Persona 3 is the 4th game in the persona games, which are a spinoff of the Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) series, created by ATLUS. Its the 4th game, as it comes after Persona 1, Persona 2 : Innocent Sin, and Persona 2 : Eternal Punishment. Whereas 1 talked about the game Persona affecting the world, and 2 talked about rumors becoming reality, Persona 3 focuses on a bizarre phenomenon called
the Dark Hour, an hour that takes place between 12 AM and 1 AM. During this hour, almost everyone rests inside a coffin, and is oblivious of the hour. Some people arent sent inside a coffin, and end up falling victim to this hour. Becsuse of the hour, many people are falling victim to it, with the result of them having Apathy Syndrome. If you are strong enough, you are able to withstand this hour and
summon a Persona, or a demon from SMT to fight for you.
At the start of the game, you play as the Protagonist, or better known as
Minato Arisato in the Manga. You move into the Iwotodai Dorms on
Tatsumi Port Island, living your life as a second year Japanese high school student, until one day a shadow attacks the dorm you live in, forcing you to awaken to your Persona. You soon learn of the secret behind your school,tranforming into the giant tower, Tartarus every
dark hour. The rest of the game follows you and your dormmates, as you explore Tartarus, live your school life, create new bonds, called Social links, and explore the reason for Tartarus and
the Dark Hour's existance.