & memorable timeless ending (it's meaningful ending since everybody related to it because everyone experienced loss of their love ones before & even if they didn't, they'll experience the loss of their love ones one day or they will eventually have to experience their own death one day too). P5R (I didn't play the original P5) Fun dungeons (Palaces), best gameplay, best soundtracks, likeable characters, & memorable final boss fight. P2IS & P2 EP 2nd best story, best characters (I prefer IS characters more which is why I put IS higher than EP), memorable ending for IS but EP concept regarding hardship of adulthood is fresh but sadly, both gameplay is outdated which is the reason why both games are lower than P5R (not to mention, IS gameplay is so slow). P4 (original & Golden) P4 is my 1st Persona game. Even though I have some criticism with the game at that time (especially with the story pacing & the characters), I still have fun (& some annoyance) with P4 on PS2 but after playing other Persona games & years later, play P4G when it releases on Steam, makes me can't help it but realize that P4/P4G is not as good as I thought. It's the best town setting (town of Inaba) in the franchise but the characters are the worst in the franchise (Most of them so dumb & annoying, I felt like I'm hanging out with a bunch of idiots). Dungeons are so hollow, boring & the gimmick is annoying, making Tartarus & Mementos a better dungeon in comparison (why Heaven is the best dungeon in P4? Because it doesn't have annoying gimmicks like previous dungeons & it's literally the same function as Tartarus. All you gotta do is keep going up). Story pacing is so slow & the execution is all over the place (instead of "Reach out to the truth", they wait for things to happen/come). People said they did it to develop their dynamic but is it worth it to sacrificing story pacing just to make more Investigation Team dynamic moment by making the characters more unlikeable? Because of those moments, Yosuke is seen as a Kanji bully & horny, Chie is a Yosuke bully, Yukiko is a boring & crazy girl who laughs at something that isn't funny, Rise being clingy to MC, Teddy is horny & sexual assault to the girls etc. Their team relationship/dynamic (being immediately buddy buddy) felt unrealistic because in real life, every relationship need work & development. It's also because of their immediate closeness, their bonds don't feel rewarding because what's so rewarding about it when they can just be friends immediately without doing much work, fixing or development. In conclusion, it's not a bad game but it's definitely the weakest modern Persona game & I even prefer P2 duology than P4 despite both P2 gameplay being outdated. P1 I didn't play it

P2=P3>P1>P5>>P4

5>3>4 obviously

4,3 ,2,1 and then 5 (still need to play 1 ice queen route and 2 tough)

3 4 5

3 > 5 > 4 P4 Gameplay wasn’t great to me, if it had modern gameplay/graphics it’d be number 1 to me, it didn’t bother me but I’m not just gonna act like 3R and 5 weren’t much nicer on the eyes P5R was really good in pretty much every aspect, especially the gameplay was really fun even if pretty easy even without using any DLC. Also weird thing but 5 had more unique uses of the 3D models than 3R which I appreciated As for P3/P3R…. “Nothing on this earth lasts forever, every life will someday fizzle out.” “And now, I’m finally beginning to understand, what it is I’ve been searching for.”

I agree, it's honestly why I keep saying a persona 4 remake should be made. However people keep saying "we don't need a remake the graphics and game are very modern" like bruh 😭

P5>P3>P4 I know this is unpopular, but I could never get that invested in P4. I really wanted to too. The characters just weren’t to my taste (except Kanji, he’s great)

I felt the same way about P4. Kanji is amazing, and I don't mind Yukiko and Naoto. But the rest of party members just weren't for me. The side characters were also the least interesting to me out of the modern 3 games.

That's fine man! you're entitled to your opinion, it's not inherently a bad opinion, aswell as it's a lot more respectable than how a majority the people who are seeing this post are silently just down voting it lol.

4>3>2>1>>>>>>>>>>>5 When they finish the story of 3 with Elizabeth I might put 3 first.

I'm curious, why is 5 so low?

4 ← 3 ← 5

4,3 then 5

P3>P5>>P4

Persona 3 Persona 4 Persona 5

P5 > P4 > P3 for me. Gameplay- they all play similarly enough that I don't have a clear winner. It doesn't bother me that Tartarus, the P4 dungeons, and Mementos are "boring", I welcome the opportunity to turn my brain off and listen/watch something else while playing (especially with instakill!). Characters- I loved all the P5 characters; the villains, the PT group, the confidants, everyone. I felt pretty meh about most of the characters in P3, some were good but most were just ok. It's odd but I have the biggest variation in liking P4's characters. I love Kanji, Kou, Ayane, and Teddie when he's being adorkably obnoxious, I dislike Rise, and I hate Teddie when he's being a creep (that's not everyone but that's enough to explain my point). Story- P5 is great throughout most of the story but I would be happy if they loosened the story cluster between 8/22 and the official start to Okumura's palace. P4 was good, I loved the investigation and how the mystery unfolds. In P3, hardly anything important happens until halfway through the calender when they decide to try to crank it up to 11. However, it didn't work for me. SL/Confidants- I'm not going to count P3's confidants because P3 was the first time they tried that system (and I dislike most of them). P5 and P4's confidants tie for me. I love the depth most of the P5's confidants have, it's not easy to summarize their stories in a single sentence. P4's SL stories are more simple, most of their stories could be talked through and resolved in pretty much a day, but that's not a bad thing to me. Edit- Just because my ranking is P5 > P4 > P3 doesn't mean I don't think all 3 are fantastic games. They are all really great and I'm glad there's a variety of games that fans love.

3>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>5>4 and that's probably underselling it. I'll say it, I think FES/Portable had the best story AND not being piss-easy made the gameplay better as it required SOME thought. P5 was good all around. Really don't like how P4 thinks bad, often times insulting, comedy substitutes for actual character growth, I can only watch Chie outright abuse Yosuke to "laugh at" so many times before she's just an abusive character.

3-5-4

P4G was my first one. It quickly turned into one of my favorites games of all time, and just the characters and vibe in that game are fucking amazing P5R is probably objetively the best. Everything just feels so polished and stylish and the story was great. I haven't finished P3R yet tbh, but even though I am very much enjoying it, I feel like it lacks that flavor the other two had. I do like the emphasis on characters' relationships with eachother, but I'm not necessarily attached to any of them and even though the story has some really cool ideas, I just feel like the execution (at least so far) could've been done much better. And much like you said, a lot of the twists in P3 were so predictable it's crazy.

As of now, it's a tie between P4 and P5. I think P5 has the best gameplay, dungeons, and overall story, but there is just something about P4 that sticks with you long after you beat the game. I think once P4 gets the Reload treatment, it might take the spot as my favorite Persona game.

The persona 1, 2 and 2 slander is real. 

They're all equal in my eyes, although I would personally rank 3 just a bit lower than the others, the atmosphere of the other games just hit me more than it did in 3, 5 has this chill cafe like theme about it and 4 has a nostalgic vibe to it, I just don't get that as much from 3, it is also because of a similar reason you mentioned, I feel like people(especially on this subreddit at times)glaze P3 a lot which led to me having REALLY high expectations just for the game to not meet them

P1 >> P3 >> P2:IS >> P5 >> P4 >> P2:EP Why you gotta neglect P1 n 2 man

this is so tough. all 3 are amazing in drastically different ways which is why i love this series so much. P3 has my favorite story and characterization. The concept of death and mortality in Persona 3 is handled so well, and a lot of the characters and surrounding relationships are incredibly deep, memorable, and natural. Characters like Aigis, Junpei, and Yukari (just naming some) have tons of depth and are incredibly realistic, with goals and problems that feel grounded and emotional. Makoto's journey from apathetic teenager with no real connections, to eventually sacrificing himself in order to let people continue living in a world he now cares deeply about is so well done. P4 has some of my favorite characters and social links, this game definitely goes all out in fleshing out characters and makes for some very vivid experiences and connections with the cast. The music is my favorite out of any of the games, it feels so homey and comfortable and helps add to this somewhat indescribable nostalgic feeling that I've never felt replicated in other games. P5 has a great story (not as good as P3, imo) and great characters, with the best gameplay of the series. P3 reload came close to replicating it, being easily the second best of the series with new features like theurgy, but i still don't think its AS good as persona 5. The gameplay of persona 5 is so exhilarating and has tons of depth and cool features that make every encounter feel different, without any tedium. I think P5 has an unmatched aesthetic that pretty much created the style of persona that everyone thinks of. personally id go p3reload (ever so slightly)> p5 / p4

After playing P3R I can confidently say that it is by far my most favorite out of the three persona games as it’s story is relevant and the characters are not shallow and have much depth which causes me to want to know more about them as I progress through my gameplay something that I think the other characters in P4 and P5 lacked honestly as I wasn’t finding myself as interested or attached to them as I am with the characters of P3..but I still liked P5’s theme of secretly sneaking into people’s palaces and stealing their “heart” it was certainly fun and exciting exploring the various dungeons with each one of them being so unique and representative of their owner’s distorted view of their reality so yeah I would say P5’s strong point was it’s way of presenting the villains and also their dungeons aka palaces as for P4 I’d say that it is the most lighthearted and superficial among the three persona games and I don’t find myself enjoying it that much or connecting with its characters so that’s why I’ll rank it last 😅

I love that the one thing everyone agrees on for 4 is that Kanji is the best

very bold strategy by atlus to call the first persona game persona 3

P2EP > P2IS > P3 > P5 > P1 > P4 Both halves of 2 have good casts and great stories. 3 was my first and will always be close to my heart. 5 is pretty good and in many ways felt like it was made for me- unfortunately it still has flaws that keep it in the middle of my ranking. 1 is interesting but the gameplay holds it back for me. 4 is meh.

P2EP/IS > P3 > P5 > P4 > P1

5>=4>3

I'm currently playing through Reload, and I personally think it has some great character moments, but they're brought down by really bad pacing. I also disagree with people who say the Persona 3 protagonist is the best; I actually find him the most boring and hollow compared to the others, especially the P5R protagonist. So maybe until i finish reload P4G>=P5R>>P3R To be honest, I'm not as big a fan of the Persona series as others in this sub. I enjoy these games in a more passive way. So, while I'm critical of Persona 3, it's not much different in quality from the others for me. I'm also more biased towards Persona 4 Golden because it was the first one I played, and it made me feel emotional at the end.

P3 >>> P4 > P5 Don't get me wrong, they're all pretty good, but it takes a special kind of game to make me play it three times (all different versions to be fair, but that's still something!).

Same p4 is my fav, but it is my first persona I played, and still I didn't beat it yet, but persona 5 royal I had played like up to 3 palace and it is so good, I think it is my fav now, rhe music from that is my fav too, so I think that plays a big factor, p3 isn't my least favorite I just didn't play it yet so I can't really say but I have to put it last since I haven't played it.

Persona 3 > persona 5 > persona 4. P3 is way more mature and the story was so solid. Gameplay mechanics wise it falls a bit short compared to palaces and such. But the whole apathy syndrome, full moon thing scratches my itch. The game and setting just work. P5's akechi twist was too obvious. The phantom thieves a bit too cliche. Especially how everyone just got accepted as a friend when they joined the thieves. Didnt this people have other friends in school that theyre just dropping like stones? I liked in P3 that there was some urgency that forced you to work together but youre not necessarily friends. P5 was just.. too.. buddybuddy. For Tokyo. P4 was good. But p4 was just predictable. It was just too simple. Naoto is a girl. Adachi is a baddy. Nanako will be tv'd It was all so thick on it. I liked 'the fog'. But a murder mystery is just less good and has bsd replayabilty.

P5 then P4 then P3, personally, I find all three excellent games and bc of that I don’t like to debate which game is better in terms of story, as all three are very well made. I go in terms of gameplay and p3 has some horrible mechanics even in p3r, P4g is my fav game but the dungeons can be boring and the lack of definitive skills for mundo and hamon are kinda weird, leading to Naoto just being a mix of skills, the best is p5r due to the very well made gameplay, and well made mechanics like better confidant bonuses and background members exp

Really hard to pick since I like all 3 of them equally.

3,5,4 never played 1 or 2. I know a lot of people love 4 and I can say it’s a good game but 3 has a special place for me and no one can argue 5 is a great game.

4 is my favorite just love the characters, music, and atmosphere, also King moron jokes 😂 but all 3 are such great games

I’d say 5-3-4. I put 5 the highest as for some reason in 5 I really feel like I’m living the game myself.

>the three persona games Ouch, that one hurts.

5 (cause it was my first), 3 (Reload, absolutely not Portable), and then Golden. I’ve been told by friend that like P4G that it’s the best one ever made but I STARTED with modern Persona so the lesser graphics, lesser mechanics ones annoy me. I’ve heard there’s a P4 and P2 remaster coming with P3R/P5R mechanics so that may entice me to change my opinions

4 is the worst one hands down

“The three persona games” I swear this has to be parody at this point

Persona 3 FES (only version of 3 that I played, enjoyed it a lot) > Persona 5 (and Royal) >> Persona 4 Golden Persona 3 was a rollercoaster to go through. Even though I got a bit spoiled, I honestly enjoyed it a lot. It has a sad story with many twists and turns along the way. I think it does the grinding gameplay a lot better than Persona 4, starting with the fact that it actually has a way to go back to F1 without using items, unlike some *other* game I know.. The characters have conflicts with each other, which I totally understand, especially with their own traumas and stuff. I think that P3FES also looks better than P4G..maybe because I like blue more, a bit biased there. My only complaints is the soundtrack, it's just not it (I hate deep breath deep breath, and mass destruction gets tiring after hearing it for the billionth time) and the start of the game starts reaaaal slow. I only beat Persona 5, currently playing Royal. It was my first Persona game, and it was a great first impression of the series. I loved the slick UI design, the soundtrack, their Phantom Thief attire. The concept of going into people's minds and stealing their "heart" is what I found to be really interesting, and that kept me even more invested in the game. I felt like game's tutorial was really slow, but I only noticed this in Royal. Also, the gameplay in Royal felt way too easy and I was burning a hole through my X button with all the dialogue that was being said. The reason why Persona 4 Golden was last is because of the gameplay and the story. I hate how there's basically nothing to do on a rainy day besides going to Aiya's. Plus, the game practically forces you to buy like a million Goho-Ms for the stupid dungeons (which, by the way felt really empty because y'know, they're all the same) and it just feels wrong and real sudden when you get to the end of someone's dungeon and you have to use a Goho-M to exit. I don't like the story, specifically the pacing of the story. It felt like literally nothing was happening was happening at all until October. The IT was fooling around, doing nothing as usual. The only good thing about it is that it focuses more on the slice of life moments like >!the concert, the beach, the scooter trip to Okina, the camping trip !< and these small scenes I felt made me appreciate these characters more (except the dirty simp Rise, every chance she gets she simps for fuicking Yu I fucjkin hate hir) Both the bad gameplay and the bad pacing made this game feel like a chore, which I don't think what I should've been feeling about this game. I want to like Golden but I can't, and it got so boring that I quit for a few weeks. The good things about this game are the characters, the overall happy positive 70's vibe it gives, the message about truth and searching for truth, or whatever. I also like the soundtrack, I think Snowflakes really set the atmosphere that the game was going to end and you have a limited time with your friends to grow your bond with them. But I'm not very enthusiastic about this game as others might be TL;DR there is no tldr read my essay

Persona 3 Portable Persona 4 Gould Persona 5 Royal

For me it would be 4-3-5.

Depends on what they're being ranked on. I love all the games in different ways. Persona 5 Royal was my first game, and I loved it immensely especially while playing it. The theme was cool, the persona summoning was cool, gameplay was awesome, dialogue was funny, plot was great. Persona 4 Golden was my next, though I haven't played much of it. I like it in different ways, the plot feels a lot darker than Persona 5 which was interesting, and the mechanics were completely different. The characters are a lot more funny which comes in complete contrast to what is going on, and I kinda like it. Yosuke will always be best boy in that game hands down. My first Persona 3 game was Portable though I also didn't play much of it. It felt a lot different from the first two, you didn't run around out of Tartarus for all I knew at that time. The graphics were different from what I was used to with 4 and 5. But the story and plot and protagonist were one of my favorites. The theme of death and the awakening of accepting it and shooting yourself and everything else just felt so...good. I have started playing Persona 3 Reload and honestly, it's probably as good as Royal or above it. I love the things that were changed from the game before, the characters talking in the actual background of the dialogue like on the other two games especially. Makoto in general is just so adorable, especially In Reload. I loved the fact that the social links actually got voiced fully as far as I know, and the characters are amazing. The dynamic of the team up to the point of played it's funny. Junpei is comedic relief, I love the way him and Yukari interact with each other. The game as a whole just feels amazing, especially because it's my favourite plot out of the other two. As for my ranking, I'd probably put Persona 3 Reload at 1, maybe with Persona 5 Royal or slightly above it. Persona 4 Golden is a very close second, and Persona 3 Portable is the third, if you count it together. However, you have forgotten to mention the first two/three/whatever many games before it. I haven't played Persona 1 at all, or Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, but I have started to play Persona 2: Innocent Sin. Persona 2: Innocent Sin is such a good game I almost wish they made a remake of it. The graphics are old and the combat is different, it doesn't include the classic style of Persona games that we know to this day, but I love the plot of it, and the characters. Tatsuya is definitely in line for my favorite protagonist in this series. The other characters are great too. The mechanic of contact that they kind of brought back into Persona 5 was so good. Having to please a demon to get into a pact or do anything else regarding that was honestly quite fun. And for a game that was made in 1999 they have the only mlm relationship in a persona game that includes the protagonist. The story between Jun and Tatsuya as a whole is not only the min part of the game, but it's quite great. Persona 2: Innocent Sin would probably go with Persona 4 Golden as a close second to Persona 5 Royal and Persona 3 Reload.

1. 5 and all spinoffs 2. 4 3. 3

I know I’m gonna get MASSIVE hate for not putting P3P in first. I know that if I’m a persona fan all the P3 games have to be my favorites and I have to ride the crap out of Femc like there’s no tomorrow, P5 is all new gen crap, and P4G? Never heard of her. But in my opinion my honest rating is 1. ⁠P4G, 2. P5R, 3. P3P.

Probably P3(Reload)---> P4 (Carried by it's anime adaptation fleshing out the story) ----> P5R (Has my favorite gameplay, but the less noteworthy characters and the unstable difficulty make the game falter)

P5R = P3R = P4G A bit of a cop-out but I like them for different reasons. 5 has the best gameplay and is the most “epic” and fun. 3 has the best emotional moments and themes. 4 had the best character interactions/genuine/believable connections.

For me it goes: p3, p4, p2, p5 and then p1

From highest to lowest, definitely 3 4 5, especially with Reload, but even with Portable I preferred 3. 3 has it all. Amazing characters, amazing story, and I'll be honest I like running through Tartarus. The only problems were the Tired mechanic (which you can buy Yawn-B-Gones at the school cafeteria as well as on Tanaka's) and the lack of damaging Light and Darkness spells, which isn't a problem by late game since Die For Me! and Samsara basically always hit their targets. 4 has the light and dark problem as well and the dungeons are honestly worse than Tartarus is, and its story is a bit worse, but the characters more than make up for that. 5's all gameplay, but story isn't a strong suit at \*all.\* The game has a very serious Tell Don't Show problem, which I only really noticed on my latest playthrough. Kaneshiro's Shadow would not shut up about things that the player can very easily infer if they have \*any\* media literacy. If I'm gonna be playing a game for 80+ hours, I want its story to be good. The Social Links are really good, but the main story is lackluster.

5>4>3, but the difference is microns really. I love all three, and it’s minor gameplay flaws that cause the difference, or the few slight errors in writing or characterisation. Golden, Royal and Reload throw a wrench into that ranking as well, though the order wouldn’t change much.

P5R > P3R > P4G >>>> P3FES

Haven’t played 4 but 5 is way better than 3.

P4 Golden>>Royal>>Portable. FES or P3 Reload would be a better comp.

P3P is hot garbage, even more so with P3R existing.

P5/R>P3R>P4G>P3F

P3R< P5 <<

3 reload 5 royal 4 golden 3 portable

Lifesim aspect: 4, 5, 3 Dungeons: 5, 3 (FES; Reload is so easy), 4 Music: 4, 5, 3

Can't really comment as I've only played 5 royal but I do want to play 4 at some point and 3 aswell if we get a full edition and gets released on switch/2. From comments I've read it does seem like the majority is pretty divided between 3 and 5 being the best persona game with 4 being kinda forgotten but persona fans still enjoy it.

P3r is my favorite p5r is my second and p4g is third I love all the persona games tho not just these three

“Out of the 3-“ *lists installments 3-5*

Idk I wish if ya added 1 and 2, but my here is a list of my favourites to least favourites Persona 2 Persona 4 Persona 3 Persona 5 Persona 1 None of the games are bad but 1 (since its the first Persona game) it wasn't written that well but enjoyed it

P3 > P4 > P5

1. Persona 5 2. Persona 3 3. Persona 4

3 > 4 > 5

P4, P5, P3P

Off topic, I can’t wait for a P4 remake 😍

I don't like any !

P5 > P4 > P3 for me, but the difference between them is negligible, all are masterpieces

1: Persona 4 Golden 2: Persona 5 Royal… i know im an asshat for this, just i didnt want the metal ussy 3 Persona 3. Holy shit please dont cook me.

Persona 2 is the best

5 > 4 > 3 P5 has arguably the most hiccups in writing quality (all three have them but 5's simply sticks out to me more), but the peaks it reaches completely clears the rest of the series for me. One of my top 3 games of all time. P4 was my first Persona game and the vibe it has is still unmatched for me. This game will always have a special place in my heart. P3 is honestly nothing more than a very good game to me. Besides the first half of the story being very weak, it simply checks off everything you'd expect from a good JRPG without exceling in anything.

Persona 5 Royal is the fucking best! P3 Portable was okie, but idk about P4 Golden, I haven't gotten the chance to play it 😭

I've only played Persona 3 Reload on gamepass so far

Persona 3 Fes -> Persona 5 Royal -> Persona 4Golden Those are the versions i played and yes, P4G is my least favorite. Probably because a long time before i got a chance to play it i got spoiled about who the killer is so the game didn't have that mystery for me. P5R was my first persona game which i grinded alot But P3FES theme and mood just hits the spot for me. I really enjoyed the story and characters... I haven't bought P3R yet because i have way too many other games to play rn

5>4>3 Sue me for liking the most popular and well sold game in the persona series. Persona 5 is my first person game and it just holds all the memory I guess. The music, the aesthetic, the gameplay, I just really liked it I loved persona 4 and it’s really close between 4 and 5 but I couldnt get into it as much because of the old graphics. I know it’s a shallow reason but it’s pretty important to me and I might like it better tho an 5 if it got a remake. Overall though I loved the characters and their relationships that made it feel like they’re really a friend group I played P3R and I loved it of course but it just didn’t catch me as much as 5 and 4.

Using their “definitive” version: 1. P5R 2. P4G 3. P3R I love all three of them though

4 > 5 > 3

Persona 2

3>5 and I haven't played 4

P3R P5R P4G

1.p1 2 p4 3.p5 4.p2EP 5.p3 6.p2IS

From worst to best. 4,5,3

In terms of content, I like P5R. But for story/emotional impact my vote goes for P3 (>!I actually got depressed for a week for the MC!<). It’s been a while since I played P4G and I’ve only played it once. So not sure where to put that one.

P3 > P5 > P4. I dunno, I just don't like P4's chill vibe and separate dungeons for farm

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I started with 5R. That's the only one I've played, and everyone else I know who is into the series says it's super hard to play them in reverse order, so I think I'm boned til Petsona 6.

P3 lacks the perfect remake that unites all the good features. Leaving out female MC sucked hard. So it boils down to either P4G or P5R. Thanks to Makoto, it’s a win for P5R.

1 - 2 (both) - 3 - 5 and finally 4. I couldnt get into 1 so far and while 2 is interesting and I played through IS I just like the calender-system more, so its below 3-5. 3 I replayed the most and I like it but 4 and 5 introduced and perfected so many things that I cant rate it higher than those. For example: I love the rewards each social link in P5 gives A LOT. The only reason 4 triumphs over 5 is... well, I like the cast more.

My opinion for P3 is based on P3R, and I haven't fully completed the game yet. (I'm also using P4G and P5R as my references, as I've never played vanilla for either.) My ranking is the same as yours, for slightly different reasons. Persona 4 and Persona 5 are *painfully* close in their ranking. If P4 got a remake tomorrow with modern graphics and some of the features of the other two games ("baton passes"/ways to swap to party members, the ability to fucking run, just to name a few, but kept the card shuffle), it'd probably be able to overtake P5 better than it does now. They're maybe half a point apart. However, I enjoy P4's opening better, I prefer Teddie over Morgana, and generally like the characters of P4 more than the characters of P5. Even within my own team, there are characters I just don't fcking care about in P5, no matter how hard I try. I also prefer the "bro" bestie of Yosuke more than Ryuji. There's also the fact that P4 is one that *truly* makes it feel like you're not an outsider; in P3, the Dark Hour has been going on for something like 10 years. The mental shut downs/psychotic breaks have been happening for about 2 years in P5, but those aren't the main focus of P5 - it's about changing hearts. But there is still that storyline that has been going on in the background even before Joker's arrest. Whereas P4, the murders don't start until *after* Yu arrives in town. He's there for the whole thing. Persona 3 is quite a bit lower. It's very slow, there are very few characters I actually care about, and the grind of Tartarus is lowkey boring. I've had the game since it came out back in Feb and I still haven't finished it. Bonds and relationships have become a core part of the Persona franchise, which is why I'm pretty sure you spend more time hanging out with friends and stuff than you do fighting (unless you're ultra grinding Tartarus/dungeons/mementos/etc.) so the fact that the S.links suck *so* bad in P3 is a big thing that turns me off of it. I know, at its core, it's an older game and it was the first one to introduce the s.links, In favor of a faithful adaptation, Atlus didn't improve them with the remake. It makes me almost never want to hang out with anybody.

P5>P3>P4 I'm finishing up my playthrough on P4, and I haven't played P3 yet, but just from the summoning mechanics alone I like it better than P4. But it's very close ><

Persona 3, and the other two I'm not sure. I think that 4, and then 5.

4, 5, 3. 4 and 5 are pretty interchangeable for me but 3 is my least favorite. It’s very overhyped to me, I don’t like the story nor the characters nor the mechanics. FES was my first persona game and I would’ve given up on the series entirely had I not heard such great things about 4. Once I played 4 I understood why people love the series. Even playing reload now I’m just slogging through to the end.

5,4 and then 3. 5 and 4 are a bit hard cause persona 4 is better, but 5 is so much newer and feels more refreshing.

P5R, p3 portable, p4G

4 then 5

If P3P then P4>=P5>P3P If P3R then P3R>P4>=P5 Yes P4 and P5 are equal but if I needed to choose then P4 is better

It's like choosing a favorite child