Gaming enthusiasts have been abuzz with excitement as rumors spark about a potential remake of the popular title Persona 4. This speculation all began with a social media post from Yuri Lowenthal, a prominent voice actor associated with the game. Lowenthal, known for his role as Yosuke – a somewhat clumsy yet endearing character, indicated his disappointment with Atlus, the game’s developers, for not welcoming his return for the supposed remake.
Although the social media post has since been deleted, it sparked quite the conversation among fans. Lowenthal stated: “I will not be returning as Yosuke for the Persona 4 remake. I asked, maybe I even pleaded, but the powers that be have decided against my return.” Despite not being an explicit confirmation of the remake, it certainly provides some fuel to the fires of rumor spreading across the gaming world.
Lowenthal’s credibility isn’t lacking, not only has he featured in Persona 4, but he’s also lent his voice to many other notable characters in gaming. His voice-over credentials stretch to Eiichiro in Persona 3 Reload, a recent remake of the game. His relations to Atlus and individual experience there suggest he might indeed be privy to some insider information.
As well as this, he also featured as the voice of Spider-Man in multiple gaming adaptations of the famous comic book character, contributed in a role in Arcane, and enlivened Johnny, a side character in the remakes of Final Fantasy VII.
However, it appears this developing controversy isn’t only surrounding Lowenthal. Erin Fitzgerald, who voiced the character Chie, shared a similar experience to Lowenthal, expressing dissatisfaction with Atlus’s lack of commitment towards original voice actors for forthcoming projects. She voiced with perturbation, “I have not been invited to reprise my role as Chie in the purported Persona 4 remake. Over the years, I treasured voicing Chie in many Persona 4 games, it’s a disappointment not to continue.”
The bubbling expectation of a Persona 4 remake has been escalating since Persona 3 underwent its resplendent transformation. Alongside this, numerous fans are anxiously anticipating an announcement about Persona 6, which is yet to be delivered. Instead, Atlus has caused a stir by revealing another spin-off of Persona 5.
The necessity for a remake of Persona 4 might be debated by some gamers; after all, a PC remaster known as Persona 4 Golden was launched in 2020. Described as a “captivating story of dreams turned malevolent in a town stripped of its purpose” by our in-house reviewer Edwin, Persona 4 Golden received accolades for its narrative depth and engrossing plotlines.
Of course, opinions regarding the need for a remake or even the appeal of the Persona series can vary. In an unexpected critique, I was amused to find that my cousin deemed the Persona games as being a little verbose, “a tad too text-heavy,” was his precise phrasing. To a degree, I might agree – spending 100 hours on a single game can seem daunting. But for devoted fans and gaming enthusiasts alike, this dense narrative is the very allure of titles like Persona 4.
Whether the rumors come to fruition or are merely that – rumors – remains to be seen, but such is the charm and unpredictability of the gaming world as covered at Awesome Radical Gaming.
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