[[SPOILERS FOR ALL OF PERSONA 4 GOLDEN]]
I started this game around a year ago, and although the combat was a slog at times, I was impressed. After having gotten into the series and more varied gaming in general by playing Persona 3 Reload, I knew that this game would be my next step into playing the series, especially to get ahead of spoilers for when Revival comes out and because it was $9.99 on Steam. This game is a master-class on how to coordinate themes, characters, and the gameplay loop. To start, you'll have long periods of time between each dungeon you finish in the second third of the game. Now, this might sound like a bad thing, but it really leans into the message of waiting until more information comes to make the best decision. You can't just rush the investigation and catch the killer immediately; you have to go through the process step by step. On that note, who ended up being the killer was an amazing act. I had been spoiled before that Adachi was the killer, but it really surprised me how much he leans into being the opposite nihilistic force to the heroes. At some points, I even found myself considering what he was saying. After you beat him, the third semester is really where this game shines. Having played 3 Reload, the Answer/Episode Aigis wasn't my cup of tea, but the music and vibes of Inaba in the winter is impeccable. One of my favorite things about the third semester in particular is that it added a lot more dates that you can go on with your girlfriend. In Persona 3 Reload, there's just the post-completion "spend time" feature, the linked events, and the Christmas date, but with Golden there's about 3-4 different hangouts you can do in the third semester with your girlfriend. It really made me feel that romancing Chie was not just another choice in the game but a whole new route that opened up when playing it. On a final note for positives, the True Ending is amazing especially on paper. Like, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S A WHOLE SECRET DUNGEON YOU CAN ACCESS JUST BY DIGGING DEEPER?!?! I was suspicious of Izanami from the start, but forgetting later and seeing my suspicion be rewarded is an amazing feeling. You really have to reach out to the truth to get this ending, and this lesson I have applied several times to my own life. I really feel that what I've learned about this game has shaped me into a better person overall. There were a few small things I disliked about the game though. Mainly Teddie, the occasional perverted scenes, and how characters wouldn't acknowledge your romance in certain scenes outside of Valentine's Day and the Summer Festival. Most of these issues were inconsequential or partially self-rectified, so they didn't bother me too much. If anything they make me realize that this game is a time capsule of late 2000s-early 2010s game design, flaws and all. To summarize, Persona 4 Golden really shows that, for a game to be great, you don't need to have a darker story. You just have to have fun mechanics, witty and charming characters, and a theme that you can explore until you've seen all of it. I hope I can play something like this again. 9/10.
