>>11838062
The first 3 games (Persona 2 had two games) were like any JRPG of the time, just with more urban and occult themes.
Starting from P3, the games became about social interactions instead of anything about battle systems or ovearching plot. Yes, there's both of those things, but the main gameplay loop is about getting to know people better and choosing the right answers. People fawn over Persona 3's characters and writing, but leave out the part where the game actively discourages you from actually fighting and grinding levels (you can't stay in one dungeon floor for too long or an NPC comes to kill you), or downright blocks you (in PE3 FES your party members actually leave you if you stay too long - one of the most retarded decisions ever, which was removed in P3P), or the part where you can only control the main character and your party members don't give a fuck about healing (changed in the remake).
Almost everyone who fawns over this series can only talk about the social links or the shadow fights because that's who P3 onwards was made for: highschool drama watchers. I remember vividly when both the remaster of SMT III was released and when SMT V came out, people were asking "where are the social links" or "why do I have to know about weaknesses and buffs against the second boss".
Like posted above, the people who deign Persona as high art are 40-year olds who want just another chance to relive their highschool years.
And that's ok.
