Persona 4
2008 role-playing video game
Persona 4, released outside Japan as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, is a 2008 role-playing video game by Atlus. It is chronologically the fifth installment in the Persona series, itself a part of the larger Megami Tensei franchise, and was released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan in July 2008, North America in December 2008, and in Europe and Australia in March 2009. It was one of the final major exclusives for the system. An enhanced version of the game, Persona 4 Golden, was released for PlayStation Vita in 2012 and received ports to Windows in 2020, and Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023. A full remake of the game, Persona 4 Revival, will be released in February 2027 for PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
The game takes place in a fictional Japanese countryside in 2011 as a player-named protagonist moves into the town of Inaba from the city for a year. During his year-long stay, he becomes involved in investigating mysterious murders with a group of friends while harnessing the power to summon physical manifestations of their psyches known as a Persona. Much like Persona 3 before it, the game features role-playing and simulation elements: the protagonist progresses through a cycle of days, explores dungeons while encountering enemies, and can forge relationships that can improve their Personas' strength in battle.
The plot of Persona 4 was inspired by the work of mystery novelists owing to its murder mystery premise, primarily as a way of differentiating it from its predecessor. The rural setting was based on a town on the outskirts of Mount Fuji; it was intended to be a "'nowhere' place" and is the central setting to have players sympathize with the daily life of the characters.
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