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.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, "Persona 4 epitomises Square Enix's commitment to bringing the best gaming experiences to the European market. This new instalment in the highly anticipated Persona series is the perfect example of an exciting new experience and how the PlayStation 2 still has a lot to offer."

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.
• Remember, you are mortal: Every day is irrevocable, each decision impacts on your fate – from who you hang out with, to when you decide to enter a dungeon and how far in you choose you go. Plan your progress around the various events of each day and even the weather forecast!
• Super-cool art and sound style: taking inspiration from Japanese art, manga and pop culture, the world of Persona is presented to the player in a unique and fashionable way.
• Fully optimised PAL version: allows for the full experience intended by the game creators, even for owners of 50Hz television sets.

Persona 4 is currently available in North America ($39.99), and will be released across PAL territories in Spring 2009.