How to farm money in Persona 3 Reload & what to spend it on
Persona 3 Reload is a faithful reimagining of the 2006 classic, offering returning and new players the ability to experience one of the finest JRPGs ever made with prettier visuals and additional improvements.
Like with previous entries - and most JRPGs - earning money is an essential part of the core game loop that makes Persona 3 Reload tick, so you may be struggling to decide what you should be spending that precious Yen on.
Never fear, as we’re here to help you answer that foreboding question. Here's how to earn money in the game and what you should be spending it on in Persona 3 Reload.
How to earn money in Persona 3 Reload
Most of your Yen will be retrieved upon defeating shadows in Tartarus or other key story locations. That doesn’t mean that’s the only way to earn money, though.
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Some shadows may drop items that can be exchanged at stores for money, or you could even sell unwanted weapons – just make sure you’re happy to part ways with them first. And then, you can even work part-time jobs to get some extra Yen, how immersive! These part-time jobs also influence your character’s social stats, so they’re worth doing anyway.
Although earning money is an easy feat, getting enough to purchase certain items can be a bit overwhelming, especially if this is your first time playing. On each run of Tartarus, spend as much time as possible grinding out some extra Yen, and if your schedule allows it, work part-time jobs in the evenings.
Finally, make sure you choose a Coin card during Shuffle Time. This will give you a nice chunk of Yen to help boost your finances.
What to spend money on in Persona 3 Reload
1. Purchase better equipment if necessary
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The “if necessary” part of this section is imperative. Spending money on Equipment, which includes items such as weapons, healing items, and accessories etc, can easily become expensive, which is most noticeable in the game’s opening hours.
You'll notice that enemies will occasionally drop equipable items, removing the need to immediately spend money on them at shops. Also, you'll find that weapons available early in the store located in Iwatodi Strip Mall are minimal in stat changes compared to your starting loadouts, so be mindful of this.
Nevertheless, if you have the funds, and can spare the change, these upgrades can sometimes be worth investing in – so make sure to consistently be grinding money when time allows it.
Persona Fusion comes at a cost
Persona Fusion is a core mechanic of the series, which has been around pretty much since its inception. In Persona 3 Reload, Fusion can become costly if you need to constantly summon in Personas you have bonded with previously.
Therefore, making sure you take time out of your schedule to boost your financial situation is a strong recommendation, more so for later when Persona Fusions become more and more expensive. If you’re going for a 100% run, which entails completing the Persona compendium, you’re likely to spend an absurd amount of time and resources going for this.
Social Stats can be spent on
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Certain activities, like the Arcade for instance, initially require you to spend a fee in exchange for Social Stat increases. The game’s Social Stat Total is less than Persona 5’s, clocking in at three individual stats compared to its successor’s mighty five.
For example, Courage can be boosted by eating the Mystery Burger at Wild Duck Burger, watching movies on Monday or Tuesdays, Singing Karaoke, and other fun things. As you can imagine, these activities will cost you money, albeit at varying levels of expense - such as the Arcade’s Horror House game, which costs 3,000 Yen and will allow you to boost your character’s Courage stat.
Make sure to have back up funds
Obviously, Persona 3 Reload is designed to allow you to play and experience the game however you want, but in my playthrough, I had allocated money specifically tailored towards not being used at all, for any reason whatsoever, except for emergency situations.
Having a set total of Yen put aside means you can always fall back on it if you need to, especially when you’re in Tartarus and need to heal your squad.
Now that you know how to manage your money, visit our Persona 3 Reload page for more guides like all of the classroom answers and how to beat the Big Eater Wilduck Burger Challenge.
