So question for the Persona fans of this thread
When I get to Persona 3 (which won't be for a while), which version should I go for? Reload would be my go-to since it looks beautiful and probably has a bunch of quality of life improvements but I heard some murmurs about the story being hurt so idk
The main story is perfectly intact - it's actually even better than the original with male party members and some side characters getting their own social link-like side stories that flesh them out. The epilogue, however, is DLC and you need to buy it (though it's not necessary to enjoy the main story).
You'll mainly be missing out on the female protagonist option that only Persona 3 Portable. The game is also a lot easier, especially once you unlock the limit break type attacks for your party. A lot of people argue that the game's presentation doesn't quite capture the original but that's a divisive topic.
TLDR: it's the most accessible and polished version of P3 but keep in mind that it doesn't
completely replace the original games. I say go play Reloa and you can always check out Portable when it's on sale if you're really invested in it.