Persona 4

0:06 Persona 4 is a role-playing game by Atlus for the PlayStation 2, released in Japan on Jul 10, 2008 and in North America on Dec 9, 2008 under the name Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, in which a transfer student and his friends spend a school year in the rural town of Inaba solving a string of murders through a world inside the TV. It holds a Metacritic score of 90 from 47 critics. The PS2 game itself is no longer how most people play it: Persona 4 Golden (2012) expanded it and is the version on sale today, and Persona 4 Revival, out Feb 18, 2027, is a full remake of Golden, not of the PS2 original. The clip is from IGN's 2012 review of Persona 4 Golden.

Quick facts

Sources: Famitsu, Jul 10, 2025; Shacknews, Jul 7, 2008; Push Square, Feb 2009; Metacritic, as of Nov 3, 2026; Anime News Network, Sep 27, 2011.

When did Persona 4 come out?

Persona 4 went on sale in Japan on Jul 10, 2008, Famitsu records. Atlus USA brought it to North America on Dec 9, 2008, and every copy came with a soundtrack CD of selected music. The game was sold outside Japan under the longer name Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, which the later Golden and Revival releases dropped. The European release, published by Square Enix, followed in March 2009; Push Square's headline gave Mar 13 with a soundtrack CD, though the article itself could not be read to confirm the day.

What is Persona 4 about?

1:12 The protagonist moves to a country town for a year, living with his uncle Ryotaro Dojima and his cousin Nanako. After he awakens to a Persona, he and his classmates investigate a chain of murders and a rumor called the Midnight Channel, entering a world inside the TV to rescue the people the killer targets, then going back to everyday school life until the next case, all over one school year (Famitsu). Famitsu notes the mystery is tense but the mood is unusually bright for the series, with clubs and time with friends at its center. The full plot, with a spoiler warning, is on Persona 4 Story. The clip is from Nintendo Life's review of Persona 4 Golden.

How Persona 4 plays

2:44 Persona 4 is two games in one calendar. By day, the protagonist goes to school, joins clubs, takes jobs and spends time with people, raising five social stats (courage, knowledge, expression, understanding and diligence in the English names) and forming Social Links, bonds tied to the tarot arcana (Famitsu). By night, or after school on free days, the team explores the TV World.

4:41 Each dungeon there is a separate 3D place that reflects one character's inner self, and the party holds up to four, unlike Persona 3's single tower (Famitsu). Battles are turn-based: hitting a weakness knocks an enemy down and grants an extra action, and knocking every enemy down opens an All-Out Attack. The protagonist alone can carry and switch between several Personas, fused in the Velvet Room. Golden's version of each system is on Persona 4 Combat, Persona Fusion, Social Stats and Persona 4 Social Links.

Who made Persona 4?

Atlus developed and published it. Shigenori Soejima designed the characters, Kazuma Kaneko designed the Personas, and Shoji Meguro composed the music; all three returned for the 2011 anime (Anime News Network). Katsura Hashino is credited with the original story (Anime News Network). Soejima is back as character designer for Persona 4 Revival, with music by Ryota Kozuka arranging Meguro's originals (Persona 4 Revival Music).

Reception

Persona 4 scores 90 on Metacritic, "universal acclaim" from 47 critics, with a user score of 8.8 from 777 ratings as of Nov 3, 2026. Golden later scored higher still, a 93 on PS Vita. No Atlus or SEGA lifetime sales figure for the PS2 game was found for this page; the series as a whole has passed 30 million units (SEGA, Jun 7, 2026).

What Persona 4 Golden added

7:04 Persona 4 Golden (PS Vita, Nov 20, 2012 in North America) is the PS2 game with new content, and the version most people now play. Atlus and the press listed among its additions:

• Marie, a new character, with her Aeon Social Link and the Hollow Forest (Siliconera)
• Adachi's Jester Social Link (RPG Site)
• Night outings while Dojima is at work, night jobs, and Very Easy and Very Hard difficulty (PlayStation Blog)
• Okina City by scooter, the beach, a winter ski trip, Skill Cards and online help from other players (Siliconera)
• A third tier of Persona for each party member; in the PS2 game a maxed link evolved a Persona once (Game Rant)
• A winter epilogue and the Golden ending (TheGamer)

Because of all this, guides for Golden do not always fit the PS2 game. The classroom questions are the clearest case: RPG Site says Golden's answers are "completely different" from the PS2 game's, so the Persona 4 Golden Exam Answers page does not help PS2 players. Every walkthrough page on this viki is for Golden.

How Persona 4 Revival relates to Persona 4

11:57 Persona 4 Revival is a full remake of Persona 4 Golden, not of the 2008 game, so it includes Golden's Marie from the start. That differs from Persona 3 Reload, which remade the original Persona 3. Kazuhisa Wada said Marie's story was so tied to Golden's main story that it could not be left for later. The team kept the story in its own era rather than moving it to the present day, because CRT televisions are central to it. Revival comes out on Feb 18, 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and on Switch 2 on May 20, 2027; see Persona 4 Revival Release Date and What's New in Persona 4 Revival. The clip is Atlus's Anime Expo 2026 panel, where its interpreter says in English that Revival fully remakes Persona 4 Golden.

Frequently asked questions

When did Persona 4 come out? Persona 4 came out on PlayStation 2 on Jul 10, 2008 in Japan and Dec 9, 2008 in North America, as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, with Europe following in March 2009.

Is Persona 4 the same as Persona 4 Golden? No. Persona 4 Golden is the 2012 expanded version of Persona 4 with a new character (Marie), new Social Links, new events, a new dungeon and a new ending; the main story is the same.

Can you play the original Persona 4 today? The current stores checked for this viki (Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo) sell Persona 4 Golden, not the PS2 Persona 4, and Persona 4 Revival follows on Feb 18, 2027; see Where to Play Persona 4.

What is Persona 4's Metacritic score? Persona 4 on PS2 has a Metacritic score of 90 from 47 critics, as of Nov 3, 2026.

Is Persona 4 Revival a remake of Persona 4 or Persona 4 Golden? Persona 4 Revival is a full remake of Persona 4 Golden, so it includes Golden's added content such as Marie, Atlus says.

Why is it called Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4? Persona 4 was released in North America under the name Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, as Metacritic lists it; later releases are named simply Persona 4 Golden and Persona 4 Revival.

Sources

• Persona 4 Revival official site, SEGA, as of Nov 3, 2026
• Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, Metacritic, as of Nov 3, 2026
• Persona 4 Golden, Metacritic, as of Nov 3, 2026
• "The original work is brilliant..." Atlus on reimagining Persona 4 for Revival, RPG Site, Sep 7, 2026
• After Persona 3 Reload, Atlus "put all the effort into making a full remake" of Persona 4 Golden, GamesRadar+, Sep 6, 2026
• Persona 6 Announced at The XBOX Games Showcase 2026, SEGA, Jun 7, 2026
• 『ペルソナ4』が発売された日, Famitsu, Jul 10, 2025
• Persona 4 Revival trailer uses Golden exclusive content, GamesRadar+, Jun 9, 2025
• Every Party Member's Strongest Persona, Game Rant, Feb 14, 2023
• Which Persona 4 Golden Ending Is Canon?, TheGamer, Aug 9, 2022
• Persona 4 Golden Answers, RPG Site, Jun 25, 2020
• Adachi social link choices & unlock guide, RPG Site, Jun 12, 2020
• Persona 4 Golden Shines Brightly On PlayStation Vita, Siliconera, Nov 13, 2012
• Persona 4 Golden Set for November 20th on PS Vita, PlayStation Blog, Sep 21, 2012
• Persona 4 the Golden Animation, Anime News Network
• Sentai Filmworks Licenses Persona 4: The Animation, Anime News Network, Sep 27, 2011
• Persona 4 gets European release date March 13th, includes soundtrack CD, Push Square, Feb 2009
• Persona 4 Hits North America on December 9, Shacknews, Jul 7, 2008
• Persona 4 Golden Video Review - IGN Reviews, IGN, Nov 21, 2012 (video)
• Persona 4 Golden Nintendo Switch Review - Is It Worth It?, Nintendo Life, Jan 17, 2023 (video)
• Persona 4 Revival - Anime Expo 2026 Panel, Official ATLUS West, Sep 15, 2026 (video)