Unlocking all the story content in Persona 4 Golden can be a minefield. One wrong move and you’ll be missing out on both additional story and gameplay. Problem is that if you start looking this kind of stuff up then it probably won’t be long before you’ve ruined the surprises, and you might still be confused about what exactly you need to do (especially as a lot of guides only cover the unlocks for the PS2 version of Persona 4). So here it is, a spoiler free guide that will make sure you get the most out of Persona 4: Golden on your first playthrough.
Before we continue I’m going to outline the different things that can be unlocked, as it’s going to be a bit confusing if you don’t know that the ‘true ending’ and ‘epilogue’ are completely different things. Here are the four main things you’ll probably want to do and won’t want to miss:
Hollow Forrest: By maxing out Marie’s social link you’ll unlock an extra dungeon (which is super hard) as well as some additional story. This is well worth doing, and all this content is exclusive to the PS Vita version of the game.
True Ending: Right before the end of the game you need to talk to everyone who’s social links you have maxed out. At this point you’ll need to make a few strange choices (details below) which result in both a bit more gameplay and an extended ending.
Super Secret Boss: This is only available on a second playthrough, and requires you to max out Margaret’s social link. The boss this unlocks is by far the toughest challenge in the game and can be easily missed. To face it you’ll need to do an additional step whilst going down the path towards the true ending.
Epilogue: Another exclusive to Persona 4: Golden, the epilogue is additional story that takes place after the true ending. To unlock this (and you really should, it’s great) you need to complete both the Hollow Forrest and achieve the True Ending. You don’t however have to fight the super secret boss, which is handy as it means you can do this on your first playthrough.
So here’s what you need to do:
1) Max out the correct social links. That means Marie for the Hollow Forrest and Margaretfor the secret boss. Marie’s social link can be unlocked on or after April 18th by talking to her in the Velvet Room. You can then spend time with her on Wednesday and Weekends, although you can’t get past rank 5 until July 24th or after. This has to be completed by the end of the year, but don’t worry if you think you’ll run out of time as she becomes available every day once you reach December. If you’re going after Margaretfor the extra boss you will need to be on your second playthrough, so should already know what you need to do.
1.5) Or at least max out ONE social link. If you can’t be bothered with the Hollow Forrest but still want the true ending then make sure you max out at least one social link or you won’t be able to unlock it. This is pretty easy though and shouldn’t cause you much trouble.
2) Complete the Hollow Forrest. Most other guides seem to break this down into three or four steps, but there really is no need. As long as you max out Marie’s social link you have nothing to worry about; you won’t miss this extra dungeon. There are a few extra scenes in January and then in mid February Margaret will summon you…
3) DON’T get the regular ending. When you get near to the end of the game the easiest mistake you can make is to go home once you have spoken to everyone (which will get you the regular ending). This happens on the 20th of March, when you go into town and have to speak to everyone who’s social links you have maxed out. Once you have done this the game will ask you if you want to ‘return to your house and get ready for tomorrow’, and you need to say NO.
4) Search for the truth. Next go to Junes where you’ll be again told to return to your house. Select ‘NO’, ‘I’m not finished yet’ and then ‘Yes’. Finally chose ‘there’s something missing’and watch the scene that follows. After that head to the riverbank and talk with the characters you meet there.
5) Go to the Velvet Room (twice). Next go to the Velvet Room to receive a special item from Igor. If you want to face the super secret second-playthrough-only boss then as soon as you leave turn around and go back into the Velvet room whereMargaret will give you another item.
6) Speak to the woman. I won’t say who, it would ruin it, but at this point it should be obvious what to do next.
7) Super Secret Boss fight. Now is the point where you can fight the secret boss. The item Margaret has given you tells you where to go. Good luck for this one, you’ll need it.
8) Search for... Either after you’ve spoken to the man or after you’ve fought the super secret boss you will be ready for the final part of the game. Speak to Rise and chose ‘Search for…’. The rest is self explanatory.
9) Enjoy the extended ending. Seriously, it’s mind blowing how much amazing content has been hidden away at the end of Persona 4: Golden. If you’ve followed these steps so far then there’s nothing left to worry about, there’s nothing you can miss out on now so enjoy the rest of the game!
And that’s it. If you’d like you can check out my full review of the game here, there’s also an anime based on Persona 4 that I’d thoroughly recommend (full review here).
Finally, once you’ve mastered the game be sure to check out my own thoughts on the ending, although beware, if you’re not yet done with the story then this post has major spoilers!
