Persona 5: Will Steal Your Time and Heart

It is quite possible that you have not heard anything about the Japanese role-playing game series Persona, more specifically, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona. After all, all the numbered parts and numerous spin-offs have always been exclusive games for PlayStation consoles. It’s not to say that the series is insanely popular, it’s not Call of Duty after all, but it does have its own small army of loyal fans. They had to wait a whopping 8 years for the creators to develop a full-fledged new installment.

And in 2016, Atlus studio finally “gave birth” to the long-awaited fifth part, and it was so successful that many fans quickly dubbed it one of the most successful in the series. However, if you decided to get acquainted with the series specifically with Persona 5, don’t expect the developers to have laid everything out specifically for newcomers. It’s normal if even after playing for a few hours, you still don’t fully understand what’s going on, what they want from you, and how to play it at all. According to most players, the “entry threshold” for the game is at least 20 hours. So be prepared with time and patience, you’ll have to sweat to see what the whole “essence” is. But if you figure it out and get into it, then most likely, you won’t be able to tear yourself away from this interesting and kind of unique game.

Of course, if you have ever played other Persona games, understanding the mechanics and gameplay features will be much easier. However, the characters and story are completely new and hardly connected to the previous parts, so anyone will eventually figure out the plot twists.

Just like in other games of the series, the player takes on the role of an Ordinary Japanese High School Student. In fact, you are free to name the main character as you wish. Your hero is a newcomer in the upper classes of a Japanese school in Tokyo, and his friends are also OJHSs.

But in practice, it turns out that each of the main and supporting characters hides a secret that can’t be called ordinary. For example, your protagonist has a “dark” criminal past, and among their best friends are a young girl named Anna with a bunch of complexes, a local athlete and punk rocker named Ryuki, and a talking cat named Morgana. By the way, she is just an exemplary sidekick.

However, let’s not deprive you of the pleasure of independently following the unpredictable plot, which will include teenage complexes, bloody crimes, and mystical secrets. And oh, the Characters you will have to deal with! You will be delighted by both the design and the reception. And you will simply want to stroll through daytime Tokyo, without any particular reason, because it is so beautiful.

By the way, the suddenly appearing Blue Room still scares and surprises with its strange tenants.

Two lifes

Persona has always focused on the social aspect, so if you are not inclined to communicate and listen to numerous lines of dialogue from characters and NPCs, it’s better not to even start playing. The fifth installment, as usual, divides the life of the main character into two parts. From sunrise to sunset, you will have to play the role of a high school student: attending school, interacting with friends, completing homework, and socializing in various ways. Your “night life” directly depends on this, which is much more interesting than the daytime.

At night, you and your friends become a sort of superhero squad, traveling through different dimensions to fight universal evil. As an advantage in numerous battles with demons, you will use certain creatures – Personas, which “feed” off your social connections and personal abilities. Therefore, if you “level up” your brain by reading and attending scientific circles, you will only have access to Personas from a specific Arcana of Knowledge, and you will have to unlock others. Therefore, it is logical to participate in various social activities, or at least try to “level up” multiple skills simultaneously. It will definitely come in handy in battle.

And if before this you thought that Persona 5 had nothing to do with classic JRPGs, then the combat system will prove you wrong. During the night, the player will have to wander through intricate dungeon mazes – typical dungeons with respawning enemies, hidden loot, checkpoints in specific locations, and turn-based battles. Also, at the end of each dungeon, a boss will be waiting for you, and it is advisable to defeat them before sunrise. Otherwise, you will have to start clearing the same dungeon again the next night.

Since saving progress in the dungeons is quite rare, we advise you to stock up on supplies, upgrade your weapons and armor, and prepare for hours of wandering.

There are two ways to engage in confrontation with enemies: by sneaking up or by acting “head-on”. In the first case, you will have the advantage of being able to strike first, while in the second case, the chances will be equal. Thus, numerous battles become diverse and unpredictable. Especially if you are careless, enemies can set up an ambush and attack you from the corner unnoticed. In this case, the risk of losing significantly increases.

The developers have also provided a scenario for those who do not want to fight. In this case, you can bypass enemies, although it is not recommended to do it too often – “leveling up” in battle plays a crucial role.

It is quite rare for modern RPG games that you will have to use your brain during combat. You can’t just mash the “X” button (cough-cough, Final Fantasy XV, ahem-ahem). It is necessary to compare the abilities of the available Characters and the weaknesses of the opponents, which need to be determined beforehand either through a special ability or by constantly experimenting. In other words, one must use their brain before making a choice in favor of a particular Character. A wonderful way to diversify numerous battles.

The verdict

Pros

• A familiar plot twist that doesn’t become outdated, but, on the contrary, allows you to instantly immerse yourself in the gameplay.
• beautiful animated videos;
• magnificent social component, unparalleled.
• Looks amazing.
• smart combat system
• crazy, in a good sense of the word.

Cons

• It takes a lot of time to “pump up”.
• It can be very hardcore, especially in the second half.

Persona 5, despite its universality, will not appeal to every player. There can be many reasons for this, whether it’s the long prologue, numerous dialogues, or the need to socialize and perform repetitive actions. However, there are plenty of reasons to love this game: vibrant characters, an unusual plot, memorable visual style, interesting and multi-level leveling system, numerous and diverse dungeons, various bonuses and easter eggs for fans. The choice, as always, is yours, but Persona 5 definitely deserves attention.

Valeria Sukhanova