Dreadlord Santa
Smash Journeyman
I can't believe this game doesn't already have a thread! I've seen 2 people with P4 avatars in my 20 minutes or so on the board, but nobody made a discussion topic for this incredible gem of a game? Criminal.
I'll try to sum up the game in a single sentence, as they have that search bar in the corner of your browser for a reason: Persona 4 is a simulation/RPG hybrid wherein you have to balance your social relationships with classic dungeon crawling, all the while trying to unearth the mystery behind the recent string of gruesome murders that has hit the sleepy town of Inaba. <_< Hey, that wasn't bad, I don't think.
In any case, I got Persona 4 home this time on Tuesday, and have almost 40 hours logged already. It just... grabs you, and doesn't let go. The characters, the storyline, the atmosphere... it has the most engrossing and original plot I've encountered in any game in my 14 years of gaming. The characters are all totally believable, from the tomboy, to the sentient teddy bear you meet in the TV world - even your silent protagonist has more character to him this time around.
The gameplay is more involving (and difficult <_< those of you who've made it through the first real dungeon should know what I'm talking about...) than Persona 3's intelligently-designed combat, throwing resource management into the mix with the old combat system that rewarded careful strategy over simple brute force. The team aesthetic is improved as well, allowing you to control your teammates directly instead of relying on the irritating AI to do what you want via vague commands.
Social Links, the other important part of gameplay, are much improved as well. All of your team members have a social link associated with them, which, when levelled, will increase their capabilities in combat - they finally have something to bring to the table that the protagonist can't do better!
<_< I just realized, this is reading more like a review than a discussion topic. I'll stop now ^_^ Post away, share your theories on the mystery, your thoughts, cries for help, whatever! If there's anything that this game does better than any game I've seen, it would have to be encouraging discussion.