Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
By Marc Saltzman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Deep strategy, role-playing in mature, violent fantasy game.
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Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
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What’s It About?
PERSONA Q: SHADOW OF THE LABYRINTH is a role-playing game that fuses turn-based action, strategy, adventuring, and RPG-like upgrades. The story follows a group of students that explore a dangerous and hidden labyrinth underneath their school. They use their skills as warriors to defeat fantastic enemies including demons, spirits, and larger "boss" creatures that require more effort to destroy. Fans of the franchise will recognize some characters leading the charge. Worth noting is the sheer amount of content here, with many pathways to take, unlockable areas, and strong replayability; there's upwards of 100 hours of playtime. Another new feature is the use of the 3DS stylus pen, which can be used to chart a course through the winding tunnels, making notes, tapping for treasures, and more.
Is It Any Good?
If you're into the Japanese-style turn-based battling found in Pokemon-style games, the Final Fantasy series, and many others, this game is perfect for you. It's a bit slower-paced than other action and platformer games (with plenty of dialogue), but because the audience is older, the pacing should be fine for most. In fact, the gameplay is very rewarding thanks to the multiple (and memorable) characters you'll meet and the many interesting enemies and set pieces you'll fight through.
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is also packed with other goodies, including collectibles, treasures, and unlockables. The accessibility will lure you in, but the breadth and depth will keep you playing for a long time. Along with the attractive visuals, the game's soundtrack (including some classic Persona tunes) will keep you engaged. Older Nintendo 3DS gamers looking for something meaty to take on won't be disappointed with this A-grade dungeon-crawling epic.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the fantastical nature of the violence in this game. Do you feel the violent content is inappropriate? Does it have any connection to the real world?
What are your thoughts on the "good guys" in Persona Q? Would you consider them to be role models? Why, or why not?
Game Details
- Platform: Nintendo 3DS
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: Atlus
- Release date: November 25, 2014
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: M for Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Last updated: September 30, 2021
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