Persona 4 Golden (2012)

Let's get this out of the way, P4G is NOT a well written story.

It has terrible pacing, it moves along at the pace of a slug on sedatives, and even besides that pacing the way the storylines are threaded together is weak and only makes true on its thematics rather than the character studies it teases, as those end up only two dimensional at best on the surface. Also the combat is decent at best.

That being said, other than the main story, I had a blast playing Persona 4 Golden. That 100% has to do with its enjoyable fluff and understanding of its main tone, "Joy", which Golden helps substantiate further. The dialogue between characters here goes from funny and endearing to incredibly engaging. For the most part, it doesn't take itself seriously at all, and it's all the better for it. The characters themselves are surprisingly well developed in their social links, which has always been the backbone to the nu-Persona games when the main story drags to a halt anyway.

That sounds contradictory that the main story has them two-dimensional where the side quests don't, and that requires a bit of explanation. The main story makes the characters face their inner selves but it's done in over the top black/white ways where they all quickly accept that this self is part of them with little fanfare. The social links, however, have them actively evaluate their own selves and seek improvement. It also helps that it ebbs fuck societal roles for each one, but isn't close minded as to say that you're wrong if you decide to go along a route society expects from you (i.e. Yukiko). This society deciding how everyone's perspective is skewed towards one the consensus created is in-of-itself interesting if somewhat poorly executed by the time the credits roll.

That's where P4's heart lies, in its personality, characters, and themes, rather than its story and sequence of events. It's great in that, and even goes as far as to rewrite the perspective of a lot of its shortcomings in so bad it's good ways. I mean, with how garbage Marie is, what other choice do you have? (8/10)