A city where rumors come true, and that is terrifying before the first fight even starts.

On gut choice, the community puts it ahead of about 64% of games. Fine. But the detail is what makes Persona 2 fascinating, because it splits in two. On one side, what people want to keep: desert island puts it ahead of 80% of titles, the soundtrack ahead of 85%, rediscovery ahead of 85% as well. Three strong signals, on a decent number of votes. On the other side, what people endure: controller feel buries it, ahead of only 6% of games, and the art style does worse still, ahead of 4% of titles, close to the very bottom, though on few duels. That is the real tension. People want to hold onto it, replay it, hear it again, and yet they enjoy neither playing it nor looking at it. A game cherished in spite of itself.

The gap is not an injustice, it is a date stamp. A turn-based RPG from 2000, with its menus and sprites, gets judged on sensation and beauty criteria written for today. Its strength, the writing and the atmosphere, does not show up in a screenshot.

So, who is it for? For you if you want a suffocating mood, an adult plot, and music that follows you around. Much less if you need a combat system that feels good right now, or a game that is a pleasure to look at today.