Persona 3 Reload Review (NS2) – Back to the Dark Hour

Persona 3 is an amazing game and an amazing starting point for many in the Persona series. When it was announced that Persona 3 Reload would be coming to Nintendo Switch 2, it was welcome news. If you haven’t gotten to play it yet or are just waiting for the Nintendo Switch 2 version, now is your chance.

I’ve been acquainted with the series since the original game on the PS2, so it’s nice is great to see this remake make its way to the Nintendo platforms. While Persona 3 Portable is great in its own right, Reload is the way to play this entry in the modern day on Nintendo Switch 2. If this is your first time, welcome to the Dark Hour.

Game Name: Persona 3 Reload
Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 (reviewed)
Developer(s): Atlus
Publisher(s): SEGA
Release Date: February 2, 2024, October 23, 2025 (Switch 2)

** This review will be a complementary review to the Persona 3 Reload review we conducted on PC. This review will focus on the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game and how it differs in terms of performance and stability. While this review will revisit the story and mechanics, it will focus on the differences between this version of the game. **

Memento Mori

If you are not familiar with the Persona series, then you are in for quite the experience. The Persona series is a well-renowned RPG from ATLUS that balances both battle and time management of daily life activities. Whatever you do directly affects your party and the flow of battle. The bonding of social links with many characters and the Persona that you wield is one of the core strengths of the series.

Personally, with 3 and Reload, I argue it is the best story of the series by far. It revolves around the theme of death and mortality, knowing the fact that you will die no matter how you live your life. You only live once, so live how you want without regrets while facing the trials and challenges one faces in life, wearing the masks that help and protect you. That is what Persona 3 is about.

Beginning as the protagonist, you have one year to live your life with your heart as your guide. How you spend your time is up to you. You arrive at the Iwatodai Dorms while traveling through a mysterious hour of coffins and blood puddles. After transferring to Gekkokan High School, you would think that it would be a normal life, but the fates have other plans, and you are thrust into a situation that deals with monsters known as Shadows, the Dark Hour, and figuring out the mystery of this hidden hour, all while balancing your daily life as a normal high school student. Sounds challenging, but it is doable. Leveling up your Personas and characters while leveling up your traits and knowledge is a loop that is engaging and fun.

I won’t delve too much into the story and combat, as you can read our main review for that. It is the same as the other entries. The turn-based combat, the exploiting of weaknesses, amazing boss fights, and the All-Out Attacks are here. It is the same game and content as the other versions. The DLC of Episode Aigis is available for purchase separately or as a bundle in the Nintendo eShop.

The Switch 2 Difference

Now this is the part many wanted to know. Does it run well on Nintendo Switch 2? Short answer: yes. Of course, not without mentioning the differences from its bigger console/PC brothers. In handheld mode, it runs at 30 fps, mostly, with a resolution in the 720p range. We say mostly, as the full game still suffers from the frame pacing issues, but most won’t notice this unless.  you’re looking for the drop frames, and even then, it’s for milliseconds. While in docked mode, the FPS improves, and the resolution bumps up to 1080p. This will likely be a deciding factor for many.

While the smooth 60 FPS on the other consoles is the best way to experience the full glory, I will not say to dismiss the Switch 2 version. Battles and action scenes are stable and without performance drops. If you love the retro feel of playing on PS2 or PlayStation Portable, the Switch 2 will give you that classic vibe. And there is always a chance that they can update it, like Splatoon 3. If they can update and unlock the frames to 60 FPS, then it would be an easy recommendation, even at the trade-off of resolution. If ATLUS can update and optimize like Nintendo did with Splatoon 3, it would be amazing.

How about the loading times? Surprisingly good. When going into combat with Shadows and initial sneak attacks, it would load in around 3 seconds to the main combat screens. Going through Tartarus and traveling the locales of Tatsumi Port Island and Gekkokan High School, it loads very well and looks just as good.

The pre-rendered and animated cutscenes are the same, and the opening is just like the other versions, full of color, Lotus Juice, and the overall vibes. So, the loading department on Nintendo Switch 2 is great; I rarely have anything to complain about. It has held up in my 2 to 3-hour handheld play sessions so far with no crashes to report before I had to recharge. It is a solid port.

Burn Your Dread and Worries

In the end, it is the same Persona 3 Reload that you know and love. Playing on the Nintendo Switch 2 is a great option to play on the go. If you can look past the lower frame rates, it is still a fun Persona experience.

Any complaints I have are mostly nitpicks, from the dual audio performance of the English and Japanese casts, the amazing soundtrack from Shoji Meguro, Lotus Juice, and other artists, to the combat and real-life balancing of the social links loop and getting new personas. Reload is the way to play Persona 3. Don’t be a fool. To play Persona 3 Reload on Nintendo Switch 2 is amazing. If you haven’t gotten a chance to play Persona 3 Reload, you have no excuse, as it’s on all consoles. So grab your sword and evoker, it is going down now on Nintendo Switch 2.

Review Disclosure Statement: Persona 3 Reload for Nintendo Switch 2 was provided to us by ATLUS for review purposes. For more information on how we review games and other media, please see our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.

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