There has been much speculation about what changes a rumoredPersona 3 Remakemight make in regard to its presentation, and how it might adopt from the source material found inPersona 3 FESandPersona 3 Portable. One such improvement could be demonstrated through a better integration of thefemale protagonist fromPersona 3 Portablewithin its narrative, spotlighting the use of animated cutscenes.Persona 3 Portablewas first released in 2009 for the PSP, offering a handheld take on the PS2 original.
The game sought to relayPersona 3’s story in a more accessible form for its console, settling on a visual-novel style that held both pros and cons. On the one hand, the title’s focus on its 2D character art was fitting for its Social Link format, emphasizing the cast’s expressive profiles during dialogue sequences. On the other, its lack of animated cutscenes for the newly-introduced female protagonist left fans feeling a notable absence. The ability forPersona 3 FESto intersperse both The Journey and The Answer with the use of animated FMVs helped to hone in on the game’s primary conflicts and characters, a treatment thatPersona 3 Portablesadly wasn’t able to receive.
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A Persona 3 Remake Could Better Integrate the Female Protagonist Within Its Story Beats
Naturally, the constraints onPersona 3 Portableas a PSP title made it so that animated cutscenes weren’t entirely feasible. Because of these limitations, however, the symmetry between the male protagonist and the FeMC felt unbalanced in the transition betweenPersona 3FESandPortable. Much of the story beats throughoutFES’narrative were strengthened through its full-motion video; though used sparingly, the cutscenes served to amplify the weight and ambiance of the story’s most pivotal moments.
This was most apparent through Makoto’s Persona awakening inFES, showcasing Thanatos emerging from Orpheus in a way that felt visceral and impactful. Minako’s awakening inP3Phad to rely on a more constrained approach through a few visual effects and blocky 3D models, which fell short of evoking the same atmosphere.
Given the popularity of Minako across thePersonafanbase, aPersona 3 Remakemay work to integrate her more closely within its narrative beats by giving her the same animated treatment as Makoto. This could help to quell the imbalance seen across the two characters with respect toPersona 3’s supplementary material.
ThePersona 3animated film series focused on the male protagonist as its central role, as did the spinoff titlePersona 3: Dancing in Moonlight, which failed to include the FeMC among its cast despite Theodore, her Velvet Room attendant, making an appearance in its DLC. The foundations set byPersona 3 Portablemeans that Minako’s integration in aPersona 3 Remakewouldn’t be as grand of a task as creating a new storyline and character from scratch.
With that said,a reimagining ofPersona 3FESandPortable’s story beatscould allow for more divergences in its narrative, paving the way for interesting new cutscenes that help to accompany her characterization. Given that Minako is one of just two female player characters in thePersonaseries, using animated cutscenes as a way to differentiate her from Makoto could be beneficial to its storytelling, making her feel like her own person rather than a female alternative.
With Minako being featured alongside Makoto during the series' 25th-anniversary promotional material, her return in aPersona 3remakefeels like it would be an integral component to successful reception among fans. Given the heightened graphical fidelity that aremake could offer,Persona 3 Portable’s FeMC could be shown in a brand-new spotlight. Not only could this aid in Minako’s personality being further exemplified, but also in furthering the sense of urgency and dread apparent from the full-motion videos ofPersona 3 FES.
Persona 3 Portableis available now for the Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PSP, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
