4.5/5 ★ – Lancey's review of Persona 2: Eternal Punishment.

Eternal Punishment relies heavily on it's prequel to get the worldbuilding and characters introduced and developed to the player, but it doesn't simply dwell on them to reintroduce a story we've already heard with small modifications. Instead, it brings characters we've interacted with previously in an entire new position where they can shine and witness some incredible writing and development, as is expected from this one of a kind series. It introduces some of the best characters of the series in Baofu, Katsuya, and (this one blew my mind) Tatsuya, who's shifted from a mute MC with no personality, to a full blown badass with some of the best characterization I've ever seen from this series, especially with the Shiori Arc. It was also super cool to see cameos from the first game come back, such as Jun, Eikichi, Lisa, and even Persona 1 characters such as Kei Nanjo, Elly and Brown, who have surprisingly really impactful roles in the story. Regrettably, the bubbly and cheerful Maya that was such a strong personality and character in Innocent Sin, has been relegated to a mute protagonist, a common problem with this duology, but it isn't that big of a deal, since we've gotten her exposition and motivations as a character from the previous game. The soundtrack is also a noticeable downgrade, especially in some themes and especially the battle music, and the cut ins have been nerfed, losing the aesthetic the first game had in battle, which is a minor nitpick, but matters a lot of this series, which is renowned for it's unparalleled style and flow of combat. The game is also noticeably harder than Innocent Sin, and while the battle system is a bit better with smarter action inputs, character order randomly changes for absolutely no apparent reason, forcing you to constantly re-order the battle menu, which is very annoying. The story is also a lot more grounded than the first game, but is in return much more serious through it's adult cast and darker tones, which plays incredibly well with the worldbuilding we've experienced through the first game. While I do think that both the Additional Scenario and main game's endings could've been executed a bit better, there is no doubt in my mind Persona 2 Eternal Punishment offers one of the best narratives of an RPG, and is a must play for any Persona fan or anyone who loves an unforgettable narrative.