Well, that last thing didn't turn out so great. Let's hope for something a little less... grotesquely malformed this time around. Persona 4 is what prompted me to return to very bad games writing, after all, yet here I see nothing about Persona 4 yet posted on the blog. Don't think it has been a lack of trying on my part -- well, it has largely been due to a lack of trying, but half a dozen attempts have been made to untangle this particularly unwieldy ball of twine. Sadly, the inexorable passage of time has somewhat dulled and fuzzed any perceptive insights I might've once had on the product, and there is little chance I can contrast those illusive insights into something that is not a fever dream.
So this is what I have to say about Persona 4:
Persona 4 is a lot of things, but before anything else, it is a staggeringly competent product. In a world run by a kind and just God, this wouldn't be such a big deal. However, considering the state of the Japanese RPG in the world of 2011, seeing a JRPG that:
...well, that's just short of a miracle.
One day, I'll get back to it. (No I won't).
So this is what I have to say about Persona 4:
Persona 4 is a lot of things, but before anything else, it is a staggeringly competent product. In a world run by a kind and just God, this wouldn't be such a big deal. However, considering the state of the Japanese RPG in the world of 2011, seeing a JRPG that:
- Has a sure sense of itself, of what it is attempting to do, of pace and plotting, of basic gameplay mechanics - in short, a raison d'etre
- Was released on time and on budget
- Is mostly (...mostly) lacking in the kind of abhorrent moe fan service plaguing the Japanese development scene
...well, that's just short of a miracle.
One day, I'll get back to it. (No I won't).
