Summary
With the addition of Palaces inPersona 5 Royal, Mementos served as a “side dungeon” for the majority of the game. InPersona 3 Reload, Tartarus is where SEES carries out their primary missions. Tartarus itself isn’t anything new, but there were several features added to it inPersona 3 Reloadto make the dungeon crawling much easier.
It’s debatable whether the newly-revamped Tartarus (P3R) outdoes the Mementos fromPersona 5 Royal. However, it’s much more beginner-friendly than its original counterparts inPersona 3/FES/Portable. A helpful feature in Tartarus is the ability to fully restore HP and SP, but that’s just one of many inPersona 3 Reload.
6More Room to Run Around
Less-Narrow Passages on Higher Floors
Mementos was easy to explore thanks to the Mona Bus, but there wasn’t much space forP5Rplayers to move around. Instead, players are stuck to driving along twisting railroad tracks to search for the next platform. It’s the same asP3’s Tartarus and the TV World, with floors changing upon each new visit. A common complaint about Mementos in the originalPersona 5is the music never changed. This was “fixed” inPersona 5 Royal, where each section of Mementos has its own track.
Tartarus inPersona 3 Reloadstyles itself after Mementos with randomly-generated floors, treasure chests, and enemies. However, SEES aren’t confined to a bus and floors in Tartarus are split into wider “rooms.“This makes it easier to explore, as well as sneak up on and flee from enemies.
5Fortunes from the Fortune Teller
Tartarus Modifiers
Mementos/Palace modifiers existed back in the originalPersona 5, but there were fewer options thanPersona 3 Reload’s fortunes. Joker could craftTreasure Traps, which increase the spawn rate of Treasure Demons in the Metaverse. Doing so would, unfortunately, take up evening/afternoon time.
InPersona 3 Reload, the protagonist can speak tothe Fortune Teller at Club Escapadeto purchase fortunes/modifiers. The least expensive ones are the Rarity Fortune and Gambit Fortune at 3000 yen. The variety of fortunes outdoes infiltration tools: increasing the chance of running into Shadows inflicted with status ailments, increasing the charge rate of Theurgy Gauge, and more. Unlike infiltration tools, buying fortunes doesn’t waste evening time. However, they only work the day they are purchased. So, it’s recommended to buy them only if SEES is going to Tartarus that same night.
4Clock in Tartarus
Fully Restore HP & SP
Mementos doesn’t offer a way to fully restore HP and SP without a cost until the very end, in which Joker can speak to Caroline to have his team’s HP/SP restored for free. Until then, players are advised to stock up on HP and SP-restoring items. This could make Mementos-exploring difficult, as the Auto-Recover feature restores HP, but at the cost of some SP.
At the entrance of Tartarus, there’s a clock near the stairs. This willfully restore HP and SPin exchange for7 Twilight Fragments. To make things even better, the clock may spawn on random floors in Tartarus,saving players a trip back to the entranceto recharge. The downside to the clock is the cost. Twilight Fragments can be obtained from the “blue” crystallized Shadows in Tartarus or by starting/completing Social Links. On later floors, there may be a cat that got lost in Tartarus. Finding them can net a handful of Twilight Fragments. They’re uncommon items, so they should only be used on the clock if playersreallyneed to heal up.
3Great Clock of Tartarus
Raise Your Team’s Levels
The great thing about Confidants inPersona 5 Royalis their gameplay perks. As players rank up the Moon Confidant inPersona 5 Royal, they’ll unlock an ability that allows “backup party members” to gain full experience without having to take part in battle. However, it requires maxing out a Confidant, which means players won’t have this perk until the late-game and NG+.
On some of the higher floors in Tartarus,there will be a Great Clockthat spawns near the stairs. This can lead to a room where two characters can have their level raised to match the protagonist’sfor free. It’s a good mechanic for a new playthrough and saves players from having to constantly shuffle between SEES members at the entrance. The drawback is the level elevation is limited totwo characters.
Challenging Enemies, Precious Loot
Mementos had missions where the Phantom Thieves had to battle someone who was causing trouble in the real world. Most of these battles featured stronger Shadows that were essentially mini-bosses. However, these mini-bosses are confided to missions. If there was no way that needed a change of heart, then they wouldn’t spawn.
InPersona 3 Reload, Tartarus has Monad Doors and Monad Passages.These house very strong enemiesand rare loot. Monad Doors appear randomly and willdisappearon a second visit. Monad Passages are usually placedbeforethe next section of Tartarus. Instead of having one mini-boss, there are three, but if players can power through, it’s worth the trouble. The added bonus of Monad Passages is that they do not disappear, so if players want to explore them on a second visit, they can do so without worrying. Monad Doors and Passages are a great way to gain a lot of experience, money, and rare Skill Cards.
1Shuffle Time
Exp, Money, and More
Shuffle Time was a gameplay mechanic inPersona 3andPersona 4, but it did not appear inPersona 5orPersona 5 Royal. Instead, players had the option to “interrogate” Shadows, which could only be triggeredafter “downing” weaker Shadows. This would allow them to ask for money, rare items, or even join the list of Personas. Unfortunately, without the proper Confidant Skills, a lot of interrogations can be turned against the player, allowing the Shadows to strike back with a vengeance.
Persona 3 Reloadbrings back Shuffle Time. These only occur if players finish the battle with anAll-Out Attackor if they’ve defeated Shadows in theMonad Doors/Passages. Players can then choose a card from the minor or major arcana. The Justice Arcana allows players to picktwotarot cards per Shuffle Time. The higher the minor arcana card, the greater the reward. This is also how the protagonist can obtain new Personas. Finally, getting an Arcana Burst will give players a second Shuffle Time, which consists of enhanced minor arcana cards. An Arcana Burst only occurs whenseveral major arcana cardshave been picked up from a previous shuffle time. Shuffle Time makes it easy to farm money and rare Skill Cards, so getting them as much as possible is highly recommended.
