E3 2015 - Persona 4: Dancing All Night Preview

It would be an understatement to say that no one expected Persona 4: Dancing All Night when it was revealed—a rhythm game spin-off of Persona 4 that's exclusive to the Vita? The idea is nearly impalpable. That being said, Atlus was really pushing the title hard this year on the show floor, and we had our fair share of time to test out the game.

First thing's first, Persona 4: Dancing All Night includes a story mode, but we weren't able to test it. The only thing that was available on the E3 demo were songs—gameplay, in other words. I personally spent at least an hour playing the game over the last few days, and the gameplay can be described as this: Samba de Amigo, with Persona songs, including both original versions of classic Persona songs, as well as new remixes specifically for the game. The title utilizes a variety of notes, including unison, hold, and scratches—scratches themselves aren't necessary, though they contribute to both your combo and score—as well as a Fever mechanic. At certain points in the song, if your fever meter is filled, you'll enter a special state—complete with different characters entering the song!—that'll increase your score multiplier.

For each song, you'll be able to customize your dancers look before you attempt it. It's nowhere as customizable as, say, Project Diva, but it still grants some degree of individuality. Outfits can be bought by using currency that is gained from completing songs, and more will unlock as the story continues. On that note, the story will include 27 stages, and according to Atlus PR, the title will include over 25 songs in the base game. Although the demo only included 3 difficulty modes, the final game will include 4.

Persona 4: Dancing All Night is easily one of the most fun games that was on show this year, and it'll be releasing later this year in NA. We'll bring you more information as it comes.