Persona 4’s Revised Social Link System

By Spencer . October 13, 2008 . 11:09pm

Persona 4 expanded on the ~~dating~~ social link system introduced in Persona 3. Now you can choose who you want to get serious with and who you want to throw in the friend category. Different dating choices lead to different story scenes. You also get to pick a part time job and club in Persona 4, but you won’t see the same people in different outfits like in Persona 3. You’re given more opportunities to play with the Social Link system too by dreaming about characters if you choose to go to sleep early and eating lunch with a friend if you cook one at home. The branching paths mean there will be more to do if you choose to replay the game and search for alternate endings.

You can establish social links with every party member and Igor’s assistant Margaret who could explain a connection to Persona 3 if you get close enough to her. However, you may want to just focus on your teammates. Bonding with your fellow Personae users in Persona 4 gives comrades additional abilities like taking lifesaving hits for the protagonist and support attacks. Persona 4 doesn’t skimp on secondary character development, in fact you’re rewarded if you explore their side stories.

Images courtesy of Atlus.

TAGS: Atlus, Persona 4, Playstation 2, Shin Megami Tensei

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ChrisT

Can NOT wait for this game! Been replaying Persona 3 and exploring the social links I never got around to last time. My favorite part of the game was the school/social link stuff, so very happy to hear that this part of the game has been expanded and deepened.

December can't come fast enough!

Chris

That's EXACTLY what bothered me about the dating in Persona 3. That you couldn't, say, have Yuko as a girlfriend but Chihiri has just a friend.

I can't wait for Persona 4 either. I need to finish FES though, it's harder to play Persona 3's battle system when you don't get those story interludes between fights.