Well, with the announcement of Persona 5 being released in Japan on September 15th, it is only fair to take a blast from the past from the number four. That is correct, this editorial will focus on games that are the fourth title in their series. No mere threes or fives, but instead a wholesome number known as four, not too little and not too much.
A historic quote, on par with “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”
First up is the famous Final Fantasy IV, which was originally released in North America as Final Fantasy II due to two games not coming over to the states. As many readers of Lusipurr.com might know, the title is a fan favorite by many and embraced different core aspects from previous “Final Fantasy” titles in order to make a more complete experience. Final Fantasy IV was also the first title in the series to be SNES, allowing the developers more creative freedom in the realm of technical limitations, although they were still present. The title focused more on story than previous entries which led to a more linear pathway in comparison to those entries which could get confusing for the player. The Active Time Battle system was also introduced in Final Fantasy IV and has been a hit ever since, letting the player feel more active in their decision making without transforming the game into an Action RPG in its entirety. Ultimately, Final Fantasy IV is a title that will be remembered for years to come thanks to its many advancements in the RPG genre.
Using digital enhancement, and zooming in very closely, one can see the heartbreak in Sonic’s eyes.
Next, a much more underwhelming title that is not-so fantastic known as Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Just for clarity, when referring to that title the editorial is discussing both Episodes I and II, because they are both of the same quality, poor. Although the fanbase for the “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise has been scattered all over the known world for more than a decade, in the end it almost seems pointless as SEGA seems to care a lot less about Sonic than its fans. While many argue that the 2D titles are better than the 3D or that the 2D games were not even that good to begin with, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 shows us that “Sonic the Hedgehog” games can be bad no matter what dimension they are in. While the first episode was released way back in 2010 and the second was released in 2012, both have come under fire for poor physics, brevity and a general lack of heart when compared to the original titles. Is it a bad sign when the social media coordinator for the franchise is arguably more entertaining then the games themselves? Probably.
Is that an Aggron or a Persona? Only time will tell.
Last, is a truly fantastic title released originally on the Playstation 2 and later the Playstation Vita, the one and only Persona 4. That is correct, what a better way to end an editorial based around the upcoming fifth entry in a franchise than to look at the fourth. Persona 4 was released back in 2008 to critical acclaim by fans and critics alike and has since then spawned a number of titles based off of the original such as Persona 4 Arena, a fighting game, and Persona 4: Dancing All Night, a rhythm game. Gameplay in Persona 4 itself is very unique in comparison to most RPGS as it deals not only with exploring dungeons to defeat demons, but also dealing with a much more daunting task, finishing high school and managing relationships with friends. However, these two tasks are in no way disjointed as they come together to create a fulfilling whole where the friends the player makes in high school become more powerful in correlation with how strong the player’s relationship is with them. And of course, it would be wrong to talk about the “Persona” franchise without actually talking about what Personas are. In short, Personas are kind of like demons that the player can use at their disposal, while almost everyone else has their own personal Persona. However, for story reasons, the player can use multiple Personas and combine them to create stronger ones which can be switched out depending on the battle’s circumstances and enemy types encountered. In the end, this editorial barely scratches the surface of what a fantastic game Persona 4 is an it is highly recommended that readers look into playing it before the fifth entry is released.
Did you enjoy this editorial, or were you miffed that it only covered three games instead of four? Do you have strong opinions on any of the franchises discussed above and want others to corroborate your statements? Make sure to leave a comment or four below, and let us know what you think!
