History YMMV / Persona2

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** The North American version of ''Eternal Punishment'' is a peculiar example, as it reverted the original ''Persona'''s characters back to their canonical Japanese surnames. For sake of continuity, however, the characters' first names were left Anglicized. The localization team tried to compensate for this ContinuitySnarl by retconning some of the bigger translation goofs; for example, the revelation that "Guido Sardenia" is actually an alias for Guido Kandori, the previous game's antagonist. He's still named Guido, due to Nate and co. retaining their western names, so ''Eternal Punishment'' breaks even and just calls him Guido Kandori.
** One criticism lodged at the PSP port/remake of ''VideoGame/Persona1'' was the number of tracks from the original Playstation version that had been replaced with new tracks by Shoji Meguro. The debate namely boiled down to whether or not the new tracks, which were largely in line with the music of the series post-''VideoGame/Persona3,'' fit the atmosphere of the original game. As a measure of reconciliation, the PSP remake for Persona 2, while adding some new tracks and remixing others, mostly keeps its tracks in the vein of the original [=PS1=] soundtrack, and furthermore provides the original Playstation MIDI soundtrack as an option in the game settings.

* TheScrappy: Now and forever, [[AuthorAvatar Tadashi Satomi]].

* {{Woolseyism}}: ''Innocent Sin'''s international version changing Hitler to "The Fuhrer" and [[https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/307631-DDC1.jpg putting sunglasses on him instead]] comes off as a very poor attempt of {{Bowdlerization}}, yet it works - it's ''not'' actually Hitler you fight but Nyarlathotep's avatar taking Hitler's form, specifically to take advantage of one of the games' central themes of rumours becoming real. The sunglasses may also serve as a subtle call to Henrich Himmler - the ''actual'' high-ranking nazi known for the occult interests associated ''with'' Adolf Hitler and nazis. While Himmler did not wear sunglasses, he did wear a large pair of glasses after all - and many people often attribute the occult interests of Himmler to Hitler. This goes to show how many things become CommonKnowledge.

** You know, Tatsuya's classmates' fawning over him doesn't make a whole lot of sense, given that he does nothing to warrant any of it. That is, until you consider all the rumors swirling around him.

** [[spoiler: In ''Innocent Sin'', Okamura takes a nosedive across the horizon when she murders Maya with the Spear of Longinus so that the prophecies of In Lak'ech may be fulfilled.]]

* MagnificentBastard: [[YMMV/{{Persona1}} Takahisa Kandori]] returns from the original game.

*** [[FauxAffablyEvil Tatsuzō Sudō]] is the tyrannical [[CorruptPolitician Japanese Foreign Minister]] and leader of the New World Order, a cult planning to [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence reach the world of the Gods]]. Tatsuzō, however, has more selfish ambitions. Using his own group to conduct crimes, which include framing the father of two of the main characters; unethical experiments resulting in humans turning into monsters; and attempted murder to Baofu, which resulted in his assistant's death, he furthers the ambition of New World Order while hiding it from the public. To that end he also sends his [[AxCrazy insane son Tatsuya Sudō]] to a mental hospital in order to lock him up from the public eye, and when he finds out he escaped sends the Taiwanese Mafia to kill him. Once the New World Order succeeds in their goal in activating Torifune to reach God, this also causes endanger the world outside the spaceship from a natural disaster that can wipe out humanity, something Tatsuzō is aware of. After reaching this far, Tatsuzō [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness betrays his loyal companions]] by mutating or killing them, while sending out demons to take down the heroes.

* ValuesDissonance: Tatsuya Sudou's ''Innocent Sin'' version is a person who is mentally ill, thrown out by his father instead of getting any help, suffers immensely from hearing voices and continues to lash out at anyone. The kid is very ill before rumors even set in. Make no mistake, he had to be stopped and it can be argued that he's a lost cause by that point in the game. However, 20 years ago, he would've been condemned as a whiny brat who relies on other people to fix his problems as Maya says as much at the top of the Sky Museum. In modern times, he'd be seen as someone who does need actual psychiatric help and can be interpreted as a kid screaming in pain for help that he's clearly not getting. What's worse is that in the additional scenario added in the PSP re-release of ''Eternal Punishment'' made 12 years later, [[TheScrappy Tadashi]] [[AuthorAvatar Satomi]] [[AuthorTract bluntly expresses his disdain for a law in Japan which remits convicted felons who are diagnosed with mental disorders through the portrayal of Sudou]] with all the grace and subtlety of [[{{Anvilicious}} a large anvil falling at mach 37]].

*** [[InsaneAdmiral General Sugawara]] is the military leader of the New World Order, in charge of its covert operations and [[PlayingWithSyringes experiments]]. Working with Tatsuzō Sudō, Sugawara helps his plans for godhood in hopes of becoming immortal due to his failing health. Sugawara uses his military might to invade areas and gun down opposition and lead the group's experiments on Personas, abducting people and turning them into demons by fusing them with Personas, all the while uncaring when his men end up as collateral damage to further his agenda. Ultimately self-serving, nobody felt pity for him when he ends up being turned into a demon by Tatsuzō as his so-called reward of [[ExactWords immortality]].

* CompleteMonster::

** ''Eternal Punishment'': [[FauxAffablyEvil Tatsuzō Sudō]] is the tyrannical [[CorruptPolitician Japanese Foreign Minister]] and leader of the New World Order, a cult planning to [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence reach the world of the Gods]]. Tatsuzuo, however, has more selfish ambitions. Using his own group to conduct crimes, which include framing the father of two of the main characters; unethical experiments resulting in humans turning into monsters; and attempted murder to Baofu, which resulted in his assistant's death, he furthers the ambition of New World Order while hiding it from the public. To that end he also sends [[AxCrazy his insane son Tatsuya Sudou]] to a mental hospital in order to lock him up from the public eye, and when he finds out he escaped sends the Taiwanese Mafia to kill him. Once the New World Order succeeds in their goal in activating a spaceship to use to reach God, this also causes the world outside the spaceship, which is the city they reside in, to be in danger from a natural disaster that can wipe out humanity, something Tatsuzuo is aware of. After reaching this far, Tatsuzuo [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness betrays his loyal companions]] by mutating or killing them, while sending out demons to take down the heroes.

** One of the Bolontiku in ''Innocent Sin'' and [[spoiler: Metal Jun ]] in ''Eternal Punishment'' have an attack in their respective games called "Terror Fortune" which deals moderately high [[BlowYouAway Wind]] and [[CastingAShadow Dark damage]] to the entire party, which isn't so bad. The problem is that it [[FromBadToWorse ALSO]] inflicts [[StandardStatusEffects random ailments on your party]], including [[InstantKO instant death]]. Have fun keeping your party alive...

* CommonKnowledge: No, Adolf Hitler is not the FinalBoss of ''Persona 2''. Rather, [[spoiler:he's the first form of the Final Boss of ''Innocent Sin'', and even then, he's just an avatar of Nyarlathotep, the actual Final Boss of both games]].

* GeniusBonus: There are several small bits of trivia, ranging from Myth/AztecMythology to the significance of the names Maya and Maia.

*** And, of course, all the Personae (except Tatsunoshin Suou, Maihime Amano, Junnosuke Kuroda, and Alfred/Yamoaka from ''Eternal Punishment'') are from real mythologies.

* {{Narm}}: The voice acting in ''Eternal Punishment'' leaves much to be desired. "It's self-defense. There's NO problem with that," anyone? Also, Hitler wearing sunglasses in the PSP remake in an attempt to get past the censors.
** NarmCharm: Nobody can deny this makes the fight even better.

* ValuesDissonance: Tatsuya Sudou's Innocent Sin version is a person who is mentally ill, thrown out by his father instead of getting any help, suffers immensely from hearing voices and continues to lash out at anyone. The kid is very ill before rumors even set in. Make no mistake, he had to be stopped and it can be argued that he's a lost cause by that point in the game. However, 20 years ago, he would've been condemned as a whiny brat who relies on other people to fix his problems as Maya says as much at the top of the Sky Museum. In modern days, he'd be seen as someone who does need actual psychiatric help and can be interpreted as a kid screaming in pain for help that he's clearly not getting.
** What's worse is that in the additional scenario added in the PSP re-release of Eternal Punishment made 12 years later, [[TheScrappy Tadashi]] [[AuthorAvatar Satomi]] [[AuthorTract bluntly expresses his disdain for a law in Japan which remits convicted felons who are diagnosed with mental disorders through the portrayal of Sudou]] with all the grace and subtlety of [[{{Anvilicious}} a large anvil falling at mach 37]].

*** Philemon is the incarnation of humanity's greatest aspects and potential and gives everyone the Personas and motivation they need to stop Nyarlathotep. Does he do this because he genuinely loves humanity, or because he's [[NotSoDifferent just as prideful as Nyarlathotep and doesn't want to lose his bet?]] Are his words of encouragement given because he's benevolent GuardianEntity who wants humanity to flourish, or a ManipulativeBastard who sees humans as pawns to use against Nyarlathotep?

* OneSceneWonder: Hitler (the Fuhrer in the English dub). Despite only appearing in the finale of ''Innocent Sin'' as [[spoiler:one of Nyarlathotep's disguises]], is extremely memorable among the fanbase. This is particularly so for PSP remake, where he's given a pair of CoolShades that contributed to [[CrazyAwesome his appeal]].

** What's worse is that in the additional scenario added in the PSP re-release of Eternal Punishment made 12 years later, [[TheScrappy Tadashi]] [[AuthorAvatar Satomi]] [[AuthorTract bluntly expresses his disdain for a law in Japan which remits convicted felons who are diagnosed with mental disorders through portrayal Sudou]] with all the grace and subtlety of [[{{Anvilicious}} a large anvil falling at mach 37]].

** What's worse is that in the additional scenario added in the PSP re-release of Eternal Punishment, [[TheScrappy Tadashi]] [[AuthorAvatar Satomi]] [[AuthorTract bluntly expresses his disdain for a law in Japan which remits convicted felons who are diagnosed with mental disorders through portrayal Sudou]] with all the grace and subtlety of [[{{Anvilicious}} a large anvil falling at mach 37]].

** What's worse is that in the additional scenario added in the PSP re-release of Eternal Punishment, [[TheScrappy Tadashi]] [[AuthorAvatar Satomi]] [[AuthorTract expresses his disdain for a law in Japan which remits convicted felons who are diagnosed with mental disorders through the portrayal Sudou]] with all the subtlety of [[{{Anvilicious}} a large anvil falling at mach 37}}]].

** Arguably, Tatsuya Sudou of Innocent Sin. While he committed various acts in the game; it's hard to say what is him actively doing it and what's his mental illness taking over him, and what of him is influenced by the rumors.

* ValuesDissonance: Tatsuya Sudou's Innocent Sin version is a person who is mentally ill, thrown out by his father instead of getting any help, suffers immensely from hearing voices and continues to lash out at anyone. The kid is very ill before rumors even set in. Make no mistake, he had to be stopped and it can be argued that he's a lost cause by that point in the game. However, 20 years ago, he would've been condemned as a whiny brat who relies on other people to fix his problems. In modern days, he'd be seen as someone who does need actual psychiatric help and can be interpreted as a kid screaming in pain for help that he's clearly not getting.