Quick Links
While Social Links are a major game mechanic inPersona 3 Reload, they aren’t the only way you can pass the time while hanging out with your friends, particularly at night.
These other ways of spending time start appearing in July after Mitsuru takes the SEEES second years through a belated introduction of the Iwatodai Dorm facilities. You can get several small bonuses by taking advantage of these hangout opportunities, but you can also unlock powerful, permanent bonuses that come in handy duringPersona 3 Reloadcombat.
Hangout Basics
The benefits you get from a hangout event depend on which location you use and which SEES member you spend time with.
(Next to the TV)
(Second floor, by the bookshelf)
Charm
Kitchen
(At the end of the bar in front of the kitchen)
(Under the stairs past the first-floor lounge)
Brushing on the Couch
Koromaru
Random consumables and gifts
Something to note is that the produce you get from spending time with a SEES member is what you getin additionto the normal harvest. Junpei’s “Small” consumables are less impressive than the normal variety, but you get plenty of them and each one is more than you would have harvested without his help.
One other way to spend time in the dorm is to take Koromaru out for a walk. These walks don’t provide Characteristics, but you’re able to get one of two benefits from taking him out. First, if another SEES member comes with you, you’ll get a random item from Koromaru’s stash. Second, if you and Koromaru go out alone, you can meet a random Social Link character and gain three relationship points with them.
How to Gain and Improve Characteristics
After you spend time with a SEES member three times at a specific location, they’ll get a new Characteristic. After three hangout events at their second location (for a total of six evenings), their Characteristic will upgrade into a better version.
The protagonist also has a Characteristic, and you can also upgrade it. However, you don’t get it by hanging out in your room alone. Instead,you must fill in 30 percent of the Persona Compendiumto get the first version, and then reach 60 percent to get the second version. Since the Compendium stays filled in during a New Game Plus, this means you’ll get the protagonist’s boosted Characteristic as soon as it becomes available.
Extra damage when hitting a Weakness
Almost double normal damage when hitting a Weakness
Yukari Takeba
Healing Master
The SP cost of her Healing spells goes down to 50 percent
Healing Apex
The SP cost of her Healing spells goes down to 25 percent
Critical chance and damage improve
Critical chance and damage greatly improve
Buff effects are more effective for Akihiko
Buff effects are even more effective for Akihiko
Mitsuru Kirijo
Ailment Burst
Mitsuru has a better chance to land a Critical on an enemy with an ailment
Ailment Surge
A much greater chance to land a Critical on an enemy with an ailment
Allies take less damage from a Weakness hit
Much less damage from a Weakness hit
Physical skills deal more damage
Physical skills deal much more damage
Each combat, a random enemy starts with an Agility debuff
Each combat, every enemy starts with an Agility debuff
Ken Amada
Spirit Refresh
Ken regains 5 SP at the start of each of his turns (this stacks with items)
Spirit Restore
Ken regains 10 SP at the start of each of his turns (still stacks)
Shinjiro starts each battle with an Attack and Defense buff
Shinjiro starts each battle with every buff
Male SEES Member Hangouts
There’s one other way to pass time with your friends inPersona 3 Reloadoutside of Social Links. You can also spend quality timewithPersona 3 Reload’s male SEES members like Junpei and Koromaru. Just like the dorm hangouts, each event comes with a small reward, and you get a much bigger reward if you spend as much time with each character as you can.
These events work like a hybrid between Social Link scenes and dorm hangouts. Like dorm hangouts, these events can seem to appear at random, and you can say whatever you want without worrying about relationship points. Like Social Link events, these events give each character an important story arc, and they end with you getting an item that unlocks a powerful Persona.
For instance, if you hang out with Koromaru every chance you get, you’ll eventually get the key item called Koromaru’s Collar. This unlocks Byakko, a Temperance Persona you need to fuse the powerful Kohryu.Persona 3 Reloadalso rewards the Hell Bikerfor spending time with Shinjiro, but his hangout events are only available in September.
When Should You Start These Events?
While some of these events have make-up days, you should start these events as soon as they appear. Some of them are very time-sensitive, and if you break the sequence you might not be able to see them all the way to the end. You should have enough time to complete every normal Social Link on top of these events, so don’t let that stop you from spending a few days with Junpei or Shinjiro. Some characters (such as Ken and Akihiko) have events at night, making them more convenient.
You can tell when one of these events is ready to start in two ways. First, the character will send a message to your phone. Their messages are a different color than normal, making them easy to spot. Second, exclamation points will appear above the character and above their location on the map. This icon overrides the usual Social Link card or hangout smiley face when they would normally appear.
Persona 3is unusual in the franchise for not giving you Social Links with every party member.Persona 3 Reloadhasn’t changed this fact, but it makes up for itby letting you spend time with them in other ways. And if you spend enough time with them, you’ll get some very useful mechanical benefits.
