Persona 2 (ペルソナ2 Perusona Tsū?) is a two-part series of Japanese console role-playing games for the Sony PlayStation, developed by Atlus. Innocent Sin (罪 Tsumi?) and Eternal Punishment (罰 Batsu?) are two chapters of the same storyline. Atlus did not localize Innocent Sin for release outside of Japan. The duology is a direct sequel to the first installment of the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series, Revelations: Persona, with several characters from that title playing various roles, both minor and major, in both games.
Set in the fictional metropolis of Sumaru City, Innocent Sin follows a high school student named Tatsuya Suou. Eternal Punishment, which takes place afterwards, switches focus onto Maya Amano, a young magazine editor. Both characters have near-death experiences which transport them to the realm of Philemon, an astral being who exists outside of the waking world. Philemon grants them the ability to summon a Persona, an alter-ego which manifests as a mythological figure.
Unlike other Atlus' older games, which are traditionally restricted to a first-person viewpoint, Persona 2 is seen from a third-person perspective.Several game elements, particularly the characters Philemon and Nyarlathotep, are drawn directly from the writings by Carl Jung and H. P. Lovecraft.
Although the Playstation version of Innocent Sin never received an official localization (but received a fan-translated English patch on October 15, 2008) in North America, the PSP version will be officially released Fall 2011.
As Persona 2 begins, strange things are afoot at Seven Sisters High School. The school's emblem has been cursed, and students are suffering from unusual, disfiguring ailments. Meanwhile, a dangerous new trend is spreading: teens are using their cell phones to summon Joker, a mysterious figure who might make your dreams a reality, or sap your soul and leave you a shadow of your former self. And on top of it all, any rumor that spreads to enough people in Sumaru City inexplicably becomes true. The pieces that make up the story's puzzle are interesting--ancient Mayans, aliens, and Adolf Hitler are all involved--but the story doles out new information much too slowly to make you feel invested in the early happenings. The shallow character sketches of somber Tatsuya, intense Michel, lovelorn Lisa, and the other party members aren't enough to make their quest feel personal or involving at first, and it's far too many hours into the game before you start learning more about this unlikely team of heroes. When you do, though, the characters reveal themselves to have fascinating connections, both to each other and to the events in which they're embroiled.
