If there's one thing that can increase my hype for this game is a RPGFan (the best review site for RPGs) review that gives a high score. This game is gonna be epic, I know it.

http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/persona4/index.html

The last paragraph of the review:

When reflecting on the current trend in the game industry, the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind, particularly in the east. With Nintendo being the sole exception, console makers, developers, and publishers are all focused on "better technology" without considering "better experiences" in gaming, and "innovation" has become an all-too-commonly misinterpreted term.

Atlus is one company that has never settled for such complacency. Among the cookie-cutter sequels and half-hearted remakes, Persona 4 is a near flawless example of the perfect balance between "falling back on what works" and "pushing the genre forward." That said, I wholeheartedly recommend it as one of the best RPG experiences of the year.

I need December 9th to come soon

It's weird, but I've always thought of RPG fans in general (and RPGfan in particular) as the worst sources of opinion on RPGs.

(three guesses as to why)

Awesome!!! I can't wait. I wonder if it could be as good as FES?

@Khuutra

I disagree. I feel that the most avid fans of the genre give the best review, comparatively.

I think the critics in general are unfair to a lot of rpgs and in particular, jrpgs.

I don't think that is a myth. I think it is a generally accepted truth, and I think the numbers prove it.

RPG fansites are the ones who said FFIV DS didn't live up to its potential, and needed more FMVs to obtain the "cinematic feeling" that the story "deserved". That its "cartoonish graphics" betrayed the game's "roots".

Now you explain to me how that makes any sense whatsoever.

(hint1: the other reason has to do with something in my profile)

RPGFan aren't always reliable. They gave Lost Odyssey a 75% when I think that game deserves an 85%. Even so, they aren't the first ones to say that Persona 4 is awesome(that title belongs to 1UP). Western critics seem to like Persona 3 and 4 more than Japanese critics.

Of course they aren't flawless (they overrated Dragon Quest VIII and Kingdom Hearts I) but in general they do reviews that are pretty similar to my tastes (for example, they are one of the few sites that gave Suikoden V the score it deserves, in the high 90's), so I tend to trust them,  and I know that they review according to what a JRPG player wants, they won't rate down a game "because it has too many cutscenes" or because it has random battles" like a more general gaming site would

I'm very impressed by what I read especially when they described it "Persona 3, but better." The story got a 95%. Very nice. Also that reviewer gave Persona 3 FES a 90%. I'm very excited for this game..

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Persona 4 CAN'T be RPG of the year, u didn't hear? Starcraft said Fable 2 is

The random battle complaint is more valid than you think.  A lot of the JRPGs with random battles tend to have high encounter rate.  I find it more tolerable in LO because the encounter rate in that game is low.

Sorta off topic, but I recently took notice of Persona... should I play 1 & 2 before 3? Are the games related in any way?