Persona 5–which was first released September 2016 in Japan and April 2017 worldwide–made me a fan of the series and is a personal favorite game of mine. How could it not be a favorite after investing over 120 hours into it? And now with less than two months away, Persona 5 Royal will be released on March 31, 2020 in the West, once again charming us with our favorite characters and introducing a new one.
When I first started playing Persona 5, I had no idea what I was getting into; actually backtrack that, I did have somewhat of an idea. The Persona games play like a life simulation; you play as the main protagonist who has gotten himself into a little trouble. Your parents then dump you on a family friend, and from there, you pretty much have to figure out stuff yourself in the heart of Tokyo, Japan. You then go on to meet great characters who become friends and overcome what you feared most.
As you play Persona 5, it reminds you to take your time during every loading screen. That’s exactly what I ended up doing: did I mention I put over 120 hours into this game? Throughout my time with Persona 5, I was talking to everyone, running around town, and completing quirky side objectives, like the burger challenge. Some of my other favorite moments in Persona 5 included buying a video game console to play with your friends (if you invite them over), or even creating lockpicks for your next journey.
I didn’t complete everything in the game, and I did miss a few things that would’ve helped me later on, but I came out on the other end fine and undefeated. Looking back on the series as a whole, Persona 4 was easily one of my favorite games, but Persona 5 quickly stole my heart with its story, gameplay, and its characters. The dialogue and each character’s storylines drew me in and made me want to protect everyone: especially Ryuji more than anyone else, because he is a true definition of a “Ride or Die” friend.
Altus released the first trailers for Persona 5 Royal last year, once again introducing our beloved Phantom Thieves. Watching the trailer for the first time did leave me impatient because I can’t wait to meet Kasumi– the new girl on the block–and from the looks of it, it seems she has a score to settle. Plus, there’s an extra palace tied to her backstory, if there is one thing I love about Persona it’s palaces. The new character Kasumi apparently grows close to the main protagonist, Joker, and Goro Akechi. She can have Akechi, but stay away from my beloved Joker if your intentions are bad.
Aside from the new characters and relationships in store, I can’t wait to hand it to enemies in Persona 5 Royal with all-new featured partner attacks. Partner attacks deal heavy damage to your enemies, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see them executed in Persona 5 Royal, but with a quirky stylish touch.
When Atlus first hinted at an announcement about Persona 5 Royal, I like many others had one thought come to mind: it was coming to the Switch. Of course we were wrong, but I’m still hoping for Persona 5 to make it to the Switch one day. I look at it this way: if The Witcher 3 can come to the Nintendo Switch, then I think so can Persona 5.
Until then, I’m okay with accepting this newer edition of Persona, and honestly, any excuse that allows me to go back and explore Mementos is greatly appreciated. My excitement has only grown the closer we get to the Western release date of Persona 5 Royal. I can’t wait to boot up my PlayStation 4 once again and dive into the world that is Persona all over again. All Persona games have something in common besides taking your time; they have life lessons, incredible music, and characters who you’ll always remember. There’s something about each character that either will have you love them, hate them, or feel sorry for them.
Regardless of how you feel, Persona 5 is a great RPG, and if you haven’t picked it up yet, what are you waiting for? Seriously why has it taken you this long to play it? If not, at least you get to play Persona 5 Royal with all of the extra goodies and updated storyline. I’ll admit I’m a little jealous of those who get to play it for the first time, because you’re sure in for a wonderful treat.
Persona 5 Royal will release in the West for PS4 on March 31, 2020, and you can pre-order it right now over on Amazon.
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