Persona 3 Reload

Persona 3 Reload
Developers: Atlus Publishers: Atlus (JP), Sega (INT) Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Windows Released internationally: February 2, 2024 This game has unused code. This game has unused graphics. This game has regional differences.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

To do: Lots. There's references to DLC that hasn't been released, such a remake of The Answer. See if anything is leftover. Out of bounds oddities here Unused Animations https://twitter.com/i/status/1761047035757596930 https://twitter.com/i/status/1761047997972885799 Line Errors Elizabeth referring to the Hanged Arcana as the "Hanged Man". Aigis' Gardening Activity line oversight. The original release (of the PC version at least) has unused, uncompressed versions of all the game's cutscenes. Apparently these were removed in a later patch, shrinking the game's total filesize from 22.54GB to 15.81GB.

Persona 3 Reload is a full-on remake of the original game, created with Unreal Engine. It includes a mostly-new English voice cast, quality-of-life improvements, higher-quality visuals, and gameplay elements from Persona 5. Though it has some features from FES and Portable, The Answer is a separate DLC.

Unused Graphics

The Journey

In files relating to the cut-in materials, there's a texture for a slightly earlier version of Thebel, with kanji for temporary on top.

The Event/UI directory contains an early version of the Cinemascope used during 3D animated cutscenes.

An early version of a picture the S.E.E.S team takes together near the end of the game, showing earlier versions of the models used in-game. In the early version, it's a render rather then drawn, it's much higher resolution 3500x2125 rather then 1920x1090, the picture's aspect ratio is a little bit taller, Fuuka is angled towards Korumaru, Fuuka's sleeve is clipping into her chest, Korumaru has his S.E.E.S armband, everyone's expressions are slightly different, and Takeharu lacks any expression whatsoever and is in a slightly different pose.

T_Event_Cmmu_010_660_C_01 (Early)	T_Event_Main_190_030_C_01 (Final)

Early Protagonist Cutin

Fuuka's texture cutin (T_Btl_Catin_PC006) contains an early version of the protagonist's cutin. Since Fuuka's is only used when her Theurgy is charged, and cropped in a circle, it's likely this is the reason it wasn't changed. The textures themselves are most likely placeholders for the video file cutins. The early cutin looks like it was based on his original PS2 design, and it's also cropped closer to his face.

T_Btl_Catin_PC006 (Early)	T_Btl_Catin_PC001 (Final)

The Answer

Placeholder front face bustups for Akihiko and Mitsuru, located in T_BU_SC0252_PoseB_C001 and T_BU_SC0254_PoseB_C001. These bustups are placeholders for Akihiko's middle school bustup during his past, and Mitsuru's childhood bustup during her past, but they never have a moment during their past when they use their front face bustup, so these go unused. Mitsuru's middle school bustup doesn't contain a placeholder. Akihiko's text translates to "Temporary. Junior high school student Sanada", and Mitsuru's translates to "Temporary. Childhood Mitsuru".

Unused Audio

The first 13 seconds of the piano piece Ryoji plays in his third Linked Episode on December 1st is not used in-game.

Oddities

Dorm Registry

While not unused, the Dorm Registry on the front counter where the player signs their name at the start of the game is noteworthy for having "Save" in the internal names for its model assets (e.g., S_F102_102_Save). In the original games, the Dorm Registry was used as a save point, but in Reload it no longer has this function and instead the player can just press Start to save the game at any time. It's possible at some point, this could have been an alternate way to save.

Memories of You Internal Name

The internal names for the songs in the game in bgm.acb is noteworthy for using the same names as the bgm IDs from the original game (e.g., link_26.hca is Mass Destruction, and in the original game it was 26.ADX), though this only applies to the songs from the original game (most cutscene songs don't count). The internal name for Memories of You however, is link_42.hca. In the original game, 42.ADX was unused and just had 10 seconds of silence. This might possibly mean that Memories of You was also used for something else at some point in the original game other than the credits, or it may have just been separate audio from the video file.

DLC Strings

Within AddContentEntitlementNameDataAsset is a list of names the game uses when displaying what DLC you're missing when loading a save file. Multiple names are in here hinting at DLC that haven't released yet, but some haven't been announced as well. Here are the names of the DLC, as they are listed in the English localization version of the file.

Exploration Item Set
P4G EX BGM Set
P5R EX BGM Set
群青色の衣装＆ＢＧＭセット
エピソードアイギス
P3R Expansion Pass

The first three DLC are still leftover in the base game, and can be reactivated with software made to pirate DLC. The BGM sets can be used legally with the purchase of the Expansion Pass.

Exploration Item Set

The Exploration Item Set can be accessed using Makoto's closet, giving you:

5x First Aid Kit M
5x Snuff Soul
5x Revival Bead
3x Bead Chain
3x Precious Egg
3x Balm of Life

P4G and P5R EX BGM Set

The two EX BGM sets give you access to the ability to change the music you hear while exploring Tartarus, along with adding extra battle themes. They are as following:

P4G EX BGM Set

Tartarus Exploration:
Backside of the TV
Game
Junes Theme
Heaven 
Long Way

Battle Music:
Revelations: Mitsuo
The Almighty

P5R EX BGM Set

Tartarus Exploration: 
Life Will Change
Beneath The Mask
Kichijoji 199X
Gentle Madman
I believe

Battle Music:
Keeper of Lust
Blooming Villain

群青色の衣装＆ＢＧＭセット

群青色の衣装＆ＢＧＭセット refers to the Velvet Room Outfit and BGM set releasing May 2024. Although nothing for the outfits is left over, the music names are still in the files. They are as follows:

Electronica In Velvet Room ('P4D' ver.)
全ての人の魂の詩 (t.komine REMIX "AT 1st" P3D-EDIT ver.)
全ての人の魂の戦い (Daisuke Asakura Remix)
全ての人の魂の戦い ～USH ver.～
Dance Hymn of the Soul (Disco In Velvet Room)

全ての人の魂の詩 is the Japanese name for the song Aria of The Soul and 全ての人の魂の戦い the japanese name for Battle Hymn of the Soul.

エピソードアイギス

エピソードアイギス translates as Episode Aigis. It has been announced that this is a remake of Persona 3 FES's The Answer, releasing September 2024.

Regional Differences

Startup Screen

To do: What languages do these apply to?

The screen showing the content warnings in the Japanese version of the game is actually an anti-piracy disclaimer, but otherwise the fictitious work disclaimer at the bottom remains the same.