Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Digitally Downloaded ( )

On the other hand, it's worth investing in a Vita or PlayStation 3 to play Persona 3 and 4 if you haven't already anyway, because they're two of the finest games ever produced. When I reviewed Persona 4 Golden on the PlayStation Vita, I made the mistake of not giving it a 5-star score. I don't even remember why I did that. I regret it, because it is a 5-star game. And so is Persona Q.

Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) (9 out of 10)

While Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth takes numerous gameplay cues from Atlus' Etrian Odyssey franchise, this is an engrossing, expansive, and entertaining adventure that truly feels like a proper new chapter of the Persona series; one that masterfully blends together elements from both its past and its present.

RPG Site (9 out of 10)

Persona Q is a very easy title to recommend to fans of turn-based RPGs. With engaging dungeon crawling, a rock-solid battle system, and charming presentation and characters, this is a spinoff definitely worth your attention.

Polygon (9 out of 10)

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth defies the idea that a game can be either indulgent or intelligent. It's tailored for lovers of Persona and even Etrian Odyssey, without a doubt. But to call Persona Q nothing more than an appeasement of fans' wants is to diminish one of the richest, most robust dungeon crawlers either franchise has seen in years.

Game Informer Magazine (9 out of 10)

Persona Q is easily one of my favorite games this year. It delivers in both quality gameplay and wonderful characters, but what stands out is the extra effort that went into every area, always raising the bar.

Nintendo Life ( )

Persona Q has something for everyone. If you’re a Persona fan, you’ll get a huge kick out of seeing your old Gekkoukan and Yasogami classmates in an all-new adventure, and Etrian Odyssey fans open to a change will love it — this is the story-driven experiment of Etrian Odyssey Untold taken to the next level, with a stylistic overhaul to match. And if you haven’t played either of its inspirations, you’re still in luck — this isn’t just a great crossover, it’s a fantastically fun RPG in its own right, with colourful characters, engaging gameplay, and a whole heap of style. Persona fans will undoubtedly get the most out of the fan-service, but even if you can’t tell Junpei from Junes, you’ll still have a blast exploring Persona Q.

Nintendo-Online.de (9 out of 10)

Mit diesem Ableger des Dungeon Crawler-Genres wagt die „Persona“-Serie einen mutigen Schritt. Allerdings setzen die Entwickler der „Etrian Odyssey“-Reihe die Welten der Charaktere in dem Genre sehr gut um und lassen keine zusätzlichen Wünsche aufkommen. Die größte Stärke von „Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth“ und auch der Grund, warum der Titel überzeugender ist als sämtliche Spiele der „Etrian Odyssey“-Reihe, liegt im eigenen Humor, der wunderbaren Grafik und der lebendigen Musik des Spiels. Außerdem unterhalten die schrägen Charaktere durchgehend und motivieren für den Verlauf der Geschichte. Einzig der hohe Schwierigkeitsgrad zu Beginn, selbst unter der mittleren Einstellung „Normal“, dürfte für Neueinsteiger abschreckend sein.

Retro Gamer (86 out of 100)

What's surprising is that the game is relatively tough as battles actually require some level of preparation and strategy, and the game becomes engrossing quite quickly as a result. But while the game does an excellent job of introducing existing characters and plot to players new to the series, the upbeat high school setting won't be to everyone's taste.

IGN (8.5 out of 10)

Persona Q is a 60-plus hour roleplaying experience that both charms and entertains. Though there were points when its puzzles completely stumped me, and the combat’s steep difficulty, made me want to launch my 3DS into orbit a few times, the enjoyable battle system, deep exploration, and generous dollops of fanservice made it worth the effort.

Destructoid (8.5 out of 10)

Persona Q can be grind. It can be frustrating, and, at times, it made me want to fling my 3DS across the room. It's also a heartwarming love letter to Persona fans, and an engrossing role-playing game, among the best the 3DS has to offer. Let go and enjoy the ride.

Gamer.no (8 out of 10)

Et spennende gjensyn med kjente figurer i nye omgivelser.

Game Revolution (4 out of 5)

I can’t say that the mystery, that all of us reaching out to such a densely obfuscated truth, will amount to much more than the satisfaction felt in any other Persona game. In fact, you should consider your own purchase of Persona Q carefully. Bear puns aside, you will feel like you need to dance between the darker, more serious cast of Persona 3 and the lighter cast of Persona 4 as there are so many lovable archetypes at play. It’s to the P Studio development team’s credit that everyone gets at least a little time in the spotlight here.

4Players.de (79 out of 100)

Wer auf Dungeon-Crawler mit Roguelike-Einschlag steht und schon an Strange Journey auf dem DS Gefallen gefunden hatte, dürfte mit Persona Q gut auf seine Kosten kommen. Vor allem, wenn man wie bei Etrian Odyssey gern selbst Hand beim Kartenzeichnen anlegt, gibt's hier via Touchscreen ausreichend Gelegenheit dazu, während sich Zeichenmuffel natürlich auch unter die Arme greifen lassen können. Wer auf facettenreiches Party-Management steht, wird dank üppiger Charakterriege und serientypischer Dämonenzucht ebenfalls gut bedient - per StreetPass oder QR-Codes kann man seine Lieblingsschöpfungen sogar mit anderen Spielern teilen. Reinen Persona-Fans dürfte zwar der ausgeprägte Highschool-Alltag der Hauptserienteile fehlen, optionale Nebenbeschäftigungen, über die man mehr über seine illustren Weggefährten erfahren oder ihnen aktiv zur Hand gehen kann, sind aber auch hier mit an Bord.

Anime News Network (B)

Persona fans will love the fan-service and the cute-as-a button character designs, but they'll be disappointed by the lack of social links and in-depth plot. Etrian players will find the exploration intact, but the brain-teasing labyrinth design almost completely absent. It's a dozen of hours before a FOE bothers to chase you across the map or a navigational challenge more complicated than a room full of conveyor belts. This is a silly game, it's omake, a thing you're meant to enjoy after the real attraction's over. It's not everything Etrian or Persona can be, but if you're craving cartography or chibi-cute dialogue, there's fifty hours of it on tap here.

Games TM (5 out of 10)

(...) Although it's not subtle, and certainly not funny, at least Persona Q is trying to make you smile. In a world of cynical indie games and pretentious mainstream shooters, that kind of levity is appreciable.