The Persona series is one of the most popular JRPG series out right now, and Persona 4 played a huge part in its popularity. Its updated version, Persona 4 Golden, was exclusive to the Playstation Vita in 2012, which made it hard for many fans of the series to play. It was finally released on Steam in 2020, giving a whole new generation of Persona fans a chance to play the game.

Since Persona 4 Golden will soon be 10 years old, it's a good chance to look back and see what the game has done for the series. Despite being almost a decade old, there is a lot about the game that has aged well.

8 The Vox Populi Mechanic

P4G Vox Populi function showing other players' actions

Every day, the player has several choices to contend with. Should they meet with their social links, build up their social stats, or go grind in the TV world? Sometimes the choices are just too numerous for players to deal with, especially when trying to max out all social links or something that requires a lot of time optimization.

Persona 4 Golden introduced the Vox Populi mechanic, which allowed players connected to the internet to see what other players did on any specific day. This mechanic makes deciding what to do each day a lot easier. This feature was so helpful that it returned in Persona 5 Royal.

7 The Shuffle Time Mechanic

P4G Shuffle Time featuring four possible cards

The Shuffle Time mechanic was introduced in Persona 3, but it was especially refined in Persona 4 Golden. Shuffle Time offered players the chance to get Personas from random battles, as well as temporary buffs and even experience and money boosts. Originally, Shuffle Time forced players to choose their options at random, but Persona 4 Golden changed that for a system where players could choose whatever they liked, but could also take cards with negative effects for more cards.

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Shuffle Time did not return for Persona 5 Royal, but that doesn't mean that it was unpopular as a mechanic. In fact, it makes Persona 4 Golden feel more like a unique experience compared to Persona 5.

6 The Characters

P4G Chie, Yukiko, Yosuke, and the MC hanging out

A lot of Persona's appeal is how the player can interact with so many characters, and Persona 4 Golden is no different. Just like its predecessor and successor, Persona 4 Golden features Social Links that allow the player to get to know and experience the development of various side characters.

The main playable roster is also a big part of the appeal, and Persona 4's cast is particularly popular due to feeling a lot like a real friend group. Persona 4 Golden also has a lot of events in which the player can spend time with the main cast outside of in dungeons, which really allows for a stronger connection between the main characters.

5 The Cutscenes

P4G Chie, Rise, and the MC riding with everyone to the beach

Persona has had a very strong connection to manga and anime, and every game since Persona 3 has had an anime adaptation of some kind. The games themselves also feature a number of anime cutscenes, and Persona 4 Golden is no different. While there are not that many cutscenes in the game, there's still a decent number, and Persona 4 Golden adds even more in its update.

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The cutscenes may not be brilliantly animated, but they still look great even ten years later, and they contrast well with the slightly dated PS2-era graphics. It's easy to see why these series constantly get anime adaptations.

4 Extra Party Member Skills

P4G Jiraiya S Link Skill learning Trafuri

For the most part, most party members will generally only learn skills by leveling up. In most Persona games, it is rare for a character to learn a skill outside of that — except in Persona 4 Golden, which gives party members a lot of ways to learn skills outside of leveling up.

The first method most players will encounter quickly is Social Link skills, which are obtained when the player reaches a certain Social Link rank with a party member. Riding bikes with a particular party member will also grant them skills. The best part about these skills is that they're quite different from the usual skills these party members will learn, giving them a new niche.

3 The Side Activities

P4G MC Fishing in the river

Part of what makes Persona so enjoyable and appealing to fans is the "daily life" aspect of its gameplay, in which players can experience part of a normal life in a Japanese city. While dungeon crawling and battling Shadows is still a big part of the game, players can also spend time talking with friends and experiencing the town's many activities.

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Persona 4 Golden also has a fishing mini-game, which allows the player to go fishing in the Samegawa river. The fishing mini-game is a lot of fun, and fans of fishing games can spend a little time enjoying it on the side when they don't want to go to the dungeon or visit their Social Links.

2 The Turn-Based Combat

P4G MC making a move in combat

Despite the move of many modern JRPGs towards a more active style of combat, the Persona series still uses the classic turn-based combat system. While that may seem a bit dated for some new generation RPG fans, the turn-based combat in Persona 4 Golden is anything but.

The big game-changer is the "One More" mechanic utilized in Persona's combat system, which allows a character to take an extra turn if they down an enemy. If all enemies are downed, the player can execute an All-Out Attack that deals massive damage to all enemies. This makes Persona's combat a lot of fun and a very different experience from other turn-based games.

1 The Music

P4G Rise, Chie, Yukiko, Yosuke, and the MC playing in a band

The Persona series is well-known for a lot of things, but one aspect it is most known for is its music. With composer Shoji Meguro at the helm, each Persona game since Persona 3 has had its own musical aesthetic. Persona 4 Golden is no different, sporting a bouncy, sunny, and melodic style reminiscent of J-pop music.

The Persona 4 Golden soundtrack boasts some really great tracks such as "Shadow World," "Your Affection," "Time to Make History," and more. These tracks do a lot to affect the mood of the game, and it is an irreplaceable part of the experience.

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