Persona 3 Reload Director Implies Fatigue System is Removed

Japanese outlet 4Gamer recently interviewed Persona 3 Reload general producer Kazuhisa Wada, director Takuya Yamaguchi, and producer Ryota Niitsuma. One of the questions and responses regards one of the systems that has seemingly been removed in this version.

For those unaware, every version of Persona 3 had a mechanic where the main character and party had health conditions that impacted some gameplay elements. You could feel Great, Good, Tired, or Sick, which determined how you would occasionally perform in battle. As you would expect, if you were Tired or Sick, you’d be more susceptible to ailments and greater damage.

Persona 4 removed this system, and Persona 5 did not revive it.

You can read the translated exchange below via our team’s Ryuji:

Interviewer: What exactly was changed in terms of the systems?

Yamaguchi: Well, first of all, the first change is concerning the fatigue system. It is a part of the original Persona 3 game, but it is an element that has since disappeared from the later titles because it does not fit well with the calendar system that has become a symbol of the current Persona series.

Interviewer: If I recall, that system that restricts the player’s actions when they become fatigued or have a cold. There was a core method of playing in which you could take advantage of this system, but the randomness of the system was indeed a part of the game that prevented you from playing the game as you wanted.

Yamaguchi: Yes. In the current Persona series, the enjoyment of the game is to schedule what to do on this day and at this time, and the physical condition system is stressful for that way of playing. Because of its randomness, it was difficult for players to manage their own health, and they become fatigued or have a cold when they don’t want to, which forces players to rethink their actions.

TL Note: Yamaguchi doesn’t outright say the word “removed,” but the way he goes on saying that the system is basically not fitting with current Persona game standards highly implies that the system was removed, though there is no way to ascertain this since the interview moves on to the next question soon after.

Persona 3 Reload is a remake of Persona 3 made in Unreal Engine. The game is confirmed to release for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows in early 2024. It will also be playable for Game Pass subscribers on launch.

Atlus also confirmed that Persona 3 Reload will receive special teasers on “each official full moon.”

• The producer clarified that the game will feature added main story content from Persona 3 FES but lack The Answer epilogue and the female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable.
• Staff confirmed that Tartatus will feature new elements, such as a dash function, to make exploration more enjoyable.
• Will feature new events to focus on characters who did not receive as much focus in the original game.
• Development Began in Late 2019
• Development for Reload is in its Final Stages; Will be a Deeper Dive, Not an Evolution
• New Commercial

Persona 3 was initially a PlayStation 2 title that birthed the concept of Social Links that would follow in Persona 4 and Persona 5. Then, a director’s cut version named FES launched later, featuring a new playable epilogue called The Answer and added enhanced gameplay features.

Years later, Persona 3 Portable was released for the PSP, which removed The Answer and the ability to walk around town but added the option to play as a female protagonist and new post-game challenges.