Shin Megami Tensei Persona 3 and 4 AMV - Downfall

*Click Widescreen/480p for Best View* As indicated in my Top 20 of 2008 video, argueably one of the best games to come out last year was the latest entry in the Shin Megami Tensei series: Persona 4. Two years prior saw its predecessor, Persona 3, achieve similar critical acclaim with an extended version, entitled Persona 3 FES, arriving a year later. While both games share similar settings and familiarities, they each have their own distinct stories and characters to separate them from each other. Persona 3 puts you in the shoes of a transfer student attending a new high school. Shortly after arriving, you become inducted into SEES- a group dedicated to the erradication of creatures known as "shadows" that only appear during the Dark Hour. The Dark Hour is a mysterious 25th hour that occurs every midnight unbenounced to the general public, who reside within this hour dormant inside coffins. Unique individuals will remain free during the Dark Hour, but face consumption by the shadows. It is here that you learn of your hidden ability, called a "persona", that is seemingly summoned via a gunshot to the head using a special gun known as an Evoker. The persona are used to fight the shadows, allowing you and your teammates to investigate the cause of the Dark Hour... when you have time, of course. Persona 4 takes a step in a lighter direction. While you are still placed in the shoes of a transfer student, this time you are transferring from the big city to the rural town of Inaba. It's here that you learn of the Midnight Channel, an urban legend that if you stare into your TV at midnight on a rainy night you'll see the face of your true love. In actuality, the Midnight Channel is a window into a dark dimension governed by "shadows" and those viewed on TVs are actually ones from the real world thrown into their reality. Further investigation into the TV World forces you and your teammates to confront the worst villains possible: yourselves- the inner truth that many refuse to accept. Through this confrontation, the ability to use "personas" to battle the shadows is formed. Your team will lead the investigation into who is behind the attempted murders, the true nature of the Midnight Channel, and ultimately decide the fate of Inaba itself. Both games utilize Anime cutscenes blended with smooth action and quality voiceover work. While the stories may sound a bit... off (P3 being the more 'out there' of the two), they are nevertheless fine works of RPG quality and definite recommendations to both role-playing fans and PS2 owners alike. Clips are taken from GameTrailers.com Music featured is "Downfall" by Trust Company, with the opening "A Poem for Everyone's Soul", the main theme of the Velvet Room from both Persona games.