History YMMV / Persona2

* ContestedSequel: While the ''Persona 2'' duology as a whole is regarded as a massive improvement over its predecessor, ''Eternal Punishment'' is this to ''Innocent Sin''. While some praised ''Eternal Punishment'' for its adult cast and for managing to successfully tie up the loose ends of ''Innocent Sin''. Others, however, criticised ''Eternal Punishment'' for its cast having weaker chemistry than ''Innocent Sin'' and how the latter's main cast outside Maya and Tatsuya was [[DemotedToExtra relegated to the sidelines]]. The story of ''Eternal Punishment'' was also considered by players to be weaker than that of ''Innocent Sin'', which had a more cohesive storyline that could be standalone while ''Eternal Punishment'''s story primarily [[ContinuityLockout relies on the former]].

* EpilepticTrees: Many players noted how Tatsuya Sudou's clothes bear a strong resemblance to the garments of The Reaper from ''VideoGame/Persona3'' onwards, as well as both of them missing an eye on the same side. This has caused some to speculate that The Reaper is either Sudou's reincarnation or a the result of Nyarlathotep cursing him.

* WakeUpCallBoss:
** JOKER Tatsuya Sudou. The first of MANY {{Flunky Boss}}es in the game, he and his minions deals huge damage that even your vest healers will have a hard time to keep up with. In addition, this is your first encounter with "Old Maid", which not only tests your understanding of the battle system, but can potentially turn the CrutchCharacter for the fight against you in what is a certain TotalPartyKill unless you know how to block it. Let's just say that most people finish the fight with nothing ''but'' the CrutchCharacter.
** [[spoiler:JOKER Ulala]] is your second JOKER encounter (first if you don't count the Tatsuya Sudou), the second time you're down a member (potentially meaning your fusion spells are limited) and likely going to be a vicious encounter if you've been skipping encounters in the Gym. You're going to be hard-pressed to resist her magic as most personae by that point are weak to magic in general and she has the Old Maid attack as well as Fata Morgana to inflict illusion. If you haven't learned how to work all facets of the game (such as realizing you can make personae 5 levels above you for Tengu's Wall of Air), mutations and rumors for weapons, armors, etc. She can be a vicious brick wall.

** ''Innocent Sin'': [[MadArtist Ginji Sasaki]], AKA Prince Taurus, is a member of the Masked Circle and easily one of the most depraved. A record producer, Ginji became infamous for his [[{{Ephebophile}} sexual advances toward his female artists, especially those underage]]. Out of a desperate attempt to regain his fame, Ginji made a deal with Joker in exchange joining the Masked Circle and helping them [[SoulEating absorb Ideal Energy]], using inspiring artists. Working with [[MadBomber King Leo]], Ginji, using the power of the rumors, started a new music group called MUSES, forcing Lisa to join by using her friends, with the intent of trying to bring her to their side and arrange a giant concert so he could absorb the Ideal Energy of the audience and then blow up the evidence with the bombs he help set up. When his plans were thwarted by Lisa and the party, Ginji tries to kill them, and when's he defeated, he decides to absorb the life energy of Lisa's friends in front of her out of spite before retreating. Ginji would commit atrocities without remorse just so he could keep his fame.

* JustHereForGodzilla: Many people have heard of ''Persona 2'' or played it solely because Hitler is the [[spoiler:first form of the]] final boss in ''Innocent Sin''. Many of the ''Persona'' series [[LGBTFanbase LGBT fans]] have played ''Innocent Sin'' because of [[BadassGay Jun Kurosu]], a canonically gay party member who gets a lot of focus in the story and as well as the only GayOption in the ''Persona'' series.

** JOKER Tatsuya Sudou. The first of MANY flunky bosses in the game, he and his minions deals huge damage that even your vest healers will have a hard time to keep up with. In addition, this is your first encounter with "Old Maid", which not only tests your understanding of the battle system, but can potentially turn the CrutchCharacter for the fight against you in what is a certain TotalPartyKill unless you know how to block it. Let's just say that most people finish the fight with nothing ''but'' the CrutchCharacter.

* WakeUpCallBoss: [[spoiler: Joker Ulala]] is your first Joker encounter, the first time you're down a member (potentially meaning your fusion spells are limited) and likely going to be a vicious encounter if you've been skipping encounters in the Gym. You're going to be hard-pressed to resist her magic as most personae by that point are weak to magic in general and she has the Old Maid attack as well as Fata Morgana to inflict illusion. If you haven't learned how to work all facets of the game (such as realizing you can make personae 5 levels above you for Tengu's Wall of Air), mutations and rumors for weapons, armors, etc. She can be a vicious brick wall.

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

* HilariousInHindsight: One of Hitler's special moves in his boss fight is called "Holy Grail". [[Creator/DavidLodgeActor David Lodge]], who voices Hitler's English dub, [[spoiler:would voice the actual Holy Grail]] in ''VideoGame/Persona5''.

* MemeticBadass: Tatsuya Suou. ''He punched god in the face.'' Seriously, each and every time this guy shows up in a fanfic he immediately outclasses everyone else.

* MoralEventHorizon: [[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.]]

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: While still [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny showing its age]] as a [=PS1=] [=RPG=] in many ways, it's generally accepted that ''Persona 2'' is a massive improvement over [[VideoGame/{{Persona}} its predecessor]], removing most of the [[ScrappyMechanic Scrappy Mechanics]] that bogged down the original game. Its writing is also held in a higher regard, with specific commendation given to its cast, narrative, and atmosphere. It's no wonder that even though Personas [[VideoGame/Persona3 3]], [[VideoGame/Persona4 4]], and [[VideoGame/Persona5 5]] are the more popular, well regarded iterations of the franchise, there is [[CultClassic a small portion of the fandom]] that still considers ''Innocent Sin'' and ''Eternal Punishment'' to be the amongst if not the best games in the franchise.

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

** One criticism lodged at the PSP port/remake of ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' 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.

** ''Eternal Punishment'': [[FauxAffablyEvil Tatsuzō Sudō]] is the tyrannical [[CorruptPolitician Japanese Foreign Minister]] who uses the doomsday cult he founded, the New World Order, to further his own political ambitions, and to coordinate an [[AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascent to a utopian society free from original sin]]; through the cult, his criminal activity runs the gamut from unethical human experimentation, to assassinations, to political whitewashing. Even [[AxCrazy his own son Tatsuya]] proves to be no exception to his father's despotism, and when he escapes from the sanitarium he was committed to, Tatsuzou orders a hit on him from the Taiwanese mafia. When the New World Order successfully raises the spaceship Torifune from underneath Sumaru City, nearly annihilating everything on the Earth's surface in the process, he transforms [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness his companions]], and finally himself into mutant demons to protect both the ship and his "god" from the party, though his efforts are unsuccessful. Is it any wonder he was revamped into the nasty piece of work that is [[VideoGame/Persona5 Masayoshi Shido]]?

* MagnificentBastard: Nyarlathotep, of course. So crafty are his plans that [[spoiler: he's the only ''Persona'' god to actually ''win''.]]

* {{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 the Japanese version of ''Innocent Sin'', Hades, Eikichi’s Ultimate Persona, loses a fair amount of coolness points once you realize [[VocalDissonance he sounds like]] [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit the Frog]]. The English dub of the remake [[AvertedTrope averts]] this by giving him a far more appropriate “Creator/PatrickStewart impersonator” voice.

** In the Japanese version of ''Innocent Sin'', Hades, Eikichi’s Ultimate Persona, loses a fair amount of coolness points once you realize [[VocalDissonance he sounds like]] [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit the Frog]]. The English dub of the remake [[AvertedTrope averts]] this by giving him a far appropriate “Creator/PatrickStewart impersonator” voice.

** In the Japanese version of ''Innocent Sin'', Hades, Eikichi’s Ultimate Persona, loses a fair amount of coolness points once you realize [[VocalDissonance he sounds like]] [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit the Frog]]. The remake’s English dub [[AvertedTrope averts]] this by giving him a far more fitting voice that many have likened to a Creator/PatrickStewart impression.

** In the Japanese version of ''Innocent Sin'', Hades, Eikichi’s Ultimate Persona, loses a fair amount of coolness points once you realize [[VocalDissonance he sounds like]] [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit the Frog]]. Averted in the remake’s English dub, where Hades has a far more fitting voice that many have likened to a Creator/PatrickStewart impression.

** In the Japanese version of ''Innocent Sin'', Hades, Eikichi’s Ultimate Persona, loses a fair amount of coolness points once you realize [[VocalDissonance he sounds like]] [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit the Frog]]. Averted in the remake’s English dub, where Hades has a far more fitting voice that sounds like he’s doing a Creator/PatrickStewart impression.

** In the Japanese version of ''Innocent Sin'', Hades, Eikichi’s Ultimate Persona, loses a fair amount of coolness points once you realize [[VocalDissonance he sounds like]] [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit the Frog]]. Averted in the remake’s English dub, where Hades sounds like a Creator/PatrickStewart impersonator, which many consider far more fitting.

** In the Japanese version of''Innocent Sin'' Hades, Eikichi’s Ultimate Persona, loses a fair amount of coolness points once you realize [[VocalDissonance he sounds like]] [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit the Frog]]. Averted in the remake’s English dub, where Hades sounds like a Creator/PatrickStewart impersonator, which many consider far more fitting.

** And speaking of ''Innocent Sin'', Hades, Eikichi’s Ultimate Persona, loses a fair amount of coolness points in the Japanese version once you realize [[VocalDissonance he sounds like]] [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit the Frog]]. Averted in the remake’s English dub, where Hades sounds like a Creator/PatrickStewart impersonator, which many consider far more fitting.

** And speaking of ''Innocent Sin'', Hades, Eikichi’s Ultimate Persona, loses a fair amount of coolness points in the Japanese version once you realize [[VocalDissonance he sounds like]] [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit the Frog]]. Averted in the remake’s English dub, where Hades sounds like a [[Creator/PatrickStewart]] impersonator, which many consider far more fitting.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: While the other main characters from ''Innocent Sin'' have each garnered their own small but devoted fanbases over the years, you'll find that this is hardly true for [[TokenMinority Lisa]]. While she's not necessarily considered TheScrappy, a good chunk of players come away from the game turned off by her [[EntitledToHaveYou sense of entitlement]] and dogged ClingyJealousGirl behavior towards Tatsuya, despite how obviously uncomfortable she makes him. Even as the story progresses and her feelings for him do take on some shade of realness, she never completely lets up on her possessive behavior, and she flat-out [[IfICantHaveYou refuses to accept being rejected]] if she becomes his RomanticRunnerUp after her Shadow is defeated. That being said, Lisa isn't without her charms as a [[{{Adorkable}} silly]] LovableAlphaBitch whose antics with [[AgentPeacock Eikichi]] are the source of some of the funniest, most light-hearted moments in an infamously dark game, but for many that still isn't enough to get out the bad taste her [[ItsAllAboutMe shallowness]] and lack of respect for Tatsuya leaves.

** That's because both Philemon and Nyarlathotep are morally ambiguous. Philemon represents Neutrality and Nyarlathotep represents Chaos, with Yaldabaoth filling in the Law/Order gap in ''Persona 5''. None of the Law, Chaos and Neutral alignments are considered "good" in the ''Shin Megami Tensei'' sense, they are just [[CosmicHorror Cosmic Horrors]] doing their own thing. In fact, the only thing that makes Philemon "good" is the BothOrderAndChaosAreDangerous rule in ''[=MegaTen=]'', where he would appear more benevolent than the other representatives.