Persona 5 Royal has sat in my library for a while now. I bought the PS4 version of the game literally a month before the PS5 version was announced (thanks for not allowing upgrades, Atlus), which is discouraging enough, but the capital-C Conversation that has raged over Persona 5 since I first played the base game back in 2016 has continually left me exhausted and unwilling to "start the show." The mere invocation of this game's name is enough to summon at least one ardent defender and one detractor who is very excited to let you know how much they hate Joker's stupid face. Want to start an argument on the Internet? Easy. Talk about Persona.
Coming off the heels of Final Fantasy XVI - a game which is already generating its own debate - I figured now's as good a time as any to slide into another 80-hour RPG. Nearly a month later, my in-game time is sitting near 140 hours, but my PlayStation 5's internal clock says I've only been playing it for 60. One head tells the truth and the other lies... But no matter how much real-world time I put into this thing, I can confidently say Royal adds a substantive amount of content, and that it would be difficult to go back to the base Persona 5 given the sheer quantity of valuable gameplay tweaks I'd be giving up in the process.
I've heard it argued that Royal is the "true" Persona 5, the game Atlus always intended to make but couldn't get to market back in 2016. I think this is a little ridiculous. The original version of Persona 5 already feels significant in scope and narratively complete, and its development troubles are so well-documented that we know precisely which characters and features were cut. They certainly weren't Kasumi, Maruki, or the whole of the third semester - Royal's most impactful inclusions. Indeed, the third semester itself feels almost comically wedged between the original's climax and epilogue, and it actually got a laugh out of me when I saw how quickly it resolves in order to return to the status quo so the game could end.
Just because the seams are apparent doesn't mean the third semester feels entirely contrived, however. In fact, I really enjoyed it and found it to be the strongest part of the game. The process of finding a shitty adult to target, bumbling into a deadline, and subsequently changing their heart and gaining a new team member starts to feel repetitious in the main game. It doesn't even seem like Persona 5 is all that interested in presenting compelling villains past Madarame, and despite several characters making the case that the Phantom Thieves are criminals themselves, the moustache-twirling villainy of each target doesn't encourage self-reflection on the part of the player. Some of the characters who disagree with the Phantom Thieves' justice end up turning on a dime later because the bad guys are just that bad.
In contrast, Royal's final palace ruler is cast in a far more sympathetic light. There are parts of his plan that are actually agreeable even if the means in which he's enacting it is not, and the trauma which informs his actions is made crystal clear. Both the Thieves and the villain are practicing their own brand of societal reform, but the enforcement of their will on others is not so different, and this in turn calls into question your actions throughout the game in a way it largely failed to do up to that point. I wouldn't go so far to say that it fixes some of the issues I had with the plot of the core game, but it did leave me feeling far more satisfied by the time the credits rolled.
I'm talking around who the final palace ruler is in consideration of those who may not want the end of the game spoiled, but honestly, I wonder how many people don't know who it is by now. Persona 5 is frankly inescapable. Atlus has been busy these past seven years as they work to exhaust whatever brand power Persona 5 has, turning it into a franchise unto itself with countless sequels, spin-offs, shampoos, clothing, toys, comics, stage shows, and an anime. I bet there's a radio drama in there somewhere. At this point, I can't blame anyone for developing an intense dislike for Persona 5 purely through burnout. I loved Strikers - more than Royal, even! - but I'm tired. Too tired to care about Tactica or whatever dumb mobile game they're currently working on, and far too tired to give a damn about the Phantom Thieves ever again.
The conversation around Persona 5 is every bit as omnipresent and tiresome. It is far too easy to provoke, and seeing as every conceivable criticism has been aired in the court of public opinion, it is also circular. The looping nature of the discussion gives way to petty arguments, and valid criticisms of how Persona 5 confronts real trauma inevitably dissolve into pointless sessions of politely nodding while people express violent discontent over Morgana's voice. I am waiting in breathless anticipation of the day Atlus and everyone else is ready to move on from Persona 5. Then we can all get mad as hell about Persona 6. Namaste.
IS IT A SUMMAH GAME?
It is a little known fact that I - the Magistrate of Summah - have declared Persona 5: Strikers as the quintessential Summah game. After all, it is set during the Summah, it is concerned with the Summah, and so it hath become Summah.
But is Striker's immaculate Summah vibes so strong that they reflect in its predecessor? To find out, I conducted a blind playtest. I enlisted the help of nine vagrants I met under the boardwalk and tasked them with playing a bit of both games, then had them provide feedback as to which reminded them most of Summah. So, how did Persona 5 compare?
The results were inconclusive as a surprising 100% of participants complained that they couldn't see either game through their blindfolds and became irate when I told them I could only compensate them for their time in In-N-Out gift cards which I am embarrassed to say were expired. Two of the participants proceeded to cause excessive amounts of property damage which my insurance company refuses to indemnify because I was a "significant instigating factor."
Nevertheless, I have awarded Persona 5 Royal an 8.5 on the Summah index scale. While not as strong a contender as its sequel, Persona 5 excels at capturing a similar Summah mood through its use of vibrant colors, jazzy music, and focus on spending time with your friends. The adventure only ends when it starts to cool off, and as the pain of parting makes your chest feel heavy, the weight is lifted when you remind yourself that you'll see each other again soon - and then you'll have a Summah.
Coming off the heels of Final Fantasy XVI - a game which is already generating its own debate - I figured now's as good a time as any to slide into another 80-hour RPG. Nearly a month later, my in-game time is sitting near 140 hours, but my PlayStation 5's internal clock says I've only been playing it for 60. One head tells the truth and the other lies... But no matter how much real-world time I put into this thing, I can confidently say Royal adds a substantive amount of content, and that it would be difficult to go back to the base Persona 5 given the sheer quantity of valuable gameplay tweaks I'd be giving up in the process.
I've heard it argued that Royal is the "true" Persona 5, the game Atlus always intended to make but couldn't get to market back in 2016. I think this is a little ridiculous. The original version of Persona 5 already feels significant in scope and narratively complete, and its development troubles are so well-documented that we know precisely which characters and features were cut. They certainly weren't Kasumi, Maruki, or the whole of the third semester - Royal's most impactful inclusions. Indeed, the third semester itself feels almost comically wedged between the original's climax and epilogue, and it actually got a laugh out of me when I saw how quickly it resolves in order to return to the status quo so the game could end.
Just because the seams are apparent doesn't mean the third semester feels entirely contrived, however. In fact, I really enjoyed it and found it to be the strongest part of the game. The process of finding a shitty adult to target, bumbling into a deadline, and subsequently changing their heart and gaining a new team member starts to feel repetitious in the main game. It doesn't even seem like Persona 5 is all that interested in presenting compelling villains past Madarame, and despite several characters making the case that the Phantom Thieves are criminals themselves, the moustache-twirling villainy of each target doesn't encourage self-reflection on the part of the player. Some of the characters who disagree with the Phantom Thieves' justice end up turning on a dime later because the bad guys are just that bad.
In contrast, Royal's final palace ruler is cast in a far more sympathetic light. There are parts of his plan that are actually agreeable even if the means in which he's enacting it is not, and the trauma which informs his actions is made crystal clear. Both the Thieves and the villain are practicing their own brand of societal reform, but the enforcement of their will on others is not so different, and this in turn calls into question your actions throughout the game in a way it largely failed to do up to that point. I wouldn't go so far to say that it fixes some of the issues I had with the plot of the core game, but it did leave me feeling far more satisfied by the time the credits rolled.
I'm talking around who the final palace ruler is in consideration of those who may not want the end of the game spoiled, but honestly, I wonder how many people don't know who it is by now. Persona 5 is frankly inescapable. Atlus has been busy these past seven years as they work to exhaust whatever brand power Persona 5 has, turning it into a franchise unto itself with countless sequels, spin-offs, shampoos, clothing, toys, comics, stage shows, and an anime. I bet there's a radio drama in there somewhere. At this point, I can't blame anyone for developing an intense dislike for Persona 5 purely through burnout. I loved Strikers - more than Royal, even! - but I'm tired. Too tired to care about Tactica or whatever dumb mobile game they're currently working on, and far too tired to give a damn about the Phantom Thieves ever again.
The conversation around Persona 5 is every bit as omnipresent and tiresome. It is far too easy to provoke, and seeing as every conceivable criticism has been aired in the court of public opinion, it is also circular. The looping nature of the discussion gives way to petty arguments, and valid criticisms of how Persona 5 confronts real trauma inevitably dissolve into pointless sessions of politely nodding while people express violent discontent over Morgana's voice. I am waiting in breathless anticipation of the day Atlus and everyone else is ready to move on from Persona 5. Then we can all get mad as hell about Persona 6. Namaste.
IS IT A SUMMAH GAME?
It is a little known fact that I - the Magistrate of Summah - have declared Persona 5: Strikers as the quintessential Summah game. After all, it is set during the Summah, it is concerned with the Summah, and so it hath become Summah.
But is Striker's immaculate Summah vibes so strong that they reflect in its predecessor? To find out, I conducted a blind playtest. I enlisted the help of nine vagrants I met under the boardwalk and tasked them with playing a bit of both games, then had them provide feedback as to which reminded them most of Summah. So, how did Persona 5 compare?
The results were inconclusive as a surprising 100% of participants complained that they couldn't see either game through their blindfolds and became irate when I told them I could only compensate them for their time in In-N-Out gift cards which I am embarrassed to say were expired. Two of the participants proceeded to cause excessive amounts of property damage which my insurance company refuses to indemnify because I was a "significant instigating factor."
Nevertheless, I have awarded Persona 5 Royal an 8.5 on the Summah index scale. While not as strong a contender as its sequel, Persona 5 excels at capturing a similar Summah mood through its use of vibrant colors, jazzy music, and focus on spending time with your friends. The adventure only ends when it starts to cool off, and as the pain of parting makes your chest feel heavy, the weight is lifted when you remind yourself that you'll see each other again soon - and then you'll have a Summah.