P4AUis still an excellent game, even if it could use some modern touch-ups
The nice thing about the new re-releasePersona 4 Arena Ultimaxis that it’s just how you rememberPersona 4 Arenain the first place. It is still the RPG-infused fighter that has the stellar cast of characters fromPersonas 3and4. It’s still fast and fun, with a lot of depth and a good variety of playstyles. If any of that’s your chief concern, then don’t be too worried.
WherePersona 4 Arena Ultimaxearns an asterisk on its recommendation is how it is, still, a game from 2013 and 2014. The re-release ofUltimaxoccasionally feels out-of-time in less-than-desirable ways, like lacking explanation on certain mechanics and netcode that will eventually be rollback, but isn’t at launch.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax(PS4 [played],Switch,PC)Developer: Arc System Works, AtlusPublisher: SegaRelease: March 17, 2022MSRP: $29.99
For those who never took the plunge in the first place, I’m mostly there with you. I played a handful ofPersona 4 Arenamatches in college, but most of my experience with these characters was with their guest appearances inBlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. It’s exciting to finally play as thePersonacrew in their own fighting game, and in the systems made specifically for them.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimaxis a one-on-one fighting game, with the anime fighter aspects of air-dashing and potentially long combos. The big distinction is the Persona system; every fighter can strike with their own weapons or use their Persona, their spirit companion, to attack the enemy. Personas can do some pretty big attacks with some devastating effects, but they’re limited both by the number of cards available and can be stuffed—hit by the opponent—to be temporarily taken out of the action.
With an SP meter and, for most characters, a number of individual meters to watch alongside the universal ones, this is a knowledge-heavy game. Playing Aigis means keeping an eye on my Persona usage, SP, number of bullets, and Orgia meter alongside my health. Others like Yukiko or Akihiko just have simple counters, but still have a resource to consider and adapt to.
I don’t think this required knowledge is a fault; I actually like that each character has their own sub-system that they make decisions around, and it’s interesting seeing how those decisions interact with the actual fight on-screen. When I fight Junpei, I’m not just considering my own game plan, but his efforts to score runners on a miniature baseball game playing out on the bottom of the screen. It’s fun and rewarding to master, and it really encourages newcomers to get familiar with one fighter at a time. Not a bad habit to reinforce.
What still feels lacking is lessons on how this all works. Some techniques, like Aigis’ Orgia mode, get explained in special tutorials. Others, like Junpei’s baseball gameplay, get a little learn-by-playing moment in challenges, but not many laid-out explanations. I found out a few quirks and mechanics just from having a Wiki page open while practicing different characters, and that really seems like the way to learn this stuff.
I don’t hold this againstPersona 4 Arena Ultimaxtoo much, as it’s really just trying to bring forward a game from 2013 to modern systems. But if you’re a newcomer used to the more in-depth tutorials and missions in games likeMortal Kombat 11orGuilty Gear Strive, you might want to have a second monitor handy.
The absent modern convenience that’s a little more annoying, and the actual concern for checking outUltimaxat launch, is the netcode. Atlus has said that rollback netcode is coming toPersona 4 Arena Ultimaxnot at launch, butlater on down the line, targeting this summer.
When I was playing the pre-release version on PS5, with friends on wired connections, all on the same continent, we only had a few hiccups and stutters. But once wireless connections got introduced, lobbies grew, and distances widened, we started to notice a lot more hitching and errors. Considering netplay against friends is a big selling point for a re-release likeUltimax, it’s worth knowing that it’s not using rollback right out of the gate.
Even if it’s a bit daunting at times for fresh players, I’ve been really enjoying my time withPersona 4 Arena Ultimax. Its style hasn’t faded at all in the years since its first release. The sprite art really brings these characters to life, and I love seeing the updated versions ofPersona 3characters in particular.
Every fighter has their own approach, as well as a Shadow version to mess around with, so there’s a lot of variety in the roster. And despite how intimidating so many meters and mechanics to notice might seem, actually playing a match ofPersona 4 Arena Ultimaxis fast and breezy in a good way. Auto-combos can help with early building blocks into personalized mix-ups, and it only took a few matches with each character to get a feel for how they should handle.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimaxmakes a solid case for why this deserved a re-release. And if you’re a solo fighting game player or even just aPersonafan, there’s a huge wealth of single-player content to dive into here.Ultimaxhas a ton of single-player options, which is nice for those who aren’t looking to just try and climb the ladder.
Even more than that,Persona 4 Arena Ultimaxis a strong argument for why aPersona 5 Arenawould be absolutely phenomenal. Heck yes, I want to see Joker and the Phantom Thieves duke it out with the casts of previousPersonas. It might be a dream right now, but let me have it, okay?
If you’ve been eager for an easier way to playPersona 4 Arenain the year 2022, the good news is thatUltimaxdelivers exactly that. Nitpicking of some of the external features aside, the gameplay is still good, and I haven’t missed an opportunity yet to bootP4AUup and run a couple matches with others. It might sound a little odd to gleefully declare thatUltimaxclears the bar of simply beingPersona 4 Arena Ultimaxon modern systems, but when it’s a fighting game like this one, that’s a good bar to clear.
[These impressions are based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]
