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The Time It Takes to Complete Every Main Persona and Shin Megami Tensei Game

Players embarking on the journey to finish Atlus' two related franchises Persona and Shin Megami Tensei will encounter a formidable challenge as these series boast substantial gameplay hours.
The Time It Takes to Complete Every Main Persona and Shin Megami Tensei Game

Highlights

  • The combined time required to complete all main series Persona games amounts to a staggering 364 hours, demanding a significant commitment from players.
  • The introduction of the calendar system in Persona 3, along with additional content in the definitive versions of Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5, contributes to the extended duration of these games compared to other JRPGs.
  • The mainline Shin Megami Tensei games require a total of 367 hours to beat, with most entries averaging around 30-40 hours, aligning closely with the duration of a standard JRPG. Although titles like Shin Megami 3: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey are lengthier, they do not match the length of the longest Persona games.

Atlus' two major franchises comprise the Shin Megami Tensei series and the Persona series, each boasting its own dedicated fan base. While Persona initially emerged as a spin-off of Shin Megami Tensei, it has since evolved into a distinct franchise for the developer. Despite evident similarities between the two, such as the presence of many shared collectible creatures, prospective JRPG enthusiasts must understand the comparative completion times of these series.

Although Persona has surpassed its parent series in popularity with Persona 5, Shin Megami Tensei has also experienced a resurgence with the release of titles like Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne Remastered and Shin Megami Tensei 5. Both series have also seen several recent spin-off games, including Persona 5 Strikers and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore. However, individuals aiming to solely complete the main series of games must assess the time required to beat each definitive version of every entry.

A Comparison of Completion Times for the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei Series

The Duration to Complete All Main Series Persona Games

To conquer the entire main series of Persona games, players face a daunting 364 hours of in-game time, signifying a substantial commitment. The introduction of the calendar system in Persona 3 likely contributed to the noticeable escalation in game length, a mechanic that has since become a staple of the series. Navigating through a year's worth of in-game days, coupled with the additional content found in the definitive versions of Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5, significantly extends the completion time of this series in comparison to other JRPGs.

The Duration to Complete All Main Series Shin Megami Tensei Games

While the Shin Megami Tensei series encompasses more mainline entries than Persona, the total time required to complete all mainline Shin Megami Tensei games only narrowly exceeds that of the Persona series, totaling 367 hours. Nevertheless, the games within the Shin Megami Tensei series consistently demand around 30–40 hours for completion, closely aligning with the duration of a standard JRPG. Shin Megami 3: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey emerge as the lengthiest in the series, surpassing 50 hours, but still falling short of the length of the longest Persona games.

Players aiming to accomplish the entire mainline Shin Megami Tensei series encounter an additional hurdle that amplifies the difficulty of completion compared to the Persona games. Several Shin Megami Tensei titles, including Shin Megami Tensei 2, Shin Megami Tensei if..., and Shin Megami Tensei: NINE, were never released outside of Japan, posing accessibility challenges for players residing beyond Japan. Despite the availability of fan translations for these titles, official means of playing them outside their Japanese releases and re-releases are non-existent.

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