Persona 3 Reload’s full opening is here to burn your dread

Persona 3 Reload, a remake of 2006’s Persona 3, just released its animated opening ahead of its February release. Not only does it look fantastic, but it pays homage to the game’s original theme “Burn My Dread” in a pretty inventive way.

Mixing in the blue/white palette of the original, Persona 3 Reload’s opening movie gives us a taste of what to expect come February 2nd. The two-minute animation introduces us fully to the new song “Full Moon Full Life” sung by Azumi Takahashi and Lotus Juice. There are some subtle nods to the original 2006 phenomenon that long-time fans will adore.

A Way of Life

If you’re like me and watched the opening more times than Akihiko says “I’ve been waiting for this!” (spoiler alert: it’s a ton), you’ll pick up on an audio Easter egg. Sure, there’s the not-so-subtle usage of “Burn My Dread” and “Want to be Close” when the protagonist is flipping through his songs. However, the reference is in “Full Moon Full Life” itself. The beat of the song has a striking resemblance to the beginning notes of “Burn My Dread”. It’s a cool homage to the original banger of an opening. 

Persona 3 Reload’s opening visuals look phenomenal. I was a bit scared of how it would translate given the abstract tone of the original openings. However, it worked great and crafted some beautiful shots. It might just be me, but seeing Mitsuru riding her motorcycle like a badass got me 10x more hyped. Plus, the Akihiko/Shinjiro/Ken transitions were super smooth. A favorite shot of mine was with Thanatos and the moon, as it felt pretty iconic given the symbolism behind the two.

Our very own Timothy Monbleau got to play Persona 3 Reload in August and said the game felt “polished to an absolute shine.” As one of my personal RPGs to look out for, Persona 3 Reload looks to be a force to be reckoned with. P3 Reload launches on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 2, 2024.