"You can throw your mask away, no more pretending.
You've been tied down for the longest of the time, be free
You deserve better - you should forever be"
Like the evolution from base Persona 4 to Persona 4 Golden that preceded it, Persona 5 Royal goes above and beyond the original work and crafts the perfected vision of everything it had set out to do originally. It is the "completed work"; the "definitive edition", in every sense of the word. And make no mistake, this is not a criticism of the original game at all. That would be an utterly false conclusion to draw here - P5 was anything but an incomplete or half-finished work of art... My 200+ hours spent within that world alone, would prove otherwise!
If you would have asked me back in 2017, after rolling credits for the first time, I would have gladly given the original P5 a 10/10. It is one of the greatest games I've ever played (see my review of P5 here for more of my thoughts on that version and my pre-release anticipation and hype). P5R is just better in every conceivable way.
So how does one improve one of the greatest JRPGs of all time!? You add new characters, scenarios, a 3rd semester, additions to the dungeons - both the game's many Palaces and to the procedurally generated: Mementos, new boss mechanics, expansion of Tokyo and its locations you can visit, tons of extras - mini-games (I played the Tycoon card game for HOURS, even teaching the rules to family/friends to play with a real deck of cards), artwork, music, etc. and many other quality of life improvements that elevates the game to a whole other level. What this game does with its characters, in particular Akechi, Kasumi, and Maruki as part of the additional content, really adds another layer of depth and complexity to a story that made me think long and hard about it after reaching its conclusion.
Character motivations are strong and really make you think about your own set of values and personal beliefs - at least it did with me... I don't want to go too deep here, as I'll start diving into spoiler territory... but I'll just end this section of my review with this - this game, in its final chapters, presents an interesting philosophical dilemma. It brings forth a challenging retrospection into what really would constitute a perfect society. The paradise we all crave - a utopia free from conflict... with none of the issues that ail our world today? Do we really want such a thing? Do we even deserve it?
This along with the additional music presented in the final moments of the game are beyond spectacular! Persona 5 already had a killer soundtrack, but now you add these bangers to it!? Absolute perfection!
Colors Flying High - it is impossible for me to hear this song without picturing the Phantom Thieves taking the fight back at society - literally smashing up Tokyo with baseball bats, as if the buildings are made of nothing but legos... well, that and the elegant Kasumi dance mid-way through.
Take Over - might be sacrilegious to say this, but I think I prefer this to "Last Surprise". It is just too damn catchy.
Prison Labor - criminally underutilized. Has that dark SMT vibe to it.
Mementos - Lower Layer - those mad lads did it! They fixed the sole issue with the original game... the horrendous Mementos music... It was ingenious for them to turn Mementos essentially into Tartarus from P3, wherein the music changes as you dive further and further in.
Gentle Madman - The Whims of Fate has some competition for best Palace theme now... this song has some definite weight to it. Amazing.
Out of Kindness - this is it... no turning back now, Phantom Thieves...
I Believe - the sequel we didn't know we needed to Life Will Change. I look at this as the Phantom Thieves response to the below song...
Keep Your Faith / Throw Away Your Mask - an antagonist's perspective... I fully empathize with it.
And if it hasn't already been known, Atlus has in my opinion, supplanted itself as king of the JRPG. Gone are the days of the original titans of the industry: Squaresoft or Enix, when Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest reigned supreme - Atlus with its Persona and SMT series have long since taken the mantle, and these recent titles only confirm that fact.
I adore their commitment and overall vision of still creating these epic experiences. All the while, improving upon the turn-based combat formula without fully losing their core identity... and yet, at the same time, not becoming stale and stagnant. I just selfishly wish they made a couple less spin-offs, and we were able to get a couple more mainline entries a bit more often... it is hard for me to believe that we still haven't seen anything on Persona 6 yet as the end of 2023 approaches... but I know that when they finally unveil it, they will blow me away again. Hell, that is if Persona 3 Reload and Metaphor: ReFantazio don't knock my socks off first! Those look incredible based on the short amount I've seen of them thus far.
I just know, that Atlus has earned my respect, and I will continue to support them if they keep producing experiences like this.
In summary, one of the greatest compliments I can give this game, is that it was the title I thought the original game already was: a masterpiece! I didn't know I needed it, but after reaching its ending, I am at a loss at how I could have done without it to begin with. If you haven't jumped on the Persona bandwagon already, you MUST play this game!
Persona 5 Royal is tied with Persona 4 Golden for me (I really cannot choose one over the other - a true 5A/5B situation) as my 5th favorite video game of all time.
You've been tied down for the longest of the time, be free
You deserve better - you should forever be"
Like the evolution from base Persona 4 to Persona 4 Golden that preceded it, Persona 5 Royal goes above and beyond the original work and crafts the perfected vision of everything it had set out to do originally. It is the "completed work"; the "definitive edition", in every sense of the word. And make no mistake, this is not a criticism of the original game at all. That would be an utterly false conclusion to draw here - P5 was anything but an incomplete or half-finished work of art... My 200+ hours spent within that world alone, would prove otherwise!
If you would have asked me back in 2017, after rolling credits for the first time, I would have gladly given the original P5 a 10/10. It is one of the greatest games I've ever played (see my review of P5 here for more of my thoughts on that version and my pre-release anticipation and hype). P5R is just better in every conceivable way.
So how does one improve one of the greatest JRPGs of all time!? You add new characters, scenarios, a 3rd semester, additions to the dungeons - both the game's many Palaces and to the procedurally generated: Mementos, new boss mechanics, expansion of Tokyo and its locations you can visit, tons of extras - mini-games (I played the Tycoon card game for HOURS, even teaching the rules to family/friends to play with a real deck of cards), artwork, music, etc. and many other quality of life improvements that elevates the game to a whole other level. What this game does with its characters, in particular Akechi, Kasumi, and Maruki as part of the additional content, really adds another layer of depth and complexity to a story that made me think long and hard about it after reaching its conclusion.
Character motivations are strong and really make you think about your own set of values and personal beliefs - at least it did with me... I don't want to go too deep here, as I'll start diving into spoiler territory... but I'll just end this section of my review with this - this game, in its final chapters, presents an interesting philosophical dilemma. It brings forth a challenging retrospection into what really would constitute a perfect society. The paradise we all crave - a utopia free from conflict... with none of the issues that ail our world today? Do we really want such a thing? Do we even deserve it?
This along with the additional music presented in the final moments of the game are beyond spectacular! Persona 5 already had a killer soundtrack, but now you add these bangers to it!? Absolute perfection!
Colors Flying High - it is impossible for me to hear this song without picturing the Phantom Thieves taking the fight back at society - literally smashing up Tokyo with baseball bats, as if the buildings are made of nothing but legos... well, that and the elegant Kasumi dance mid-way through.
Take Over - might be sacrilegious to say this, but I think I prefer this to "Last Surprise". It is just too damn catchy.
Prison Labor - criminally underutilized. Has that dark SMT vibe to it.
Mementos - Lower Layer - those mad lads did it! They fixed the sole issue with the original game... the horrendous Mementos music... It was ingenious for them to turn Mementos essentially into Tartarus from P3, wherein the music changes as you dive further and further in.
Gentle Madman - The Whims of Fate has some competition for best Palace theme now... this song has some definite weight to it. Amazing.
Out of Kindness - this is it... no turning back now, Phantom Thieves...
I Believe - the sequel we didn't know we needed to Life Will Change. I look at this as the Phantom Thieves response to the below song...
Keep Your Faith / Throw Away Your Mask - an antagonist's perspective... I fully empathize with it.
And if it hasn't already been known, Atlus has in my opinion, supplanted itself as king of the JRPG. Gone are the days of the original titans of the industry: Squaresoft or Enix, when Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest reigned supreme - Atlus with its Persona and SMT series have long since taken the mantle, and these recent titles only confirm that fact.
I adore their commitment and overall vision of still creating these epic experiences. All the while, improving upon the turn-based combat formula without fully losing their core identity... and yet, at the same time, not becoming stale and stagnant. I just selfishly wish they made a couple less spin-offs, and we were able to get a couple more mainline entries a bit more often... it is hard for me to believe that we still haven't seen anything on Persona 6 yet as the end of 2023 approaches... but I know that when they finally unveil it, they will blow me away again. Hell, that is if Persona 3 Reload and Metaphor: ReFantazio don't knock my socks off first! Those look incredible based on the short amount I've seen of them thus far.
I just know, that Atlus has earned my respect, and I will continue to support them if they keep producing experiences like this.
In summary, one of the greatest compliments I can give this game, is that it was the title I thought the original game already was: a masterpiece! I didn't know I needed it, but after reaching its ending, I am at a loss at how I could have done without it to begin with. If you haven't jumped on the Persona bandwagon already, you MUST play this game!
Persona 5 Royal is tied with Persona 4 Golden for me (I really cannot choose one over the other - a true 5A/5B situation) as my 5th favorite video game of all time.