Inaba — a quiet town in rural Japan. A normal teenager arrives at the station to begin his year-long stay in the countryside, only to be welcomed by the news of a dead TV announcer. Shortly after, another body appears, mysteriously hanged from the top of a telephone pole. The cause of death is unknown, with no leads on the suspect ... As the peaceful community is thrown into turmoil, the urban youth and his classmates wander into a strange, surreal place covered by a thick fog ...

As the lone incident develops into a series of bizarre crimes, he discovers that only he and his friends have the power to solve the baffling case, bring those responsible to justice, and restore harmony to his new home.

Larger, deeper, and loaded with thrills, Persona 4 delivers an all-new story set in the Japanese countryside. A mysterious chain of deaths remains unanswered and only you and your team of gifted supernatural sleuths can uncover the truth. Will you thwart this hidden evil before it is too late?

In Persona 3, Social Links played a vital role in the creation of Personas: Fusions were allotted bonus experience and maxing out Social Links enabled players to unlock powerful Personas. The Social Link system returns in Persona 4, with significant enhancements designed to improve game play experience.

The Social Link system in P4 allows players to build relationships with ALL of their teammates, not just the girls. The stronger your relationships are, the more events you’ll experience. And depending on their ranks, teammates might jump in front of a critical hit for you when you’re about to die in battle or perform a support attack to finish off an enemy you weren’t able to kill. Also, certain conversations will occur in the dungeons according to the events that took place the last time you hung out with that character, providing a much stronger incentive for developing closer bonds with your party members.

Another improvement involves the Protagonist’s relationships with the fairer sex. Simply maxing out your Social Link with the ladies won’t automatically make you their “special someone” this time around. As you increase the ranks of your relationships, P4 gives you the option to be either “friends” or “lovers” with each character, triggering different events and conversations later in the game.

There are also changes to how you level your Social Links, as well as new factors that affect how quickly your ranks are increased. For example, going to sleep early enables you to have dreams about the characters you have a relationship with, making you closer to them. Also, there are certain days in the game when you can make your lunch to take to school the following day. You can then choose a character to share your food with. Both of these features allow you to strengthen your Social Links faster. However, these actions will come at the expense of another activity, which of course makes time management all the more important.

All in all, Persona 4 adds a lot more depth and complexity to the entire Social Link system, in addition to integrating it far more effectively with the other aspects of the game.

As part of the special holiday “Atlus Spoils” program, Persona 4 is brimming with premium extras. Not only will each and every copy include a free soundtrack CD featuring music from the game, but fans who pre-order at select retailers will also receive “Persona 4 Visual Data,” a 7"x10" full-color art book featuring designs from famed artist Shigenori Soejima (while supplies last).

Key Features

• Balance your double life – Beyond intense battles, Persona fusion, and new weapon creation exists a normal high school life of friends, classes, and part-time jobs. The way you manage and integrate your activities within each day will determine how you progress through the game.
• Unprecedented team control – With a greater emphasis on developing bonds in the fight to solve the mysterious murders, strong friendships are key to your success. Directly control teammates in battle, earn greater party support for combat, and master individual Social Links to unlock your party's true potential.
• Find the true ending – 60+ hours of gameplay thrusts you into a deep mystery where midnight television leads to serial killings. You must investigate murders, rescue those who can be rescued, and unmask the culprit behind it all—or risk being forever shrouded in the fog of doubt.

Every single copy of Persona 4 is a special two-disc set. In addition to the game disc, customers will receive a soundtrack CD featuring selected music from Persona 4.

Persona 4 is currently scheduled for release on December 9, 2008 for an MSRP of $39.99.