PixlBit

Yes I’m doing this thing again, but this will be more about my impressions about a game with some added rants. So even if I don’t beat the game I would at least like to give some opinions about it.

Persona Q: Shadows of the Labyrinth is just amazing. Even when I had both this game and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire in the same week I've spent more time into the PQ. Story is just as bizarre and fantastic: Igor is nowhere to be found, Philemon’s butterfly is stuck in a web (in the intro), and both P3 and P4 characters join forces to find out what the hell is going on while helping Zen and Rei (non-Persona users that can cast magic and use skills) regain their memories.

The game is just as merciless even with the new battle system because like any other MegaTen game the enemies are out for blood and the bosses will never die easily. My heart actually raced a bit when I got to the first boss because from past experience with Persona 4 (Only managed to get pass the Void Quest dungeon because the guy who borrowed it from the library after me never returned it) I was expecting a slaughter house out of her. But with some methodical thinking (and spamming Toxic Slice) I’ve beaten her with Akihiko only dying on me once. And then the second labyrinth started to kick my ass. Didn’t get a game over yet but that’s not stopping them from trying.

Outside the labyrinths are the usual places to make the trek through the mazes a bit easier. First stop after an adventure would be the Workshop where Theodore the Velvet Room Doormat buys your loot (almost misread and thought that we were going by Strange Journey’s rule of shopping when I started this) and sells you equipment and items. After selling the loot to Theo it would be a good idea to visit Elizabeth in the nurses office, where resting and healing will cost a 100 yen per level of the Leader of the group. And finally there’s the Velvet Room, where Margaret will perform fusions for you in Igor’s stead while Marie will show off your inner demons via StreetPass.

While the chibi Etrian Odyssey style looks a little goofy on the characters it does have a charm to them. The labyrinths’ art design are far more interesting than what I’ve seen in P4, Strange Journey, or any RPG that featured a disoriented design. The music is just awesome, maybe even better than Persona 4’s soundtrack.

Well worth the wait let alone worth the effort to get this game on a Black Friday, though I still kind of feel sorry for dragging the folks into the horrors of the traffic that day.