Persona 4



Persona 4 is the fifth installment in the Persona series. It is proceeded by Persona 3 and is succeeded by Persona 4 Arena. Yu Narukami is the main protagonist and Tohru Adachi is the main antagonist. The TV World Shadows are the villainous faction in this game.

Persona 4 is the fourth numbered game in the Persona series, the fifth in total. It is the second game not to be directly connected to its predecessor, where starting with Persona 3 set a precedent for later Persona games.

Titled Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 in the United States, Persona 4 first released on the PlayStation 2 in 2008.

Starting in 2008, a manga adaptation by Shūji Sogabe was released. It never received an official English publication.

Starting in 2011, an anime adaptation titled Persona 4 The Animation was released by Studio AIC ASTA. It ran for 2 seasons and had 25 episodes.

In 2012 an enhanced version of Persona 4 titled Persona 4 Golden was released on the PlayStation Vita. It featured new gameplay enhancements as well as two new social links, a new dungeon, and an extended epilogue with multiple endings.

In 2014, another anime adaptation titled Persona 4 The Golden Animation was released to adapt the content added to Persona 4 Golden. It ran for one season with 12 episodes.

Official Description
''Persona 4 follows a group of high school students dealing with a mysterious TV channel dedicated to distorting and exaggerating the truth of who they are and their identities. A string of bizarre murders related to the TV channel begins shaking their once peaceful town. They explore the mysterious world inside the TV and perform rescue missions in order to save its victims from death. Only by looking past what is on the screen, finding and evaluating the truth among a myriad of lies can they hope to find the serial killer and save their town.''

Summary
Set in 2011, the game starts with the protagonist (who is named by the player) being sent to the rural town of Inaba from the big city, since his parents are working abroad. He is living with his uncle Ryotaro Dojima and his younger cousin Nanako Dojima, and attends Yasogami High School, where he becomes friends with Chie Satonaka, Yukiko Amagi and Yosuke Hanamura. His uncle Dojima is a police detective, whose primary assistant is a man named Tohru Adachi.

On his first day arriving in town, the protagonist has a strange dream that teaches him to use a Persona, specifically his first one Izanagi, in battle. Through Chie, the protagonist and Yosuke come to realize that an urban legend called the Midnight Channel is true; if you stare into a turned off TV at midnight on a rainy day, you will see a strange figure in there. Shocking the once sleepy town, a TV announcer, Mayumi Yamano, is found dead, hanging upside-down from a telephone pole. When the protagonist first watches the Midnight Channel after hearing the rumor from Chie, he finds that he has the power to physically go into the TV, but his TV is too small to support him.

When the protagonist reports this to his friends the next day, all three of them decide to then go through one of the large TVs at Junes; all of them make it through, and subsequently find a strange bear named Teddie; the group is let out by this same bear after wandering the strange world in fear, as well as finding out there are no exits except for the bear's TVs that he can create. The next day, the body of Saki Konishi, the girl who discovered the body of Mayumi, is found dead on an antenna as well. This greatly upsets Yosuke, Saki's co-worker at Junes. Yosuke and the protagonist plan on returning to the television the next day, with Chie acting as a rope lifeline.

Inside the TV, the protagonist and Yosuke find that there is a pathway to an area resembling Inaba. There, in this realm created by the true feelings of Saki called the Twisted Shopping District, Yosuke's repressed feelings of how he was not really liked by Saki, whom he harbored an unrequited deep crush on, manifest into a clone-like figure of himself. Yosuke's inability to accept the clone's claim that he did not enter the realm for Saki's death (and how it was all about adventure for him) allows it to become Shadow Yosuke. When the protagonist defeats it with Izanagi, Yosuke accepts his true feelings, allowing the Shadow to manifest into Yosuke's Persona, Jiraiya. The protagonist learns that he has a special power named the Wild Card which allows him to wield multiple Personas (unlike all the other party members who only have one).

Eventually, a shadowy figure begins to appear on the Midnight Channel, which is feared by the group to be Chie's best friend Yukiko who just made a recent appearance on the news, though she is still present in the real world. Unfortunately, Yukiko is kidnapped eventually, and afterwards clear and vivid images of her appear on the Midnight Channel.

With Teddie giving analytical support, the protagonist and Yosuke decide to venture into the TV World (specifically Yukiko's dungeon Yukiko's Castle) and use their Personas to fight. They both warn Chie that she shouldn't enter since she lacks a Persona, though she ignores the warning. On the 2nd floor of the castle, Chie is caught up with and her emotions manifest and battle the pair as Shadow Chie who revels in Chie's jealousy of Yukiko; though after its defeat, Shadow Chie turns into Chie's own Persona, and Chie joins the trio as the third combatant.

The trio eventually finds Yukiko, along with another 'Yukiko': Shadow Yukiko. Shadow Yukiko expresses her disgust with inheriting the inn, and playfully confesses to the protagonist, Yosuke, and Chie. Calling Chie her Prince Charming, Shadow Yukiko asks her Prince Charming to take her somewhere far, far away to escape her fate of inheriting the Amagi Inn. Confused and shocked, Yukiko begs Shadow Yukiko to stop. Ignoring Yukiko's pleas, Shadow Yukiko taunts Yukiko, asking why she would want her to stop confessing her true feelings. Shadow Yukiko exclaims that she is Yukiko, and is merely expressing her thoughts. Yukiko denies Shadow Yukiko's claims, and tells her that she is not her. Fueled by Yukiko's denial, Shadow Yukiko transforms into a caged bird and attacks the party. The trio eventually manages to fend off the shadow, and with Yukiko eventually willing to face herself, the shadow transforms into Yukiko's Persona.

The protagonist and the group see another strange figure appear on the TV, and suspect it to be a biker who recently appeared on the real-world news; Kanji Tatsumi. While looking for the boy, the group spots a strange, blue-dressed slender young man who seems to be following him. They are unable to keep close enough an eye on Kanji to prevent him from being kidnapped, and once he is, he begins to appear clearly on the channel. The team ventures into the Steamy Bathhouse, where they find Kanji facing his Shadow, manifested from him questioning his sexual orientation, possible homosexuality, and being ridiculed by girls for possessing stereotypical "feminine" interests such as sewing. Kanji reluctantly accepts his Shadow and receives his Persona.

When Kanji is rescued, the group comes to realize that all 4 of the kidnap victims — Yamano, Saki, Yukiko and Kanji — appeared on real-life TV before appearing on the Midnight Channel. Additionally, Yukiko and Kanji's first appearances on the channel were blurry and out of focus, though those appearances happened before they disappeared. After they disappeared, their appearances on the Midnight Channel became clear and in-focus and representative of their inner emotions. Therefore the group concludes that the victims will first appear on the real-world TV, then appear in a blurry form on the Midnight Channel, then they will be kidnapped, then have vivid appearances on the channel until they die on the next foggy day. Also, the Shadow forms of the victims are their true emotions, which gain their power from their host's inability to accept them (since each victim denied their Shadow form).

It comes to the attention of the town that a local celebrity model, Rise Kujikawa, is coming to Inaba. However, the group becomes worried when they see an indistinct silhouette on the Midnight Channel that seems to resemble Rise. The group is unable to prevent her from being abducted, after which she begins to clearly appear on the Midnight Channel. When she is confronted in her dungeon, the Marukyu Striptease, she refuses to accept her shadow form; it engages the group in a battle, but eventually, it uses the move Supreme Insight to become invincible.

The group is unable to do a thing about it, but Teddie steps in and uses his inner power to destroy the monster. This results in his body being completely and utterly flattened, almost killing him. Eventually, Teddie's inner emotions about himself manifest and create Shadow Teddie, which battles and loses to the group. Teddie gains his own Persona after its defeat, and so does Rise. Rise takes over Teddie's role as the analytical support, while Teddie joins the group as a playable character. Teddie also gains a human body in the real world. The group, for the second time now, encounters the slender teen from before, who has now taken an interest in Kanji, the next victim.

After Rise's rescue and recovery (and Teddie doing "training" in the TV World to repair his exhausted body and prepare him to be a playable combatant), the foul-mouthed and largely unpopular schoolteacher Kinshiro Morooka — despite never appearing on either the news or the Midnight Channel beforehand — was found dead in a manner similar to the first two victims. The group is shocked at how the killer's pattern has completely been abandoned. The strange slender teenager the group encountered before reveals himself to be Naoto Shirogane, a young, aspiring detective whom is assisting the P.D. in the case. He comments that the police have found a suspect who has confessed his guilt, though they have not yet revealed his identity — Naoto does say that he is a student from another high school.

As summer break starts, a clear and vivid image appears on the Midnight Channel (not preceded by a blurry image) showing a strange boy taunting the protagonist to "come and get me." An investigation around town by the party to find the boy's identity reveals him to be Mitsuo Kubo, the very suspect the police are searching for. The group defeats his shadow form inside his Midnight Channel dungeon, Void Quest, and pulls him out of the TV and hands him to the police as the true killer. During the group's summer break and the beginning of the second semester, they begin to befriend Naoto who has enrolled as a student, and are relieved that the case is closed. However, Naoto points out the incongruities in the case - namely how Morooka was simply beaten to death with a blunt object.

Naoto's suspicions that Kubo is a copycat killer are proven correct when he, after appearing on the real world TV to bait the killer (having arrived at the same conclusion regarding the killer's pattern), is kidnapped and thrown into the Midnight Channel. When the group goes out to his dungeon, the Secret Laboratory, to save him, they find that in reality, Naoto was born female and took on a male identity to avoid the sexism of the police department. After Naoto's shadow self is defeated, she embraces her female identity, and joins the group with her own Persona, her excellent detective skills proving a valuable asset for the rest of the investigation team's journey.

On October 20th, the protagonist receives a mysterious letter addressed to him — the sender's name and address are nowhere to be found on the letter which only reads: "dont rescue anymore" with no capitalization or punctuation. The group notices that this letter being delivered to the protagonist means that the culprit is aware of their activities.

November 5th marks the start of the climax of the game, when another letter is addressed to the protagonist; it reads "if you dont stop this time someone close will be put in and killed" again lacking any capitalization, punctuation or grammar. Unfortunately, Dojima sees the letter and sends the protagonist to the police station, his suspicions about him being involved in the case (what with him and his friends being found at crime scenes) now affirmed true. Nanako is then reported kidnapped and is indeed seen on the Midnight Channel that night; the group, using Naoto's deductive reasoning, find that the culprit should be a small-time suspect in the first murder, Taro Namatame, since he uses a delivery truck, something that can both hold a TV with access to the TV World and is not suspicious to ordinary people. No signs of force entry were found at the Dojima house as well, a clear indicator that this was someone who knew Nanako (like Namatame).

When Dojima gives chase to Namatame, the cars collide seriously injuring Dojima while Namatame and Nanako disappear into the Midnight Channel through the large TV in Namatame's truck. As Dojima rests in the hospital, the group comes to the conclusion that Namatame must be the real killer. He and Nanako are tracked down in the next Midnight Channel dungeon, Heaven. When confronted, Namatame claims that he is actually "saving people," leaving the group confused, but no less enraged at him. A shadow (Kunino-sagiri) stems from Namatame and attempts to attack the group, but after it is defeated, the team escorts both Nanako and Namatame out of the dungeon. Both are sent to the hospital injured, with Namatame being in too unstable a state of mind to make any statements to police or the group.

Unfortunately, at this time, the same type of fog that courses through the Midnight Channel that reduces visibility without special glasses is found running through the real world. The team goes through a stressful period as they wait for Nanako to recover. Dojima and Nanako are periodically visited in the hospital by the group. More and more people begin falling ill over the fog, and the doctors comment that there is actually no visible evidence on Nanako to indicate what is causing her sickness (though this is almost certainly because of how the fog's supernatural powers and the technology of the hospital don't go hand-in-hand).

December 3rd is the final turning point in the game. On this day, after the group rushes to the hospital when Adachi calls them to tell them that Nanako's condition has worsened, Nanako appears to succumb to her wounds and die. Furious, an emotional Dojima attempts to walk into Namatame's ward and kill him, but is stopped and dragged away by guards. The group enters Namatame's room, observing that he is mentally unstable and incoherent. As Adachi told them earlier, there is almost no evidence that the police can use to convict, or even further detain Namatame, and the story about people entering the TVs would never hold up in court. The group sees a Shadow manifestation of Namatame on the Midnight Channel gloating about his actions and daring the group to do something about it. Yosuke proposes that they murder Namatame now by throwing him into the TV while they have the chance, in order to bring justice for his victims and ensure he can't claim more. The player's decision decides what happens next.

The protagonist must convince the group to calm their emotions and dig deeper into the case to assess if Namatame is truly guilty. The next day, they hear his story in the hospital. One night, he observed Yamano on the Midnight Channel, and unthinkingly reached out to touch the TV, causing him to discover his power to enter it. The next day, he discovered the news of Yamano's death, and wondered if the image he saw the previous night was a distress signal from her. Later, he observed Saki on the Midnight Channel, and feared a similar fate awaited her; he attempted to warn her of the danger she was in, but this failed to keep her from dying. When he next saw Yukiko on the channel, he interpreted her appearance as trying to say that the TV World was a safe place; so, he decided that he would have to force people who appeared on the Midnight Channel into the TVs to save them, in order to prevent the killer from killing them. This is why he kidnapped Yukiko, Kanji, Rise, Naoto and Nanako, unaware all this time that he had been placing them in mortal danger, and it wasn't until he entered the TV World himself upon being cornered by the police that he understood how dangerous it truly was. Naoto comes to the conclusion that the true culprit of the case is the one who threw Yamano and Saki into the TV. From Namatame's point of view, everyone he threw into the TV reappeared safe and sound later on (thanks to the group's efforts), proving to him that his actions were working, thus encouraging him to continue. All of this makes it clear that the Shadow manifestation the group saw on December 3rd was not speaking Namatame's thoughts; but rather, it was a reflection of what the Investigation Team believed they were.

Now, the protagonist must guess the identity of the real killer from a list of 26 suspects in the game's narration. If they fail three times, they will get a bad ending as listed above. The correct suspect is Tohru Adachi, Dojima's assistant.

Once confronted, Adachi escapes into the TV World. When the group finds him in there, he explains his actions. It was during an argument he had with Yamano that he discovered his power to push people into the TV, so he accidentally pushed Yamano in, causing her death, and was excited by the thrill. He later deliberately pushed Saki into the TV after she slapped him and rejected him. He then manipulated Namatame into kidnapping the rest by encouraging them to put them in a "safe place," correctly predicting this would put the idea of using the TVs as a safe haven in Namatame's head. However, he himself threw Kubo into the TV World since his false confession would stop Namatame's actions, and for the thrill of having some direct involvement. He claims that he did this all so that he could sit back and enjoy the juxtaposition of Namatame and the group's efforts; after the group goes through his dungeon, he states that it's humanity's desire to allow the fog to settle in to settle their emotional distress. He then fights the group using his own Persona, Magatsu-Izanagi, and loses. Afterwards, the group then fights the spirit that used Adachi as a puppet; Ameno-sagiri. 3 months after its defeat in March, Nanako is released from the hospital. Now, the protagonist can either go home without causing the trigger events; if he does, the "Normal Ending" that shows the true credits plays.

However, if the protagonist (after first seeing all his maxed S. Links) insists that he meet the group at Junes, then the group begins to acknowledge the incongruities in the theory of Adachi being a lone wolf; how did he and Namatame get the power to enter TVs in the first place? How did the protagonist himself? How did the Midnight Channel and its rumors get started? By retracing his steps from the first day in the game, the protagonist comes to realize that the real antagonist and conductor of the game is the Moel Gas Station Attendant, or really, the god Izanami. When the attendant shook hands with the protagonist back on the very first day of the game, this gave him the power to fight with Personas, and it reveals having done the same with both Adachi and Namatame.

The group confronts Izanami in the final dungeon, Yomotsu Hirasaka. After exposing the goddess form of Izanami using Orb of Sight and revealing its rotting Izanami-no-Okami form, the party puts up a hard fight, but Izanami attempts to send the protagonist to Yomi using her "Thousand Curses," but all of his teammates, one by one fall protecting him, causing him to be inevitably dragged down as well. Forging the power of his Social Links, the protagonist returns to the battleground awakening his ultimate Persona, and Izanami casts Oho-Ikazuchi to kill him, but fails, causing it to be killed in one Myriad Truths attack. Killing Izanami prompts her to remove the fog and states that she will no longer interfere with humanity and allow them to make the decisions that bring them happiness, then fades away. After defeating the true culprit of the murder case, the Midnight Channel turns to what it was a long time ago according to Teddie; a beautiful world of joy, that Teddie can now return to in happiness. Teddie returns, and the protagonist leaves by train, with his friends saying joyful goodbyes.

Cast

 * Yu Narukami - Johnny Yong Bosch
 * Yosuke Hanamura - Yuri Lowenthal
 * Yukiko Amagi - Amanda Winn-Lee
 * Chie Satanoka - Erin Fitzgerald
 * Teddie - Sam Riegal
 * Kanji Tatsumi - Troy Baker
 * Rise Kujikawa - Laura Bailey
 * Naoto Shiragane - Anna Graves
 * Tohru Adachi - Johnny Yong Bosch

Persona 4: Dancing All Night
Rhythm game for the PlayStation Vita developed by Atlus and Dingo. The game is compatible with the console version of the Vita, the PlayStation TV. Taking place roughly a month following the epilogue of Persona 4 Golden, Rise Kujikawa, who has since returned to the idol industry, asks Yu Narukami and all her other friends to dance alongside her in the upcoming Love Meets Bonds Festival. As Yu, along with Naoto Shirogane, join up with Rise at her dance studio and are introduced to fellow idol Kanami Mashita, they learn that Kanami's idol group, Kanamin Kitchen, has mysteriously gone missing. Looking into a rumor concerning a video that shows up on the LMB website at midnight, allegedly showing a dead idol, Yu, Rise, and Naoto check out the video themselves and are sucked into the Midnight Stage, a world separate from the TV world they are used to. There, they discover a mysterious entity is using strange ribbons and a song to force Shadows to form a bond with her, effectively brainwashing anyone who comes into contact with the ribbons. Unable to use violence in this world, the group discover that they can use the power of song and dance to express their feelings to the Shadows, freeing them from the voice's control.

Persona x Detective Naoto
Spin-off novel of the video game Persona 4, featuring Naoto Shirogane, who at the time of the story is a 17 year old police detective. The novel is written by Natsuki Mamiya and illustrated by Shuji Sogabe, the artist for the Persona 3 and Persona 4 manga. Shigenori Soejima provided additional illustrations and character designs.

Set one year after the end of Persona 4, Naoto Shirogane is asked to investigate the mysterious disappearances of two Yagakoro students by an old detective friend, Touko Aoi. There, she is partnered with Sousei Kurogami, a mechanical detective and a polar opposite to her in terms of personality and methodology. In their first encounter, she awakens to a new Persona Amatsu Mikaboshi, which enables her to amplify Sousei's Persona ability, Tsukuyomi. Together with Sousei, she discovers the Midnight Site, an anonymous site where judgement is passed on others by five judges named after figures in Japanese mythology-- Uzume, Sarutahiko, Omoikane, Tajikarao, and Futotama. However, it quickly becomes apparent that this case and another under Touko's supervision are related when one of the five judges turns up dead with ballistics pointing to a missing police officer's gun. Naoto and the others must discover the identity of the other judges to protect them and find out the culprit who seeks to kill them.

Persona 4 The Card Battle
A Persona 4 based card battle social game for the GREE platform. The Card Battle is based on a free-to-play model, where playing is free, but some items like random card gacha can be purchased with real money. The game has over 400 different cards. By collecting cards, players are able to challenge characters from the original game, take on quests, and join in groups for more difficult boss fights. There are daily log-in rewards and in-game events with various Persona 4 characters, such as Giant Killing vs. Kanji and Inaba Ski Tour as well as a reoccurring event called the Junes Cup. They've also done collaborations to promote things like Persona 3 The Movie with special cards obtainable in-game.

Persona 4 Colors
Game designed for Japanese feature phones that stars the cast of Persona 4 in a set of four minigames. The game consists of four minigames: A minigame that involves Yukiko Amagi selecting the correct ingredient for a recipe, a minigame where the player takes control of Chie Satonaka and must perform her signature Galactic Punt in time to strike a Shadow, a minigame based around Yosuke Hanamura riding a bike, a final minigame called "Cool Walker" where the player takes control of Yu Narukami in what appears to be Yukiko's Castle, where they must avoid the Shadows and collect treasure chests to increase their score. The player controls the characters using the decision keys (keys closest to the directional pad on a flip-phone, as many of the games are relatively simplistic.

Persona 4: The Slot
Persona 4 pachislot machine. The machine was released on October 7, 2013. It featured 43 songs from Persona 4. It granted the ability to play as any of the game’s main characters.

Persona 4 the Pachinko
Pachinko version of the original Persona 4. This follows in the footsteps of the Persona 4: The Slot pachislot machine announced in August 2013. It contains a brand new footage and illustrations, as well as ones from previous Persona 4 releases, Persona 4 the Pachinko represents the latest model in the continuous battle-type pachinko machine. It was originally going to be released in September 28, 2015, but released in late October 2015 instead.

Trivia

 * The plastic models are all named after plot-relevant Digital Devil Saga demons. In addition to being a reference to Brahman, the MF-06 Brahman is a homage to the MS-06 Zaku II of the Gundam series. The Heavy Armor Agni, named after Agni, is a variation and recolor of the MF-06 Brahman. It is most likely a reference to Char Aznable's own red Zaku II Commander Type.
 * In the True Ending of the game, Yosuke asks the protagonist whether he has plans in May, hinting at the release of Persona 4 Arena which starts in May, more specifically during Golden Week, two months after the True Ending of Persona 4.
 * There's a Persona 4 reference in the English version of the game Yakuza Kiwami by Sega. There's an adult DVD store that the main character, Kazuma Kiryu, can visit and buy weapons but only if he says the name of a certain movie. One of the dialogue options is "Midnight Channel 4."
 * On June 12, 2022, as part of the Persona 25th Anniversary, it was announced that Persona 4 Golden would also be ported on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 4. Additionally, a Windows 10 Store version of the game will be released for Microsoft Windows PCs.
 * Persona 4 Golden had many changes to the gameplay not in the original game.
 * Two new Social Links. Both Social Links are capable of unlocking new story content.
 * Marie, a Persona 4 Golden exclusive character, of the returning Aeon Arcana from Persona 3 FES.
 * Tohru Adachi, a character from the original Persona 4, of the new Jester Arcana.
 * A new dungeon - If the protagonist maxes the Aeon Arcana Social Link before defeating Ameno-sagiri, the Investigation Team will visit the new dungeon, the Hollow Forest, which must be cleared to unlock the new epilogue.
 * A new bad ending - If the protagonist discovers the true culprit near the end of the game, but decides not to tell his friends about them, on March 20, 2012, he is given the option to meet them and destroy the evidence of their crime, turning him into their accomplice. If he does so, the mystery of Inaba's murders will never be solved and the protagonist will leave Inaba with the true culprit getting away with everything they had done. The credits then roll with "Corridor" playing in the background.
 * Several new music tracks.
 * Additional voice-over dialogue.
 * Chie and Teddie have new voice actors in the English version.
 * New animated cutscenes.
 * More Personas, including new Ultimate Personas for the Investigation Team.
 * New areas can be visited, such as Shichiri Beach. Okina City, which was only seen during certain Social Link scenes, can now be accessible during the protagonist's Daily Life.
 * New events, such as a Halloween event and a ski trip.
 * The protagonist can now explore Inaba in the evening when Dojima is not home. Places to visit are limited, just like in Persona 3.
 * The protagonist and his friends now have motorized scooters to explore various areas. The protagonist may spend time riding it, which after several rides is the means to unlocking Shichiri Beach and Okina City.
 * Additionally, riding a scooter with a teammate will teach them new skills.
 * New Garden and Bug Catching activities.
 * The ability to choose which skills can be inherited by the Persona the protagonist is fusing. (However, inheritance restriction still applies.)
 * New scene skipping function.
 * If the necessary criteria for at least the good ending are fulfilled, daily activities are expanded to February 14, 2012, giving more time for events and Social Links.
 * New epilogue has been added for the True Ending.
 * The list of Requests and the Fox' emas have been modified.
 * The flow of battle has been tweaked:
 * Some shadows/enemies had their elemental attributes or area spawn changed.
 * Shuffle Time has been revised.
 * Characters have been rebalanced.
 * The "Confuse" status has been renamed to "Panic" in the English verison.
 * Rise can now assist the Investigation Team in All-Out-Attacks.
 * Tag Team attacks: two members can team up to perform a united attack.
 * Cavalry Attacks: Attacks from members of the Investigation Team that are not currently in the party. These usually are a follow up to Weak/Critical attacks that down an additional enemy or two, allowing for an All-Out Attack.
 * Some spells have reduced usage cost (Megidolaon now only costs 38 SP and Morning Star costs 55 SP.)
 * Spell buffs and debuffs can now be used on the same character to prolong the effect.
 * Floors and chests in dungeons can now reset by changing floors instead of leaving the dungeon and TV world, or visiting another dungeon.

Continuity

 * In the protagonist's room, they can find a calendar with promotional artwork for Persona 3.
 * There is also a poster with Tatsuya Suou and Maya Amano on it.
 * For their class trip, Yasogami High goes to Tatsumi Port Island and Gekkoukan High School to visit, the location and school setting of the previous game, Persona 3.
 * The background music of the game will change to that from Persona 3 while in Tatsumi Port Island.
 * There they meet Chihiro Fushimi, who is now the student council president. She mentions the previous student council president, Mitsuru Kirijo. She is also now super confident, as a result of her encounter with Makoto Yuki in her social link.
 * The Yasogami High students stay at the same "love hotel" that the Lovers Arcana boss is fought in Persona 3. It has since become a normal hotel as opposed to being a "love hotel," and was renamed The Seaside Clamshell Inn.
 * Philemon appears again in this game, like in the previous one, as a blue butterfly. He appears in the intro of Persona 4 Golden and as the common save points spread throughout the game.
 * There is an Easter Egg in the Japanese version of the game where Yosuke accidentally says Philemon's name when referring to something else.
 * Akinari Kamiki, a teenager from Persona 3, tells a story of a pink alligator. Nanako and Kanji both reference this pink alligator in this game, meaning that Kamiki's story was published between games.
 * The Velvet Room gets another variation in this game, this time being a limo.
 * Margaret, the Velvet Room attendant in this game, is actually the sister of Elizabeth and Theodore, who were the attendants in Persona 3 and Persona 3 Portable.
 * Izanami acts as the true villain of this game, appearing for the first time as a character and boss since Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. She is a boss that resides in the Tower of Emotion in Tatsuya's Scenario, the additional quest added to the PSP remake.
 * The town that this game takes place in Inaba, may be named after Masao Inaba, a protagonist from Megami Ibunroku Persona.
 * The TV announcer, Mayumi Yamano, may be a reference to Maya Amano because both are reporters and their names are very similar. Mayumi (Maya) Yamano (Amano.)
 * Though no names are mentioned, the ghost story Yosuke tells on the ski trip is about the initial disappearance of Fuuka Yamagishi in Persona 3.