You’d imagine that a dance and rhythm game based on a much beloved spin-off series to a much beloved RPG series would be a flagrant cash in, made to capitalise on the characters and settings to make a quick buck from fans. And you’d not be alone in thinking that. When I first heard of Persona 4: Dancing All Night, I quite literally chortled at the ridiculousness of it all.
Turns out it’s actually excellent. Here’s what critics say about the…dancing game
Polygon – 8.5
There are touches of flawed execution in Persona 4: Dancing All Night, but they do little to upset what is otherwise a spectacular rhythm game. Genuine strokes of genius can be found in its modifiable gameplay and superb soundtrack, and they’re compelling enough to keep the game from solely relying on its buckets of patented Persona charm.
Destructoid – 8
This fusion of visual novel of rhythm game isn’t exactly perfect, but speaking as someone who loves Persona (and Shoji Meguro’s work in particular), I really enjoyed my time with this one. It might be pure fan service, but sometimes maybe that’s enough.
EGM – 8.5
Atlus somehow finds a way to craft a music game based around Persona 4 and have it end up as a serious entry to the rhythm genre. Persona 4: Dancing All Night is a great experience, with gameplay, visual, and a soundtrack that all come together in one heck of a package.
Game Informer – 7.5
Dancing All Night doesn’t offer much outside of the delight of reliving some of your favorite songs and seeing characters like Kanji and Teddie go all-out. It’s fun and lighthearted and sure to make fans smile, but Dancing All Night isn’t anything special; it’s just an average rhythm game that’s begging for a better interface and more song variety.
VentureBeat – 88
The ideal entry point for any Persona 4 newcomer (and the franchise as a whole) should be the PlayStation Vita enhanced remake, Persona 4 Golden. Yet if you cannot foresee making a 70 hour commitment to that JRPG, Persona 4: Dancing All Night is more than suitable as a gateway experience to the series. It’s themes on teen angst and the value of friendship are in line with the main game, more so than the fantastical Persona Q or the outlandish Persona 4 Arena. It’s not without its tough challenges, but any superb game in this genre should be demanding. As one of the better and more charming rhythm action games to come out in recent years, Persona 4: Dancing All Night is not only an apt and engrossing spin-off, but it’s an effective side story that will help pass the time while we impatiently wait for Persona 5.
GamesRadar – 4 Stars
Persona 4: Dancing All Night will not fill the hole in your heart left by the absence of Persona 5, but it’s an outstanding game in its own right. It treats its source material with respect and love, successfully tapping into the joy you feel when you’re hanging out with your best friends and grooving to the music. It’s colorful and happy, and a really damn fine rhythm challenge, too. Get ready…to dance!
It’s out here on the PlayStation Vita in November. It may be the perfect thing to keep fans occupied until the delayed Persona 5 materialises. Stay Strong, Umar. Oh, here’s Darryn doing some dancing all night. Sorry.
Last Updated: January 4, 2017
HairyEwok
September 23, 2015 at 10:39
Did somebody say all night Long?
(Umar) Must be Cipher
September 23, 2015 at 10:48
Lol Darryn is such a legend for that!…What a good guy….
I don’t think I’ll ever buy this, but I do love Shoji’s music. A highlight of P4 has definitely got to be the music. It’s poppy and fluffy but so catchy. A rhythm game makes sense….
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 10:52
P4 music is awesome agreed, but that one song that restarts every time you finish a fight becomes a bit much after some time xD
(Umar) Must be Cipher
September 23, 2015 at 11:14
Reach out to the truth lol Yeah, after a while it gets to me. Better than baby baby baby baby baby XD.
(Umar) Must be Cipher
September 23, 2015 at 10:50
I mean…this type of music is prime for this genre.
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 11:34
jpop FTW
(Umar) Must be Cipher
September 23, 2015 at 11:35
Lol I love Jpop. Cheesy as hell, but fun.
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 11:44
The first time I was introduced to it was in 2005 with the opening of FF X-2… I sat there silent, WHAT THE HELL IS SHIT?…… I LOVE IT 🙂
While all the FF fanboys were hating on the game I found myself grinning from ear to ear.
(Umar) Must be Cipher
September 23, 2015 at 11:48
LOLZ Emotions, what a song….I felt the same. The whole game was fluffy but it was damn fun, didn’t give a damn. Not to mention the battle system was so fine. Hmmmm mmmm
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 12:13
This blew my mind lol especially after the heavy dreary dark X
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 12:16
Have you listened to the Japanese versions as well, its pretty damn good.
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 11:55
I have a whole playlist of Jpop songs when I play grinding (warframe,trove,WOW) games.
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 11:53
If I hear this song I can also hear Teddie going ROOAAAWRR in the middle of battle xD
RinceThis
September 23, 2015 at 11:01
No.
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 11:17
The highest rated game on the vIta is P4. I tried it, but dam, am I the only one that found it tediously boring? What gives? Is it just nostalgia that rated it so high?
Thank goodness for Sword Art Online.
(Umar) Must be Cipher
September 23, 2015 at 11:23
Different tastes I guess. I played it on PS2 and then Put another 70 hours in on Vita. Some people don’t like it though, like, I don’t like SAO lol I played it for about 2 hours and then deleted it 🙁
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 11:31
hell the learning curve of some of these Japanese games require some some skill as the localization is non existent. Even all the sentences in Sword Art online seem like they were done in google translate.
But after figuring out the mechanics for 7 hours the game grew on me. Its tight. I can see why its getting PS4 treatment.
(Umar) Must be Cipher
September 23, 2015 at 11:34
Oh, no, the Vita version is known to have THE KAKKEST, I mean, THEEEE KAKKEST localization ever. The translation is shoddy as all hell. One of the reason it put me off. I don’t know man, the combat felt too easy and it just goois a ton of stuff at you, like all those skills and stuff that made no difference. I should give it more time though, especially with Lost Song coming up.
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 11:39
I thought the same at first but once you get used to the combat animations and the co-op timings for multipliers the risk reward system was better than farming levels in Final Fantasy.
Its a 200hour game so its more about farming and then owning, farming and then owning.
Great fun. Kind of like a 3d dungeon crawler.
The pacing in Persona just seemed tedious, The narrative and style is AAA with some great voice acting from Troy Baker and Tara Strong. Im sure it would have blown my socks off back in the PS2 age. But those dungeons are bland.
I still love turn based combat.
(Umar) Must be Cipher
September 23, 2015 at 11:47
Yeah, dungeons are randomly generated. Persona 5 seems to be going back to Persona 2 days with unique dungeons, which is awesome. I’m gonna give SAO another try. I just hate harem stories lol 1 guys with dozens of girls falling over for him.
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 11:51
lol I find harem games funny, especially with some whacky music in the background with some crazy SHOCKED SURPRISED Japaneses voice acting in a high pitched squeaky tone.
But in this game the protag is already married to one of the characters As its a canon of what hapens after episode 13 of the Anime.
The Anime is actually good and very dark. The entire concept of the story was SCREAMING for a videogame. It worked. The 4th wall is there like the Matrix.
Give the Anime a go.
(Umar) Must be Cipher
September 23, 2015 at 11:54
Oh, THAT is why I was upset. I watched the anime. Kirito MARRIED Asuna, so why da fuq are you jiving with other girls?HUH, Kirito?? lol errrgh…I’m gonna sound like weeabo but Asuna is the best waifu, I hate that you can have a relationship with the other girls lol Loved Season 1 of SAO though, the concept was good. Lost my shizz when he got dual-wielding
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 12:01
Asuna FTW. The other characters and his sister are there just for fan service. Its like Love Hina, the male protag always gets fucked up for not realizing he is doing something pervy. Followed by a streaming blood nose lol. Its just Japanese Humor.
DUAL SWORDS ROCK. Also the game gets corrupted after level 75 natively speaking so the swords need to be replaced that’s why the names are messed up.
Im still farming rapiers to get the Samurai Sword branch to unlock. Those kick arse.
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 12:03
You 2 are going to make me spend a crap load of money with all this SOA game talk, I have been purposely looking away from it for that reason xD
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 12:05
Im waiting for the PS4 version. The graphics are sweet.
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 12:06
17th November…
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 12:07
I am literally sitting here contemplating if I should get in my car and go buy a PS4.
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 12:09
The price drops should be cumming this xmas. I think they clear stock for the 1TB model. Wait for xmas, there will be good bundles.
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 12:12
Yup the only thing I will use it for is pretty much Japanese releases and that is basically Persona 5, Final Fantasy 15 and 7 remake, Sword Art Online: Lost Song. All releasing later into the future.
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 12:16
and MGSV, Nice to see Japanese gaming is back.
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 12:17
I will be holding back with MGSV because I have not followed the series and don’t want to jump in when I don’t know the lore of previous games 😛
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 12:20
lol MGS is odd the games are all over the timeline. MGSV is the sequel to Snake Eater while MGS the arcade versions are the sequel to V followed by MGS1.
The Japanese do not like being surprised. Hense why we get snipits of whats coming in the next chapter. Even the starting credits of the final scene give away the end spoilers lol.
HairyEwok
September 23, 2015 at 12:23
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 12:23
Hahaha I have a bad feeling about clicking on this xD
HairyEwok
September 23, 2015 at 12:24
Just watch it and enjoy XD
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 12:25
funny as fuk lol
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 12:27
Defaq is with the scream HAHAHAHA, and I am going to kill this guy because of his name pronunciations xD
HairyEwok
September 23, 2015 at 12:28
Do you even American bruh XD
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 12:29
This is ripping me apart inside xD
HairyEwok
September 23, 2015 at 12:29
Kirito-samaaaaa!
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 12:31
TOFFEE! PASTA! SODA!
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 12:29
coffee soda give me sex please bwahahaha
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 12:23
bwahahaha
Ottokie "Yahtzee"
September 23, 2015 at 12:33
This is my biggest problem with Harem…especially Mainstream Harem. But I still watch it anyway xD
HairyEwok
September 23, 2015 at 12:34
Don’t do what Kirito does and play too much Haren Online
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 11:20
This game should have been made by the Hatsune Miku devs, not persona. Persona should be knocking the the socks off other RPGs like Dragon Quest 8.
HairyEwok
September 23, 2015 at 12:37
The crowd was absolutely non-existent just like her panty shots.
RinceThat
September 23, 2015 at 12:48
lol like TGS, so quite you can hear the award winners footsteps.
DragonSpirit009
September 23, 2015 at 15:25
Can’t wait to play this game ^_^ Also glad they delayed Persona 5 release!