This review contains spoilers
This game surprised the hell outta me. Persona 5 Royal is my favorite game of all time and all I really wanted from this game was a memorable adventure with the Phantom Thieves and it delivered and then some.
The story isn't as good as it's predecessors but I really like it for what it is. The beginning three Jails in this game will remind P5 fans of similar situations in the main game. A lot of people didn't like this because it felt too similar but I personally I love it. I think it was a really intelligent move because we've seen these characters have grown and get to see more of that side in this game. With Alice's Jail we get to see that she's not gonna back down and let people be manipulated and hurt after her experiences with Kamoshida. With Natsume's Jail you get to see Yusuke being reminded of his troubled time with Madarame but he eventually overcomes that and gives Natsume a harsh lesson. Not telling him to give up on writing but try again and make something you can truly be proud of. I really liked this part of the game because Yusuke's character shines so brightly here. I wasn't the biggest Yusuke guy in Royal, I didn't hate him or anything but I didn't have a strong feeling about him. Then to top it all off it has a banger boss fight.
In Mariko's Jail, Haru finally gets the spotlight she has deserved for so long and only made me love her even more. I love that Mariko has a history with Haru and you get to learn more about her past. Another thing I like is that the game isn't afraid to talk about Okumura, Haru's dad. In general the game does that very well which I appreciate since some spin-offs don't like referencing the source material very weirdly.
After that it's the obligatory Beach episode which was pretty fun. After that there's a cool scene where all the residents of Okinawa are out with pitchforks looking for the gang which was really eerie but also really funny in retrospect. The atmosphere was just great. Anyways the Jail is quite short but you start learning more about the games mysteries so it was nice to get some answers. The final boss of this area was pretty underwhelming but we did get that now iconic moment with Ryuji finally saying Fuck out loud, so that was pretty hype.
After this is one of the most memorable passages of the game. Akane, Zenkichi's daughter's Jail. This was just executed so damn well. From Zenkichi and Akane having a real heart to heart moment trying to figure out where it all went wrong to the final boss where we fight shadow versions of ourselves. It was just amazing. I love when Futaba and Zenkichi have to storm the Jail by themselves since the rest of the Phantom Thieves were caught it was just really cool. Zenkichi's awakening was also badass.
After this is another high point in the game. Akira Konoe's Jail. This was just a blast through and through. The theme and setting of the Jail is really great and iconic. In my opinion Konoe's is one of p5's best villains, he was just so memorable and a great character. Now I do like Shido but I feel like this is what Shido should've been. Shido is ultimately a mustache twirling villain which isn't necessarily a bad thing but a little bit disappointing as a final boss. The mech fight with Konoe is awesome but that's not even the best part. The next part of the battle opens with Konoe's mech blowing up but he manages to get out and walks away from the explosion Power Rangers Style and it fits so well thematically and is just badass, especially with Counterstrike starting up at the same time with Lyn killing it. It's just such an incredibly hype moment. Overall this was my favorite part of the game by far.
The last two dungeons were really short and just meant to wrap up the story. From a gameplay point of view they're extremely disappointing with them being very short but just filled to the brim with enemies, no puzzle to solve just a straight shot to your destination. From a story point of view it's quite good. You find out Ichinose is the creator of Sophia (who didn't predict that) and fight God Emma which was actually really cool. The final boss for this game is just awesome with every single party member playing some sort of role to bring down the big bad. I also really like the final blow cutscene as opposed to P5 Vanilla or P5R. In those two it's just Joker dealing the final blow but here everyone comes together to do a combo attack and was just hype.
The characters new and old are all pretty good in this game. Everybody has their moment some are big some are small but they do get it. Ann has the Alice arc, Yusuke has the Natsume arc, Haru has the Mariko arc, Futaba has her moment when she and Zenkichi raid the Kyoto Jail, Zenkichi has his own with the Akane arc, Sophia has hers with the penultimate Jail, Makoto has hers with Zenkichi as she frequently explained how Akane might be feeling having been in a similar position, Morgana and Ryuji both have theirs in the Okinawa Jail where they defend Sophia and pop off on the warden.
Zenkichi is a big favorite of mine and Sophia was another wonderful addition. Ichinose and Konoe are both top tier villains.
The music bangs in classic Persona 5 fashion with Lyn especially popping off. The opening theme "You are Stronger" was stuck in my head during the long months we were waiting for this game and rightly so. The Voice Acting is really good with special mention for Zenkichi and Sophia's VA. Zenkichi's personality popped off the screen and Sophia progressively sounds less and less robotic which was a nice touch and this is especially apparent during her confrontation with Ichinose. The only issue with the audio is some of the mixing. I realize that recording had to be done during the Pandemic with everyone having different home studios but it can be a little jarring. Sometimes Ryuji is going at full blast but I can barely hear Morgana. Nothing major given the circumstances but a little off putting.
This was my first experience with a Musou game and I loved it. It was a wonderful collaboration with the traditional Musou formula mixed with the turn based combat of Persona. The level design was very fun and open. Lot of very nice combos and movement options. Overall I had a good time with it and I'm interested in getting into some other games of this genre.
This was an extremely memorable Summer with the Phantom Thieves and I'm glad I played this game. Made me love some of my favorite characters even more while introducing me to new ones. It had very satisfying gameplay and made me appreciate a new genre.
9/10
The story isn't as good as it's predecessors but I really like it for what it is. The beginning three Jails in this game will remind P5 fans of similar situations in the main game. A lot of people didn't like this because it felt too similar but I personally I love it. I think it was a really intelligent move because we've seen these characters have grown and get to see more of that side in this game. With Alice's Jail we get to see that she's not gonna back down and let people be manipulated and hurt after her experiences with Kamoshida. With Natsume's Jail you get to see Yusuke being reminded of his troubled time with Madarame but he eventually overcomes that and gives Natsume a harsh lesson. Not telling him to give up on writing but try again and make something you can truly be proud of. I really liked this part of the game because Yusuke's character shines so brightly here. I wasn't the biggest Yusuke guy in Royal, I didn't hate him or anything but I didn't have a strong feeling about him. Then to top it all off it has a banger boss fight.
In Mariko's Jail, Haru finally gets the spotlight she has deserved for so long and only made me love her even more. I love that Mariko has a history with Haru and you get to learn more about her past. Another thing I like is that the game isn't afraid to talk about Okumura, Haru's dad. In general the game does that very well which I appreciate since some spin-offs don't like referencing the source material very weirdly.
After that it's the obligatory Beach episode which was pretty fun. After that there's a cool scene where all the residents of Okinawa are out with pitchforks looking for the gang which was really eerie but also really funny in retrospect. The atmosphere was just great. Anyways the Jail is quite short but you start learning more about the games mysteries so it was nice to get some answers. The final boss of this area was pretty underwhelming but we did get that now iconic moment with Ryuji finally saying Fuck out loud, so that was pretty hype.
After this is one of the most memorable passages of the game. Akane, Zenkichi's daughter's Jail. This was just executed so damn well. From Zenkichi and Akane having a real heart to heart moment trying to figure out where it all went wrong to the final boss where we fight shadow versions of ourselves. It was just amazing. I love when Futaba and Zenkichi have to storm the Jail by themselves since the rest of the Phantom Thieves were caught it was just really cool. Zenkichi's awakening was also badass.
After this is another high point in the game. Akira Konoe's Jail. This was just a blast through and through. The theme and setting of the Jail is really great and iconic. In my opinion Konoe's is one of p5's best villains, he was just so memorable and a great character. Now I do like Shido but I feel like this is what Shido should've been. Shido is ultimately a mustache twirling villain which isn't necessarily a bad thing but a little bit disappointing as a final boss. The mech fight with Konoe is awesome but that's not even the best part. The next part of the battle opens with Konoe's mech blowing up but he manages to get out and walks away from the explosion Power Rangers Style and it fits so well thematically and is just badass, especially with Counterstrike starting up at the same time with Lyn killing it. It's just such an incredibly hype moment. Overall this was my favorite part of the game by far.
The last two dungeons were really short and just meant to wrap up the story. From a gameplay point of view they're extremely disappointing with them being very short but just filled to the brim with enemies, no puzzle to solve just a straight shot to your destination. From a story point of view it's quite good. You find out Ichinose is the creator of Sophia (who didn't predict that) and fight God Emma which was actually really cool. The final boss for this game is just awesome with every single party member playing some sort of role to bring down the big bad. I also really like the final blow cutscene as opposed to P5 Vanilla or P5R. In those two it's just Joker dealing the final blow but here everyone comes together to do a combo attack and was just hype.
The characters new and old are all pretty good in this game. Everybody has their moment some are big some are small but they do get it. Ann has the Alice arc, Yusuke has the Natsume arc, Haru has the Mariko arc, Futaba has her moment when she and Zenkichi raid the Kyoto Jail, Zenkichi has his own with the Akane arc, Sophia has hers with the penultimate Jail, Makoto has hers with Zenkichi as she frequently explained how Akane might be feeling having been in a similar position, Morgana and Ryuji both have theirs in the Okinawa Jail where they defend Sophia and pop off on the warden.
Zenkichi is a big favorite of mine and Sophia was another wonderful addition. Ichinose and Konoe are both top tier villains.
The music bangs in classic Persona 5 fashion with Lyn especially popping off. The opening theme "You are Stronger" was stuck in my head during the long months we were waiting for this game and rightly so. The Voice Acting is really good with special mention for Zenkichi and Sophia's VA. Zenkichi's personality popped off the screen and Sophia progressively sounds less and less robotic which was a nice touch and this is especially apparent during her confrontation with Ichinose. The only issue with the audio is some of the mixing. I realize that recording had to be done during the Pandemic with everyone having different home studios but it can be a little jarring. Sometimes Ryuji is going at full blast but I can barely hear Morgana. Nothing major given the circumstances but a little off putting.
This was my first experience with a Musou game and I loved it. It was a wonderful collaboration with the traditional Musou formula mixed with the turn based combat of Persona. The level design was very fun and open. Lot of very nice combos and movement options. Overall I had a good time with it and I'm interested in getting into some other games of this genre.
This was an extremely memorable Summer with the Phantom Thieves and I'm glad I played this game. Made me love some of my favorite characters even more while introducing me to new ones. It had very satisfying gameplay and made me appreciate a new genre.
9/10
1 Comment
Idk bro, you're lookin' kinda sussy. I hope any bitches you have don't turn out to be the imposter.
Trollface
Trollface
asparagus
2 years ago