Product Description

The rumor going around Sumaru City is that if you call your own cell phone number, you will speak to the Joker, who will assassinate the person of your choice... and rumors in Sumaru City have a funny way of coming true. On assignment with hip youth magazine Coolest, daring young reporter Maya Amano stumbles onto the Joker's trail at Seven Sisters High School. A convergence of fate brings Maya, her roommate, and a police detective together in pursuit of the maniacal assassin. Will they awaken the power within before it's too late to stop the evil forces behind him? NOTE: Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is compatible with PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 systems. Key Features: Multi-Character Contacts - Negotiate contracts with demons using one, two, or even three party members at a time. Experiment with a wide variety of approaches and reactions for each demon! Fusion Spells - Use certain skills in a particular order to unleash especially punishing attacks on your foes! Bonus Disc Included - Each and every copy of Persona 2: Eternal Punishment includes a special Bonus Disc with an anime trailer for Persona 2 and a special video interview with the makers of the game!

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The Seven Sisters high school is the setting for a series of gruesome murders, and it's up Maya Amano, a cub reporter for popular teen magazine Coolest, to get to the bottom of the murders. Yes, in the spirit of Scooby-Doo and many afterschool specials, when the police fail, it's time to call in the high schoolers!

Seriously, though, Persona 2 is an interesting title. It is the sequel to a popular import with a story that is, for the most part, involving. Even in their small sprite form, the anime characters in the game are very well done and blend nicely with the gaming environments. The character movements are a bit jerky, but it's still better than most role-playing games.

Unfortunately, the game's slow-moving story line and somewhat tedious character interaction ruin the game's early momentum. Things get back on track later in the game--but obviously only for those gamers who have stayed on through the dry spots. Patient players are rewarded with 80 different persona summons, or spells, that can be unlocked throughout the game. You can also chat with the monsters, which is fun at first but grows tiresome. Also, the game's straightforward battle system lacks the strategic elements found in other games of this genre.

Perhaps Persona 2's most interesting gameplay element is the rumor system, which allows you to gossip about other characters in the game. A properly spread rumor can trigger in-game events and create whole new story arcs. This adds considerable replay value and most RPGers should appreciate this to no end. --Todd Mowatt

Pros:

Great dialogue
Eerie music sets appropriate tone for the game
Rumor system lets you affect the game's story

Cons:

Talking to enemies gets very repetitive
Too-simple combat scheme
Poor pacing in the game's middle