Persona 2
Encyclopedia
is a two-part series of Japan
ese console role-playing games for the Sony
PlayStation, developed by Atlus
. and are two chapters of the same storyline. The duology is a direct sequel
to the first installment of the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
series, Revelations: Persona
, with several characters from that title playing various roles, both minor and major, in both games.
Set in the fictional metropolis
of Sumaru City, Innocent Sin follows a high school student named Tatsuya Suou. Eternal Punishment, which takes place afterwards, switches focus onto Maya Amano, a young magazine editor
. Both characters have near-death experiences which transport them to the realm of Philemon, an astral
being who exists outside of the waking world. Philemon grants them the ability to summon a Persona, an alter-ego which manifests as a mythological
figure.
Unlike other Atlus' older games, which are traditionally restricted to a first-person viewpoint
, Persona 2 is seen from a third-person perspective. Several game elements, particularly the characters Philemon and Nyarlathotep
, are drawn directly from the writings by Carl Jung
and H. P. Lovecraft
.
Although the Playstation version of Innocent Sin never received an official localization (but received a fan-translated English patch on October 15, 2008) in North America, the PSP version was officially released September 20, 2011.
Persona 2s environments composed on 3-dimensional maps, with characters represented by animated bitmap
sprite
s. The camera follows the party from an angled overhead perspective
which can be rotated in 8 cardinal directions. The game's main party holds up to five people. Whenever the party is in a "safe" area (i.e. a room with no demon encounters), each party member can be conversed with. In dungeon mode, all party members besides the player character
(Tatsuya or Maya) vanish, and only reappear during battle sequences. Player can trace their steps by using the Auto-Map, a basic floor plan
of the current dungeon. As the main character moves around, the map will automatically mark new areas.
In addition to standard equipment, each character can equip one Persona apiece; In doing so, the character combines his/her attributes with the Persona, along with its innate strengths or weaknesses. Characters will also be able to cast any magic spells
that are available in that Persona's attack list. Each party member starts out with a default Persona, though they can obtain new ones at the Velvet Room, a ghostly ballroom
which is accessible from any point of the city (as well as in certain dungeons). To acquire a Persona, players must first gather Tarot cards by enticing demons during battles (see Contacting demons), then exchange those cards in the Velvet Room.
When a new Persona is obtained, it starts out at Rank 1. By summoning the Persona in battle (casting spells), it will increase in Rank and learn new magic. A Persona's Tarot class dictates which character will have a high "affinity" with it. A Persona equipped on someone with good affinity will consume less SP (Spirit Point, a substitution for Magic Point) than on a character with bad affinity.
The Rumor system, which ties into the plotline, is an important function in Persona 2. The player can collect/exchange rumors throughout the game by interacting with Rumormongers, non-playable characters who inhabit nearly every district of the city. Once the party hears a rumor, it will not take effect until they visit the Kuzunoha Detective Agency and speak to its boss, Todoroki Daisuke. For a fee, Todoroki will spread the rumor, which will result in it becoming real. Rumors usually involve stores becoming fronts
for black market
weapons or armor, but the effects can vary depending on random chance. Players often have a choice of two or more possible outcomes for a rumor.
Battles in Persona 2 are initiated by random encounter
s; this switches the action to a battle screen, where party members physically attack, use Persona Magic, defend, or run away. The grid-based battle system from Revelations: Persona is abandoned; instead, party members and enemy units act in the same phase of a turn, rather than being restricted by their placement on the field. The party earns yen from battles, which is required to buy goods in the city.
The "Battle" command initiates the fight once the player is ready. The battle sequence is based upon the commands entered in the strategy menu. If Battle Mode is set to Normal, battle rounds will occur one continuous
sequence, which only ceases if the player cancels it. If set to Single, the Strategy menu reappears at the start of each round. Using the menu, the player can change the actions of the party, adjust the sequence in which each party member will act (at the expense of waiting until the slower characters have moved), and switch to another Persona. When a character loses all their Hit Points (HP), he or she is knocked out. If all characters fall in battle, the game ends
and must be restored from a previous saved game
.
A secondary function of the Strategy menu is to align characters to trigger a Fusion Spell. When two or more party members use a certain sequence of spells, they will automatically summon multiple Personae to generate a powerful attack.
Unlike the later games in the series, both Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment have Earth and Water elements - Magna and Aqua are their spells. Also, Bufu and Zio spells only come in their single varieties.
In Persona, most demons can be negotiated with, rather than fought. The purpose of the Contact option is to talk to a demon and elicit a response. When the Contact option is selected, a menu appears which prompts the player to choose up to three party members who will talk to the demon; the chosen character(s) then approach the enemy and make an attempt to converse. After their short speech, the demon will react by becoming joyful, interested, fearful or angry. Once a certain reaction is provoked three times, the demon will either offer friendship or be repelled by the party. Results vary depending on who participates; up to three party members can perform a Contact together, usually affecting the dialog.
A demon surrounded by a green light is "Happy"; if at least one party member has reached an experience level
equal to or above that of the demon, it will propose to forge a Demon Contract. "Interest" is hinted at by a yellow light and an "!" mark over the demon's head; an interested demon will hand over Tarot cards. A demon surrounded by a blue light indicates "Fear"; if the demon is frightened repeatedly, it will flee in terror. Finally, a demon surrounded by a red light indicates "Anger"; a furious demon will gain a preemptive attack on the party, and it will be impossible to Contact it any further in the same fight.
If the party has a Demon Contract with a specific demon, they can ask it for an item, some yen, a rumor, or to spread a rumor (demon rumors make navigating the current dungeon easier). If the party is too weak in level, the demon will compensate by healing the party or handing over some yen. In addition to their respective Tarot cards, "Interested" demons will hand over Free Tarot cards if a Contract already exists. Free cards can be taken to the Velvet Room and changed to any arcana of Tarot card. Contracts will be broken if the player makes the same demon scared or angry in a later battle.
. Once the main story begins, the city becomes curse
d; any rumor
that reaches enough people will inexplicably come true. Sumaru City is navigated via an aerial view
map. The party uses the map to visit each district as they become available. Each district has key locations to visit, as well as a shopping mall
where the party can converse with locals and visit restaurants or shops, as well as the Velvet Room. There is always at least one Rumormonger stationed in each mall.
The city is the place to spend yen that the party has earned from winning battles. Most stores feature traditional role-playing game elements, such as a tanning salon which restores Hit Points, or a designer clothing
store which sells armor. The "Satomi Tadashi" chain of pharmacies
sells basic consumable items and is present throughout the game world.
that appeared when she was a little girl.
The six playable characters are Tatsuya Suou, a student at Seven Sisters High School; Lisa Silverman, a popular caucasian girl and fellow student of Tatsuya; Eikichi Mishina, wannabe musician and self-professed "Gang Leader" of Kasugayama High School; Maya Amano, optimistic editor for a teen magazine; Yukino Mayuzumi, Maya's co-worker and a survivor of Revelations: Persona
; and Jun Kurosu, son of a teacher who met a grisly death inside the school.
The silent protagonist
of the game is Tatsuya Suou. His path intertwines with those of two other students, Eikichi and Lisa, during an encounter with the Joker, a jester-like antagonist who is rumored to grant the wishes of people who dial their own cell phone number. Anyone who fails to tell Joker their wishes, either because they lack one or refuse to tell, has their "ideal energy" stolen, reducing them to ambition-less shells called Shadow Selves. Joker tells the three students that they did something horrible to him in the past, and is angered when they do not recognize him. Swearing revenge and wielding an odd Crystal Skull
, he departs, leaving the trio confused and eager to investigate the Joker. Later on they make a point of saying that Tatsuya and the Master Joker look alike...
Although this game picks up a few months after its predecessor, it is set in a parallel world
where the events of the Innocent Sin did not happen. All of the characters from Innocent Sin are present, but they do not know each other. The central character this time is Maya, who reverts to a silent protagonist much like Tatsuya in the previous game. There are a total of seven playable characters, although two of them can not be recruited at the same time. They are Nate Nanjou and Ellen Kirishima, two returning playable characters from Revelations: Persona.
New faces include Katsuya Suou, a by-the-book homicide
investigator and older brother to Tatsuya; Ulala Serizawa (seen in Innocent Sin), Maya's lonely roommate who has a checkered history with men; and Baofu, a seedy criminal with veiled motives. The final character is Tatsuya, the sole person left who remembers what happened during the previous storyline. The plot of Eternal Punishment provides scattered flashbacks and references to both Revelations and Innocent Sin.
Maya, an editor for fictional teen magazine Coolest, is caught up in the investigation of a bizarre series of murders committed by a serial killer
known as the "JOKER". Victims reportedly receive a note stating "You're next!" from the JOKER before they die. While covering an assignment at Seven Sisters High School, a grisly murder brings Maya, her roommate, and a Police Detective together to solve the mystery of the JOKER murders.
, completing both Nate and Ellen's routes. Utilizing the save file on the player's memory card
, all Persona data, items, equipment, and character experience levels are transferred into EX Mode. A great deal of this dungeon is devoted to references from Innocent Sin.
game developers
are inserted into both Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment as minor characters. Scenario designer Satomi Tadashi's likeness was used for a character with the same name (nicknamed "Tad"), who also had a role in Revelations: Persona. Graphic Designer Soejima Shigenori appears as "Garcon Soejima", a waiter at a French restaurant. The "Store Owner" who runs the Seedy CD music store is Atlus' music composer and sound director, Tasaki Toshiko. Lastly, the "Demon Artist" of the Velvet Room is modeled on Megami Tensei
series artist Kazuma Kaneko
, who designed the demons and Personae that appear in the game.
magazine issue that Innocent Sin will receive an enhanced port for the PSP. Like its predecessor's PSP port, it will include an improved user interface
, new character portraits, a new difficulty level choice and a new soundtrack among other various additions and improvements. Players will be able to choose whether or not they wish to hear the new, arranged tracks composed by Shōji Meguro
, who once again is serving as the game's director. The official release date for Japan is 14 April 2011.
The game was released September 20, 2011 in North America. The EU release of the game by Ghostlight
will be later in 2011 with a EU Collector’s Edition avaliable.
When asked about a potential PSP port of Eternal Punishment, Shoji Meguro said he thought about including a port of Eternal Punishment with Innocent Sin but putting both games on one UMD was impossible. While there are presently no plans for an Eternal Punishment porting, Meguro stated that he would like to make one very much.
Unlike the Japanese version of the Climax Theater, which contained the options of both creating custom missions and importing DLC missions, the North American and European versions had these elements removed. Atlus USA said that it was a "tough decision" but stated that issues "technical and otherwise" prevented their inclusion in the localized version.
, as well as the option of a homosexual relationship between the protagonist and another male character. On October 15, 2008 an English translation patch for Persona 2: Innocent Sin was released by a translation team led by Gemini. The team had been working on translating the game from a Japanese ISO. Apparently after being asked about the topic at a 2008 Anime Expo Atlus
seemed aware of the fan translation when it was about 87% complete but allowed the team to continue.
Although there were no issues with the controversial subject matter for the original Playstation release of Innocent Sin in Japan, the PSP remake has a bit of censoring: Hitler's name is changed to Führer, Nazis are changed to "Imperial Soldiers", Hitler now wears sunglasses and a coat to cover his uniform, and all swastikas have been replaced by iron crosses
. These changes were retained for the NA release.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese console role-playing games for the Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
PlayStation, developed by Atlus
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
. and are two chapters of the same storyline. The duology is a direct sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the first installment of the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, known in Japan as is a series of role-playing video games developed and published by Atlus. The series is a spin-off of the Megami Tensei series which focuses on demon summoners. However, the Persona series centers around groups of teenagers who have the ability to...
series, Revelations: Persona
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, known in Japan as is a series of role-playing video games developed and published by Atlus. The series is a spin-off of the Megami Tensei series which focuses on demon summoners. However, the Persona series centers around groups of teenagers who have the ability to...
, with several characters from that title playing various roles, both minor and major, in both games.
Set in the fictional metropolis
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
of Sumaru City, Innocent Sin follows a high school student named Tatsuya Suou. Eternal Punishment, which takes place afterwards, switches focus onto Maya Amano, a young magazine editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
. Both characters have near-death experiences which transport them to the realm of Philemon, an astral
Astral plane
The astral plane, also called the astral world, is a plane of existence postulated by classical , medieval, oriental and esoteric philosophies and mystery religions...
being who exists outside of the waking world. Philemon grants them the ability to summon a Persona, an alter-ego which manifests as a mythological
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
figure.
Unlike other Atlus' older games, which are traditionally restricted to a first-person viewpoint
Perspective (visual)
Perspective, in context of vision and visual perception, is the way in which objects appear to the eye based on their spatial attributes; or their dimensions and the position of the eye relative to the objects...
, Persona 2 is seen from a third-person perspective. Several game elements, particularly the characters Philemon and Nyarlathotep
Nyarlathotep
Nyarlathotep, also known as the Crawling Chaos, is a malign deity in the Cthulhu Mythos fictional universe created by H. P. Lovecraft. First appearing in Lovecraft's 1920 prose poem of the same name, he was later mentioned in other works by Lovecraft and by other writers and in the tabletop...
, are drawn directly from the writings by Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
and H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
.
Although the Playstation version of Innocent Sin never received an official localization (but received a fan-translated English patch on October 15, 2008) in North America, the PSP version was officially released September 20, 2011.
Gameplay
Raster graphics
In computer graphics, a raster graphics image, or bitmap, is a data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or other display medium...
sprite
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
s. The camera follows the party from an angled overhead perspective
Isometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
which can be rotated in 8 cardinal directions. The game's main party holds up to five people. Whenever the party is in a "safe" area (i.e. a room with no demon encounters), each party member can be conversed with. In dungeon mode, all party members besides the player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
(Tatsuya or Maya) vanish, and only reappear during battle sequences. Player can trace their steps by using the Auto-Map, a basic floor plan
Floor plan
In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan, or floorplan, is a diagram, usually to scale, showing a view from above of the relationships between rooms, spaces and other physical features at one level of a structure....
of the current dungeon. As the main character moves around, the map will automatically mark new areas.
In addition to standard equipment, each character can equip one Persona apiece; In doing so, the character combines his/her attributes with the Persona, along with its innate strengths or weaknesses. Characters will also be able to cast any magic spells
Magic (gaming)
Some role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
that are available in that Persona's attack list. Each party member starts out with a default Persona, though they can obtain new ones at the Velvet Room, a ghostly ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
which is accessible from any point of the city (as well as in certain dungeons). To acquire a Persona, players must first gather Tarot cards by enticing demons during battles (see Contacting demons), then exchange those cards in the Velvet Room.
When a new Persona is obtained, it starts out at Rank 1. By summoning the Persona in battle (casting spells), it will increase in Rank and learn new magic. A Persona's Tarot class dictates which character will have a high "affinity" with it. A Persona equipped on someone with good affinity will consume less SP (Spirit Point, a substitution for Magic Point) than on a character with bad affinity.
The Rumor system, which ties into the plotline, is an important function in Persona 2. The player can collect/exchange rumors throughout the game by interacting with Rumormongers, non-playable characters who inhabit nearly every district of the city. Once the party hears a rumor, it will not take effect until they visit the Kuzunoha Detective Agency and speak to its boss, Todoroki Daisuke. For a fee, Todoroki will spread the rumor, which will result in it becoming real. Rumors usually involve stores becoming fronts
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
for black market
Underground economy
A black market or underground economy is a market in goods or services which operates outside the formal one supported by established state power. Typically the totality of such activity is referred to with the definite article as a complement to the official economies, by market for such goods and...
weapons or armor, but the effects can vary depending on random chance. Players often have a choice of two or more possible outcomes for a rumor.
Combat
Random encounter
A random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby encounters with non-player character enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random...
s; this switches the action to a battle screen, where party members physically attack, use Persona Magic, defend, or run away. The grid-based battle system from Revelations: Persona is abandoned; instead, party members and enemy units act in the same phase of a turn, rather than being restricted by their placement on the field. The party earns yen from battles, which is required to buy goods in the city.
The "Battle" command initiates the fight once the player is ready. The battle sequence is based upon the commands entered in the strategy menu. If Battle Mode is set to Normal, battle rounds will occur one continuous
sequence, which only ceases if the player cancels it. If set to Single, the Strategy menu reappears at the start of each round. Using the menu, the player can change the actions of the party, adjust the sequence in which each party member will act (at the expense of waiting until the slower characters have moved), and switch to another Persona. When a character loses all their Hit Points (HP), he or she is knocked out. If all characters fall in battle, the game ends
Game over
Game Over is a message in video games which signals that the game has ended, often due to a negative outcome - although the phrase sometimes follows the end credits after successful completion of a game...
and must be restored from a previous saved game
Saved game
A saved game is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a video game. This saved game can be reloaded later, so the player can continue where he or she had stopped...
.
A secondary function of the Strategy menu is to align characters to trigger a Fusion Spell. When two or more party members use a certain sequence of spells, they will automatically summon multiple Personae to generate a powerful attack.
Unlike the later games in the series, both Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment have Earth and Water elements - Magna and Aqua are their spells. Also, Bufu and Zio spells only come in their single varieties.
Contacting demons
A demon surrounded by a green light is "Happy"; if at least one party member has reached an experience level
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
equal to or above that of the demon, it will propose to forge a Demon Contract. "Interest" is hinted at by a yellow light and an "!" mark over the demon's head; an interested demon will hand over Tarot cards. A demon surrounded by a blue light indicates "Fear"; if the demon is frightened repeatedly, it will flee in terror. Finally, a demon surrounded by a red light indicates "Anger"; a furious demon will gain a preemptive attack on the party, and it will be impossible to Contact it any further in the same fight.
If the party has a Demon Contract with a specific demon, they can ask it for an item, some yen, a rumor, or to spread a rumor (demon rumors make navigating the current dungeon easier). If the party is too weak in level, the demon will compensate by healing the party or handing over some yen. In addition to their respective Tarot cards, "Interested" demons will hand over Free Tarot cards if a Contract already exists. Free cards can be taken to the Velvet Room and changed to any arcana of Tarot card. Contracts will be broken if the player makes the same demon scared or angry in a later battle.
Setting
The story takes place in Sumaru City, a fictional metropolis (city designated by government ordinance) with a population over 1.28 million in modern-day JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Once the main story begins, the city becomes curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
d; any rumor
Rumor
A rumor or rumour is often viewed as "an unverified account or explanation of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in public concern" However, a review of the research on rumor conducted by Pendleton in 1998 found that research across sociology,...
that reaches enough people will inexplicably come true. Sumaru City is navigated via an aerial view
Bird's-eye view
A bird's-eye view is an elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird, often used in the making of blueprints, floor plans and maps.It can be an aerial photograph, but also a drawing...
map. The party uses the map to visit each district as they become available. Each district has key locations to visit, as well as a shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
where the party can converse with locals and visit restaurants or shops, as well as the Velvet Room. There is always at least one Rumormonger stationed in each mall.
The city is the place to spend yen that the party has earned from winning battles. Most stores feature traditional role-playing game elements, such as a tanning salon which restores Hit Points, or a designer clothing
Designer clothing
Designer clothing is clothing that bears the logo of a recognizable fashion designer.The 'designer' whose name is on the label may be:* A European couturier, e.g. Chanel, Christian Dior* A European luxury goods house, e.g. Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton...
store which sells armor. The "Satomi Tadashi" chain of pharmacies
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
sells basic consumable items and is present throughout the game world.
Innocent Sin
Persona 2: Innocent Sin begins three years after the events of the first Persona. Yukino is a returning playable character from Revelations: Persona, and is therefore already familiar with demons and Personae. Maya, on the other hand, only has vague recollections of her Persona, believing it to be a guardian angelGuardian angel
A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person or group. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity...
that appeared when she was a little girl.
The six playable characters are Tatsuya Suou, a student at Seven Sisters High School; Lisa Silverman, a popular caucasian girl and fellow student of Tatsuya; Eikichi Mishina, wannabe musician and self-professed "Gang Leader" of Kasugayama High School; Maya Amano, optimistic editor for a teen magazine; Yukino Mayuzumi, Maya's co-worker and a survivor of Revelations: Persona
Persona (video game)
Revelations: Persona, released in Japan as , is the first game in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series of role-playing video games for PlayStation consoles—one of several spin-off series within the Megami Tensei franchise, developed by Atlus...
; and Jun Kurosu, son of a teacher who met a grisly death inside the school.
The silent protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the game is Tatsuya Suou. His path intertwines with those of two other students, Eikichi and Lisa, during an encounter with the Joker, a jester-like antagonist who is rumored to grant the wishes of people who dial their own cell phone number. Anyone who fails to tell Joker their wishes, either because they lack one or refuse to tell, has their "ideal energy" stolen, reducing them to ambition-less shells called Shadow Selves. Joker tells the three students that they did something horrible to him in the past, and is angered when they do not recognize him. Swearing revenge and wielding an odd Crystal Skull
Crystal skull
The crystal skulls are a number of human skull hardstone carvings made of clear or milky quartz rock, known in art history as "rock crystal", claimed to be pre-Columbian Mesoamerican artifacts by their alleged finders. However, none of the specimens made available for scientific study have been...
, he departs, leaving the trio confused and eager to investigate the Joker. Later on they make a point of saying that Tatsuya and the Master Joker look alike...
Eternal Punishment
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
where the events of the Innocent Sin did not happen. All of the characters from Innocent Sin are present, but they do not know each other. The central character this time is Maya, who reverts to a silent protagonist much like Tatsuya in the previous game. There are a total of seven playable characters, although two of them can not be recruited at the same time. They are Nate Nanjou and Ellen Kirishima, two returning playable characters from Revelations: Persona.
New faces include Katsuya Suou, a by-the-book homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
investigator and older brother to Tatsuya; Ulala Serizawa (seen in Innocent Sin), Maya's lonely roommate who has a checkered history with men; and Baofu, a seedy criminal with veiled motives. The final character is Tatsuya, the sole person left who remembers what happened during the previous storyline. The plot of Eternal Punishment provides scattered flashbacks and references to both Revelations and Innocent Sin.
Maya, an editor for fictional teen magazine Coolest, is caught up in the investigation of a bizarre series of murders committed by a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
known as the "JOKER". Victims reportedly receive a note stating "You're next!" from the JOKER before they die. While covering an assignment at Seven Sisters High School, a grisly murder brings Maya, her roommate, and a Police Detective together to solve the mystery of the JOKER murders.
EX Dungeon
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment features a special mode called "EX Dungeon", which is independent of the main game. Approximately halfway into the game, the player is given the choice of allowing one of two characters, Nate or Ellen, to join the party (both are returning characters from Revelations: Persona). The EX Dungeon is made available only after the player has beaten the game twice via a New Game +New Game Plus
A New Game Plus is an unlockable video game mode that allows the player to start a new game after they finish the game at least once, where certain aspects of the finished game, such as experience or items, affect the newly started game...
, completing both Nate and Ellen's routes. Utilizing the save file on the player's memory card
Memory card
A memory card or flash card is an electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. They are commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, and video game consoles...
, all Persona data, items, equipment, and character experience levels are transferred into EX Mode. A great deal of this dungeon is devoted to references from Innocent Sin.
Staff Cameos
A handful of AtlusAtlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
game developers
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
are inserted into both Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment as minor characters. Scenario designer Satomi Tadashi's likeness was used for a character with the same name (nicknamed "Tad"), who also had a role in Revelations: Persona. Graphic Designer Soejima Shigenori appears as "Garcon Soejima", a waiter at a French restaurant. The "Store Owner" who runs the Seedy CD music store is Atlus' music composer and sound director, Tasaki Toshiko. Lastly, the "Demon Artist" of the Velvet Room is modeled on Megami Tensei
Megami Tensei
, commonly abbreviated as , is a Japanese console role-playing game metaseries which was originally based on the novel series Digital Devil Story by Aya Nishitani and has gone to become one of the major franchises of the genre in its native country...
series artist Kazuma Kaneko
Kazuma Kaneko
is a Japanese game designer and employee of Atlus. While working for the same company, he has also done work for Capcom and Konami, designing characters for the video games Devil May Cry 3 and Zone of the Enders 2, respectively. He is best known for his work in the Megami Tensei series of video...
, who designed the demons and Personae that appear in the game.
Innocent Sin PSP Port
On October 26, 2010 it was revealed in a FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
magazine issue that Innocent Sin will receive an enhanced port for the PSP. Like its predecessor's PSP port, it will include an improved user interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
, new character portraits, a new difficulty level choice and a new soundtrack among other various additions and improvements. Players will be able to choose whether or not they wish to hear the new, arranged tracks composed by Shōji Meguro
Shoji Meguro
is a Japanese video game composer and director who joined Atlus in 1996 and has composed music for many of their games, mainly those in the Megami Tensei series.-Biography:...
, who once again is serving as the game's director. The official release date for Japan is 14 April 2011.
The game was released September 20, 2011 in North America. The EU release of the game by Ghostlight
Ghostlight
Ghostlight is a multiplatform video game publisher based in the UK, it was established as a subsidiary of Midas Interactive during 2004.-Published games:*The Plan*Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call*Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga...
will be later in 2011 with a EU Collector’s Edition avaliable.
When asked about a potential PSP port of Eternal Punishment, Shoji Meguro said he thought about including a port of Eternal Punishment with Innocent Sin but putting both games on one UMD was impossible. While there are presently no plans for an Eternal Punishment porting, Meguro stated that he would like to make one very much.
Unlike the Japanese version of the Climax Theater, which contained the options of both creating custom missions and importing DLC missions, the North American and European versions had these elements removed. Atlus USA said that it was a "tough decision" but stated that issues "technical and otherwise" prevented their inclusion in the localized version.
Reception
Although there were reportedly efforts to import the first chapter of Persona 2, Innocent Sin's graphic subject matter may have inhibited its ability to be localized for foreign markets. Examples of this include the appearance of Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, as well as the option of a homosexual relationship between the protagonist and another male character. On October 15, 2008 an English translation patch for Persona 2: Innocent Sin was released by a translation team led by Gemini. The team had been working on translating the game from a Japanese ISO. Apparently after being asked about the topic at a 2008 Anime Expo Atlus
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
seemed aware of the fan translation when it was about 87% complete but allowed the team to continue.
Although there were no issues with the controversial subject matter for the original Playstation release of Innocent Sin in Japan, the PSP remake has a bit of censoring: Hitler's name is changed to Führer, Nazis are changed to "Imperial Soldiers", Hitler now wears sunglasses and a coat to cover his uniform, and all swastikas have been replaced by iron crosses
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
. These changes were retained for the NA release.
Merchandise
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin OSTSoundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
- Persona 2: Eternal Punishment OST
- Persona 2: Batsu Punitive Dance, rearrange album
- Persona 2 Crime and Punishment: Errors of Their Youth, self-parodicSelf-parodyA self-parody is a parody of oneself or one's own work. As an artist accomplishes it by imitating his or her own characteristics, a self-parody is potentially difficult to distinguish from especially characteristic productions .Sometimes critics use the...
drama and vocal collections
External links
- Official website for Persona 2: Innocent Sin
- Official website for Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
- Official website for the PSP remake of Persona 2: Innocent Sin
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin fan translation blog
- Allegory of Whatever Persona 2 Innocent Sin fansite
- Summary of the Shin Megami Tensei series
- Official Site of Persona 2: Innocent Sin for PSP