I'll speak of this game both relatively to the original Persona 5, as well as its own thing. For the potential budding consumer, I'll mention some "external" topics before discussing the game itself.
I found it irksome that as a PlayStation 5 owner, I had no choice but to stick to the lower-spec PS4 version of the game that I already had, because they decided to make the PS5 version an entirely separate release. I'd already purchased Persona 5, and didn't want to purchase the same game a third time. That's wiggity wiggity whack. However, it's pretty cool that any newcomer can get a shiny new version of this game that, at its core, was originally developed for the PlayStation 3. It's current year, folks! If at all possible, play it at 4K/120fps. The technology now allows for it. :)
Going back to the main topic, the biggest takeaway I got from Persona 5 Royal is how bedazzling it was to see. The all-out attacks in particular, what a spectacle they were! They're so bright that, for better or worse, I'd find myself having to turn the brightness down on my TV. There's "visual flavor" in every little aspect of the game. Things like the flavorful animations between sections of the pause menu, the little graphic you use to choose actions in battle (that associates them with buttons, no less), and the pervasive red-and-black motif that permeate the game are the things that really make Persona 5, Persona 5. I could do 200 random encounters straight and never get tired of it. The game's sleek, every step of the way.
Ultimately, though, as an RPG, the actual crux of the game is the journey that the hero goes through. I'm committing to avoiding spoilers, but it's quite the power fantasy. A thought-provoking one to boot. It's the equivalent of, perhaps, a decent 100-chapter Shonen manga.
Of course, along that journey, the game encourages you to forge bonds with your peers, and commit to other actions that enhance your strength as you play the game. The forging bonds with your peers part is one that I feel I ought to point out the most. The exchanges you have with them feel like little more than soap operas that you're a spectator to. (I don't really say this in a good way.) It's vital to your game experience that you speak to and help your friends, but I feel sorry to say that, emotionally speaking, what they had going on didn't impact me remotely as much as what was actually happening in the core plot.
The stuff you can do, though, as small of a part of the game as they are, stood out to me in an adorable way. Since Persona is based on real life, there's things you can do that correlate to what you can do IRL. You can go fishing and work out! I've done those before! Sometimes you can even do legally distinct activities also! Have you ever drank ""1UP"", watched ""The Cake Knight Rises"", or played ""Punch-Ouch""? I have! It's cute! I like that!
Like, did you know that they actually made an exception and added a real darts machine that you could possibly play yourself? That owns! They committed to the little stuff! They didn't think I'd notice, but I did!
Back to discussing the Royal, part, I must say that the optional extra endgame added to it that's not present in the original Persona 5 is actually special. Very, very special, and a story that'll stick to me for years to come. It reinforced the a significant fact of life for me, and I can only hope that it'll have a similar impact on you, or at least incite discussion among your peers.
The last part of the game I'll touch on, and perhaps what I'd consider the "weakest link", is the gameplay. This is not to call it bad, just to be clear. It's tactical, satisfying, and brings a little bit of flavor to its genre. As a turn-based RPG, Persona 5's got a varied cast that fulfills different roles in-battle. The flaws begin here for me. I personally find that if you avoid sentimentality and approach the game more objectively, you'll be aware that some party members are just blatantly less useful than others, which is a shame. The flaws are compounded by Persona 5 Royal's nature as an enhanced rerelease. It adds abilities that make life easier for the player, which is great, but it also made the original game's paid DLC totally free. This is ethically a great thing, super pro-consumer, but the DLC does things that essentially snap any challenge the game might've had in half like a toothpick. So I will say that even if you value plot more than combat, or consider yourself bad ar games, you could still choose the hardest difficulty and trivialize the game.
Overall, though... Persona 5 Royal gets a hearty and eager thumbs up from me! I earnestly hope you give the game a shot.
I found it irksome that as a PlayStation 5 owner, I had no choice but to stick to the lower-spec PS4 version of the game that I already had, because they decided to make the PS5 version an entirely separate release. I'd already purchased Persona 5, and didn't want to purchase the same game a third time. That's wiggity wiggity whack. However, it's pretty cool that any newcomer can get a shiny new version of this game that, at its core, was originally developed for the PlayStation 3. It's current year, folks! If at all possible, play it at 4K/120fps. The technology now allows for it. :)
Going back to the main topic, the biggest takeaway I got from Persona 5 Royal is how bedazzling it was to see. The all-out attacks in particular, what a spectacle they were! They're so bright that, for better or worse, I'd find myself having to turn the brightness down on my TV. There's "visual flavor" in every little aspect of the game. Things like the flavorful animations between sections of the pause menu, the little graphic you use to choose actions in battle (that associates them with buttons, no less), and the pervasive red-and-black motif that permeate the game are the things that really make Persona 5, Persona 5. I could do 200 random encounters straight and never get tired of it. The game's sleek, every step of the way.
Ultimately, though, as an RPG, the actual crux of the game is the journey that the hero goes through. I'm committing to avoiding spoilers, but it's quite the power fantasy. A thought-provoking one to boot. It's the equivalent of, perhaps, a decent 100-chapter Shonen manga.
Of course, along that journey, the game encourages you to forge bonds with your peers, and commit to other actions that enhance your strength as you play the game. The forging bonds with your peers part is one that I feel I ought to point out the most. The exchanges you have with them feel like little more than soap operas that you're a spectator to. (I don't really say this in a good way.) It's vital to your game experience that you speak to and help your friends, but I feel sorry to say that, emotionally speaking, what they had going on didn't impact me remotely as much as what was actually happening in the core plot.
The stuff you can do, though, as small of a part of the game as they are, stood out to me in an adorable way. Since Persona is based on real life, there's things you can do that correlate to what you can do IRL. You can go fishing and work out! I've done those before! Sometimes you can even do legally distinct activities also! Have you ever drank ""1UP"", watched ""The Cake Knight Rises"", or played ""Punch-Ouch""? I have! It's cute! I like that!
Like, did you know that they actually made an exception and added a real darts machine that you could possibly play yourself? That owns! They committed to the little stuff! They didn't think I'd notice, but I did!
Back to discussing the Royal, part, I must say that the optional extra endgame added to it that's not present in the original Persona 5 is actually special. Very, very special, and a story that'll stick to me for years to come. It reinforced the a significant fact of life for me, and I can only hope that it'll have a similar impact on you, or at least incite discussion among your peers.
The last part of the game I'll touch on, and perhaps what I'd consider the "weakest link", is the gameplay. This is not to call it bad, just to be clear. It's tactical, satisfying, and brings a little bit of flavor to its genre. As a turn-based RPG, Persona 5's got a varied cast that fulfills different roles in-battle. The flaws begin here for me. I personally find that if you avoid sentimentality and approach the game more objectively, you'll be aware that some party members are just blatantly less useful than others, which is a shame. The flaws are compounded by Persona 5 Royal's nature as an enhanced rerelease. It adds abilities that make life easier for the player, which is great, but it also made the original game's paid DLC totally free. This is ethically a great thing, super pro-consumer, but the DLC does things that essentially snap any challenge the game might've had in half like a toothpick. So I will say that even if you value plot more than combat, or consider yourself bad ar games, you could still choose the hardest difficulty and trivialize the game.
Overall, though... Persona 5 Royal gets a hearty and eager thumbs up from me! I earnestly hope you give the game a shot.