Acceptance is the price of freedom in Persona 4
Persona 4 is a warm coming-of-age story that celebrates friendship and growth. It’s also a murder mystery bent on unearthing the baggage that leaves us lost and lonely. These contrasts cut to the core of Persona 4, a charming game where confronting hard truths is often a rite of passage.
The pursuit of truth is an overarching theme of Persona 4. On one level, it’s about thwarting a serial killer. But it’s also about coming to terms with yourself, committing to truths that matter, and deciding who you want to be in this world.
The combination of drama, insight, and humor that Persona 4 brings to these themes goes a long way toward explaining why it’s widely considered one of the best RPGs of all time.
For those who don’t know, Persona is a smart and stylish RPG series that typically casts the player as a Japanese teen who just transferred to a new school. The gameplay balances normal life and adventure. There’s a lot to explore, but most activities cause time to pass. You have less than a year to make friends, get good grades, and solve the mystery.
Persona 4 is set in the quiet town of Inaba, where nothing ever happens. Except for two gruesome murders the week you arrive. One of the victims was a classmate, and rumors fly she was last seen on the mysterious Midnight Channel. It soon becomes clear that only your circle of friends can investigate the Midnight Channel and catch the killer.
While a murder mystery drives much of the plot, character development is central to Persona 4. Building friendships powers up your character, but more importantly it unlocks deeper perspective. As relationships deepen, walls come down and conversations become more real. This is good, because many of the people around you desperately need to be heard.
One example is freshman Naoki Konishi. You initially meet through a club, but he’s sort of famous locally. His older sister was one of the murder victims, and now he’s The Kid Whose Older Sister Was Killed. Beneath a nonchalant veneer, he’s struggling to deal with complicated feelings.
As you spend time with Naoki, it becomes clear he’s still processing what happened. Classmates try to help by letting him blow off obligations, but he’s not looking for pity. He’s also uncomfortable with the newfound spotlight. In the rare moments he lets his guard down, local gossip is quick to judge.
Coming to terms with his sister’s death is central to Naoki’s story. The weight of his unresolved pain and self-doubt is crushing. By giving Naoki space to be heard, the player helps him work through his feelings, so he can start to focus on what matters — and let go of that which does not.
Isolation. Fear. Uncertainty from not fitting in with society’s expectations— these are the intangible villains you’ll encounter repeatedly in Persona 4.
The word “persona” derives from an ancient Latin word for Etruscan theatre masks. The modern term usually refers to figurative masks we adopt to meet our obligations in life.
Persona 4 is fascinated by the tension between our true selves and the masks we wear; They can be helpful, but they also obscure the truth. Sometimes what we need most is to drop the mask and be honest about what ails us.
This dynamic of supporting likable, well-written characters while they work toward becoming their best selves gives Persona 4 much of its emotional punch and staying power.
The realities of growth are deftly illustrated during a class trip to the school from Persona 3. The group is officially welcomed by Class President Chihiro Fushimi, who impresses with her public speaking.
Afterward, Chihiro apologizes privately for small details of the welcome that went wrong. This aligns with her behavior in Persona 3, where she was a conscientious but painfully shy sophomore who struggled with imposter syndrome after being tapped as student council treasurer.
Chihiro’s anxieties almost led to disaster in Persona 3, but in a critical moment she drew a line between fear and intolerable outcomes. In Persona 4 we see that Chihiro has grown and become more confident. The insecurities are still there, but they’re in check — and not holding her back.
Persona 4 is a game that often prioritizes matters of the heart. It’s a game that makes you feel, and benefits greatly from a strong soundtrack that does much to enhance the mood.
The irresistible A Corner of Memory during the title screen perfectly captures Inaba’s magical sense of place. The warm and jazzy Like a Dream Come True is a backdrop for many good times, while the moving Reverie tugs at the heartstrings during tender moments.
There are also several great pop songs that reflect core dynamics of the game. The lovely Your Affection is bright and cheerful, with lyrics about pushing through pain to toward growth:
Withered flowers forget
What they wept for
Day after day
Withered flowers must blossom
In the stream of tears
They still think of the cause
Turning misery into meaningfulness
Changing day after day…
The original opening theme for Persona 4, Pursuing My True Self, could easily serve as a theme for the series, with its focus on connection, belonging, and the healing power of friendship.
You are standing in the middle of another world
It’s hard to feel your real emotions
You are smiling in a shirt wet with bitter tears
Let me help you find a place to call it home
We’re all trapped in a maze of relationships
Life goes on with or without you
I swim in the sea of the unconscious
I search for your heart, pursuing my true self
The journey of Persona 4 is a largely one of friendship. The cast is excellent and you’ll share great laughs and memories. But it’s also realistic on the challenges of growing up, and submits that coming to terms with yourself is the critical first step toward taking control of our lives.
At the end of the day Persona 4 is a cheerful game, and that occasionally leads to it being mistaken for a shallow Scooby Doo adventure. But look a little closer. It’s not telling you to look on the bright side; it’s demonstrating the essential hard work that quietly makes the world a better place.
Nathan Lamb is a former reporter and news editor, who occasionally writes about video games for fun. His passions include the Persona series and history. He previously wrote about on the overarching themes of death and mortality in Persona 3.
