this page is dedicated entirely to logging my experience with video games!
the persona series has been dear to my heart since i was only 12 years old. back then, as my mom thought i was simply too old to still be spending money on video games, my involvement with the series was through watching hours and hours of playthroughs. now, as an adult, since i have the opportunity to finally properly play the games as i see fit, i've been revisiting these games one by one, in order of release. and what an experience it has been!
since i have grown more mature, my understanding of these characters and the storylines around them has made me appreciate the series on a deeper level. persona 3, i think, is still my favorite in terms of overarching storyline and character writing, but now for different reasons than i had when i was just a kid. persona 4 has my favorite group dynamic, and probably my favorite cast by virtue of that, and p5 has the most enjoyable gameplay for me.
the biggest change in perception for me, however, has got to be in regards to the overarching theme that unites all these games. as a kid, i never understood why the world of the shadows took a different form each time, through tartarus, the metaverse and the tv world, or why the bosses all had to be different. as an adult, understanding the principles of jungian psychology that persona bases itself upon and tries so hard to get across throughout the games, the picture has become clear as day to me. persona is about the parts of ourselves that we, as a society, tend to suppress, and how there's value and importance in not looking away from that. a shadow is the suppressed self, and by reclaiming that, you have a strong persona to face the struggles of life...be that death, our and others' true selves, or the spirit of rebellion against oppressive systems that often lies suppressed within us.
by the way, it's ridiculous to me that people argue you can't be a fan of this series only by watching playthroughs because quite frankly, the only thing that has changed for me is my opinion on the actual gameplay quality. the only changes i've had in terms of the story experience has been due to my media literacy being expanded by virtue of me growing older dhffhdsjdsh so as someone who has experienced both things, i can say for certain that the "larp" craze is way overdramatic. this being said, it's no doubt that these games make a larger impact on you if you play them yourself, and i do recommend it heavily to all those who can play them!now that i've revisited all the games i spent my adolescence loving dearly, i think it's finally time to visit persona 1 and 2, before they have a remake out. i'd like to experience it for what it is, even if i've heard the gameplay is not the most pleasant lmao. personally, the thing i care most about is character writing anyways, so i don't mind struggling with the gameplay if need be for me to experience a good story. so stay tuned...!