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Persona 3 Em, stylized Persona 3 éM, is an RPG published by Atlus and BBMF and developed by Interactive Brains for mobile phones.

Persona 3 Em is designed as a side-story taking place during the Yakushima trip of Persona 3. It is designed to emulate the original game in having a social-interaction driven daytime period and a dungeon-crawling night period.

Plot[]

During the nighttime when the members of S.E.E.S. go to sleep they awaken in the "Nightmare Hour" which is similar to the Dark Hour from the main games. During this time, they must explore a Tartarus-like dungeon called Oneiros, the entrance of which is a hollow opening inside a large tree.

During their exploration of Oneiros, the group periodically encounters Arche-Persona bosses at 20 floor intervals. The first 2 bosses depend on who is in the protagonist's party upon reaching that floor. These first 2 bosses' stats are fixed and do not scale. Regardless, Fuuka and the protagonist's Arche-Personas are always encountered on the 60th and 80th floors respectively.

In the game, it would be structured like this:

  • Party member 1 on the 20th floor.
  • Party member 2 on the 40th floor.
  • Arche-Lucia on the 60th floor.
  • Arche-Orpheus, the final boss on the 80th floor.

The Arche-Personas include:

In order to battle all of the Arche-Personas, one would either have to load a save prior to the battle and swap out party members, or complete the game and encounter them in New Game Plus. Note that the determining of Arche-Personas is based upon encountering them on the floor, instead of during the start of the game. Hence, even after the first Arche-Persona has been defeated, party members can still be swapped to change which Arche-Persona will be encountered on the 40th floor.

The Arche-Personas symbolize a different side to the users they belong to, and are often difficult for them to accept. In that aspect, they are similar to the Shadows of characters in Persona 4. They represent a fragment of oneself that is not understood, and with that it is impossible to truly know oneself. To reflect this, they have swapped color-palettes (For example, Arche-Orpheus is red), and their strengths/weaknesses are often complete opposites.

One's Arche-Persona occupies the user's dreams, and eventually allows the Nightmare Hour to persist as a form of semi-reality. As one ventures further into the dream, they are confronted with this part of themselves, and they must fight it. While memories are lost after the Nightmare Hour, this understanding is retained, even if it is not known to the person it affects.

After defeating these bosses, the story progresses to the following day. Once exploration of Oneiros is completed at the 80th floor, the game ends. As the characters awaken once again, the Nightmare Hour disappears and everything returns to normal, with everyone forgetting the events that happened.

Characters[]

Gameplay[]

Daytime[]

The game tries to emulate the features of the source material, including daytime events with the cast, 3D dungeon exploration and a 2D battle system. Notably, the game features music taken from the original game.

The game attempts to have several events such as quizzes and cooking, however most of these boil down to selecting dialogue choices.

In addition, the game has 'Social Links' that are similar to those in the original game (However, as Personas do not level up, maxing them will grant the player unique items). However, instead of having designated times where social links must be ranked up, this can be done during dialogue and free-time events. In some cases, selecting certain choices during the quiz and cooking minigames, various Social Links can be ranked up.

During each free time event, 4 people can be talked to before the story progresses. There are 4 main areas where characters will be at any given time:

  • The parlor of the Kirijo vacation home
  • The kitchen of the Kirijo vacation home
  • The beach
  • The forest

Social links are available with the following characters

During the daytime, other characters, such as Shuji Ikutsuki, can be talked to in passing.

Pharos makes several appearances, as a strange figure that only the protagonist can see, that also disappears when others draw near, and is seen replacing the protagonist's reflection when looking in a mirror. He also talks to the team just before the final boss in the Nightmare Hour.

Oneiros and the Nightmare Hour[]

Oneiros is composed of 80 Floors, however unlike Tartarus, the path descends downwards instead. The entrance is given as a hollow tree-trunk in a forest. Outside this entrance is a terminal allowing the user to save, and a teleporter that allows them to fast-travel to areas in the dungeon. However, it is also possible to save in the parlor of the Kirijo vacation home later on in the game.

Persona fusion in the Velvet Room is also possible. However, due to the limitations of the cellphone platform, Persona do not level up and must be fused to acquire new skills. Items can also be purchased from Elizabeth inside. Igor appears to be absent for the majority of the game.

During exploration, the group encounters teleporters which allow safe return to the entrance, stairs that allow further descent into Oneiros, and both regular and golden chests. Golden chests, like other installments, have high-level items that cannot be obtained any other way.

When the group awakens from the Nightmare hour, they are often unable to remember what happened the prior night or rationalize it as just a dream. After returning for a second time there, they realize that they have all had the same exact dream, which signals that something is amiss.

Combat[]

The game uses a simplified combat system that mirrors that of the original game, with All-Out Attacks being identical. The protagonist can be grouped with 2 party members to make a party of 3, and in-battle options are near identical. The game retains the tactics system of the original Persona 3.

Party members can be equipped with different weapons, armor and accessories, and can be swapped at the entrance to Oneiros. Their stats, skills and AI are remarkably similar to the original game. Though Shinjiro Aragaki and Ken Amada do not appear in the game, Axe and Spear weapons that they typically wield can be purchased and equipped by the protagonist. Like the original game, the protagonist is able to equip every type of weapon except firearms. Some armor in the game can only be equipped by either male or female characters.

New Game Plus[]

After completing the game, a New Game Plus save file can be made, which functions almost identically to New Game Plus in the original Persona 3. Without reloading save files, 3 runs of the game in New Game Plus would be required to battle all of the Arche-Personas.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Despite being released well before Persona 3 Portable, Persona 3 Em has Social Links with both Junpei and Akihiko.
  • During the daytime, Aigis appears wearing a school swimsuit which apparently prompts Ikutsuki to perv out over her. In later dialogue, Fuuka's Social Link will be increased if the protagonist calls Ikutsuki a pervert.
  • Persona 3 Em incidentally reveals the preferred breakfast of the members of S.E.E.S. during optional dialogue.
  • Oddly, a quiz in the game makes rather lucid references to a number of real-life figures such as George W. Bush and Ed Gein.
  • Several pieces of trivia in the same quiz also concern facts about Greek mythology, such as Orpheus's descent into the underworld and the Goddess of the moon, Selene.
  • Pharos appears both in the daytime and in the Nightmare Hour, in spite that in Persona 3, it is established that he appears only in the Dark Hour. This may have simply been a continuity error on BBMF's part.


Characters
Playable Male protagonist - Female protagonist - Yukari Takeba - Junpei Iori - Akihiko Sanada - Mitsuru Kirijo - Fuuka Yamagishi - Aigis - Koromaru - Ken Amada - Shinjiro Aragaki - Metis
Social Link Kenji Tomochika - Hidetoshi Odagiri - Bunkichi and Mitsuko - Kazushi Miyamoto - Chihiro Fushimi - Isako Toriumi - Keisuke Hiraga - Yuko Nishiwaki - Maiko Oohashi - Pharos - Bebe - President Tanaka - Mutatsu - Mamoru Hayase - Nozomi Suemitsu - Akinari Kamiki - Rio Iwasaki - Saori Hasegawa - Ryoji Mochizuki
Major Igor - Elizabeth - Theodore - Shuji Ikutsuki - Officer Kurosawa - Takaya Sakaki - Jin Shirato - Chidori Yoshino - Takeharu Kirijo - Kouetsu Kirijo - Eiichiro Takeba - Natsuki Moriyama - Nyx - Erebus - Margaret
Minor Kiyoshi Sakuma - Mr. Edogawa - Mr. Ekoda - Ms. Miyahara - Ms. Ounishi - Mrs. Terauchi - Kikuno Saikawa - Yuu Kimijima - Souta Aizawa - Kyouka Sayama
Cameo Yukiko Amagi - Noriko Kashiwagi - Man Drinking Alone
Location
Port Island Gekkoukan High School - Paulownia Mall - Iwatodai Station - Port Island Station - Naganaki Shrine - Dorm - Moonlight Bridge - Velvet Room
Tartarus Blocks: Thebel - Arqa - Yabbashah - Tziah - Harabah - Adamah - Monad Depths
Abyss of Time Malebolge - Cocytus - Caina - Antenora - Ptolomea - Judecca - Empyrean
Other Kyoto - Great Seal
Music
Albums Original Soundtrack (JP / US / FES / Portable) - Bonus CD - Burn My Dread -Reincarnation- - Spring of Birth OST - Midsummer Knight's Dream OST - Falling Down OST - Winter Of Rebirth OST - Persona 20th Anniversary All Time Best Album
Songs "Burn My Dread" - "Aria of the Soul" - "Want To Be Close" - "When the Moon Reaches for the Stars" - "Iwatodai Dorm" - "Mass Destruction" - "Color Your Night" - "Deep Breath Deep Breath" - "The Meaning of Armbands" - "Deep Mentality" - "It's Going Down Now" - "Changing Seasons" - "Current Net Price Tanaka" - "Battle Hymn of the Soul" - "Kimi no Kioku" - "P3 FES" - "Mass Destruction -P3fes version-" - "Heartful Cry" - "Brand New Days" - "Soul Phrase" - "A Way of Life" - "Time" - "Wiping All Out" - "More Than One Heart" - "Fate is In Our Hands" - "One Single Word" - "One Hand, One Heartbeat" - "One Determination" - "Sound of the Beast" - "Storm for a Butterfly" - "Light in Starless Sky" - "My Testimony" - "Self Redemption"
Archives
Terminology Persona (Initial / Prime / Ultimate) - Persona user - Shadow - Wild Card - Evoker - Attack Properties - Tactics - All-out Attack - Shuffle Time - Dark Hour - Moon Phase System - Full Moon Operations - SEES - Kirijo Group - Nanjo Group - Strega - Artificial Persona user - Suppressants - Apathy Syndrome - The Fall - Death - Who's Who - Phoenix Ranger Featherman R - Plume of Dusk
P3RE: Shift - Theurgy - Combat Characteristics
Lists Arcana - Personas (P3 - FES - P - R) - Shadows - Bosses (P3 - FES) - Skills - Items (Heart Items / Vending Machines) - Status Effects - Elizabeth's Requests - Activities - Calendar - Trophies (Portable / Reload) - Steam Profile Items - Patches and Updates
School Life Daily Life - Seasons - Social Link - Social Stats - Yen - Class - Studying - Movie Theater - Bed - Part-time Jobs - Shrine - Tanaka's Amazing Commodities - Crane Machine - Chagall Café - School Club - Linked Episode - Computer - Refrigerator - Gardening / Books / DVDs / Cooking - Studying - Fortune Telling
Other Media
Games FES - Portable - Reload - Dancing in Moonlight
Productions The Movie - The Movie: Escape from the Dark Hour - the Weird Masquerade: -Ao no Kakusei- / -Gunjou no Meikyuu- / -Souen no Kesshou- / -Ai no Seiyaku- / -Hekikuu no Kanata e- - Persona Stalker Club - 「PERSORA AWARDS」 - PERSORA AWARDS 2 - PERSORA AWARDS 3 - Persora -The Golden Best-
Drama CDs A Certain Day of Summer - Daylight / Moonlight - Character Drama CD Vol. 1 / Vol. 2 / Vol. 3 / Vol. 4 / Vol. 5 - New Moon / Full Moon - Portable Vol. 1 / Vol. 2
Publications Manga - Shadow Cry - Memento Mori - Owari no Kakera - Alternative Heart - Velvet Blue - Persona Magazine - Dear Girls Comic Anthology - Dengeki Comic Anthology - Tartarus Theater - Persona VS
Mobile Games The Night Before - Persona Ain Soph - Social - Escape - Illust Puzzle - Broken Shadow - Aegis: The First Mission - Qix - Chaining Soul - Em
Events Music Live 2008 - Music Live 2009 - Music Tour 2010 - Music Live 2012 - Music Fes 2013 - Music Box 2014 - Super Live 2015 - Livehouse Tour 2015 - Super Live 2017 - Super Live 2019- 25th Anniversary Symphonic Concert
20th Anniversary Festival - 25th Anniversary - 25th FES
Miscellaneous Merchandise
Megami Tensei Megami Tensei (Telenet) - Megami Tensei (Atlus) - II - Kyūyaku
Shin Megami Tensei Shin Megami Tensei - II / Gaiden: Ma To Houkai - if... / Hazama's Chapter - J - NINE -
III: Nocturne / Maniax / Chronicle Edition / HD Remaster / Pachislot - 20XX / Devil's Colosseum - IMAGINE - Tokyo Requiem - Strange Journey (Redux) - Devil Hunter Zero - IV / Apocalypse - Devil Collection - Synchronicity Prologue - Liberation Dx2 - V / Vengeance
Last Bible Last Bible - II - Another Bible - III - Special -
New Testament / II: Hajimari no Fukuin / III: Mugen no Eiyuu
Majin Tensei Majin Tensei - II: Spiral Nemesis - Ronde - Blind Thinker / II
Devil Summoner Devil Summoner / Pinball: Judgment - Soul Hackers / Intruder / Soul Hackers New Generation - Soul Hackers 2
Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army - Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon
Persona Megami Ibunroku Persona (PSP Remake) / Ikū no Tō Hen -
2: Innocent Sin / Eternal Punishment / Lost Memories / Infinity Mask -
3 (FES* / Portable* / Reload) / Dancing in Moonlight
4 (Golden*) / Arena / Ultimax / Dancing All Night
5 (Royal*) / Dancing in Starlight / Strikers / Tactica
Q: Shadow of the Labryinth - Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
Devil Children Black Book / Red Book - White Book - DemiKids Light / Dark - Fire Book / Ice Book -
Messiah Riser - Puzzle de Call! - Appli de Call! - Devil Children Mobile
Digital Devil Saga Avatar Tuner - 2 - A's TEST Server
Devil Survivor Devil Survivor (Overclocked) - 2 (Record Breaker) / The Extra World
Jack Series Jack Bros. - Demonic Help Party
Other games Giten Megami Tensei: Tokyo Mokushiroku - Card Summoner - Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE - Maken X - Catherine / Full Body - Metaphor: ReFantazio
Digital Devil Story (Novels) Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei - 2: Warrior of the Demon City - 3: Demise of the Reincarnation
New Digital Devil Story New Digital Devil Story: Goddess of Enchainment - 2: Queen of the Ice Fields - 3: Planet of the Devil - 4: Wrath of the Young Emperor - 5: Eternal Goddess - 6: Bonds of Reincarnation
Other Novels Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou tai Shibito Ekishi - Giten Megami Tensei: Distant Flow ~EXILE~ - Megami Ibunroku Persona: Shadow Maze - Persona 3: Shadow Cry / Owari no Kakera / Alternative Heart / Velvet Blue - Persona x Detective Naoto - Quantum Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner - Devil Survivor 2 The Animation: Cetus's Prequel
Anime Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei - Tokyo Revelation - Persona -trinity soul- - Persona 3 The Movie - Persona 4 The Animation / -The Factor of Hope- / The Golden Animation - Persona 5 The Animation The Day Breakers - Persona 5 The Animation - DeviChil - D-Children: Light & Dark - Devil Survivor 2 The Animation
Manga Shin Megami Tensei: Tokyo Revelation - if... / Kahn - IV: DEMONIC GENE / -Prayers- - Gaiten: Hato no Senki - EDEN - CG Senki: Dante no Mon - Majin Tensei - Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Lone Marebito - Megami Ibunroku Persona - Persona: Tsumi to Batsu - Persona 3 / Portable Dengeki Comic Anthology / Portable Dear Girls Comic Anthology - Persona 4 / The Magician - Arena / Arena Ultimax / Dancing All Night - PQ: -Roundabout- / Side:P3 / Side:P4 - Tartarus Theater - Persona 5 / Dengeki Comic Anthology / Comic à La Carte / Comic Anthology (DNA Media Comics) / the Animation Dengeki Comic Anthology / Mementos Mission - Q2: Persona Q2: Roundabout Special - Devil Children / Light & Dark - Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner: Shinen no Matou - Devil Survivor - 2: -Show Your Free Will- / The Animation Manga
Mobile Apps The Night Before - QIX - Chaining Soul - Aegis: The First Mission - Em - Illust Puzzle - Escape - Social - Ain Soph - Mobile Online - The Card Battle - Colors - Persona O.A. - Persona 5: The Phantom X - Mobile Phone Demon Collection - Atlus Casino - Devil Summoning Program - Digital Novel
Other The Amala Multiverse - Earth - Expanse - Great Will
Protagonists - Mascots - Navigators - Birthdays
Patches and Updates - In popular culture - Jungian psychology - Arcana
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