I FINALLY beat Persona 3 FES's "The Answer" section, and therefore have finally finished this game. It took me another 40 hours of game play time. That is on top of the 135 hours the main game took (which I finished May 22nd)! Gesh. That 175 hours for those to tired to add it up. It was a nice ending at least, but mostly I'm just glad I'm done. I enjoyed the game and the game play, but the length...and then the added length from the Answer that was almost all level grinding. Blech. Will be awhile before I pick up Persona 4, that's for sure.

I think it would be safe to say that this may be the longest game (with an ending) that I've ever played. I can't think of any longer, and didn't see where I blogged of any this long. Even Final Fantasy XII was "only" 130 hours.

During spring break, I replayed Shadow Hearts. Started the 18th and finished it, with the good ending, on the 25th. I began playing Persona 3 the next day, finally. It is...interesting. It is an RPG, but it also has elements of a sim game and a dating game. I mean the bulk of the game so far is spent with the main character that you control going to school, sometimes having to answer a question, making friends and enhancing their "social connections" and making sure to sleep and study. When the Dark Hour comes--a lost period of time that occurs at midnight during which all who don't have the potential turn to coffins and when done, its still midnight--you and your team and go fight the shadows. To fight, you can use a weapon like a sword or bow (though its set in modern times), but really, your best weapons are your "Personas", powerful beings found in card form that you call forth by....shooting yourself in the head! Seriously. Its so weird.

If someone had described it to me, I'd have figured it for a boring game, but I have already spent like 12 hours playing it. Its different and theunique elements keep it fun. The overall story is, of course, quite intriguing. What are shadows, why does the dark hour happen, etc etc.:-) I wish I could have played the first two, just from story perspective because looking at their Wiki articles, Persona 3 makes several subtle (and not so subtle) references to them.

Inferno was ridiculously easy. I used Ooze to lock him in place, Unlimited to keep Mercedes bow loaded, then just blasted on him over an over. 79+ chain on the last volley. :-P Conversely, boss #4 the Cauldron was just freakin insane. I finally had to stop and go back to Velvet's book too to get her a flameproof charm, more painkillers, and more unlimited potions(and to up her Psypher to full). Even then, took me over an hour to finish it. The final boss wasn't as hard, though its the only one where you can't generate items because there is no ground. Finished it in about 20 minutes or so. Full game play time:68 hours, 38 minutes, 40 seconds.It took me52 days, in the real world, to finish it.And yay, I got the good ending. Sad yet at least a little hopeful.

Guess one of tomorrow's mini goals will be to start Persona 3, my first foray into that series.:-)