The Persona 3 Reload remake launched in February 2024 will “seemingly by no means” get feminine protagonist Kotone Shiomi, who was launched in a earlier iteration of the sport, its producer has mentioned.
As reported by PC Gamer, Persona sequence producer Kazuhisa Wada instructed Game Informer Magazine that he was “actually sorry” however fan pleas for Shiomi’s inclusion will in all probability by no means be answered.
“The extra we mentioned it, the extra unlikely it grew to become,” Wada mentioned. “The event time and prices wouldn’t have been manageable.
“Persona 3 Reload has simply launched, and there’s presently a variety of participant curiosity, so if we’re to do an extra launch, it must be now. However since it’s not attainable for us to launch Persona 3 Reload with the feminine protagonist on this window, we simply cannot do it. I am actually sorry to all of the followers who have been holding out hope, however it’s seemingly by no means going to occur.”
Persona 3 Reload is the fourth iteration of Persona 3 (or the fifth if the port to trendy consoles is included). The bottom sport launched in 2006, adopted by an enhanced version known as Persona 3 FES in 2007, and a PlayStation Moveable model aptly known as Persona 3 Moveable in 2009.
It was on this latter model the feminine protagonist was launched, so when Atlus introduced a full remake promised to be a “full expertise,” many followers have been disillusioned to study it wasn’t planning to incorporate FES or Moveable content material.
The discharge mannequin of Atlus, significantly of the Shin Megami Tensei (of which Persona originated) and Persona franchises, is beginning to frustrate some followers. It is common apply for the developer to launch the base sport after which, a 12 months or two later, launched primarily a greater model with additional content material at full price. Persona 4 obtained Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 obtained Persona 5 Royal.
Followers due to this fact took challenge with Persona 3 Reload releasing with out this content material, not simply because it was lacking, however as a result of they anticipated Atlus to launch an enhanced version quickly after that would come with it.
Trying to quell these considerations, Wada promised followers in March 2024 that Persona 3 Reload was a “full expertise,” however only one month later Atlus introduced an enlargement go. This could add a handful of cosmetics alongside Episode Aegis — a 30 hour epilogue added to Persona 3 FES — however no feminine protagonist.
Additional frustration got here as Atlus confirmed Episode Aegis would not be out there as a standalone however solely as a part of the $34.99 enlargement go. The “full expertise” promise due to this fact fell by way of, with followers really having to pay a complete of $104.98 to play each a part of Persona 3 Reload. This nonetheless will not embrace all the Persona 3 content material ever launched, after all, and seemingly by no means will, as the feminine protagonist and different further content material stays locked in Persona 3 Moveable.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll discuss The Witcher all day.