I don't think it deserved a game of the year spot. But then, most of those things are popularity contests, and I won't argue P3's popularity.

I didn't play a lot of games this year so I can't say much.  But it was one of the better games I have played recently.  I thought overall it was a very good game, it could have been a bit more difficult though.  Otherwise I have no real complaints about the game.  Even the music, which I didn't like at first, grew on me.

Quote from Isao Kronos on 03/06/08 at 02:45:43:

Well, how about RPG of the year?  

Doesn't even deserve runner up.

I haven't played it so I am blissfully unaware of how much it may or may not suck~

There are several reasons for hating P3, at least for me:
1) No Kazuma Kaneko;
2) Emo Kid;
3) FES looking a lot like Dawson's Creek.
 
I hope they will get back Kaneko for P4. :/

Quote from Gemini on 03/07/08 at 04:51:41:

 
 
This, and the fact the 3 turned the Persona series (originally a good spinoff that didn't have some ridiculous glorified view of Japan) into generic poppy high school animu crap.

Quote from SHODAN on 03/07/08 at 18:40:42:

 
 
Also, you can't avoid it if you wanna not suck.

Quote from Tallgeese on 03/08/08 at 00:24:33:

 
 
Yeah. I blame pokemon

Quote from Tallgeese on 03/08/08 at 00:49:10:

 
 
It sounded good at the time. Ask me when I am coherant

Perhaps Alizarin's blaming Pokemon since Persona and such has somewhat of a "gotta catch em all" premise with the cards/personae.
 
I'll trade you my Bacchus for your Nodens.

Ok, I waited too long and lost my point. Oops

>> Persona 3 was an okay PS2 JRPG... but doesn't say much as an SMT/Persona game.
 
At least when they decide to go back to some techno-apocalyptic deliciousness, it stands a better chance at getting translated. Cash cow and all.
 
*camps in front of Aeon Genesis with a sign saying FINISH SOUL HACKERS*
 

Didn't Gamespot advertise the hell out of it? I really don't count on them for reviews anymore anyway.
 
Oh, Brand, as for the P3 hate... have you PLAYED the others? Persona, even with the horrid localization still > Persona 3. If they had seriously cut out ALL of the dating garbage and the 'I need to go to school... and learn... in a game...' it would have been a MUCH better game. I beat P3 on principle, but I absolutely hated the persona levelling system (even if most of the
[spoilers]
ends of the persona levelling were all just screwed up lives. e.g. one goes off to get a job, one leaves with a divorced parent, etc.)
[/spoilers]
It really felt like the game didn't know if it wanted to be a japanese date sim, or a horrible dungeon crawler (the random dungeons just spammed into the tower of druaga didn't help it). It was constrictive at every turn. Granted it was an RPG, but there was little... openness that things (including the ones from PSX) had, and have had since console RPG console birth on the NES (I want to say Dragon Warrior, but I may be wrong).
 
Err... that may have been a long rant... so if you get this far first, you may want to skip it.
 

Yes, I've played the other Persona games.  Do I think Persona 3 was better then the others?  No.  Do I think Persona 3 is a lot better then a lot of the other crap we got?  Yes.  Honestly I no problems with the game, the dating part was just enough that it was cute but not boring, the school stuff could have gone a little faster but I did like the whole Social Links thing (I enjoyed the little side characters stories), I didn't mind the dungeons at all (if anything they were to easy), and I enjoyed the story.  Overall my main complete would be that Persona 3 was way to easy.  Really all I want from a game is to enjoy my time playing it, and I did.

I am, I just hate perma-missables.

Quote from Gemini on 03/07/08 at 04:51:41:

 
Oops