Persona 3: Reload is out now and, for those who’ve performed a online game at any level in the previous 7 years, likelihood is you’ve heard of the explosively well-liked turn-based RPG and social sim sequence of video games from developer ATLUS. When you’ve ever performed a Persona sport, likelihood is you recognize that they’re a wildly extra well-liked spin-off of ATLUS’s Shin Megami Tensei sequence. When you’ve performed any Shin Megami Tensei video games, not solely are you an actual one, however likelihood is you most likely know that these video games are an evolution of the Megami Tensei video games; which is why hardcore followers use the time period “MegaTen” to discuss with titles underneath this extensive umbrella.
Even for those who’re conscious of all of this, what you most likely don’t know is that the first video games on this franchise are primarily based on a sequence of books from the Eighties known as Digital Satan Story: Megami Tensei, and that every and each one among the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei video games on this sequence nonetheless draw inspiration from these books at this time!
These books are the origin and way forward for the Persona franchise, and if you wish to find out about the place they have been and the place they’re going earlier than beginning Persona 3: Reload, it’s worthwhile to find out about Digital Satan Story: Megami Tensei.
The DDS: Megami Tensei books are mild novels; a type of younger grownup fiction in Japan that began to look in the late Seventies, which derive immediately from pulp magazines.The protagonist of those mild novels, Akemi Nakajima, is a superb however misanthropic and bullied scholar who creates a pc program that may summon demons. Whereas he can initially management the supernatural creatures, the demon Loki turns into too highly effective and he has to defeat this demon overlord. With the assist of the loyal demon Cerberus, a secret society with superior expertise, and a lady who simply so occurs to be the reincarnation of the goddess Izanami; Akemi inherits a flaming sword possessed by a god and makes use of it to slay Loki.
Not solely will followers of Persona acknowledge a few of these acquainted names and plot factors, the themes and ambiance completely align with the most up-to-date Persona titles.
Based mostly on feedback and interviews from DDS: Megami Tensei’s writer, Aya Nishitani, over the years, we will study so much about how integral these books nonetheless are to the franchise. You don’t must learn a lot of the novels earlier than realizing that their darker ambiance and themes of advancing expertise giving rise to the occult are current in titles like the authentic Persona, Shin Megami Tensei V, and particularly Persona 3. However on the different aspect of the coin, these books are additionally the genesis for lots of the narrative criticisms of the Persona video games, that are unlikely to be addressed as the sequence continues — exterior of band-aid fixes to the most egregious of fabric.
Nishitani, now a college and vocational faculty professor, began penning the Megami Tensei novels whereas working at an electronics producer. Regardless of creating the MegaTen strategy to science-fiction, he was much less concerned in the creation of the video games. In a Famitsu interview, he states that he had a sort of consulting and advisory position on the first Megami Tensei sport, however as early as the first sequel he “switched from creator to participant and enormously loved it.” Nishitani goes on to say, “despite the fact that I’m the ‘guardian’ of the Megami Tensei sequence, the ones who ‘raised’ it are solely the sport makers. Makes me assume ‘Ah, sure, they did job…’ (laughs).” Nishitani additionally remarks in the OST notes for the second Megami Tensei game that, “everybody is aware of that II takes place in a world fully separated from the authentic story. Nevertheless, I nonetheless have the feeling this sport has the similar ‘picture’ as the authentic, because it appears like the move of 1 will by way of the world of the current.”
ATLUS builders don’t discuss these authentic books a lot, both. The most intensive remarks on them comes from the director of the authentic Megami Tensei and Persona video games, Kouji “Cozy” Okada, in an interview with Japanese outlet 4Gamer.net. In a tough translation of this interview, he describes that the video games largely diverge from the novels, however that core components like the essential characters and summoning demons in battle come immediately from the books. This dynamic would possibly clarify why the books are so onerous to return by and why ATLUS calls so little consideration to them. There are not any official translations of the Megami Tensei mild novels, and the finest option to learn most of them now’s by way of the DDS Translation blog; which sadly stopped updating in 2007.
This lack of acknowledgement is a disgrace as the finest a part of the DDS: Megami Tensei books — their darkish and moody ambiance and the methods through which trendy expertise has introduced humanity nearer than ever to the occult and supernatural — are the spine of each single MegaTen sport. Persona 3 immediately lifts the secret society and sci-fi expertise points of the books, in the types of the shadowy Kirijo Group and the gun-shaped Evokers used to summon characters’ supernatural powers. Persona 4’s “TV World” is clearly impressed by how quickly increasing telecommunications and the proliferation of associated media have an effect on shared tradition; and Persona 5’s Metaverse and app primarily based entry is clearly influenced by the rise of social media.
Even when the books are largely glossed over in ATLUS’s newest titles — outside of the occasional wink — the foundational components endure. At their most distilled, the Persona video games are about how expertise and tradition intermingle, and how individuals can have an effect on the world these two forces create. That’s additionally what Digital Satan Story: Megami Tensei is about, and it’s clear that these novels have been an intrinsic a part of their success and are more likely to be a continued affect as the Persona franchise grows. Which is nice for those who’re a fan of the atmosphere of video games like Persona 3, however an issue for those who have been hoping for the sequence’ social politics to evolve.
Better writers than I have identified that the newest Persona video games haven’t dealt with queer or girls characters significantly effectively. A few of these points may appear innocent till positioned right into a broader sample of conduct, like how Persona 5 ogles and objectifies characters like Ann, despite the fact that her story closely entails escaping sexual abuse from a male trainer. There are additionally extra eyebrow elevating selections in these video games, like each Persona 3 and Persona 5 having scenes the place essential characters have to flee from queer predators. However then there are the extra overtly baffling and sexist choices, like the staff behind Persona 3: Reload deciding to not embrace the feminine protagonist possibility current in the P3P model of the sport. In an interview with Waypoint, Director of Personas 3, 4, and 5, Katsura Hashino, can also be on the file saying that “it’s not value it,” to place time and sources into placing a gender choose possibility into his video games. A perplexing assertion given how well-liked the feminine protagonist is inside the Persona fandom.
Sadly, these conservative politics will also be traced again to the Digital Satan Story: Megami Tensei books. Even with their putting ambiance and attractive world, these are pulpy science-fiction novels from the Eighties which might be first and foremost an influence fantasy for younger, male readers. The motive protagonist Akemi Nakajima is bullied is as a result of he’s in a gifted and proficient program and different college students are jealous of his mind. The books even make a degree to notice that Akemi’s lecturers don’t punish the bullies as a result of they really feel unhealthy for his or her extra restricted prospects. The method Akemi retains the demons in verify shortly after summoning them, is by providing the creatures girls lecturers and college students to sexually assault, and he solely reneges on this deal when Loki says he desires to have his method with the woman Akemi likes. Whereas Akemi actually suffers whereas combating in opposition to the demons he delivered to the world, he by no means actually apologizes or makes amends to the individuals he harm. The truth is, his struggling is framed as a noble factor he’s doing for the good of humanity, and that is bolstered when it’s revealed that he’s truly a divine being and the reincarnation of the god Izanagi.
Whereas the Persona video games are clearly much less misogynistic than the Digital Satan Story: Megami Tensei books, the novels are too massive part of the Persona video games DNA for these points to ever go away fully. Ladies characters being sexually objectified in the newest Persona video games is a direct consequence of ladies solely present to profit males in the DDS: Megami Tensei books.
In the Megami Tensei books, like the Persona video games after them, distinguished feminine characters are sometimes outlined by their attractiveness, or are victims of sexual assault. Even when their tales are attention-grabbing, the books undercut them by designing these girls to principally titillate a presumed male reader. The Persona video games deal with their heroines equally at this time, with Ann’s story of escaping sexual abuse being adopted up together with her having to be a reluctant nude mannequin, or Persona 4’s Rise being deeply uncomfortable with how her physique is sexualized as a public determine, just for the sport to additional sexualize her in a supposedly comedic scorching spring scene and by different male characters. Identical to the novels, the video games presume that the individual experiencing this media is a cishet man who sees girls as a way of gratification earlier than viewing them as individuals.
These irritating politics are extra of a function than a bug, and are as thematically foundational to the broader MegaTen franchise as summoning demons or the mixing of supernatural and science-fiction genres. Which sucks if, like me, you’re a queer one who loves these video games and needs you might get pleasure from them with out you or individuals you care about being belittled.
Persona 3: Reload has already achieved so much to deal with the dated components it inherits. For one factor, it has a brand new voice solid that replaces Vic Mignogna, who faces quite a few accusations of sexual harassment, with Zeno Robinson in the position of Junpei. Even the authentic Persona 3 has a extra nuanced strategy to its storytelling, specializing in a lead who overcomes the trauma of shedding his household by forming new relationships relatively than wallow in self pity for the period of the story like DDS: Megami Tensei’s protagonist.
Nevertheless, at this sport’s foundations are beliefs and concepts finest left in the previous. Fortunately, although, the Persona video games are actually sufficiently big in their very own proper to encourage different titles freed from the baggage that comes with its legacy. For this reason I’m as excited to play the upcoming, Persona impressed, Demonschool by Necrosoft Video games as I’m Persona 3: Reload. When you additionally discover the politics of those video games irritating, I’d encourage you to broaden your horizons and try different titles as effectively as a result of, for higher or worse, the themes and politics of Digital Satan Story: Megami Tensei will ceaselessly be at the coronary heart of the Persona sequence.
Lucas DeRuyter is a contract author for IGN.