While Persona 6 might still be a ways off, the upcoming Persona 3 Reload could be setting the stage for what players can expect from the next all-new entry in the Persona franchise. It appears Persona 3 Reload will be maintaining many faithful elements from the original Persona 3 while improving upon others to give this remake a modernized feel. One aspect that is changing completely is the addition of voiced Social Link rank-up scenes, giving Persona 3 Reload the most voice lines in the series to date and potentially setting up Persona 6 to go in a new direction with its protagonist.
Persona 3 Reload is already facing some controversy due to missing elements from past versions of Persona 3 like the option for a female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable and The Answer epilogue from Persona 3 FES. However, it seems like the new additions to Persona 3 Reload will make up for these omissions. Another somewhat controversial change the game makes is recasting its voice actors, which seems to be a double-edged sword. While some players may miss the original voice cast, Atlus seems to be upping its game in terms of amount of voiced lines in Persona 3 Reload. With this shift towards more voiced lines, Persona 6 could finally see a fully voiced protagonist.
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The Social Link system is a classic part of the Persona series that allows players to grow closer with their allies, resulting in gameplay benefits like being able to fuse the game's strongest Personas. In a recent interview, the developers of Persona 3 Reload stated that the game will feature the most lines of voiced dialogue in the series to date, and that every Social Link rank-up scene will be voiced. While's its unclear if this means that they will be fully or only partially voiced, it's still a big step up from the original Persona 3 and shows Atlus is committed to more voiced dialogue in the series.
This new approach to voiced dialogue is likely to extend to Persona 6 as well, and depending on the extent of the voiced lines in Persona 3 Reload's Social Link rank-up scenes, could mean the series finally sees a fully voiced protagonist. Past entries like Persona 5 featured a partially voiced protagonist, with Joker speaking certain one-off lines, but a fully voiced protagonist in Persona 6 would drastically change the way its characters interact with one another and give the protagonist a more defined personality.
Other modern JRPGs have featured full voice acting for their protagonists to great success such as Fire Emblem Engage's Alear and Final Fantasy 16's Clive. While having a fully voiced protagonist isn't crucial to successful character development, as demonstrated by Persona 5's Joker, the addition of more voiced lines would be a welcome change. If Persona 6 is going to try and achieve the same heights as its predecessor, a simple change to add more voiced dialogue would be an effective way to help the title stand out.
It's clear from statements made by Atlus that Persona 3 Reload's voice acting is an important part of the game and the developers are proud of the work that's been done to improve upon the original in this regard. The social elements of the Persona series have become a fan-favorite feature, and it seems like Atlus wants to lean into these elements with future entries. As such, it makes sense that the next logical step to take the series' voice acting to the next level is to have Persona 6's protagonist fully voice acted for the majority of the game.
Persona 3 Reload launches early 2024 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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