Do you need to play Persona 4 or Persona 4 Arena to understand Persona 4 Arena Ultimax?

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a fighting game featuring characters from the Persona 4 and Persona 3 RPG games. What’s more, it’s a sequel to the first Persona 4 Arena game. With this legacy behind it, it’s worth knowing whether you’ll just be able to pick up and play Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and understand the story.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a direct story sequel to Persona 4 Arena, with the game’s story taking place after the end of Arena. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is absolutely baffling if you don't at least read a synopsis of Persona 4 Arena, and have a passing knowledge of Persona 4 and Persona 3. Overall, if you’ve not played Arena, you may be confused by references to events and characters which took place in that game.

Related: Persona 4 Arena Ultimax full roster and character list

However, the game is instantly more approachable if you’ve got a passing knowledge of Persona 4 and Persona 3. Events in those games are often recapped by characters. A functional knowledge of the characters and story of those games is definitely preferable before playing Ultimax.

If you want to catch up on the story so far before Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and don’t think you have time to play two full RPGs and a fighting game story, then you could catch the anime adaptations for each game. Persona 4 has a pair of animated adaptations, while Persona 3 has a trilogy of animated movies.

However, if you’re worried you’ll enjoy the game less without knowing the story, don’t be. The game is an incredibly solid fighting game in its own right, reminiscent of BlazBlue or other Arc System Works games.

For more Persona 4 Arena Ultimax guides, check out What is the release date of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax? on Pro Game Guides.