There are several versions of Persona 3 out there, and I don’t think you can really go wrong with any of them. However, it was originally released in 2006, and it shows. It’s a delightfully emo RPG that always takes me right back to high school when I play it. Without spoiling the plot too much, P3 is a game that perfectly captures that mid-2000s edginess with a plot chock full of death. It came out the same year as My Chemical Romance’s album The Black Parade, and I feel confident the characters would be devoted listeners. After all, your party is comprised of students who spend their nights climbing a spooky tower called Tartarus and fighting monsters known as Shadows within, summoning their Personas to aid in battle by shooting themselves in the head. It isn’t all doom and gloom, though. P3 has plenty of humor and knows when not to take itself too seriously, like when the group gets up to usual teenage antics on field trips or any time your pet dog shows up in battle wearing a little combat vest and carrying a knife in his mouth. The music is also very funky in that way that only Atlus can pull off, and Reload (the recent remake) manages to add even more good tracks. The visuals are also very eye-catching, with vibrant colors, thick shading and surreal imagery all over the place. One of the game’s best features is its combat, which is turn-based with some oomph. There are several different types of physical damage and magic to use, and exploiting an enemy’s weakness grants you an extra turn. Downing every enemy lets your whole team attack together, and there are additional abilities depending on which version of the game you’re playing. It isn’t all combat-centric, though. During the day, you spend your time attending school like any other teenager. You have to stay on top of your studies, manage your social life and participate in extracurricular activities. That mix of social sim and dungeon crawler is very fun, and still a core part of the series today. If you want to experience an RPG with snappy combat, social sim elements, great music, alluring visuals, and whose setting was very modern 20 years ago, look no further than Persona 3. It has a lot of heart, with a plot that always makes me tear up and one of my favorite final bosses of all time. Persona 3 Reload is also a great example of a remake done right.