Persona 4 Golden (Nintendo Switch) Review

The classic has returned! Persona games commonly have a bit of a slow start battle-wise, and Persona 4 Golden is no exception. Nevertheless, the story is intriguing enough to keep players on the hook. The player is in control of a young male character that is transferring schools due to his parents' work. He moves in with his uncle and his daughter, and bizarre events do not take long to unfold.

Soon enough, a body turns up under mysterious circumstances, closely followed by a second body - and what role does the mysterious Midnight Channel play? The young protagonist luckily makes some friends fast, and upon learning that he can enter a secret world through a television, the group soon discovers the first clues about the story. It is now up to them to rescue future murder victims.

Persona 4 Golden is a turn-based RPG with relationship simulation thrown in. As part of the story, the protagonist alongside his group of friends will discover several dungeons filled with so-called "Shadows" that are all too willing to attack any intruder. By making use of their "Personas", the team is able to fight the Shadows with different abilities. With time, the team size increases.

During the day, the player has the opportunity to create bonds with other characters, which, in turn, grants abilities and powers to certain Personas for the main character. It is a great strategic game with an intriguing story.

Of course, Persona 4 Golden is not a new game as such - it's just the first time it has been ported to other consoles. Therefore, it visually retains the look of the PS Vita version even through its higher resolution.

Players take control of the main character, and they can walk around certain areas and explore dungeons in a group. It is a good system that, other than perhaps some beauty work, didn't really need overhauling. It is simply refreshing to be able to play this title on Nintendo Switch while on the go, even if the camera can be a little jittery at times.

The music sets the scenes perfectly, and anime-style cutscenes enhance the story further. Different characters come with different backstories that are worth exploring. Of course, it would have been great to see a choice for a playable female character, and the dungeon designs could be a tad more interesting. As it stands, dungeons consist of several floors that are randomly generated, and while each fits the scene of the part of the game they're set in, they aren't quite as interesting as those in Persona 5.

Naturally, it would have been great to see a total remake of this title, similar in style to Persona 5 Royal perhaps, but, on the other hand, this is not totally necessary. Persona 4 Golden runs well enough, is visually pleasing, and should be able to stay in its own era as is. In other words, it's a solid title that deserves its place as a reminder of the past in our game libraries.