Between the sales for the original version on the PlayStation Vita in 2012 and the PC re-release through Steam in 2020, Persona 4 Golden is reported to have sold over 2.5 million copies. And these numbers aren’t without reason – the game is really freaking good. After all, who isn’t enticed by the idea of jumping into their television and using the odd parallel dimension there to solve grisly murders, while living the life of a Japanese schoolboy?
There were bound to be some things that players both new and returning found themselves doing during their year in the life of Yu Narukami, the stoic gray-haired protagonist for this installment of the series. Between characters we all pined after, careful decisions we all made, and all the time we spent with our friends, you’re in excellent company if you found yourself doing any of the following during your year in Inaba.
10 Be Surprised To Hear New Voices
While the bulk of the things that changed between the vanilla version of the game and the re-release are story or gameplay-based, one difference was a lot starker – Teddie and Chie both got new voice actors in Golden.
While most players don’t seem to feel very strongly one way or the other about Teddie's change, with the majority of the internet heralding Chie as P4’s best girl, she received more reaction. Many players thought Chie’s voice actor in vanilla sounded a bit too old to be a high school girl, so giving her a new voice that sounds younger and spunkier was mostly well-received. Either way, it was an adjustment for anyone who spent time on the original.
9 Take A Joyride With Our New Wheels
In the Golden version of the game, congrats – with the introduction of scooters for the Investigation Team, Yu and friends are now mobile.
By cruising through Inaba and the surrounding areas on your scooter, you’re able to unlock two new spots that you only saw in cutscenes in the vanilla version: Shichiri Beach, where you can fish and swim, and Okina City, which has a movie theater and costume shop. When you bring friends along for the ride, not only are you able to work on their social link, but party members are occasionally able to learn new skills for use in battle during the journey.
8 Carefully Curate Your Personas' Skills
Fusion isn’t a new mechanic for Persona 4, but Golden took things a step further with it by allowing players more customization options. When fusing two or more Personas, you’re now able to decide which skills get passed onto your new creature.
This new perk is helpful in a lot of ways. For starters, it allows for more customization of new Personas, which only expands as you fuse that one into something new, then that one, and so on. Through this, you’re better able to spread out abilities and cover any weak spots your team may have.
7 Fight The Urge To Get A Bad Ending
Persona 4 Golden came rife with bonus content, and among it was not one but three bad endings. Yu is meant to be the hero of this story, but he’s now got the option to feign ignorance and let the bad guy get away.
It happens toward the end of the game, when you’re meant to present evidence to your Investigation Team to prove who’s behind the killing spree in Inaba. Should you choose not to share this information with them, Yu leaves Inaba without solving the mystery, the wrong person is punished, a relatively major character dies, and the true culprit is never caught.
6 Compare And Contrast With The Vox Populi
Another new feature that came with Golden, players are introduced to the Vox Populi – “the voice of the people.” If you're not sure what to do next, it connects you to the internet to see what other players got up to during that time frame on that given day.
The game will show you how other fans spent their free time, for whether you’re unsure of what to prioritize, if you forgot what’s going on, need a quick glance at who’s available to hang out with, or you’re just curious how other folks have played the game. It’s a great tool for keeping yourself on track with the story.
5 Enjoy The Extra Time With Our Friends
Any re-release of a game worth its salt is going to give fans their money’s worth with new content to justify buying the same game twice, and Golden didn’t disappoint in that regard. Vanilla’s story put you on a fast-track to the end around Christmastime, but with careful planning in Golden, you’re able to stretch your playtime out to Valentine’s Day.
Granted, you can only do this if you’ve maxed a specific social link, but doing so unlocks extra free time. It’s a great opportunity to finish social links, skills, or just tie up any loose ends before you take on the final challenge.
4 Max Our Team's Social Links First
Although they’re much less likely to accept invitations to hang out before you’ve beaten the current mission, it’s critical to prioritize getting close to the Investigation Team. Not only are they the characters you see the most, but befriending them makes your life in dungeons that much simpler.
It’s easy enough to do because at least one of them will usually be available at any given time, if you’re keeping up with mission deadlines. As you increase your social links, your friends will unlock new skills to use in battle, and at their max level, their Persona will level up into a new, more powerful version of the original as well.
3 Aim For The Golden's Brand New Content
We hinted at it before, but Persona 4 Golden comes with a whole new dungeon tacked onto the end of the game – except to get it, you’ll need to max out the new Aeon social link before the game’s original ending point of December 23.
Not only do you have to tread carefully to even unlock the content, you’ll also need to beat the new dungeon your gang can access on February 13 to earn the epilogue. In this dungeon, your inventory is emptied, limiting you only to what you can find within. Additionally, on certain floors, you can’t see shadows on your map before you find them, either.
2 Misplace Our Trust
We won’t name names, but be careful with your social links – not everyone who appears to be your friend really is. Even the characters who deceive you are worth getting to know if only for the story, but considering them a friend makes their betrayal that much more painful.
For the full effect, it’s best to stay as in the dark about the game as possible. If you learn too early who the problem is, it’s less interesting when they’re revealed, even when they suggest it's not their fault that they betrayed you - it happened because you wanted to be their friend. Power is corruptive and people don’t always handle it very well, so keep Yu on his toes as you make friends around Inaba.
1 Get The Junes Jingle Stuck In Our Heads
“Everyday’s great at your Ju-nes!”
The massive shopping center run by Yosuke’s father, Junes, elicits mixed reactions from the people around town. While the younger generation loves it, with Nanako constantly singing the store’s earworm of a jingle, the older townsfolk blames the supercenter for the closure of several local specialty shops, a gap you definitely feel as you walk around Inaba's business district.
Regardless of the implications of this real-world problem, the song from Junes' advertisements is too easy to get stuck in your head. It’s a simple, one-line tune, but it does what it needs to: keeps Junes on the minds of the town's residents. For years after you beat the game, you’ll catch yourself singing the song – we know, because we’ve been doing it since the game released.