P-Studio and Atlus do not want to release a remake that strays too far from the original, and perhaps that is where its success will lie.
We first got a closer look at Persona 4 Revival during the Xbox Games Showcase, but Atlus offered an even more detailed picture of the remake of the series’ fourth installment during a live broadcast organized specifically for the occasion, presenting its most important features, including several new combat functions that make previously underused mechanics more worthwhile. The video below offered a good overview of what to expect from the game: it introduced the game’s basic concept, its protagonists voiced by an entirely new cast, the general gameplay, and a few key elements that define the experience, such as Social Links, which will also feature full voice acting.
It is clear that P-Studio, the developer led by series director Kazuhisa Wada, is not taking risks, but is instead making an extremely faithful remake that also incorporates gameplay improvements taken from Persona 5 Royal and Persona 3 Reload. The biggest changes shown so far seem to be limited to the soundtrack and combat. Although part of the community is not particularly enthusiastic about the reworked soundtrack presented during the event, several changes to the battle system are expected to make defeating Shadows much more entertaining. In addition to bringing back the Baton Pass function familiar from the latest entries in the series, which allows players to switch characters when they knock down an enemy with an attack type that enemy is weak against, Persona 4 Revival also introduces the Send Flying feature.
This technique can be used on an enemy suffering from a status ailment to spread that ailment to all the other enemies in the group. Abilities that inflict status ailments have been significantly underused in the series so far. Combined with Persona Fusion, which allows the protagonist’s Personas to inherit different abilities, this makes character builds focused on inflicting status ailments much more viable than before. The second new feature of Persona 4 Revival’s battle system is Prime Time. It activates once a dedicated gauge has been filled, allowing characters to use all their abilities without SP cost, while also giving them the opportunity to use Prime Time Finish, a spectacular special attack that deals massive damage. This new mechanic appears to have been introduced to make the game easier.
Since Persona 4 Revival is a remake of one of the series’ most beloved entries, it is understandable that P-Studio is not taking risks. The game will be released on February 18 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC. It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass.
Source: WCCFTech
