I preface this review with chance confession – this is my first Persona game, and I’ve never particularly been a fan of the style of games (heck, even anime) that Persona seems to borrow so liberally from. Despite this, I sit here after spending so much time with Persona 5, the latest game in the series. Blown away. Surprised. Amazed I managed to see through the melodrama and enjoy it for what it was. But I did. That’s because Persona 5 is a game you absolutely should try.
Persona sees you playing as the nameless (well, you can name him) protagonist who is transferred to Shujin Academy in Japan following an altercation with the law. There, he meets up with a group of students who eventually become aware that the world they’re living in is more corrupt than they would seem. After a mysterious app appears on their phone, the students can enter the subconscious of the corrupt people in their society and unravel their thoughts to not only protect themselves but the world as well.
Persona 5 is different to other role playing games. In it, you divide your time between managing the priorities and day-to-day tasks of a high school student; and exploring abstract worlds in pursuit of your treasure and goals. A good Persona player will balance real world activities like building bonds with friends, various hobbies and studying for exams with relentless dungeon crawling, battling and equipment developing. An even better player will realise, on their first run especially, that you can’t do everything you’ll want to do. Art imitates life, it seems.
Improving relationships with your friends, known as Confidantes, has a huge effect on your playthrough. A loyal friend will be more useful in battle, and may even grant special abilities elsewhere. One confidante can remain in the real world, even when you choose to go dungeon crawling, and carry out busy work for you, freeing up your time to do something else. Others can open customisation options for your persona and your weapons. Some can provide access to unique but helpful equipment. There’s about 19 or so Confidantes to woo in the game, some romantically, but all offer great ways to improve your experience.
As an example, working in the Flower Shop improves Kindness while chilling at the Bath House improves Charm. Social Skills affect a lot in Persona 5 – whether certain people will talk to you, what dialogue options you’ll be able to choose and how well you do in certain situations. They’re just as important as the dungeon crawling and battling you’ll do in the metaverse.
In previous Persona games, the crux of the experience was dungeons that were procedurally generated. You would dive into a dungeon, do as much as you could to advance, before pulling out to recoup and recover. Persona 5 eschews these, instead offering up specifically designed dungeons that revolve around a theme.
In the world of Persona 5, every one of the playable characters has a Persona, a force of some kind that battles for them in the metaverse. Your character is unique in that they can wield more than one Persona in battle. As such, Persona 5’s system is extensive. Like a monstrous version of Pokemon, you’ll be able to capture and tame over 200 different types of Persona to fight alongside you.
Persona 5 is an extraordinarily generous package that brings everything together to offer a storyline that can easily span between eighty to one hundred hours. I mentioned it before, and I’ll say it again here – the experience is largely consistent. The stories are interesting, the battle system never really gets old and the characters are great if not slightly stereotypical. The game does suffer from some major pacing issues (namely through long interludes between the story vignettes) but a game with such a breadth of content holding my interest for so long is to be commended.
Persona 5 is one of the best role playing games that I’ve played in years. It’s both a colourful and psychological journey through student life and the darker side of humanity. Combine this story of intrigue with multiple comprehensive systems that are all a joy to get lost in and you’ve got something truly special. While some minor pacing issues and some rigidity with how time is managed bring the experience down somewhat, Persona 5 is a game that everybody should play.
The PlayStation 4 version of this game was played for the purpose of this review. You can read our review policy HERE.