Persona 3 Reload The Game Awards Disrespect
Image: Push Square

The original Persona 3 altered my perspective of what a game could be. When I first played the title as a teenager all those years ago, its outstanding sense of style, iconic soundtrack, and brooding tone made it a truly unique experience. It remains one of my all-time favourites.

When Persona 3 Reload released earlier this year, I was blown away by how well Atlus had reshaped a classic for modern audiences. Granted, that brooding tone isn't quite so brooding in Unreal Engine 5, and I can understand the argument that the remake feels somewhat sanitised — but I still think it's a masterfully crafted piece of media.

Subscribe to Push Square on YouTube155k
Watch on YouTube

For me, it's up there with some of the absolute best remakes I've ever played. A lot of that praise is derived from my own nostalgia for Persona 3 — of course — but it really is an immaculate video game in terms of presentation and interlocking gameplay mechanics.

And yet, it hasn't received a single nomination at this year's The Game Awards. To me, that's a baffling omission.

Persona 3 Reload 1

To be clear, I don't take Geoff Keighley's annual event all that seriously. The cynical parts of my brain say that The Game Awards are little more than a self-obsessed advertising platform — and when you're actually sat down watching the thing, it's honestly hard to argue.

But so much importance gets placed on The Game Awards — via social media, via enthusiast sites just like Push Square — that you can't help but feel the event holds a shocking degree of influence over the wider industry.

And so when your favourite games of the last 12 months don't even get a nod — a single chance to show the world that they deserve to be recognised beyond review scores and sales — it does sting a little more than it should.

Persona 3 Reload 2

If awards shows like Geoff's big shindig are meant to celebrate art, then I feel as though the outright dismissal of Reload is bordering on being an insult to the medium. Even if we're talking about art on a surface level — how nice it looks, for example — Reload is one of the most eye-popping RPGs to have ever graced our peepers.

Visually, it's utterly stunning from top to bottom — an exceedingly rare release where excellent art direction is met with equally impressive in-game graphics. But is this spectacular merging of art and tech enough to earn a nomination for 'Best Art Direction'? Apparently not.

It's a similar story with the game's incredible soundtrack, although the lack of a 'Best Score & Music' nomination does make a touch more sense when you consider that this is a reworking of an existing score. Still, my argument would be that soundtracks simply don't get much more memorable than this — reworking or not.

And if anything, Reload's music team deserves immense praise for the fact that they were able to take such a beloved collection of tunes and refine them, to better fit the tidier tone and atmosphere of the remake.

Persona 3 Reload 3

But what about Metaphor: ReFantazio? The more recent release, Atlus already has an extremely highly rated RPG sweeping The Game Awards nominations. It's up for Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best RPG, Best Art Direction, Best Music & Score, and — the big one — Game of the Year.

Will Metaphor actually win out in most of those categories? No chance, but that's not the point. The sentiment here is that Persona 3 Reload is being pushed to one side, because it too is an Atlus title, and it happened to launch what feels like a thousand years before Metaphor. It wouldn't be fair to acknowledge both of them.

But really, shouldn't we be celebrating the fact that Atlus released not one, but two superb RPGs in the space of just eight-and-a-bit months? Hell, it released three if you include the also-ignored Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance.

Persona 3 Reload 4

Recently, ahead of the nominations reveal, the event posted an official statement, clarifying that remakes, remasters, and DLC are all eligible for all awards. This conveniently-timed explanation paved the way for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree; the expansion's competing for three gongs, including Game of the Year.

Do I think Reload should be up there, instead of a DLC? Naturally, but I'm just pointing out that The Game Awards itself is more than happy to acknowledge remakes and remasters — and this is further evidenced through Silent Hill 2 and its nominations across multiple categories.

Having said all of this, I don't think the nominations — generally speaking — are that bad. There are some undeniably fantastic games getting their well-deserved applause at this year's show, but I just can't help but question the lack of one particular, exquisitely formed remake.

Persona 3 Reload 5

When I lambasted the poorly-judged Episode Aigis back in September, I'll admit that my perception of Reload as a whole had nosedived. But upon reflection — and having seen these nominations — it's now my firm belief that Persona 3 Reload is thoroughly deserving of wider recognition. A revival that, for me, both revitalises and redefines an all-time classic.

Do you think Persona 3 Reload has been unfairly snubbed at The Game Awards? Feel free to rant alongside Rob in the comments section below.