Platform: Rank: #2 Release Date: 08.14.2007

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Delayed just enough to make this list, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 for the PlayStation 2 looks to be one of the most unique RPGs to hit stores this year. Though titled Persona 3, this is only the third of four Persona games to make it to North America. This twistedly exciting RPG blends dungeon crawling in with high school dating sim elements. In any other game that could very well be a complete bore, but Persona 3 succeeds in pulling it off without a hitch. This title is sure to make players look twice, either in awe or confusion, with its mixed art style of horror and pop art, high school students shooting themselves in the head to summon Personas, and a soundtrack consisting of Japanese-style rock, rap, and J-Pop. Though as former weekend Q&A host Josh "Ourobolus" Martz states, "Any game about high school students shooting themselves in the face in order to fight demons is OK by me." The completely unique experience that Persona 3 and the rest of the Shin Megami Tensei series offer is their greatest draw. "I think it's going to stand out of the crowd. The Persona series has always been unique with its dark setting and story, and I'm really looking forward to something to contrast the sugary-sweetness of Blue Dragon or the Harvest Moon games," claims Aaron "ZeroNumber" Larson, a staff previewer. While Persona 3 might not appeal to mainstream gamers or even all RPGamers, it offers a break from the cookie cutter, carbon copy RPGs that seem to pop up left and right, and that is why it's our second most-wanted RPG for the rest of 2007. Look for it, art book well bound, within the next week or so. Offering a rather long playtime of more than eighty hours, Persona 3 will be keeping players busy for the next little while. Also, make sure to check out the glowing official RPGamer review by Michael "CactuarJoe" Beckett. « Third Place | First Place »