Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis – The Answer Review — An Emotional Conclusion

Losing someone we care about is never easy. It has the power to rip your world to shreds, push you to the darkest depths, and leave a major impact on your life. But we all have the strength to move forward, to continue living and accepting the past. Though the person we love may be gone, the memories we have of them ensure that they are never forgotten.

Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis – The Answer tackles themes of loss, focusing on how difficult it can be to find the light when everything you hold dear is shrouded in darkness. The Answer takes place shortly after Persona 3 Reload’s conclusion, where we definitively discover that the Protagonist has passed away. He made the ultimate sacrifice to save those he loved, and now his friends must find the strength to continue living their lives. The team is slowly drifting apart following the Protagonist’s death, with the dorm closing and multiple team members moving onto their next chapter in life. Even Aigis, in an attempt to distance herself from her friends, has decided she will no longer attend high school. However, on March 31, following a final farewell between the members of the team, their lives are turned upside down once more. The team find themselves stuck in a time loop and unable to leave their dorm, one that can only be ended by conquering the Abyss of Time, an unworldly dimension that has suddenly opened underneath the dorm.

Episode Aigis has players controlling the titular character as we explore her psyche and come to understand how drastically the Protagonist’s death has affected her. Aigis has fallen into depression, struggling to find a new reason to live after promising to always protect the Protagonist. Aigis is the focal point of the story, as she awakens to the power of the wildcard, the same power that the Protagonist has previously wielded. Another major character of The Answer is the newly introduced Metis, a fellow anti-shadow weapon who considers herself to be Aigis’ sister. The mystery of Metis’ origins, her connection to Aigis, and how Aigis has been able to access the Protagonist’s power are all integral elements of the plot. The Answer also does a brilliant job of detailing how each team member is struggling to cope with the loss of their friend as it explores the backstory of each character across the 15–20-hour adventure.

The Answer delivers a brilliant conclusion to the Persona 3 Reload narrative, offering an additional chapter that helps tie off loose ends while also helping to establish the direction of these beloved characters. The story delivers some incredible character arc payoffs, especially for Junpei, who, despite being a ‘class clown’ during Reload, has now matured beyond his years. Themes like dealing with loss, regret, and denial are always difficult to handle, but The Answer tackles each effectively. This is due to the impeccable writing and the incredible performances of each Persona 3 Reload cast member. Each character has their moment to shine, with raw and emotional performances delivered across the board, leaving me emotional on several occasions. Losing a loved one is something we can all comprehend, and as a player, I understood how each team member felt. I felt his loss and understood what these characters were dealing with, and that emotion helped make The Answer extremely personal.

Players can access Episode Aigis – The Answer via a separate main menu screen, allowing them to experience the expansion without having to replay Persona 3 Reload. However, you should definitely complete the original Persona 3 Reload story prior to playing The Answer.

If you are like me and have poured over one hundred hours into the main campaign, you will be almost, if not max level with every rare Persona unlocked. In a similar fashion to the Arkham series, The Answer (while letting you import your Persona Compendium) weakens you right away, dropping you and your companions to Level 25. Narratively, The Answer explains that you and your team have ‘ring rust’, which is why you are not as strong as you were previously. While it narratively makes sense, as a maxed-out team would steamroll this expansion, it was frustrating to re-unlock moves and abilities I had already obtained.

The moment-to-moment gameplay is the same refined, fun, and strategic turn-based combat that Persona 3 Reload delivered. Aigis now controls almost exactly like the original Protagonist due to her newly acquired wildcard ability, allowing her to wield multiple Personas. However, it is worth mentioning that this expansion is combat-focused, with almost all the social elements removed. You won’t be attending school, building up Social Links, or managing your time. Instead, you will focus on clearing dungeons with the occasional mini-boss, followed by short narrative scenes that play out upon the completion of each dungeon. Exploring the Abyss of Time is identical to exploring Tartarus, and as someone who found that structure to be one of the only flaws from the base game, I also found this gameplay loop to be problematic.

The entire expansion plays out like a condensed version of Persona 3 Reload, with characters levelling up faster and abilities unlocking quicker. But despite this condensed Persona experience, the repetitive aspects of exploring the Abyss of Time are more noticeable due to the strong combat focus. In Persona 3 Reload, players were able to chip away at Tartarus before deciding to attend school and interact with Social Links, all before returning to Tartarus. The Answer doesn’t offer that same variety. To progress, you must keep exploring. As mentioned, the combat within The Answer is just as good as the original game, but when you are traversing the same randomly generated dungeon over and over to unlock the same abilities you already had, it does drag down the experience.

Fortunately, the brilliant story kept me coming back. But I can’t help but feel that the story would have been just as effective if the Abyss of Time itself was condensed, having less floors to clear, or at least enough variety to differentiate itself from the original 264 Tartarus floors that I cleared within the original release.

Persona fans wanting additional combat challenges will appreciate the fact there is an extremely exciting Persona-related boss to unlock, and that challenge is no joke. While I was able to unlock the encounter, I did not have the skills to achieve victory, but I wish those undertaking this challenge all the best.

Episode Aigis – The Answer also includes a few additional songs, including a brilliant final track that helps emphasise a satisfying conclusion to the narrative. I think musically, The Answer succeeds at using the soundtrack to help highlight powerful and emotional moments. Songs are used perfectly to heighten your emotions, pull at your heartstrings, and send you racing along an emotional rollercoaster.

The Abyss of Time also visually struggles to stay interesting due to the lack of visual variety. Each dungeon will gradually cycle through a handful of different thematic styles, and this is repeated across each dungeon. This means that it is almost impossible to know which dungeon you are in, as they are visually identical. I believe the lack of visual variety emphasises the repetitive aspect of exploring the Abyss of Time.

Episode Aigis – The Answer is as visually stunning as the original release. I especially loved the artistic detail found across the menus, with gorgeous yet emotional representations of Aigis found within them. Her sadness is etched across these images, and as they are prominently displayed within the menus, it is a constant reminder of the emotional toll Aigis is currently experiencing. I also want to mention how jaw-droppingly gorgeous the final credits are. This is a perfect visual depiction of the story found within The Answer, and it is a beautiful way to conclude the adventures of Persona 3 Reload.