Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment

The Persona 2 duology will be basically unrecognizable to most modern Persona fans. While it retains the series’ signature demon fusion mechanic, inherited from Shin Megami Tensei, Persona 1 and 2 (well, 2s, because there’s two of them) are wildly different from the rest of the series. This is in no small part due to the totally different creative team tackling these particular entries. The Persona 2 duology is extremely strange, with some of the oddest pacing and narrative turns in all of video games. However, this strangeness is underpinned by an intriguing narrative, great game mechanics, and a unique sense of ambition. These are arguably the most fascinating games in the entire series, and well worth your time if you have any interest in strange RPGs.

As someone who really loves games with more ambition than ability, I cannot recommend Persona 2 enough. Its narrative revolves around the power of rumors, as urban legends begin to physically manifest and affect the real world. Does the game include a slightly off-color representation of Robo-Hitler? Yes. Is it also the only game in the series with an explicitly queer protagonist, and a game which seriously interrogates what it means to have a fluid sense of self through the series’ classic Persona system? Also, yes.