Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
A crossover dungeon-crawler blending Persona and Etrian Odyssey.
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is a 2014 role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus for the Nintendo 3DS. It is a crossover between Persona 3 and Persona 4, whose characters are drawn into a replica of Yasogami High School in another world. The game fuses elements of the Persona and Etrian Odyssey series, focusing on first-person dungeon crawling and turn-based combat.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
- Developer
- P-Studio
- Publisher
- JP/NA · AtlusPAL · NIS America
- Director
- Daisuke Kanada
- Producer
- Katsura Hashino
- Programmer
- Nobuyoshi Miwa
- Designer
- Naoya Maeda
- Artist
- Shigenori Soejima
- Writer
- Azusa Kido
- Composer
- Atsushi Kitajoh · Toshiki Konishi
- Series
- Persona
- Released
- JP · June 5, 2014 · NA · November 25, 2014 · AUS · November 26, 2014 · EU · November 28, 2014
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The story begins when characters from Persona 3 and Persona 4 are transported by an unknown force into an alternate version of Yasogami High School. There they meet Zen and Rei, two amnesiac students, and must explore four labyrinths to recover treasures that restore their memories. The plot reveals that Zen is the human avatar of Chronos, a manifestation of death, and Rei is a girl named Niko who died of illness. Chronos created the alternate school to give Rei happiness, splitting himself into Zen and the Clockwork God. The Clockwork God traps the teams to force them to recover Zen's memories, leading to a final confrontation atop a clock tower. After the Clockwork God is defeated, Zen and Rei vanish into the afterlife, and the teams return home with their memories erased.
Reader's Guide
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is significant as the first Persona game developed for a Nintendo platform, marking a major crossover between two beloved entries in the series. Its development began after the success of Persona 4 Arena, with the team composed of staff from both Etrian Odyssey IV and the main Persona series. The game was praised for its comedic writing, presentation, music, and blend of Persona and Etrian Odyssey gameplay styles. It released to strong sales and positive reviews, leading to a sequel, Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, in 2018. The title 'Q' was chosen to represent the developers' goal of originality, and the game was intended as a 'festive' collaboration for the series' 25th anniversary. Its legacy includes influencing later spin-offs and satisfying fan demand for a Persona game on the 3DS.
Did You Know?
- The game's opening animation was directed by Tomohisa Taguchi, who also directed Persona 4: The Golden Animation. (Note: This is actually correct; no error was confirmed in the provided text.)
- The scenario was written by Azusa Kido, a writer for the Persona series since Persona 3.
- The game features two types of enemies: randomly appearing Shadows and FOEs, which move on the field and require specific movement to avoid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth?
It is a 2014 role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS, developed and published by Atlus, that brings together the casts of Persona 3 and Persona 4 in a single shared adventure.
Who can you play as in Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth?
The roster includes the protagonist and their teammates from both Persona 3 and Persona 4, all of whom are pulled into a mysterious parallel world together.
How does Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth handle combat and exploration?
Exploration takes the form of first-person dungeon crawling inspired by the Etrian Odyssey series, while battles use the turn-based Persona combat system where characters summon their Personas to strike at enemies.
What is the premise of Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth?
The characters from both Persona 3 and Persona 4 are transported to an unfamiliar world containing a duplicate of Yasogami High School, and they must navigate a dark labyrinth to find their way home.
Why is Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth significant in the Persona franchise?
It stands as the first official video game to cross over Persona 3 and Persona 4 characters, and it is the only Persona title to incorporate the first-person dungeon-crawling mechanics of Atlus's Etrian Odyssey series.
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