Atlus re-released their 2012 PSVita JRPG hit, Persona 4 Golden, for PC in 2020. Featuring an HD upscale and some new elements to gain EXP and money, the title felt like a bit of an improvement over the original release. For JRPG enthusiasts, it's one of the best games out there.

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This list will cover fundamentals to make the player's life a little easier in the town of Inaba. For both newcomers to Persona 4 and JRPG enthusiasts, these tips will most certainly come in handy.

Updated on December 27, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: Persona 4 Golden's release on all major platforms has been nothing short of a massive success. Releasing on PC was a monumental step for the franchise and paved the way for other releases to finally walk away from the limitations of console exclusivity and reach the hearts of players all over the world. Recently, Persona 4 Golden has been ported to the Nintendo Switch, and fans who are getting into this title for the first time should definitely pay heed to the following tips that make their time with the game way less frustrating.

Marie in Persona 4

Marie is a new character introduced in Persona 4 Golden. She's a mysterious individual who has amnesia, and it isn't until much later in Persona 4 Golden that the truth of her character is finally revealed.

However, accessing this hidden chapter in Persona 4 Golden requires the player to max out Marie's Social Link before defeating the serial killer who has been terrorizing Inaba. As long as players aren't negligent about this character's Social Link, they will have little to no issues reaching Level 10 of this particular Social Link.

19 Avoid Using A Persona That Is Weak To Hama Or Mudo

An encounter in Persona 4 Golden

Hama and Mudo are the Light and Dark elements respectively of Persona 4 Golden. Its sequel is the only entry to let players access abilities that can actually damage enemies, with previous entries only giving access to insta-kill spells.

As a result, it's important that players don't give the main character a Persona that is weak to either element. Instant death can be an absolute pain to deal with, and it's important to avoid a frustrating game over as much as possible.

18 SP Management Is A Pain Early On, So Prepare Accordingly

A battle in Persona 4 Golden

Most players recommend that players finish off dungeons in a single day. After all, infiltrating the Midnight Channel is no easy feat, and players might find that their party members are completely exhausted before they can reach the end of a dungeon.

This is especially true early on when players don't have access to a ton of money or party members. This makes it essential to manage enemy encounters wisely, use recovery items sparingly, and approach battles tactically before reaching the end of a dungeon.

17 Use Buffs And Debuffs To Make Tough Battles More Manageable

A fight in Persona 4 Golden

The Shin Megami Tensei games place major importance on using buffs and debuffs to make encounters manageable. While the Persona titles are generally considered to be easier than the titles in the main series, there's no denying that some encounters can be pretty tricky indeed.

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This makes it important to use buffs and debuffs during these challenging battles to turn the tide of battle. Defensive and offensive boosts are always welcome, and being able to dodge a ton of blows with little to no issues is also quite welcome in a battle where every hit takes off a decent chunk of health.

Shu's Social Link in Persona 4

This is a tip that applies to every Persona game after the third entry. The life sim mechanics are crucial to the experience, and players can interact with various important figures to level up the Social Link of the same Arcana.

However, people should keep in mind that the protagonist gains a boost in these Social Links if they house a Persona from the same Arcana. Failing to mix-and-match Personas will lead to certain Personas taking ages to complete, which is not ideal in the slightest.

15 Attempt The "Final" Dungeon As Late As Possible

Magatsu Inaba in Persona 4 Golden

One of the last dungeons that players can attempt in the game is Magatsu Inaba, which appears at a pretty major point in the story. This might compel people to finish it as soon as possible, but this can actually be detrimental to a player's run.

This is because finishing the final fight of Magatsu Inaba instantly skips time forward to 12/23, regardless of when the player started. So, it's recommended that players either complete the dungeon on 12/24 or 12/22, with the latter viable for players who don't want to miss out on any special events that take place in the next two days.

14 Use Mods To Make The Most Of The PC Experience

Yosuke, Yukiko, Chie, and Yu performing an All-Out Attack in Persona 4 Golden

PC players should make full use of the advantage they have on this platform when playing Persona 4 Golden. The best way to do this is by downloading mods that augment the overall experience.

Everything from graphical upgrades to gameplay tweaks can be used to enhance the game in several ways. While this is not a mandatory step by any means, it's definitely recommended for fans who want to enjoy the best experience possible with this game.

13 Try Hunting Down Hands As Soon As Possible

Wealth Hand in Persona 4

There are several special enemies that appear in dungeons in the shape of a hand. They always try and run away from the player, so chasing them down and hopefully getting a surprise attack in is very important.

These hands have high evasion and defense, but players should try their hardest to defeat these foes. They drop a ton of wealth and experience, and their rarity means that each and every hand should ideally be decimated by players to enjoy all these benefits.

12 Avoid The Reaper At All Costs

The Reaper in Persona 4 Golden

The Reaper is a recurring enemy across the Persona games that hunt down the player by either appearing randomly on a floor or when players take too much time in a particular part of the dungeon. It's an incredibly tough enemy that will wipe out early-game players with ease.

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Players should only take on the Reaper once they're confident in their skills and are in the endgame. Jumping the gun too early can have drastic consequences further down the line that are better off avoided.

11 Finishing Dungeons In One Day Can Save A Lot Of Time

Shadow Rise boss fight in Persona 4

This can be a tall order, especially early on in the game, but players should try and clear dungeons the very day they get unlocked. This means that players need to be mindful of their SP usage and the recovery items they have on hand too.

Trying to secure free heals and grabbing a bunch of cheap recovery items is a great way to achieve this goal. It gives players more time to interact with the world and its residents, and even a single day makes a ton of difference when it comes to maxing out the game's Social Links.

10 Register and Fuse Personas

The Velvet Room in Persona 4

One of the first things players will learn about battles in the game is obtaining and summoning Personas. When entering the Velvet Room, players will gain several options. Immediately register Personas into the Compendium in order to summon them later.

Fusing Personas means creating a new one. Without registering it, players must hunt them down once more. Furthermore, fusing Personas creates strong new creatures with likely even stronger battle stats. Don't be afraid to experiment.

9 Don't Stress Over Side-Quests

Kashiwagi in Persona 4

Side-quests in Persona 4 Golden often mean re-entering a dungeon for materials. This might even include entering a previously cleared dungeon. It feels similar to how, in Persona 3, players would enter previous floors of Tartarus in order to find loot for quests. However, this ultimately feels like a waste of time.

Finding quest items never becomes important in the game due to their meager rewards. Furthermore, players can sell off quest loot for money and may even do so accidentally. It might be ideal to sell off these items for better equipment to enter dungeons with.

Yukiko's Social Link in Persona 4

NPCs affecting in-battle abilities did not start until Persona 5. With that being said, the only benefit to boosting NPC social links involves strengthening Persona fusion levels. Party members, on the other hand, can affect battles in a variety of ways.

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These methods include anything from knocking down an enemy, hitting with a follow-up attack, to even taking a mortal blow for the protagonist. It becomes crucial to strengthen relationships with party members first. This especially includes Rise Kujikawa, who does not participate as a battle member. Rather, this navigator ally can restore HP, SP, and provide stat boosts to the entire party.

7 Grow the Garden

Gardening in Persona 4 Golden

Gardening allows players to grow vegetables in order to obtain items. These items include anything from HP/SP refills to Return Daikon. In this case, a Return Daikon functions as a Goho-M, which allows the player to escape from a dungeon. This might save a player from having to leave a dungeon manually.

Growing a garden takes up no activity points either. The only time it does so is by maintaining it, which only speeds up the process. However, choosing to maintain the garden means building social links with Nanako and Dojima.

6 Use a Guide to Get the Golden Ending

The female party members of Persona 4

Don't feel any shame in using a guide to unlock the Golden Ending. Persona 4 Golden features several endings as opposed to the usual "Good and Bad" ending. This includes maxing out Marie's social stat link, which should be prioritized along with party members' links.

Players can also opt for a special ending by maxing out Adachi's social link. However, be prepared to answer the proper questions in order to trigger the endings. One guide, in particular, should help considerably.

5 Keep Teddie In Your Party

Teddie's puns in Persona 4

Much like Chie, Teddie is proficient in ice magic. However, he gains a great deal more versatility in battle. As opposed to the former, Teddie gains healing arts as well.

Moreover, Teddie's social link automatically progresses. This allows the player to gain his battle abilities without spending extra time building the social link. Furthermore, it may be wise to compare Chie and Teddie's skills for further reference.

4 Read the Book that Speeds Up Studying

The protagonist studying in Persona 4

Studying becomes an important task in Persona 4 Golden. This is usually the player's main option during nighttime until they can go out or get a job. Even then, boosting Knowledge means increased social link points among peers as well as free items for passing exams.

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One book, in particular, will help players boost Knowledge much faster. "Expert Study Skills" allows the player to gain more Knowledge points after studying. This will mean using fewer activity points to devote to studying. Buy this book as soon as possible.

3 Understand the Fox's Aid

The fox in Persona 4

In Inaba, players can find a Shrine. Entering this allows players to solve troubles. When doing so, a fox will appear and reward the player while building social links. This gives highly beneficial rewards.

The fox will later enter the Midnight Channel allowing the player to interact. The fox can heal the party's SP at an expensive price. Clearing the social link will drop the price, however. It is heavily recommended to clear these side-quests over the arbitrary ones in Inaba due to their greater incentives.

2 Raise the EXP via Scaling

Persona 4 Golden's Settings

The PS Vita release of Persona 4 Golden required grinding at several key points. Sometimes this could take hours. In the PC version, however, players can scale their EXP up. In fact, the successful release of the Steam version upscaled the game to HD as well as allowed several new possibilities.

With that being said, it's recommended to do so. Boost above the normal limit without worrying about being overpowered. This will make bosses still offer a challenge without being overpowered and forcing players to grind levels. Players who seek a harder challenge can opt for a higher difficulty level as well.

1 Trade Your Gems with the Shop Lady

Shiroku's Hostess in Persona 4

The Shiroku Shop Lady deals in items and gems. While it's necessary to purchase items from her shop, players can also trade gems with her. However, this might involve serious levels of farming just to get a potentially rare equipment item.

Depending on the player's preference, it might be ideal to sell them off for weaponry at the armorer's shop. This depends on the number of gems on one's person, however. Make sure to at least check with the hostess to trade gems before selling them off at the armory.

Persona 4 Golden is available now for PC and PlayStation Vita. The game will release on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on January 19, 2023.

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