Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- Review: A Heartfelt Persona 3 Encore

Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- is set to bring back The Answer epilogue chapter in new colors. Similar to the base game, this epilogue chapter stands as a testament to storytelling, and even after 17 years of its release remains one of the best offerings when it comes to a MegaTen plot. I honestly enjoyed my time with the game, but certain areas do feel like they could've been improved.

The original release of The Answer was a bit controversial, many people loved it and many did not. I myself was in two boats; I love Persona 3 and it is one of my favorite JRPGs of all time and more of it is not necessarily bad, but I didn’t enjoy The Answer as much due to its tedious grind.

The modern release of The Answer epilogue might raise questions about whether it is worth your time and money. After all, Persona 3's bittersweet conclusion is quite heartfelt and can leave a long-lasting impact. The original release of the epilogue was also received with mixed receptions by the Persona/ MegaTen fanbase.

Let's dive into our review of Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- to find the answer to such questions.

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What is Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer-

Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- takes place after the ending of the base game (Image via Atlus)

One of the biggest questions that many new players, who started their journey with P3P or Reload may have is what is Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- about. Simply put, this is an epilogue chapter that takes place a few weeks after the ending of Persona 3.

Aigis takes the role of a playable character instead of Makoto Yuki (The protagonist of P3) and you are tasked with exploring the Abyss of Time to get out of the time loop where the S.E.E.S party got stuck. The newest addition to the team will be Metis, a humanoid robot like Aigis and often refers to her as big sister.

I will not spoil the plot, but I can say that Episode Aigis faithfully adapts The Answer, cementing Aigis as one of the best protagonists in the series.

Gameplay: Same Formula, New Ideas

Episode Aigis has a solid gameplay (Image via Atlus)

Now, the gameplay of Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- is quite simple. You will need to explore the Abyss of Time with three other party members and make it out of each door to discover your friend's past struggles. Each floor of the Abyss is similar to Tartarus, full of shadows and treasures but instead of going up, you will need to go down.

The majority of the game is divided into these dungeon-crawling segments, with you encountering some respite at times, but not as often. Episode Aigis' gameplay is extremely similar to Persona 3 Reload, with a few improvements.

Using Aigis during field exploration can feel a bit better than using Makoto. Given she has her hand cannons as a weapon, you can engage with shadows from afar, allowing you to start the battle without getting close. This also comes with the advantage of not allowing the Golden Hands to detect you, who can give a lot of XP once you defeat them.

Aigis also has two modes of attack during exploration; the standard single-target attack and a new one that deals AoE damage. The second one is extremely useful for breaking the Shadow Remains, especially if there are a lot of them in one location.

While Aigis can feel like a massive improvement over Makoto due to her ranged abilities, at times the lock-in can be quite randomly leading the Shadows to creep up on you and gain an advantage.

The gameplay loop is reminiscent of that of the base Persona 3 Reload, so you will not have any problem adapting to Episode Aigis.

Soundtracks: Atlus never disappoints

A stellar set of soundtracks (Image via Atlus)

One thing Atlus can never disappoint you with is the amazing music in its games. From new iterations of classic tracks like Heartful Cry and Mass Destruction -FES- to newer ones, the music that you hear in Episode Aigis is magnificent.

I felt butterflies in my stomach (no pun intended) when I went to the game's main menu and heard Brand New Days -The Beginning- as the track. Given Persona 3 Portable was my first experience with this magnificent JRPG, this soundtrack has a special place in my heart.

New tracks like Don't, Disconnected, etc are also a welcome addition to the already amazing album of Persona 3 Reload.

Difficulty: Challenging, yet fun

The difficulty settings are a much-needed addition (Image via Atlus)

One of the biggest improvements that Atlus brings in Episode Aigis over FES's The Answer is the fact that you can now select a difficulty. The original release did not have this feature and it was locked to the Hard mode. This led to a tedious experience of grinding and your party getting obliterated often.

Episode Aigis also brings in the Quality of Life changes from Persona 3 Reload, like the breakable objects that drop items, the Teleport points that will bring you back to the Desert of Doors, and modern controls, which improved a lot on The Answer's shortcomings.

While the gameplay of Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- can feel easier compared to the FES version, the developers implemented many things that keep the challenge. Shadows are quite fast compared to the ones you encounter in Tartarus and a small misstep can lead you to be ambushed by them.

Episode Aigis retains the challenging aspect of a MegaTen game, but with the new QoLs, the gameplay feels a lot smoother and more engaging than the original release of The Answer.

Performance: Runs like a newly oiled machine

Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- has no major performance issues (Image via Atlus)

I have been playing Atlus' games for the past few years and never have I faced any issues with performance on my PC. This is also the case for Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer-, as the game ran at the capped 120 FPS on my setup. I also tested the game on my old laptop and it gave a constant 75 FPS with no major frame drops. These are the configurations on which I tested Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer-:

Laptop

Ryzen 5 3500h
Nvidia GTX 1650 Super
16 GB RAM

PC

Ryzen 5 5600X
AMD RX 6600 8GB VRAM
16 GB RAM

The game is extremely polished, which was also the case for the Persona 3 Reload and I only faced minor visual bugs.

A few issues with Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer-: Not everything is perfect

However, all is not perfect (Image via Atlus)

Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- is a perfect expansion to the already fantastic experience of P3 Remake, but there are a few issues that I would like to go over. First of all, what makes the Persona franchise stand out is probably the everyday episodic slice-of-life aspect.

This is missing in The Answer due to plot reasons, but that leads you to a constant dungeon climbing, with only a few short minutes of respite. This can certainly lead the gameplay to get stale quickly, as it is all dungeon exploration. I found myself actively avoiding smaller shadows, even during the early minutes of the game as I simply wanted to progress the plot.

A few things helped, such as the Dorm Conversation system from Persona 3 Reload's base campaign, where you can spend your time with your friends. This turned the small moments of respite into memorable experiences. But I honestly found the constant action to become overbearing and repetitive quickly, especially as the DLC is around 30 hours.

Another issue I faced during my playtime was a few minor visual bugs. The game runs extremely well but I did encounter a few glitches during my playthrough. At times, the screen would flicker and at times the UI would go beyond my screen. These bugs are probably due to the alpha test build and are likely to be patched when the game comes out tomorrow.

In Conclusion

A fantastic experience (Image via Atlus)

Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- is the best way to experience the Epilogue Chapter. Similar to the original release on FES, you don't need to experience the base Persona 3 Reload to access the DLC, as you can change the episode and play it independently. The new QoLs also make playing The Answer quite a breeze compared to FES.

Despite a few issues that I talked about, which is my own opinion, Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- is one of the best expansions for a MegaTen title alongside the Third Semester of P5 Royal and SMT5 Vengeance's CoV storyline. It is simply a magnificent game that you should definitely try out.

From the OSTs to the improved gameplay, Episode Aigis provides a much-needed new iteration of The Answer episode, and the fantastic plot is tied together by the stellar voice acting of both the English and Japanese casts.

The Expansion Pass, in which the DLC is included is not worth buying as of now. But once the Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis -The Answer- expansion has been released, you should give it a shot as the DLC promises a solid 30 hours of playtime. It is a heartfelt conclusion to one of the best JRPGs out there and a worthy addition to any MegaTen fan's library.

Atlus is on a roll this year, to be honest. I loved Persona 3 Reload, Episode Aigis, and Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance, and am eagerly looking forward to Metaphor ReFantazio.