Skip To...
Persona games certainly aren’t the most challenging JRPGs out there, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy either. Particularly for new players, or even players who have only played Persona 5 before this, managing all of the various systems going on in Persona 3 Reload can be a little overwhelming. There’s a lot to do as each day passes, and not spending time in the right areas can result in the player being woefully underprepared for certain challenges once the mid-to-late game approaches. No worries, though; there are some Persona 3 Reload tips for new and even more experienced players that will immediately improve the experience.
10. Twilight Fragments
Twilight Fragments are handy items for several reasons. The chests found in Tartarus that can only be unlocked via Twilight Fragments tend to contain very valuable loot, plus the clock that fully restores the party’s HP and SP can only be used with the item. The main two methods for obtaining Twilight Fragments are by getting them from Elizabeth as the player progresses with Social Links, but also by just wandering around the maps and finding them at various locations can see them adding up quickly.
9. Hit as Many Tartarus Floors as Possible, Save Regularly
The key Persona 3 Reload tip for Tartarus is trying to last as long as possible while trudging up the various floors until progressing further becomes impossible without hitting a specific date in the story. The sooner the player accomplishes this, the more time can be devoted to social links, social stats, and various other activities outside of the Dark Hour.
8. S.E.E.S. Advantage
Obviously one of the best methods for lasting as long as possible in Tartarus is to dispatch enemies as quickly as possible while taking minimal damage. It is possible to skip enemies altogether, but that should be kept to a minimum to avoid winding up under-leveled. With that in mind, the S.E.E.S. Advantage is a necessary mechanic to nail down in order to avoid taking unnecessary hits in shadow fights. There’s a bit of a trick to it since it may seem to some players like it’s challenging to get right behind an enemy without it turning around. Still, it’s worth noting that the main character’s sword can lunge a reasonably significant distance when swung, so swinging once there’s a small gap is the best way to ensure that blow from behind.
7. Social Stats & Cash
Racking up social stat points and yen early is a great way to get an early head start. Both can be accomplished via working part-time jobs around the city. Two of the best ones available early on are Chagall Cafe, which gives the player 2,500 yen per shift while boosting Charm and Courage, and Screen Shot Cinema, which gives the player 5,000 yen per shift while boosting Courage and Academics. Both jobs can only be worked on certain days of the week, so keeping track of this to maximize the money and social stat points earned is key.
6. Fuse, Fuse, Fuse
There’s no real reason to be afraid of fusion. Some players might get a little attached to various Personas, but it’s best to fuse as much as possible, especially early on, to get the strongest Personas while also building a solid library of summons which can be really helpful later on when needing some specific faces to fuse the most powerful late-game Personas. That doesn’t mean to fuse without consideration, of course, the player should make sure they have all of the abilities they need to cover all their bases like Zio.
5. The Skill Card Shrine
Duplicating skill cards in games like Persona 4 Golden can be significantly more cost-prohibitive than it is in Persona 3 Reload. In this game, it’s as simple as heading to the Naganaki Shrine and duplicating one skill card per day absolutely free. It doesn’t even cause time to pass, so there’s literally no reason not to do this at every possible opportunity. No such thing as too many skill cards.
4. Max XP Whenever Possible
Sometimes, in Persona, the player can fall a little behind in levels if they’re not careful enough. This can cause the game to get a little tediously grindy at specific crucial points, so to avoid this, a good Persona 3 Reload tip is to focus on racking up a lot of EXP whenever possible. One of the best ways to do this is by finding the Arcana card that increases EXP in every battle from the moment the player takes it until they leave Tartarus. It’s luck and chance that the card appears, but when it does, it can be far more valuable than the one-time EXP bonus cards that tend to show up more often.
3. Keep Gear Up To Date
If the player’s level is up to par with surrounding enemies but there’s still too much damage being taken or not enough being dished out, it’s probably time for a gear upgrade. This is an area where the part-time job tip from earlier comes in clutch. Once a week of part-time jobs is out of the way, upgrading the Persona 3 Reload team becomes a lot more feasible. Make sure to consider items that might give a little less raw power in favor of stat upgrades, too.
2. SP Soda is Your Friend
Those long treks through Tartarus oftentimes find their stopping point right around the time the party runs low on SP. HP can be restored in between fights pretty easily, but SP can be harder to refill, and it’s not recommended to waste the 50+SP restorative items that should be held onto for the long boss fights that are coming. In lieu of that, picking up some 5SP drinks from the vending machines sprinkled around the city can give the party that extra push it needs to make it a few more floors.
1. Complete Elizabeth’s Requests
Elizabeth will begin to give the player optional side quests starting right after the first major boss fight (The one on the monorail). These quests can range from being so easy that the player completes them without even realizing it to a little trickier and even a bit frustrating at times, but the rewards Elizabeth gives out for completing these quests tend to be well worth it. Make sure to check in with Elizabeth now and then to check some of these off and get some good loot.