Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is the sequel to a crossover fighting game that brings together characters from Persona 3 and Persona 4 in a fast two-dimensional combat system. The game was made by Arc System Works, known for the BlazBlue series, in cooperation with Atlus, and it shows – the animations are fluid, the attacks have weight, and the fights feel stylized despite their speed. Instead of the turn-based combat typical of the main series, Ultimax offers one-on-one fights where the character controls their Persona alongside themselves as a second layer of attacks, giving the battles unusual depth. The controls also offer a simplified auto-combo system for newcomers as well as elaborate manual chains for players who want to master the game at a tournament level.

Ultimax picks up directly where the previous entry, Persona 4 Arena, left off, continuing the story of a mysterious fog that once again envelops the town of Inaba and threatens its residents. New heroes join the plot, including the mysterious Sho Minazuki, and all the fan-favorite faces return, from Yu Narukami to Chie, Yosuke, and Yukiko, all the way to Rise, Naoto, and Kanji. The story mode is told in the form of a visual novel interspersed with fights, so the player follows a cohesive plot instead of isolated matches, and it's divided into several separate storylines depending on the chosen character. The game also offers online battles, leaderboards, training for individual characters, and the so-called Golden Arena, a series of solo challenges for each character separately, rounded out by short lighthearted scenes between chapters. It's precisely this combination of a carefully constructed story with a technically demanding combat system that makes Ultimax one of the most cohesive titles Arc System Works has ever made for Atlus.

Why play: Ultimax is an ideal choice for Persona 4 fans who want to see their favorite characters in fast-paced action outside the classic turn-based battles, as well as for fighting game players looking for a title with an unusually elaborate and cohesive story that can be played through progressively for each playable character separately.