Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, released in Japan as PERSONA3 (ペルソナ3, Perusona Surī?), is the fourth video game in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series of console role-playing games developed by Atlus, which is part of the larger Megami Tensei series of video games. Persona 3 was originally published in 2006 on the PlayStation 2 by Atlus in Japan; the North American release of the game was delayed due to issues with the publication of the official art book. An add-on disc entitled Persona 3 FES, containing a "director's cut" of the original game, as well as a new epilogue, was released alongside Persona 3 in Japan in 2007, and in 2008 in other territories. A PlayStation Portable version of Persona 3, titled Persona 3 Portable was released in Japan on November 1, 2009, and in North America on July 6, 2010. The remake adds the ability to play as a female protagonist, new story elements and music, and a new interface designed for the PSP.

In Persona 3, the player takes the role of a male high-school student who joins the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES), a group of students investigating the Dark Hour, a time period between one day and the next that few people are aware of. During the Dark Hour, the player enters Tartarus, a large tower containing Shadows, creatures that feed on the minds of humans. To fight the Shadows, each member of SEES is able to summon a Persona, a manifestation of a person's inner self. The game's most iconic feature is the method by which the members of SEES release their Personas: by firing a gun-like object called an Evoker at their head. In addition to the standard elements of role-playing games, Persona 3 includes elements of simulation games, as the game's protagonist progresses day by day through a school year, making friends and forming relationships that improve the strength of his Personas in battle. The North American release of Persona 3 includes the aforementioned art book, along with a selection of music from the official soundtrack.

There are official soundtracks for Persona 3, Persona 3 FES, and Persona 3 Portable, as well as an arrangement album containing music from multiple games in the Persona series. Music from the game has also been performed live at two concerts dedicated to the Persona series. Persona 3 has seen a manga adaption, multiple radio dramas. Critical reception of Persona 3 was mainly positive; reviewers enjoyed the game's social elements, while some found its combat and environments repetitive. Persona 3 FES was said to give narrative closure to the original game, although it was criticized for not featuring the simulation aspect of Persona 3. The sequel to Persona 3, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, was released in 2008.

In 2008, an original animation set 10 years after the events of Persona 3, entitled Persona: Trinity Soul, was released in Japan. According to the official Persona 3 Portable fanbook, Trinity Soul is considered a spinoff and a non-canonical entry in the series, although it shares with Persona 3 the same world and certain characters.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Developer(s) 	Atlus
Publisher(s) 	

                * JP Atlus
                * NA Atlus U.S.A.
                * EU Koei

Director(s) 	Katsura Hashino[1]
Producer(s) 	Kozo Itagaki (Executive Producer) Katsura Hashino[1]
Artist(s) 	Shigenori Soejima[1]
Composer(s) 	Shōji Meguro[2][3]
Series 	        Megami Tensei (Main)
                Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (Sub-series)
Platform(s) 	PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
Release date(s) Persona 3[4]

                * JP July 13, 2006
                * NA August 14, 2007
                * EU February 29, 2008
                * AUS March 6, 2008

Persona 3 FES[5]

                * JP April 19, 2007
                * NA April 22, 2008
                * EU October 17, 2008
                * AUS November 18, 2008

Persona 3 Portable[6]

                * JP November 1, 2009

                * NA July 6, 2010

                * EU TBA 2011[7]

Genre(s) 	Console role-playing, simulation
Mode(s) 	Single-player
Rating(s) 	

                * CERO: B
                * ESRB: M
                * OFLC: M
                * PEGI: 12+/16+ (FES)

Media/distribution 
                DVD-ROM (PS2)
                UMD, Digital Download (PSP)