One would be hard-pressed to have a conversation about modern JRPGs without mentioning the absolute powerhouse that is the Persona series. It goes without saying that this JRPG series has come into its own and become what is arguably the best modern JRPG series by a country mile. One need only look at the hype surrounding the release of Persona 5 to understand just how coveted these games are amongst the JRPG faithful.
However, while Persona 5 might’ve arguably launched this series into the mainstream in the most emphatic way possible, one can’t deny the sheer impact of the previous title in the series. Persona 4 was a landmark title for the series, with this title being the favorite of many due to its lighthearted plot and endearing characters.
Unfortunately, not everything in Persona 4 is perfect, least of all the plot. There are several aspects of this story — ten, to be exact — that collapse like a house of cards upon further examination.
10 The Characters Are A Bit Too Cliched
This is a problem with most Persona games in general — while the characters in the game are certainly memorable in their own right, one can’t deny the fact that they are somewhat cliched as well.
The goofy male, silent badass, tomboy, and the overt flirt are just a few of the many character tropes that Persona 4 unashamedly copies and pastes on its characters’ personalities.
9 The Manner In Which The Protagonist Becomes Friends With The Other Characters Is A Bit Too Convenient
The main character is an exchange student who has a certain charm to him, so one might expect people to either ignore him altogether or go out of their way to spend time with him.
However, what we see instead is the trio of Chie, Yukiko, and Yosuke marking their stamp on this character and pretty much forcing him to become friends with them, which is quite convenient for the plot.
8 The Manner In Which The TV World Functions Is Quite Weird
There are simply way too many plot holes pertaining to the TV World, to the point where one could make a list that could comprise completely of the selective manner in which this World treats the people entering it.
For starters, the fact that the entire gang can enter the TV World without being forced into the same circumstances as the victim is quite weird on its own.
However, if one is looking at specific problems from this world, then…
7 Teddie Encountering His Persona In Rise’s World Is Pretty Suspect
The manner in which Yusuke and Chie encounter their shadow selves in the game was already somewhat weird as is, given how other people are rescued from their shadows in the game.
However, Teddie’s Shadow is perhaps the worst offender in this regard. This lovable character ends up encountering his other half in Rise’s World, which makes absolutely no sense.
6 The Games Deals With Serious Themes In A Rather Flippant Manner
Persona 4 was lauded by fans and critics alike for featuring characters with issues pertaining to their sexuality and gender, with the majority of people feeling like these problems were handled well enough.
While this sentiment might be true for Naoto and her gender dysphoria, one can’t really say the same for Kanji. The entire cast — especially Yosuke — constantly berates Kanji for being a person who “swings” a certain way, which is quite tasteless.
5 Mitsuo Kubo’s Motivations Are Absolute Garbage
Persona 4 might’ve nailed a ton of things, but one thing it absolutely fails in is the inclusion of a proper antagonist.
Mitsuo Kubo is a great example of this — his motivations are laughably bad, to the point where one simply can’t take this character seriously.
Being an incel is NOT a good motive for murder, no matter what.
4 Nanako Staying Dead After Namatame Is Thrown Into The TV World
Persona 4 might have a lighthearted tone, but there are moments in the game that are truly heartbreaking. One moment that stands out, in particular, is when Nanako’s heart monitor slows to a crawl before ending with a painfully extended beep that broke pretty much everyone who was playing the game.
Of course, people who’ve played the game know this was a fake-out… that is, unless you trigger the bad ending by throwing Namatame into the TV World. In this situation, Nanako’s stays dead, which makes no sense. Why does him getting thrown into the TV govern Nanako’s chances of coming back to life?
3 Adachi Is The Edgiest Villain Ever
If Mitsuo was a bad villain, then there are no negative superlatives that could describe just how bad of a villain Adachi is. He’s the certified king of incels, with his “bad-for-the-sake-of-being-bad” nature being absolutely cringeworthy.
The motivations of this character are so weak that the entire game would’ve collapsed at this point… but thankfully, the foundation of the game was solid enough to not crumble at this horrible revelation.
2 The Final Boss Fight Is Nothing More Than A Glorified Set Piece
However, while Adachi might not have been that great of an antagonist, one can’t deny the fact that he would’ve served as a fitting final boss to the entire game.
Unfortunately, most fans seem to forget that this is a JRPG. There’s no way a mere human could be a boss fight.
Instead, that honor went to the absolute horror show that was Ameno-Sagiri. A giant eyeball that peers down at you might sound somewhat eerie, but it falters in its execution.
Persona 4 Golden decided to add another ultimate story boss to the game, but that edition comes with its own set of problems…
1 Persona 4 Golden’s Inclusion Of Marie Seems Like An Excuse To Lengthen The Game
While there’s no denying the fact that Persona 4 Golden is the definitive way to play the game, there are still certain problems surrounding this extended edition that need to be addressed regardless.
Perhaps the worst part about this extended edition is the inclusion of Marie, a new confidant whose Social Link needs to be completed to unlock the final dungeon for the Golden Ending.
The entire Social Link isn’t really all that exciting, and the fact that this is mandatory for the true ending makes it even worse. Why does a random character like Marie decide the events of the main story in the first place?
NEXT: Persona 4: Every Possible Romance, Ranked
