Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (PC) Review

Essentially being a Persona game, rather than "just" a spinoff, there's no point in approaching this solely as a fighter. As such, this review will take a look at both parts of the equation: first, the punching and kicking bit, and secondly the plot and the role the characters play in it... with the first part being exactly what one would expect from a 2D fighter made by Arc System Works. The action is fast and relentless, the visuals flashy - almost annoyingly so - and, while this was crafted in such a way that it gives plenty of options for greenhorns or casual players, it's geared more towards the veterans, with even the simplest of difficulty options able to make you sweat.

All the typical modes have been included, like Training, Arcade, and so on. Nothing special to talk about here, with the added modes being simple variations of the standard ones, which end up feeling more like filler. Concerning the online portion, players were disappointed to know that this didn't release with rollback netcode. According to the developer it will be added sometime in summer of 2022. It's hard to predict how much this will improve things, though, as the online experience is far from smooth right now. Not to mention that it's a bit hard to find somebody to play, for some strange reason.

A great deal of people, mostly Persona fans that is, are practically expecting a great story served along the bombastic combat - and here's where things lean towards the mediocre, or downright bad. For starters, the writing is somewhat poor, and fails to capture what made the cast of the mainline games so likable and memorable. The story mainly follows Labrys, and her interaction with the rest of the Persona crew, with the whole taking place sometime after the events of Persona 3 and Persona 4, and almost acts as the bridge between the characters of each title. Sadly, the way the story unfolds feels more like an excuse to use the Persona cast one more time, and have them exchange punches.

Oh, sure, this is pretty much what happens in all fighting games, but as mentioned before, this is not just any other fighting game. At the end of the day, this is in no way a bad game, but one should know what it is they are buying. In love with Arc System Works style of fighters? Do check this out, even if it won't blow your minds. Fans of Persona? Approach with caution. You'll enjoy the appearance of your favourite characters, but if you want something more than fanservice, the subpar story won't please you.