Persona 3 Reload players were upset to find there was no option to play as Kotone Shiomi, the main female character in Persona 3 Portable. You can only play through the game with Makoto in Reload, but this is all to change thanks to modders.
A small team of passionate people is taking it upon themselves to bring Kotone to Reload. A new GitHub page includes links and details on the mod’s development. One modder has also been showcasing the project on X (previously Twitter), highlighting a full-color change in UI from blue to pinker hues. This is no easy task and would require an immense amount of work.
The mod does not have a full release yet, but you can contribute to the development of the mod if want to give a helping hand. For those who would rather wait, it remains to be seen when it will be fully complete.
From title screen changes to modeling work, dialogue tweaks for gender, modification of cutscenes, and much more, there is a clear trajectory for what is needed for the project. The mod’s Trello board will be the best place to keep track of the progress before a full release.
Discussions around the popular female protagonist have been happening for months. On Aug. 25, 2023, one Reddit user voiced disappointment with Kotone not coming to the game. Others share the same sentiment.
That said, there is a development cost to having multiple protagonists, along with narrative and design decisions that come into play for developers like Atlus. For now, this mod will be the best way to play Kotone in the reloaded version (when it finally arrives).
