As a bridging title in the series,"Persona 4" occupies a very important position in the hearts of series fans thanks to its unique coming-of-age ensemble story and rich systemic gameplay. After the release of Persona 3 Reload, "Persona 4" was left in between, becoming the only work in the series that felt "not modern enough" after the transition.
So last year,ATLUS announced the complete remake of "Persona 4," titled Persona 4 Revival. At this year's Bilibili "Game First Look" event, the game also offered a limited amount of playable content.
But this is far from enough.
During "Tokyo Game Show 2026," invited by Sega and ATLUS, we had extensive exchanges regarding Persona 4 Revival—not just interviews, but covering demos, stage events, exclusive interviews, and more.
The day before TGS officially opened, before the "SEGA TGS PARTY 2026" held at night, we visited Sega's headquarters in Osaki, Tokyo, where we got an early preview of some parts of Persona 4 Revival.
The focus of this demo was the key character Marie, revealed for the first time in this game. The game fairly completely showcased the protagonist going to the Velvet Room, formally meeting Marie, and establishingthe "Aeon" Social Link.
This part of the story is actually no different from the original. It still follows the protagonist leaving the Velvet Room with Marie tothe journey of "getting to know the world." However, since this game no longer uses fixed camera angles like the original, there are some changes in the angles of the story cutscenes compared to the original.
The biggest beneficiary of this change is Inaba itself. The addition of a free camera allows each scene to be fully presented, resulting in an overall effect that is quite refined for the series. Although the game was initially dubbedthe nickname "Mysterious Runner," but currently, it seems that the production quality and completeness of Persona 4 Revival exceed expectations.
DuringDuring "Tokyo Game Show 2026," we also visited the large booths of Sega and ATLUS. The Persona 4 Revival area, built with "TV" as its main element, was quite eye-catching, and the game's demo events had long queues.
The most important event was an exclusive interview in a venue-specific conference room with the game's general producer, Mr. Kazuhisa Wada, and game director, Mr. Daisuke Yajima. We discussed Persona4 Revival》 details and gained some interesting information.
Game Director Daisuke Yajima (left) and General Producer Kazuhisa Wada (right)
Q: In the original work, Inaba is a typical "countryside" town, with a sense of loneliness and quietness unique to small Japanese cities. We noticed that Persona 4 Revival not only upgraded the graphics but also reconstructed the streetscape of Inaba. What did you prioritize when reconstructing this town, and what specific trade-offs did you make?
Yajima:This time, to improve the graphics, we remade all the models. Especially for the shopping district, to accurately present its unique atmosphere, we not only focused on details but also paid great attention to lighting and shadows.
This time, since the camera can be freely rotated, parts that were previously invisible in the predecessor can now be seen. For these parts, we made readjustments and even conducted on-site research in places with similar atmospheres. Starting from the perspective of "it should feel like this," we recreated them so that the newly added parts blend naturally into the overall atmosphere, unifying the production.
Wada:Additionally, there used to be loading screens in certain places in the shopping district, such as having to load before entering the shrine. This time, seamless transitions have been achieved. I think these changes have made the game more fun and easier to get into.
Q: It has been confirmed that this game will include Chinese voice acting. What prompted this decision? Also, what criteria were used to select the Chinese voice actors this time?
Wada:The number of fans in China has increased significantly, and there have been many requests for Chinese voice acting. Therefore, we are including Chinese voice acting for the first time in this release.
When selecting voice actors, we basically refer to the cast of Persona: The Phantom X and other series titles. We have them audition and select the most suitable actors for Persona4 Revival》 characters, inviting them to perform the roles.
However, due to various constraints, we couldn't have separate voice actors for all characters. Since the series had collaborations with Persona: The Phantom X, and some voice actors were used in Persona: The Phantom X, for the core protagonists, we tried to avoid overlapping with Persona: The Phantom X. In Persona4 Revival》, we tried to use new voice actors as much as possible.
Q: Players who have played the original know that the "All-Out Attack" cutscenes in the original game had some humorous elements. For example, Hanamura would rush into the enemy group, get knocked out, get up, and jump back in. However, Persona 4 Revival feels more focused on being cool and dynamic. How was this change decided?
Yajima:Regarding this part, my personal feeling is that the original'sFor the "All-Out Attack" part, although the characters participate, the overall action was limited. So I hoped to create dynamic visuals where everyone joins in, creating a sense of unity.
Then there's the duration. If the cutscene is too long, the visuals become sluggish, so I tried to keep it"not getting tiresome" as the goal when designing this time's "All-Out Attack."
Wada:The original game used a manga-style direction for its cutscenes. This time, we did not follow that style but instead aimed for a cool and satisfying style, designing in that direction.
Q: In terms of the combat system, Persona 4 Revival adds new mechanics such as "Knockdown" and "All-Out Assault" based on the original. From the information released so far, it seems all new mechanisms benefit the player. Does this mean the game's difficulty will be lower compared to the already adjusted Persona 4 Golden? Additionally, for players seeking a more hardcore combat experience, how will the game balance these new mechanics with difficulty?
Yajima:This is also a frequently asked question. Regarding combat balance, we did not carry overPersona4 Golden》values, but rather forPersona4 Revival》readjusted. In other words, we rebalanced the combat assuming the addition of these new systems, preventing the difficulty from dropping significantly and becoming too easy due to the new mechanics.
Wada:Regarding combat balance, the development team conducted countless battle tests repeatedly, testing under various difficulties to make appropriate adjustments and achieve balance. The specific experience will vary depending on playstyle, but there won't be any drastic overall changes.
Q: Persona 4 Revival has also made many modernizations to dungeon exploration, such as using guidance to directly point out the direction of the exit. Aren't you worried that this might weaken the sense of "exploration" in the game's maps?
Yajima:Depending on the playstyle, the sense of exploration might indeed be weakened in some areas. However, there is a setting in the game system called"Objective Guidance." If you feel guidance is unnecessary, you can turn it off and explore without it. We hope players choose to use it according to their own playstyle.
Q: Persona 4 Revival features a thorough remake of its 2D cutscenes. Did the development team make any special requests to the outsourced animation company regarding the presentation of this content?
Yajima:Since the outsourced animation company changed, all the cutscenes were remade from scratch this time. Regarding any special requests for the animation company—such as what kind of content we wanted to create, what we wanted to showcase, and what concepts we wanted to convey—we had our development team communicate and coordinate thoroughly with the animation company during our internal development phase. Therefore, there were no particularly strict additional instructions.
Wada:Actually, entrustingHaving MAPPA produce the in-game cutscenes was quite challenging. Without a thorough understanding of the work, it easily becomes a case of "just doing this small part." However, conveying only partial requirements doesn't result in truly good animation. After the animation team fully understood the game as a whole, they even helped us create animations starting from blank storyboards. We advanced the project through very detailed communication in these areas.
Q: Persona 4 Revival is a complete remake based on the original. We believe that besides the characters, the presentation of Personas is also a major concern for fans. Will the designs of Personas be adjusted and remade according to the story tone or rendering style in this game?
Yajima:We basically used the existing models. Of course, we polished them further to make them look more refined, but we did not change their shapes. We also improved the textures.
Regarding gameplay pacing, some Personas had missing or overly short attack animations, which we adjusted significantly. However, we did not change their designs themselves.
Q: The original game collaborated with several real-world food items (such as the Red Fox and Green Tanuki), which gave players a stronger sense of daily life. Will Persona 4 Revival also feature such collaborations with the real world?
Wada:Unfortunately, the Red Fox and Green Tanuki mentioned earlier will not appear in the game this time, but they will be replaced by other food items. Collaborations between the game and real-world foods still exist. As for the specific collaborations, I'll keep that a secret for now.
Q: While browsing the game's website, I noticed that Inanna appears as a Persona in this title. As far as I recall, Inanna has never appeared in the "Persona" series before and has mainly been active in the "Shin Megami Tensei" series. Does adding Inanna to this game mean that the number of Personas has increased further compared to the original? Also, what criteria do you use to decide whether characters are selected for the "Persona" series, the "Shin Megami Tensei" series, or both?
Yajima:Let me answer the simpler question first. I don't think the total number of Personas has increased. However, due to the addition of new content like Inanna, there have been many changes and replacements in this area.
Wada:As for whether to add"Persona" or "Shin Megami Tensei"—basically, we consider "Demons" and "Personas" to be the same entity. Although the concepts differ, as characters, they share the same database and are common to both. If new demons are designed there, or if we create new Personas, we use them interchangeably. That is how we approach it.
Q: Will the "Social Links" in this game unlock new features or systems as they level up, similar to the "Confidants" in Persona 5?
Yajima:This time we indeed made"Social Link abilities." As Social Link levels increase, characters become stronger and gain additional abilities, providing benefits in both daily life and combat.
Q: In Persona 4 Revival,, the classic tracks from the original also have rearranged versions. Can players choose to use the original music?ormust choosethe rearranged versions?
Wada:Basically, this cannot be switched. However, while fully respecting the original tracks, Music Director Kozuka created arrangements well-suited for Persona4 Revival》 arrangements. I am confident that this will be an excellent soundtrack album, and I can recommend it to everyone with peace of mind.
The game's music director, Mr. Ryota Kozuka
Q: Finally, please share a few words with the players in China.
Yajima:This time, Persona4 Revival》 marks the first time Simplified Chinese voice acting has been added to the series, and Persona: The Phantom X has already launched in China. We have always valued the Chinese market and Chinese players. Personally, I hope to make more attempts targeting China in the future. However, first and foremost, please try Persona 4 Revival, releasing in February 2027, and share your thoughts with me. I would be happy to read them. Thank you for your support.
Wada:From Persona5 onwards, our number of users in China has increased significantly. Conversely, those who have playedPersona5》, but haven't played Persona3》 or Persona 4, there are also many. For these new players, I thinkPersona4 Revival》 is definitely a game worth experiencing. For veteran players who have played the original, this game will also bring a very fresh feeling. I sincerely hope more Chinese players will try Persona 4 Revival. Thank you for your support.
Persona4 Revival》 will be officially released on February 18, 2027. This classic title, which holds the youthful memories of many players, promises a brand-new experience. Let's look forward to its performance upon official launch.