Basically just wanted to talk about the "Game" dungeon in P4 (SPOILERS!), but still wanted to keep the topic open, if people had other comments about the game.

Only read the spoiler if you've already gotten through Mitsuo's Game Dungeon.

MITSUO'S GAME DUNGEON

Highlight to Read: So, at one point in the game, you end up having to chase a character you believe is responsible for the series of murders that's been occurring.

And the reverse side of his soul ends up being a medieval role-playing video-game, the likes of which would be familiar to gamers like us.

It turns out that Mitsuo has a thing for murder, but considers himself a hero for killing the people he does, kind of like how we do when we play RPGs, or other video-games in general; but the light cast on Mitsuo depicts him clearly as an agitator. He, himself, is a killer, but the darkness inside his soul complains about being empty, as if Mitsuo commits the murders to fill the void he feels in his life.

To me, this is like Atlus telling me to go take a look in the mirror. And, it's a suggestion that's hard for me not to take. I've really reflected on my life since finishing this part of the game; I haven't played the game for the past 2-3 weeks now. It was like I was being told that my hobby (gaming) is how I channel my adolescent frustration and angst.

It's the same conundrum that was posed by The Watchmen; when does heroism stop being heroism, and when does justice stop being justice, and just end up as violence? When does entertainment stop being entertainment, and end up as something that's actually supposed to be thought-provoking?

There was also a similar scene in Star Ocean 2, when Claude asks Ashton's pair of twin demon dragons, "Do you resent us for hunting monsters?" Because, what the crew realizes is that, they're essentially rushing into monsters' homes (the dungeons), killing them, and taking the treasure they're guarding. And, the dragons don't say anything; they just kind of weep.

I want to pick up the game again, and finish it (I'm essentially halfway through); I want to see how it ends, but after the end of that last episode, I could only say, "Wow," and somehow, I felt ashamed of myself.

Is that what I'm really like, or is that what Atlus is telling me I'm like? And, they're overgeneralizing enough, that they're able to reach out to practically their entire audience.

This just really bothered me.

There's a part of me that's hoping that Mitsuo is only saying he was responsible for the murders, when he's really not, but he's just saying so because he wants to look and sound like a badass.

I hope I'm only thinking too hard.

But it's also kind of a throwback to Metal Gear Solid 2, in which Hideo Kojima, near the very end of the game, through the Arsenal Gear glitches, essentially tells you, "YOU ARE PLAYING A VIDEO-GAME. THIS IS NOT REAL. THIS IS A GAME, AND YOU ARE LAME FOR PLAYING GAMES." [/highlight]

It's just, Wow.

The way I see it, its something to be cherished when you find a game which makes you think, that has a deeper artistic/philosophical dimension and is not just "entertainment" (not that there's anything wrong with pure entertainment, but...). One of the things that has always captivated me about the Persona series is it's deep existentialist themes, if you start thinking actively about the story, sooner or later you're gonna start thinking about your own life, and not all of those thoughts are gonna be pleasant. Its kind of like the RPG-world's equivalent of Silent Hill.

You're taking it a bit too hard, I think. Its true that Mitsuo is an overgeneralized character, and therefore you might share some of his traits and recognize them in yourself, but don't make the mistake of trying to look for things that aren't there.

If the game makes you think about parts of you that you're ashamed of and would like to change, don't beat yourself up about it. Be lucky instead that you have the ability of critical self-scrutiny (many people in this world don't: see the "poo poo" video in the Open forum for example), and use that ability to turn the negatives into positives. Which of course leads us to another recurring theme in the Persona series: self-improvement, overcoming one's fears, and having the potential to change the course of one's life.

Yeah, its a breaking of the fourth wall of the narrative. Reminds me of some of David Lynch's films like Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire, which also use it to great effect. Its a great mechanic to simultaneously comment on and highlight parts of the story, but also the relationship between the work of art (game, movie, book, etc.) and the people who enjoy it.

Mitsuo was the creepy guy hitting on Yukiko in the beginning, right? He was f---ing creepy as shit. I remember the 8-bit style dungeon giving me messages about him murdering people, and how he'd "level up!" because of them. I was genuinely creeped out.

No way! I would have never thought of that? Next your gonna tell me when I get someone's answering machine they can't come to the phone!