Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Atlus |
Publisher(s) |
|
Director(s) | Katsura Hashino |
Designer(s) | Atsushi Watanabe Azusa Kido |
Programmer(s) | Yujiro Kosaka |
Artist(s) |
Shigenori Soejima Susumu Nishizawa |
Writer(s) | Yuichiroh Tanaka Akira Kawasaki |
Composer(s) | Shoji Meguro |
Series |
Megami Tensei (Main) Persona (Sub-series) |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 PlayStation Vita (Golden) |
Release date(s) | |
Genre(s) | Role-playing, social simulation |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Other Persona 4 media | |
Manga | |
Written by | Shūji Sogabe |
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Published by | ASCII Media Works |
English publisher | |
Demographic | Seinen |
Magazine | Dengeki Black Maoh |
Original run | September 19, 2008 – present |
Volumes | 10 |
Light novel | |
Persona x Detective Naoto | |
Written by | Mamiya Natsuki |
Illustrated by | Kiyotaka Haimura |
Published by | ASCII Media Works |
Demographic | Male |
Imprint | Dengeki Bunko |
Published | June 8, 2012 |
Manga | |
Persona 4: The Magician | |
Written by | Shiichi Kukura |
Published by | ASCII Media Works |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Imprint | Dengeki Comics |
Published | August 27, 2012 |
Manga | |
Persona x Detective Naoto | |
Written by | Mamiya Natsuki |
Illustrated by | Satoshi Shiki |
Published by | ASCII Media Works |
Demographic | Seinen |
Magazine | Dengeki Maoh |
Original run | November 27, 2012 – present |
Other | |
|
Aggregate score | |
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Aggregator | Score |
Metacritic | 90/100 93/100 (Golden) |
Review scores | |
Publication | Score |
1UP.com | A+ |
Edge | 9/10 |
Famitsu | 33/40 |
GamePro | 5/5 |
GameSpot | 9.0 |
GameTrailers | 9.3/10 |
GameZone | 8.7/10 |
IGN | 9.0 |
X-Play | 4 of 5 |
Wired | 10/10 |
Awards | |
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Publication | Award |
Famitsu | PlayStation 2 Game Prize |
Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association | Award of Excellence |
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (ペルソナ4 Perusona Fō?) is a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus for Sony's PlayStation 2, and chronologically the fifth installment in the Persona series, itself a part of the larger Megami Tensei franchise. Persona 4 was released in Japan in July 2008, North America in December 2008, and Europe in March 2009, and was later re-released on the PlayStation Network in April 2014. An enhanced remake for the PlayStation Vita, Persona 4 Golden, was released in Japan in June 2012, in North America in November 2012, and in Europe in February 2013.
Persona 4 takes place in a fictional Japanese countryside and is indirectly related to earlier Persona games. The player-named protagonist is a high-school student who moved into the countryside from the city for a year. During his year-long stay, he becomes involved in investigating mysterious murders while harnessing the power of summoning Persona. The game features a weather forecast system with events happening on foggy days to replace the moon phase system implemented in the previous games.
The plot of Persona 4 was inspired by the work of mystery novelists owing to its murder mystery premise. The rural setting was based on a town on the outskirts of Mount Fuji and intended as a "'nowhere' place" and is the central setting to have players sympathize with the daily life of the characters. The developers added many in-game events to prevent the game from becoming stale. During the localization, numerous alterations to names and cultural references were made to preserve the effect through translation, but some Japanese cultural references were altered or removed.
The release of the game in Japan was accompanied by merchandise such as character costumes and accessories. The North American package of the game was released with a CD with selected music from the game, and, unlike Persona 3, the European package also contained a soundtrack CD. The music, as with the previous game, was composed primarily by Shoji Meguro. He was joined this time by Shihoko Hirata, who performed vocals on various songs, including the theme song "Pursuing My True Self". The game was positively received by critics and developed into a full franchise. Various manga and light novel adaptations and spin-offs have been produced. A television anime adaptation by AIC ASTA, titled Persona 4: The Animation, aired in Japan between October 2011 and March 2012, with an anime adaptation of Persona 4 Golden, produced by A-1 Pictures, airing as of July 2014. The game has also spawned two fighting game sequels, Persona 4 Arena and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and a rhythm game, Persona 4: Dancing All Night.