Persona 3 Reload has gone through something of a strange journey recently. After a variety of leaks, Persona developer Atlus finally confirmed that the game is chiefly intended to capture the contents and spirit of the original Persona 3; however, it'll also include a few modern Persona amenities that weren't in P3, and it intends to build on top of some of the old storytelling. Persona 3 Reload will supposedly include more story segments for the male SEES members that don't have Social Links. That's great not only for Junpei and company, but also for the game's team of antagonistic Persona users, Strega.
Persona 3 Reload's mixed identity as a faithful homage to and an evolution of the original game means Strega's involvement in the story is sort of in limbo. Odds are that they'll have the same beats as before, especially concerning Shinjiro's death, but ideally Atlus will go well beyond that. Although Strega crops up throughout Persona 3, they arguably have a minimal impact on the actual course of the story, paling in comparison to the other antagonists. Persona 3 Reload needs to come up with new ways to keep Strega relevant and make their impact felt throughout the game.
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Strega competes with a handful of other antagonists with crucial story roles: Ikutsuki, Nyx, and Nyx's Shadow fragments. The Shadows and Nyx speak for themselves, since they make up most of the game's bosses, and they're a clear and present danger to humanity. Ryoji's role in Persona 3 only strengthens Nyx's emotional and narrative significance. Ikutsuki is a little more subtle, since he presents himself as SEES' somewhat bumbling mentor before revealing that he's been manipulating the team into bringing about the apocalypse. These characters dominate the narrative -- and ultimately leave little room for Strega.
While the death of Shinjiro is one of Persona 3's most memorable scenes, it's arguably the only time Strega really sets SEES back. Strega observes SEES' actions but they almost never actually get in SEES' way, interfering with very few of their Tartarus excursions or Shadow Operations. Chidori's attempt to take Junpei hostage fails immediately, and although there are a couple boss fights with Strega near the end of the game, they're ultimately just brief encounters that don't change SEES' plans or push them to meaningfully question their beliefs. It doesn't help that Strega's boss fights are incredibly easy compared to the Shadows.
Chidori seems like the perfect guidepost for the rest of the team in Persona 3 Reload. While Strega as a unit accomplishes little, Chidori herself develops a strong relationship with Junpei, which helps spotlight her personal beliefs and struggles. Ideally Persona 3 Reload will let Takaya and Jin develop some individual relationships with SEES members beyond their position as a threat so they can be both more threatening and more compelling. Perhaps the Persona 3 protagonist will have some individual confrontations with Takaya where their ideologies clash in more detail, while Jin could use his mentioned online presence and hacking skills to inconvenience SEES from a distance.
Gameplay sequences ought to include some more involvement from Strega too. Persona 3 Reload's version of Tartarus could include some traps or puzzles designed by Strega to hamstring SEES, and if Strega gets introduced earlier, they could set up some non-combat obstacles during nearly all the Shadow Operations. Strega would feel a lot more meaningful as an ever-present nuisance that constantly makes the player find new approaches to achieve their goals, rather than a secondary figure that achieves little and mostly serves as an excuse for some extra boss battles. Nyx will always be the ultimate threat, but Strega can still throw more weight around than they did in the original Persona 3.
Persona 3 Reload releases in early 2024 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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