The first time going through I got the bad ending because I didn't know who the perp was. 
How the fuck? It's readily apparent given they show up in the most convenient timing. It's as bad as the infamous Remy don't look, Persona 5 spoiler
"Pancakes."
This was a risky click, because while I got pretty close to the end the first time I played it, I didn't finish plain ole P5. I did get past that reveal though, and on a replay it is pretty funny how bizarre that scene is.
I'm reflecting on P4G, and can't help but feel I missed something when I played it. One of the things I liked about p3 I mentioned already in this thread that the whole thing is thematically and aesthetically super tight. The themes of the game are woven into mechanics, the classes you attend in school, and the overarching plot of the game.
I was reminded of this in P4 when
spoiler (click to show/hide)
The P3 occult teacher guy gives you a lecture about Izanami and Izanagi.
Which i thought was one of the only interesting lectures in the whole game. As the rest are stupid bullshit from a woman dressed as a pharoah and a guy with a fucking handpuppet. I guess most of them are themed around common misconceptions, or gotchas but it feels more like the game is trying to trick you instead of some cool addition to the theme. At least in P5 the lectures are themed around whoever is the current "target" of the PT, or the concepts that show up elsewhere like cognition, which while some are still boring feels better to me than the disjointed lessons in P4.
I get that the game is about finding the truth, but the social links don't really touch around that either beyond stuff like characters should be honest with themselves and not try to be someone they're not. Which is bottom of the barrel grade school story telling stuff. The only ones of these that really worked for me, was Kanji rejecting toxic masculinity and accept that non traditional males are just fine, actually and Naoto vs Gender Conforming Ideals, who is kind of the female version of Kanji's story even if her link is mostly just filler.
The focus on the mystery means that most of the "true" meaning of the story has to obfuscated so the player works it out themselves, which is again, a bummer.
spoiler (click to show/hide)
The first villain reveal is still pretty good because you see that character throughout the game, and it's a bit of an oh shit that makes sense moment. But even then, although his new social link in golden makes it a little clear about what kinda guy he is and explains he's world view better, it still has to keep up the facade that he's a normal person for most of it.
The second one is alright, but it happens SO LATE in the game that it barely leaves anytime to talk about the implications of this person's actions other than skimming it. Isn't it kinda interesting you, adachi and nametame were probably all carrying the "main character" power? The game think it's worth like 1 dialogue box of text lol.
IDK, in general I think the game would have been better without the mystery aspect.
