Persona 4 Golden - Complete Game Guide and Social Link

4 Golden Person has just been released on Steam and has already been a huge success. With this guide I want to solve many problems encountered by those who approach the game for the first time or are simply an old player. Missing some Social Links or game details with ease is as possible as likely, which is why you'll find almost everything you'll need in this guide.

For the uninitiated, Persona 4 Golden is the reissue of the original game released on PlayStation 2. This new version, released for the first time on PlayStation Vita, adds 2 endings and other not inconsiderable innovations such as scooters and an extra form of the Personae of the Investigation Team.

We have also recently dealt with Persona 5 Strikers in our complete guide.

• Social Link
• Various tips and tricks
• The endings of the game
• FAQ and information

Guide to Social Links

I Social Link they represent the bond with certain characters, which we will establish by interacting with them in our free time. The most important Social Links are usually those of the main team, as they will unlock interesting bonuses to use in battle. There is also the Social Link of the arcane Fool which represents the bond that unites the entire Investigation Team.

Remember to always bring a Person of the same arcane as that of the character you will interact with!

Social Links with female characters (except Nanako of course) can lead to one romantic relationship, but this will be up to you!

Social Link of the Investigation Team

You should have enough time to bond with new party members from time to time. Maybe once you have the whole team you could abandon some Social Links in favor of others.

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Social Link of the other characters

During your first game it will be quite difficult to bond with all the characters, but that doesn't mean you should avoid exploring the various Social Links! That of Marie you need to get the Golden Ending while Margaret it will be used to upgrade the Velvet Room. By making the Social Link of Adachi you will also be able to access one of the new endings added in this edition!

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Tips and tricks for everyday life

Persona 4 Golden is not only beating, but also daily life and other entertainment. Of course this doesn't mean you have to slack off! There are lots of useful activities to undertake to improve your team in preparation for the next exploration ...

Or maybe you are simply looking for someone to spend your time with (Social Link)! In short, the choices are so many, but we agree that we need to understand more or less what to do in general.

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The endings present in the game

The Golden version features two extra endings added for the occasion, as mentioned in our guide to the game's endings.

I recommend avoiding blind runs since in this type of games it is very easy to get lost or waste excessive unnecessary time on some plot choices. In any case, avoid opening if you are still at the beginning of the game, due to possible spoilers!

FAQ and information

In this section we group all the most frequently asked questions about the title.

Where to buy it and how much does it cost?

Persona 4 Golden can be purchased both on Steam for € 19,99 and on PlayStation Vita, directly from the official store. We recommend purchasing the Steam version as almost everyone has a PC and the requirements aren't even that high. This latest version also features some not indifferent graphic improvements, which make the difference for such an old title. In the end, it's all up to you, but the Steam version is still the best at the moment.

What are the differences between basic Persona 4 and Golden?

The Golden version adds 2 Social Links and an extra month of play, not to mention the presence of 2 new endings. The storyline has been improved with a few additions here and there, but not too overwhelming. In other words, the basic version is also fine, even if now that Golden is available for purchase on Steam it makes little sense.

Another noteworthy addition are the Investigation Team's third-level Personae, not too strong but certainly appreciated on an aesthetic level. The ability to visit new areas with a moped or to take care of the home garden are also new additions, although not binding on the plot level.

The combat system has been slightly revised, as tag attacks, Cavalry Attacks and the ability for Rise to assist in All-Out-Attacks have been introduced. The remaining changes are fixes that affect the SP cost of some skills or the change of weaknesses / resistances of some enemies. Perhaps the biggest change concerns the Shuffle Time, which is slightly different to the original version.

Finally, from the main menu we can consult the item “TV listings” to access some very interesting extra contents, such as the TV show of the quiz!

Do I have to play other titles in the series first?

Absolutely not, Persona 4 Golden is a standalone title, like Persona 3 and Persona 5, which is why it's great to start with this game! The only closely related titles in the series are Persona, Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment.

You will find some references to Persona 3 and even one to Persona 5 throughout the game, but they are just Easter Eggs. Sorry you're missing a stricter type of connection but that also helps novices who have the choice to start where they like (at least Persona 3 onwards!).

What style of play does Persona 4 Golden have?

The game combines traditional elements of turn-based JRPGs with the concept of evoking the Personae, ie the “creatures” that represent the masks worn by the characters in daily life.

All this is combined with the simulation element, that is, it reproduces the life of a high school student. You will not only fight Shadows but you will carry out various activities that are typical of a Japanese boy who attends any high school.

This particular feature is quite common in many Japanese works and has taken hold within the Persona series from Persona 3. We can say that Persona 4 has further refined this component, which then exploded with Persona 5. One of the greatest strengths of Persona 4 Golden lies in the extremely relaxed atmosphere of the suburbs combined with the constant anguish of the impending danger, represented by the killer who roams Inaba.

Even if you don't appreciate the setting too much, the combat system bears the weight of the years and gives its satisfactions, although we are very far from what we saw with the more recent Persona 5 Royal. I recommend this title if you want to start the series and can't play Persona 5 Royal yet.

Which of the different difficulties should you choose?

It depends on the experience you have with the saga and with the genre in general, although, honestly said, Persona 4 Golden is a very easy game to play, as long as you understand the mechanics behind it.

In any case, we leave you with a table with the various difficulties proposed to you by the game, also reminding you that in the PC version you can also completely customize aspects such as the damage inflicted and the experience gained to your liking at any time of the game.

Some tips to help you in the adventure

We therefore conclude this guide by giving you some tips that will be useful in the adventure, both in battles and in terms of time management:

• Always keep an eye on your inventory and make sure you manage your resources well (especially items that return SP)
• Always evaluate all your options well in the afternoon to organize yourself better with activities, Social Links, etc.
• In the event that one of your Personae begins to be obsolete in battle or remains under-leveled compared to the others, do not waste time gaining experience with it and merge it to obtain a more powerful one.
• In battle, always aim to exploit the weaknesses of your opponents to earn valuable turns, and when you can cover yours with skills and objects, since even the enemies you face will benefit from the "One More"

A final note on this guide

This guide is constantly being updated, and I'm glad Persona 4 Golden has landed on PC, despite being my least favorite chapter of the series. I hope this is an opportunity to bring more fans closer to the series and maybe why not, give space to the other chapters of the series!