I just started getting into the MegaTen series (Started with SMT IV, then Persona Q, and am now working on Persona 3) and am loving it so far. I read through the FAQ but would still like to read some recommendations on what games to start next that aren't P4.
Likes
One of my favorite aspects about the franchise so far is how it touches upon various themes spread throughout the games. I especially liked those found in the Chaos Route of SMT IV as well as the ones towards the end of PQ.
Demon/Persona fusing has also been a blast. It feels incredibly rewarding in all three games to combine and produce stronger Demons/Personas as well as finally producing a well-balanced team.
I wasn't expecting how dark the games would turn out (SMT IV definitely more so than PQ), but damn, I absolutely loved it. I'm also a sucker for additional endings so finally seeing the end of the Law/Chaos/Neutral routes was quite enjoyable.
For the most part, I have enjoyed the characters as well as the character interactions from all the games so far (Even minor dialogue such as those found in boss fights really add to the charm of a game).
Flynn gives me a Gordan Freeman-ish vibe as far as silent protagonists go and I really enjoyed how different and dyanmic Walter and Jonathan were to each other (Especially in terms of their conflicting ideals).
For PQ, I especially loved most of the PQ cast as well as their interactions, and found them to be quite charming and entertaining despite never having played P3 or P4. After getting part way through P3, I can see how characters like Protein-San Akihiko got the short end of the stick in terms of characterization in PQ. However, I don't see this as a bad thing since now I won't be disappointed by his characterization when I'm playing through P3. I honestly would rather miss out on a few jokes and references than see one of my favorite characters toned down in terms of characterization.
The music for PQ has definitely been one of the better gaming-OSTs I've listened to these past few months, additionally, the boss theme in SMT IV has to be one of my favorite boss tracks out there.
Neutral
I felt fairly neutral on the combat system of all the games so far and don't really prefer one or the other.
Exploration. Again, I cannot say I have a strong preference for the more free-roaming style of SMT IV/P3 versus the dungeon crawling aspect of PQ. The main areas you navigate are typically narrow and labyrinth-like anyways that the exploration never 'felt' signficantly different from each other.
Social Links. At first I found these to be incredibly annoying and cumbersome because the game had me interact with characters I did not care about. I'm starting to grow on some of them, but I would still much rather be able to develop Social Links with all of the party members instead (Because I picked the male MC, I can't develop links with Junpei or Akihiko for instance).
Dislikes
I really don't like how if your protagonist dies in P3, the game ends. It is such a shitty feeling to get chained with critical attacks or to get struck down by a random Persona with Hama or Mudo. Yes it doesn't happen much, but it still sucks when it does.
Game balance. Since I'm still a newbie I might have no idea what I'm talking about but it seems that the game balance in SMT IV and PQ seemed off. Magic seemed so much stronger than Physical/Gun in SMT IV while it was the opposite in PQ. You could also cheese most enemies after Naoto (With absurd Agility and Luck) learns Mahama/Mamudo + Impure Reach.
Now, since I've played through Persona Q I will definitely put Persona 4 in my back log of games, however, it won't be immediately available so I'm looking into getting into other games in the SMT series.
I currently have access to a DS, 3DS, PSP, and PS4 (Not sure if there would be anything on PSN). Additionally, I would also prefer to avoid emulation if possible.
Sorry for the wall of text and thanks for reading!