Persona 2: Innocent Sin



Persona 2: Innocent Sin (ペルソナ２ 罪, Perusona 2: Tsumi) is the second game in the Persona series on the PlayStation. Innocent Sin is followed by Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, which together, create one overarching story. Innocent Sin focuses on protagonist Tatsuya Suou. The theme song of the game is Kimi no Tonari (君のとなり), by hitomi.

Release Dates

 * Japan: June 24, 1999 (PlayStation)
 * Japan: April 14, 2011 (PlayStation Portable Remake)
 * North America: September 20, 2011 (PlayStation Portable Remake)
 * Europe: November 4, 2011 (PlayStation Portable Remake)

PlayStation Portable Remake
Like Megami Ibunroku Persona and Persona 3 before, Persona 2: Innocent Sin saw a release on PlayStation Portable, along with a lot of new additions.

The remake has an extended port with an updated user interface, new character portraits designed by Shigenori Soejima and heavily improved controls, but keeps most of the game's original gameplay systems. The battle system, however, is overhauled and based on the one used by the game's sequel, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, but adds adjustable difficulties and battle cut-in portraits like in Persona 3 and Persona 4. The remake also includes the whole new Sumaru Climax Theatre, which features sidestories written by various other authors from Atlus. The stories are like quests and in the end, players will have to face a boss. Additionally, players can make their own quests in the Japanese version of the game (the feature was omitted from the English release).

In addition, players can select whether they want to hear the old soundtrack of the original game (which has been remixed) or listen to about 100 new arrangements of the original soundtrack by Shoji Meguro, the game's director and composer. The arrangements make use of guitar sounds, J-Pop, and other modern music genres. The voices have been remastered for the Japanese version, but Atlus did not re-record anything due to some of the original voice actors having retired.

There is an all-new opening movie created by Satelight, with music by Lotus Juice. Lovers of the game's first incarnation will notice that the original opening is included, too.

Trivia

 * Persona 2: Innocent Sin was never initially released in North America or Europe for unknown reasons. It is assumed that it was never released overseas because of the possibility of Tatsuya Suou having a homosexual relationship with fellow party member Jun Kurosu, and the appearance of Adolf Hitler. However, the game recieved a fan patch, which gives the game English text, but leaves the Japanese voices intact. Atlus knows about the fan patch and hasn't, so far, made any attempts to remove the patch from the internet.
 * Persona 2: Innocent Sin was referenced in Persona 3. The game's subtitle serves as the title for a popular MMORPG in the world of the English version of Persona 3, and is known as "Innocent Sin Online". During the course of the game, the protagonist has the opportunity to play the game on Sundays and on holidays and is required to establish the Hermit Social Link. In Persona 3 Portable the MMORPG "Innocent Sin Online" and consequently the Social Link from it can only be initiated if the male protagonist was chosen. In addition, the protagonist's character in "Innocent Sin Online" is called Tatsuya and the person who represents the Hermit Social Link (who the protagonist interacts with in the MMORPG) is named Maya. This reference is made even more obvious when the character "Maya" asks the protagonist if his character is named after "THAT Tatsuya", adding that it's funny how their names match.
 * In both Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment, there are lots of cameos of the game's developers.
 * The PSP remake of Innocent Sin is the first Megami Tensei game to get its European release announced before the North American release.