Persona 3 Portable: New Game Plus Guide

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Persona 3 Portable: New Game Plus Guide

So, you've finally finished Persona 3 Portable, huh? Awesome! But wait, the journey doesn't have to end there! That's right, it's time to dive into New Game Plus (NG+). For those who don't know, NG+ is a feature in many games that lets you start a new game with some of the progress and items you earned in your previous playthrough. It's a fantastic way to experience the game again, maybe make different choices, max out those social links you missed, or just generally wreak havoc with your overpowered party. Let's break down everything you need to know about New Game Plus in Persona 3 Portable, what carries over, and how to make the most of it. Let's get started, shall we?

What Carries Over to New Game Plus?

Okay, so you're probably itching to know exactly what goodies you get to keep when you jump into NG+. Here's the lowdown:

  • Character Level and Stats: Your protagonist's level and all those sweet, sweet stats (Strength, Magic, Endurance, etc.)? Yeah, they're coming with you! This is a huge advantage because you'll be able to tackle early-game shadows with ease and potentially fuse some really powerful Personas right off the bat.
  • Persona Compendium: This is arguably the most important thing that carries over. All those Personas you painstakingly fused, leveled up, and registered? They're all still there in your compendium, ready to be summoned for a price. This lets you experiment with different builds and strategies from the very beginning.
  • Social Stats: Remember all that time you spent studying, hanging out, and working part-time to boost your Charm, Academics, and Courage? Well, all that hard work pays off! Your social stats carry over, unlocking social links much earlier and giving you more dialogue options.
  • Equipment: Your protagonist gets to keep their equipped weapon, armor, and accessories. This can give you a significant edge in early battles, allowing you to breeze through the initial sections of the game.
  • Money: That's right, all the Yen you've saved up will transfer over. You can use this to summon Personas from the compendium early on, buy powerful equipment, and generally live the high life.
  • Skill Cards: All those valuable skill cards you've collected are yours to keep. These can be used to teach your Personas new skills, further customizing them to your liking.
  • Key Items: Some key items that are related to story progression will not carry over, but other key items, especially those earned from social links, will carry over. This is a bit of a mixed bag, but it generally works out in your favor.

What Doesn't Carry Over?

Now, before you get too excited, there are a few things that don't carry over to New Game Plus. This is mostly to ensure that the story still progresses as intended and that you don't become completely unstoppable right from the start.

  • Story Progression: Obviously, your story progress resets. You'll be starting from April again, experiencing all the major events and plot points from the beginning.
  • Social Links: While your social stats carry over, your social link progress does not. You'll have to re-establish all your social links, but with your boosted social stats, it'll be much easier to do so.
  • Party Member Levels and Equipment: Your party members will start at their initial levels and with their default equipment. This keeps the early game challenging and prevents you from steamrolling everything with a fully-powered team.

Maximizing Your New Game Plus Experience

Alright, now that you know what carries over, let's talk about how to make the most of your New Game Plus playthrough. Here are some tips and strategies to help you dominate:

  • Focus on Maxing Social Links: With your social stats already maxed out, you can focus on building relationships with your favorite characters. Aim to max out all social links to unlock powerful Personas and see all the character-specific storylines.
  • Experiment with Persona Builds: The Persona Compendium is your playground! Try out different Persona combinations, create specialized builds for different situations, and generally have fun experimenting with the fusion system.
  • Tackle Elizabeth's Requests: Elizabeth's requests can be quite challenging, but they offer valuable rewards. With your increased power and access to powerful Personas, you'll be able to complete these requests much more easily.
  • Increase the Difficulty: If you found your first playthrough too easy, consider increasing the difficulty level in NG+. This will provide a greater challenge and make the game more engaging.
  • Try a Different Protagonist: If you played as the male protagonist in your first playthrough, try playing as the female protagonist in NG+. This will give you a different perspective on the story, different social links, and a fresh experience overall.

Planning Your New Game Plus Run

Before you even start your NG+ run, it's a good idea to do a little planning. Think about what you want to achieve in this playthrough and how you're going to go about it. Here are some questions to consider:

  • Which Social Links Do You Want to Max? Prioritize the social links that you missed in your first playthrough or the ones that unlock the most powerful Personas.
  • What Personas Do You Want to Fuse? Plan out your Persona fusion paths in advance to ensure that you have the right materials and skills.
  • What Challenges Do You Want to Take On? Are you going to try to defeat all the optional bosses? Complete all of Elizabeth's requests? Set specific goals for yourself to keep the game interesting.

New Game Plus: Is It Worth It?

So, is New Game Plus in Persona 3 Portable worth playing? Absolutely! It's a fantastic way to extend your enjoyment of the game, experience the story from a different perspective, and challenge yourself in new ways. With your increased power and knowledge, you'll be able to tackle the game with confidence and explore all the content that you might have missed the first time around. Plus, who doesn't love the feeling of being a ridiculously overpowered protagonist?

Why New Game Plus Rocks:

  • Replayability: NG+ adds a ton of replayability to Persona 3 Portable. There's always something new to discover, whether it's a different social link, a new Persona build, or a hidden secret.
  • Power Fantasy: Let's be honest, it's fun to feel powerful. NG+ lets you breeze through the early game and focus on the more challenging aspects of the game without having to grind.
  • Completionist's Dream: If you're a completionist, NG+ is a must-play. It gives you the opportunity to max out all social links, complete all requests, and unlock all achievements.

Final Thoughts

New Game Plus in Persona 3 Portable is a stellar addition to an already amazing game. It gives you a chance to revisit the world of Persona 3 with a fresh perspective and a whole lot of power. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to the series, NG+ is definitely worth checking out. So go ahead, dive back in, and experience Persona 3 Portable like never before! You got this, guys!