I imagine that most of you have at least heard of Persona 4 by now, if not played it. So you, like me, are probably wondering what all the hub-bub surrounding Persona 4 Golden (PS Vita) is. Is it just a port of a four-year-old game?

Well, I’ve done the homework and I must say that Persona 4 Golden is much more than a port and for those of you who loved the original, you’ll find a plethora of reasons to revisit Inaba and solve the riddle of the Midnight Channel once again.

Spoilers ahead!

I do want to warn anyone who has not played Persona 4 before, or who is looking to discover all the new material for him/herself, that this article will include spoilers, so read on at your own risk. 

HD Graphics

Let’s start with the most in-your-face, obvious change to the game: the graphics. Most, if not all, of the textures have been redone in P4G and the change looks remarkable. A game that came out in 2008 for the PS2 shouldn’t look like a current-gen title, but this one does. In fact, the visual presentation of game is so good that I almost felt like I was playing a brand new title in the series.

New Social Links

HD graphics aren’t a big deal when you’ve seen all that Persona 4 has to offer already? How about two new Social Links? The first of the new Links is Marie, the Aeon Arcana. Marie spends most of her time with Igor and Margaret in the Velvet Room. Maxing out her Social Link will open up a new, secret dungeon and getting into a dating relationship with her will offer other surprises to the main story of Golden.

The second Social Link is the Adachi, the Jester Arcana. For you P4 veterans, you’ll remember Adachi as the aware, yet bumbling partner of Dojima. Adachi can be found at Junes on select days of the week and he, like Marie, also unlocks new content for the main story in Golden. 

Get to Know Yourself Again

And let’s not forget that new Social Links means new Personas for you to use. All of the fun isn’t just for the Hero of Golden; every member of the Investigation Team will receive a third transformation for each of their individual Personas for more Shadow-stomping power. On top of that, you’ll also be able to select which skills to transfer to the Personas you create through Fusion; a previously random circumstance. 

Expanding Your Horizons

New Social Links and Personas are exciting, but what about new areas to explore outside of Inaba? You’ll be able to obtain a motor bike to use for traveling to Okina City–previously only visitable during certain Social Link scenes–as well as Shichiri Beach, where you can fish, swim or just observe the ocean for item, Personality and/or Persona stat gain.

These are just a few of the new features found in Persona 4 Golden. If you’re still not convinced that Persona 4 Golden is worth a visit, stay tuned for Part 2 of Golden Opportunities where we’ll talk about new Difficulty Options, Team Attacks, and even a whole new wardrobe!