Persona 4
Everything you could realistically want to know about the Social Link system.
IRVINE, Calif. - Oct.13, 2008
In Persona 3, Social Links played a vital role in the creation of Personas: Fusions were allotted bonus experience and maxing out Social Links enabled players to unlock powerful Personas. The Social Link system returns in Persona 4, with significant enhancements designed to improve game play experience.
The Social Link system in P4 allows players to build relationships with ALL of their teammates, not just the girls. The stronger your relationships are, the more events you’ll experience. And depending on their ranks, teammates might jump in front of a critical hit for you when you’re about to die in battle or perform a support attack to finish off an enemy you weren’t able to kill. Also, certain conversations will occur in the dungeons according to the events that took place the last time you hung out with that character, providing a much stronger incentive for developing closer bonds with your party members.
Another improvement involves the Protagonist’s relationships with the fairer sex. Simply maxing out your Social Link with the ladies won’t automatically make you their “special someone” this time around. As you increase the ranks of your relationships, P4 gives you the option to be either “friends” or “lovers” with each character, triggering different events and conversations later in the game.
There are also changes to how you level your Social Links, as well as new factors that affect how quickly your ranks are increased. For example, going to sleep early enables you to have dreams about the characters you have a relationship with, making you closer to them. Also, there are certain days in the game when you can make your lunch to take to school the following day. You can then choose a character to share your food with. Both of these features allow you to strengthen your Social Links faster. However, these actions will come at the expense of another activity, which of course makes time management all the more important.
All in all, Persona 4 adds a lot more depth and complexity to the entire Social Link system, in addition to integrating it far more effectively with the other aspects of the game.
For more information about Persona 4, visit the official Persona 4 site:
http://www.atlus.com/persona4
Persona 4 is scheduled for release on December 9th with an MSRP of $39.99.
About Persona 4
In the small town of Inaba, nestled in the Japanese countryside, a young man settles in with his uncle and cousin. Sudden circumstances have forced the arrangement, but it is for the most part an agreeable place to live, if a little boring. Everything changes when a shocking and mysterious killing leaves a town aghast and searching for answers. As all signs point to involvement of a twisted serial murderer, a young hero and his friends will discover hidden powers and use them to save innocents from certain death. Together, they must find the trail of the unknown attacker… Before they strike again!
Key Features
• Balance your double life – Beyond intense battles, Persona fusion, and new weapon creation exists a normal high school life of friends, classes, and part-time jobs. The way you manage and integrate your activities within each day will determine how you progress through the game.
• Unprecedented team control – With a greater emphasis on developing bonds in the fight to solve the mysterious murders, strong friendships are key to your success. Directly control teammates in battle, earn greater party support for combat, and master individual Social Links to unlock your party's true potential.
• Find the true ending – 60+ hours of gameplay thrusts you into a deep mystery where midnight television leads to serial killings. You must investigate murders, rescue those who can be rescued, and unmask the culprit behind it all—or risk being forever shrouded in the fog of doubt.
About Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
Located in Irvine, California and founded in 1991, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. is renowned for its proud tradition of publishing exceptional role-playing games with strong niche appeal. The Atlus library of critically acclaimed video games includes Odin Sphere, Trauma Center series, and the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei series. For more information, visit http://www.atlus.com.
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Ben Karl, TriplePoint PR
(415) 955-8531
benjamin@triplepointpr.com
Aram Jabbari, Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
(949) 788-0455
aram@atlus.com