<s>
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
Ultimax	I-Application
is	O
a	O
fighting	O
video	O
game	O
co-developed	O
by	O
Atlus	O
and	O
Arc	O
System	O
Works	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
arcades	O
in	O
2013	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
in	O
2014	O
by	O
Atlus	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
by	O
Sega	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Versions	O
for	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Windows	O
were	O
released	O
by	O
Sega	O
in	O
March	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
direct	O
sequel	O
to	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
spin-off	O
from	O
the	O
Persona	O
series	O
,	O
itself	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
larger	O
Megami	B-Application
Tensei	I-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arena	O
Ultimax	O
takes	O
place	O
immediately	O
after	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
;	O
Arena	O
is	O
set	O
two	O
months	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
,	O
and	O
two	O
years	O
after	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
supernatural	O
red	O
fog	O
covers	O
the	O
town	O
of	O
Inaba	O
,	O
the	O
Investigation	O
Team	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
team	O
up	O
with	O
the	O
Shadow	O
Operatives	O
—	O
a	O
group	O
formed	O
by	O
the	O
SEES	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
—	O
to	O
uncover	O
the	O
truth	O
behind	O
the	O
P-1	O
Grand	O
Prix	O
and	O
confront	O
Sho	O
Minazuki	O
,	O
a	O
hostile	O
Persona	O
user	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
release	O
was	O
supported	O
by	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
featuring	O
characters	O
and	O
accessories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
the	O
previous	O
title	O
,	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
Ultimax	I-Application
is	O
a	O
fighting	O
game	O
in	O
which	O
characters	O
from	O
both	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
and	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
battle	O
each	O
other	O
using	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
special	O
moves	O
,	O
combos	O
,	O
and	O
Persona	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
story	O
mode	O
,	O
told	O
in	O
a	O
format	O
similar	O
to	O
a	O
visual	O
novel	O
,	O
is	O
now	O
split	O
into	O
two	O
separate	O
campaigns	O
for	O
the	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
and	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
casts	O
,	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	O
individual	O
campaigns	O
for	O
each	O
character	O
seen	O
in	O
its	O
predecessor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
additional	O
story	O
campaigns	O
are	O
available	O
:	O
one	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
replay	O
the	O
character	O
campaigns	O
from	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
,	O
while	O
the	O
other	O
is	O
included	O
with	O
the	O
Tohru	O
Adachi	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
and	O
focuses	O
on	O
his	O
actions	O
during	O
the	O
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
characters	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Fuuka	O
Yamagishi	O
from	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
and	O
Theodore	O
from	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
Portable	O
appear	O
in	O
a	O
non-playable	O
capacity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
duology	O
are	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
Persona	O
universe	O
,	O
revolving	O
around	O
groups	O
of	O
people	O
who	O
harness	O
Personas	O
—	O
physical	O
manifestations	O
of	O
their	O
inner	O
psyche	O
—	O
and	O
use	O
them	O
to	O
fight	O
rogue	O
psyches	O
born	O
from	O
humanity	O
's	O
collective	O
unconsciousness	O
called	O
Shadows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arena	O
Ultimax	O
takes	O
place	O
a	O
few	O
days	O
after	O
the	O
ending	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
set	O
three	O
months	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
and	O
two	O
years	O
after	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Arena	O
Ultimax	O
begins	O
when	O
Inaba	O
,	O
the	O
central	O
location	O
for	O
both	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
and	O
Arena	O
,	O
is	O
covered	O
by	O
a	O
red	O
fog	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
previous	O
game	O
's	O
otherworldly	O
fighting	O
tournament	O
returns	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
P-1	O
Climax	O
"	O
,	O
seeping	O
into	O
the	O
real	O
world	O
and	O
warping	O
Inaba	O
with	O
replicas	O
of	O
locations	O
from	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
is	O
split	O
into	O
two	O
parallel	O
narratives	O
following	O
the	O
Investigation	O
Team	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
(	O
Yu	O
Narukami	O
,	O
Yosuke	O
Hanamura	O
,	O
Chie	O
Satonaka	O
,	O
Yukiko	O
Amagi	O
,	O
Kanji	O
Tatsumi	O
,	O
Rise	O
Kujikawa	O
,	O
Naoto	O
Shirogane	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
friendly	O
Shadow-like	O
entity	O
Teddie	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
friends	O
who	O
investigated	O
a	O
serial	O
murder	O
case	O
involving	O
the	O
TV	O
World	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
Shadow	O
Operatives	O
(	O
Aigis	O
,	O
Mitsuru	O
Kirijo	O
,	O
Akihiko	O
Sanada	O
,	O
Yukari	O
Takeba	O
,	O
Junpei	O
Iori	O
,	O
Fuuka	O
Yamagishi	O
,	O
Ken	O
Amada	O
and	O
the	O
dog	O
Koromaru	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
covert	O
group	O
formed	O
by	O
former	O
SEES	O
members	O
from	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
to	O
fight	O
Shadows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
protagonists	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
are	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
protagonist	O
Narukami	O
—	O
a	O
character	O
blessed	O
with	O
the	O
"	O
Wild	O
Card	O
"	O
power	O
to	O
summon	O
multiple	O
Personas	O
;	O
and	O
Labrys	O
,	O
an	O
Anti-Shadow	O
weapon	O
allied	O
with	O
the	O
Shadow	O
Operatives	O
introduced	O
in	O
Arena	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
characters	O
in	O
the	O
narrative	O
and	O
DLC	B-Protocol
gameplay	O
are	O
Tohru	O
Adachi	O
,	O
a	O
central	O
antagonist	O
in	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
;	O
Marie	O
,	O
a	O
character	O
introduced	O
in	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Golden	O
;	O
and	O
Margaret	O
and	O
Elizabeth	O
,	O
attendants	O
from	O
the	O
metaphysical	O
Velvet	O
Room	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Feeling	O
lost	O
due	O
to	O
only	O
knowing	O
how	O
to	O
fight	O
,	O
Sho	O
eventually	O
settled	O
in	O
Inaba	O
,	O
where	O
he	O
observed	O
the	O
Investigation	O
Team	O
solving	B-Application
the	I-Application
serial	I-Application
kidnapping/murder	I-Application
case	I-Application
in	O
secret	O
,	O
believing	O
that	O
they	O
might	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
understand	O
him	O
,	O
only	O
to	O
give	O
up	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
Ultimax	I-Application
was	O
co-developed	O
by	O
Persona	O
series	O
creator	O
Atlus	O
,	O
and	O
fighting	O
game	O
developer	O
Arc	O
System	O
Works	O
,	O
featuring	O
several	O
returning	O
staff	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
included	O
Persona	O
series	O
producer	O
Katsura	O
Hashino	O
and	O
director	O
Kazuhisa	O
Wada	O
from	O
Atlus	O
;	O
and	O
producers	O
Takumi	O
Iguchiya	O
and	O
Toshimichi	O
Mori	O
,	O
and	O
director	O
Seiji	O
Fukumoto	O
from	O
the	O
BlazBlue	B-Application
production	O
unit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
earlier	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
cast	O
inclusions	O
,	O
the	O
new	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
characters	O
were	O
given	O
redesigns	O
reflecting	O
their	O
personal	O
evolution	O
leading	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Arena	O
Ultimax	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
online	O
lobby	O
avatars	O
used	O
the	O
chibi-style	O
character	O
models	O
from	O
Persona	B-Application
Q	I-Application
:	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Labyrinth	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
then	O
in	O
production	O
at	O
Atlus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
used	O
both	O
original	O
tracks	O
and	O
recycled	O
tracks	O
by	O
Meguro	O
from	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
and	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
opening	O
theme	O
"	O
Break	O
out	O
of	O
...	O
"	O
was	O
performed	O
by	O
singer	O
Shihoko	O
Hirata	O
and	O
rapper	O
Lotus	O
Juice	O
,	O
both	O
returning	O
from	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ending	O
theme	O
"	O
Today	O
"	O
was	O
performed	O
by	O
Persona	B-Application
3	I-Application
singer	O
Yumi	O
Kawamura	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	O
version	O
of	O
Arena	O
Ultimax	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
September	O
2013	O
under	O
its	O
Japanese	O
title	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Ultimax	I-Application
Ultra	I-Application
Suplex	I-Application
Hold	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
released	O
for	O
Taito	B-Application
Type	I-Application
X2	I-Application
arcade	O
models	O
on	O
November	O
28	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
with	O
Atlus	O
publishing	O
the	O
title	O
's	O
opening	O
movie	O
online	O
the	O
following	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
(	O
PS3	B-Operating_System
)	O
port	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
November	O
alongside	O
the	O
mainline	O
entry	O
Persona	B-Application
5	I-Application
,	O
and	O
fellow	O
spin-off	O
titles	O
Persona	B-Application
Q	I-Application
:	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Labyrinth	I-Application
and	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dancing	I-Application
All	I-Application
Night	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mastering	O
of	O
the	O
console	O
release	O
was	O
finished	O
by	O
June	O
2014	O
,	O
with	O
production	O
then	O
focusing	O
on	O
DLC	B-Protocol
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
PS3	B-Operating_System
exclusive	O
on	O
August	O
28	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
Western	O
release	O
for	O
PS3	B-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
along	O
with	O
those	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
Q	I-Application
and	O
Dancing	O
All	O
Night	O
were	O
announced	O
in	O
February	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
each	O
version	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
supported	O
with	O
DLC	B-Protocol
,	O
including	O
the	O
characters	O
Adachi	O
and	O
his	O
associated	O
storyline	O
,	O
Margaret	O
and	O
Marie	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
9	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
announced	O
for	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Windows	O
at	O
The	O
Game	O
Awards	O
2021	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
March	O
17	O
,	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
port	O
includes	O
all	O
previously	O
released	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
the	O
gameplay	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
arcade	O
version	O
's	O
last	O
update	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
Steam	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
versions	O
received	O
support	O
for	O
rollback	O
netcode	O
via	O
a	O
patch	O
released	O
on	O
August	O
5	O
,	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
lobby	O
mode	O
was	O
excluded	O
from	O
the	O
Steam	O
and	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
versions	O
in	O
a	O
similar	O
fashion	O
to	O
its	O
omission	O
from	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
port	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
release	O
,	O
only	O
being	O
made	O
available	O
as	O
a	O
feature	O
in	O
the	O
PS4	B-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
remaster	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
the	O
Steam	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
released	O
alongside	O
a	O
"	O
Midnight	O
Channel	O
Collection	O
"	O
bundle	O
that	O
collects	O
both	O
Arena	O
Ultimax	O
and	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
of	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Golden	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
Ultimax	I-Application
was	O
adapted	O
into	O
a	O
live	O
stage	O
play	O
titled	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Ultimax	O
Song	O
Project	O
and	O
ran	O
from	O
July	O
6	O
to	O
July	O
10	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
at	O
Theater	O
G	O
Rosso	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tohru	O
Adachi	O
and	O
his	O
moveset	O
from	O
this	O
game	O
were	O
converted	O
for	O
use	O
in	O
BlazBlue	B-Application
:	I-Application
Cross	I-Application
Tag	I-Application
Battle	I-Application
,	O
a	O
cross-over	O
with	O
the	O
BlazBlue	B-Application
franchise	O
and	O
various	O
other	O
franchises	O
developed	O
by	O
Arc	O
System	O
Works	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Various	O
other	O
characters	O
movesets	O
also	O
borrow	O
minor	O
elements	O
from	O
their	O
appearances	O
in	O
this	O
game	O
,	O
though	O
they	O
are	O
primarily	O
based	O
on	O
their	O
respective	O
versions	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
Ultimax	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
complimented	O
the	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
fighting	O
system	O
,	O
graphics	O
,	O
rebalanced	O
characters	O
,	O
and	O
declared	O
that	O
there	O
was	O
"	O
even	O
more	O
nuance	O
for	O
intermediate	O
and	O
advanced	O
players	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
Ultimax	O
was	O
"	O
100%	O
the	O
sequel	O
that	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
deserved.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Hardcore	O
Gamer	O
gave	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
4/5	O
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
In	O
terms	O
of	O
fighting	O
mechanics	O
,	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
Ultimax	I-Application
does	O
n't	O
go	O
leaps	O
and	O
bounds	O
past	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
but	O
allows	O
for	O
growth	O
that	O
helps	O
strengthen	O
the	O
experience.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Slant	O
Magazine	O
wrote	O
that	O
Ultimax	O
"	O
not	O
only	O
refines	O
(	O
and	O
sometimes	O
rebalances	O
)	O
the	O
gameplay	O
from	O
Persona	B-Application
4	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
,	O
but	O
vastly	O
expands	O
it	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
Shadow	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
add	O
"	O
new	O
layers	O
without	O
upsetting	O
or	O
unbalancing	O
any	O
of	O
the	O
foundational	O
gameplay.	O
"	O
</s>
