Here’s why you should play Persona 4 Golden this festive season

This year, I took my first step into the world of Persona. As someone who is into horror, with a great interest in visual novels and turn-based battling, you’d think I’d have made the plunge sooner, but no. The Persona games have sat in my ever-expanding backlog for a while now, and once Persona 4 Golden made its way to the Nintendo Switch earlier this year, I decided that it was time.

I started with Persona 4 Golden,figuring that this would set me up nicely to play both Persona 5 Royale and the upcoming Persona 3 Reload title nicely, considering they’re all self-contained stories. With that decision made, I buttoned up my school uniform and delved into the mysterious – but cosy – town of Inaba, which is inspired by Mount Fuji and riddled with constant disaster.

I didn’t quite expect to become as enthralled as I did with Persona 4 Golden, but Atlus creates deeply interesting characters and places them in a world that feels thoroughly lived in, with combat that – while repetitive – is satisfying to get right. I won’t be the first or last to mention some of the creepy jokes or dynamics that also emerge, which admittedly add to just how unnerving everything else is, but those aside, this murder-mystery oozes style and boasts a roster of characters you’ll quickly become attached to.