This was my first time playing a Persona or SMT game, and, even though this game has been very prevalent in the gaming zeitgeist, I was coming in with a pretty clean slate. I really only knew general things about the game and a few characters like Joker, Ryuji, and Futaba. The first thing that really hit me about the game was just how stylish it is. It opens mid casino heist, and gliding around the first section of the game felt really cool. It is a fantastic hook that had me immediately interested in the game and its presentation, especially because I was a bit apprehensive about what the gameplay might entail. The music, art style, and animations are fantastic throughout and add so much to the experience. Stuff like showtime moves, ziplining, bouncing between cover, and ambushing enemies all work together to create a cool infiltration vibe.

As such, I had a great time infiltrating the first palace of the game. Everything was very fresh, and learning the mechanics felt natural. The battle system is pretty neat. There are so many layers to it that build as you play the game, and I slowly improved with it as the game went on. I also changed the way I interacted with battles as my priorities changed which was cool that there is a lot of flexibility in the system. The bosses were pretty cool, especially late game. The music once again adds a lot to this, but they also challenge you to adapt your playstyle to them which is cool. After the first palace and a half, I did start to get a bit bored by the mid-game dungeons. The keepers are soooo boring early on. They are literally just "Im Mr. big bad evil man and I hate people and love money and hurting people." It hurts the overall vibe of the dungeon and especially the bosses when they are so dense. I was also a bit disappointed by how similar they felt outside of theming. I guess I wish there were more to it than that which they did fix in the later dungeons. I really enjoyed Shidos Palace and especially the final royal palace. Those implemented new ideas and story beats that made it feel like I wasn't just killing a bunch of shadows in a different font.

On the story side of things, I have mixed feelings. Like I said I really don't like the majority of the villains in this game. They are super dense and are just evil to be evil. This makes most of the central conflicts pretty lame until the late game. The characters are okay, really hit or miss. I like most of the party members and it's neat to learn about them for the most part. Some of them I really do not like much at all though. Haru and Yuske are especially cringe. On the plus side, I really like Ryuji, Sojiro, Maruki, and Sumire as characters. The social sim part of the game is decent. Nothing life-changing, but I think it's kinda fun to juggle relationships, priorities, school, work, and momentos visits.

For me, P5R was starting to lose its luster around Sae's palace as it was getting a bit samey and the story wasn't hooking me as much. However, everything after that saved the experience. The dungeons get better. The stakes get higher. The story improves, and the bosses get way more exciting. The Royal post-game alone probably added a star to my score. It is so good and stands out when lined up next to the rest of the dungeons. The palace keeper is so good. He is a dynamic character that you get to know and sympathize with throughout the dungeon. The music and style is immaculate, as they create an aura that feels unique and needed for the post-game of a 100-hour game. They revived my mixed feelings about Akechi's stupid motivations in the base game by making him a deranged goat. The final boss and ending were superb as well.

Overall, I enjoyed P5R. It's got fantastic vision, style, and flare. It has solid RPG elements and dungeons. Its story and characters are hit or miss, but, by the end, I felt connected to them.