So close to the end, and P3 is really starting to feel like P2 did: the menace is working its way through society in the form of rumor and hysteria. Strega's message about Nyx is in secret areas on the internet, on flyers posted around town, and in the doomsday cult. Throughout most of this game, the isolation of the main characters, and the bizarre evil they're dealing with, from the rest of the world, felt too detached. I've already complained about the dungeon feeling too separated from the story, but now I think that's just a symptom of how P3 doesn't give a feeling of something foreboding and alive in society, but instead has its conflict quarantined off in this separate, secret world.
The zombification of people throughout the story was one little clue of what was going on. And now, finally, things are coming out into the open. But I would have enjoyed seeing what the setting and story could have been like with the intrigue of mixing world-ending RPG doom with modern, hyperconnected society. You know, like Persona 2 did!
Floor 254. Level 70. I love that the last floor before the gate to Nyx is populated by ever-replenishing enemies. I can just run back and forth, grinding all I want. Grind grind grind.
After a few tries, beat the balance boss at floor 236, thanks to the Magic Mirror trick in JaggedJim's FAQ.
Okay, finally sitting down with some fusion databases and deliberately fusing my way to certain powerful personas. Started with one of the simpler ones, Norn, and got kinda hooked. Now seriously planning out fusion trees in OmniFocus, to try to get all of the best personas in the arcana where I have the commu to level 10.
Arahabaki get! The best of the Hermit arcana personas! And my first cross spread fusion. I've got three different GameFAQs and the MegaTen Wiki open, here, to figure out how to fuse these guys.
Had a little date with Fuuka, half-accidentally. I didn't realize it was Christmas Eve, and accepted her invitation without thinking. I like Fuuka, but I consider Chihiro my main commu. So after the date, I went back and had one with Chihiro instead.
Hey, I reached level 10 in the Hanged Man commu. Still working on the Sun and the Devil.
Aigis is back! Wooop! … Poor Aigis. :(
I sure am glad I got the original Japanese version, so I could hear Sakamoto Maaya, (what little there is of) Sawashiro Miyuki, and the rest of the cast.
Uh oh… New Year's Eve. This big choice reminds me a lot of Persona 2.
Reached the final Tartaros block. Player level 60! Died on the floor 220 boss; they finally gave me a boss who can put up a good fight.
Continuing my worthless Persona 3 progress notes.
Getting pretty close to the end of Persona 3, at last. Tartaros block 5. Character level 53.
I loved this poster from Flickr user moleitau, based on the classic WWII “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters from the UK. In the spirit of the message, user jacobreed made a high-resolution version in blue, suitable for printing, but he added back the original royal crown. I liked the wrenchy crown, so I took the vector version made by user oddskar and composited it onto the high-res poster. Here’s the result, suitable for a cheapo 300-dpi printout on a piece of letter-sized paper.
I publicly promised that if I beat the Hanged Man today, I’d forgive Persona 3 its ridiculous difficulty and continue playing. I’m glad to say that with a tiny bit more exhausted-status leveling, some very thoughtful Persona fusion, and some excruciatingly patient and conservative tactics, I was able to satisfy that promise. It’s a good thing, because I didn’t want to sour the memory of all of my 60 memorable hours in this game so far. Onward I go!
