This review contains spoilers
long ass game. I criticize it, but it’s genuinely a 10/10 game.
Fixed the annoying bits of the og and updated the quality of life a lot. Gameplay is pretty easy by palace 4, but it doesn’t matter to me since the game is so long already I don’t want to be blocked by gameplay. The style is still revolutionary, the depth of mythology and parallels is brilliant, and the pacing remains amazing in keeping the hype throughout this 250+ hour long game.
The story is peak: still has some minor problems & contradictions within characters/motivations, but the new stuff they added is crazy.
Sumire plot twist is the best twist in the game; it’s a fundamental twist of her character which is so effective when you look back on her confidant story. They should’ve leaned into the uncanny valley side of her a bit more though, imo.
Akechi is now… one of the best (if not the best) character in the game? His confidant was really good, and now his betrayal actually means something to the player. When he comes back in 3rd semester; genuinely my favorite bits in the entire game. I wish we could choose who our navigator was for the remainder of the palace, because he is so fucking funny. Brilliant.
Maruki is the only competitor to Akechi as the best character in the game. His story, relatable motivations, realistic expression of intentions, all combined with the amazing voice acting of Billy Kametz all make for one of the best Persona antagonists in the franchise.
The 3rd semester is what everyone wanted P5 to lean into more; the gray morality and contemplation on what the Phantom Thieves were actually doing. This arc questions this straight up; how is what Maruki is doing different from the rest of them? If you could get rid of all pain; should you?
These questions are debated brilliantly between 1.) the character foils of Akechi, Maruki, Sumire, and Joker as well as 2.) the Thieve’s reflection upon breaking free from their desired reality.
A bit off topic, but my favorite bit in the game is the slow descent of Maruki’s reality. First it’s just a weird dream, then a vibrant haze in Joker’s vision, then HUMAN MORGANA- all before Joker walks downstairs where the audience can see the back of Wakaba. But we are in disbelief until her character sprite shows up- then everyone says “oh shit ; what?”. We see Akechi (and later Sumire) being the only cognizant people and suddenly this mystery has everyone intrigued. The whole story here is just wham plot twist wham plot twist, one after another, and I love it.
The execution of this palace is also genius. The music is perfect, and I don’t need to expand upon that I think we all know and agree. The research lab setup that is Lovecraftian and cultish at the same time. Then the second half where we see the garden of Eden- and Rumi is the apple’s core of Maruki’s motivations. It’s beautiful; even if that light puzzle made me want to shoot myself.
The ONLY major(ish) complaint I have is that the ending in Vanilla P5 was much better. I liked Maruki showing up as a taxi driver, but he should’ve been more of a passerby instead of the driving force behind Joker leaving. His friends doing that in og ending was much more impactful as a “look how far we’ve come” moment. Also Sumire didn’t offer like anything in that ending; I wish they chose a better last words for their interaction.
That Akechi tease at the end…. I’m mixed on. I think I like that they left it open-ended. My interpretation is that Akechi is 100% dead, and that Joker seeing him was some kind of reminiscence of their relationship & the metaverse, as his Phantom thief persona shows up right after. I don’t think it’s good if they left his character alive without some veryyyy specific interpretations that I think would thematically make sense
Fixed the annoying bits of the og and updated the quality of life a lot. Gameplay is pretty easy by palace 4, but it doesn’t matter to me since the game is so long already I don’t want to be blocked by gameplay. The style is still revolutionary, the depth of mythology and parallels is brilliant, and the pacing remains amazing in keeping the hype throughout this 250+ hour long game.
The story is peak: still has some minor problems & contradictions within characters/motivations, but the new stuff they added is crazy.
Sumire plot twist is the best twist in the game; it’s a fundamental twist of her character which is so effective when you look back on her confidant story. They should’ve leaned into the uncanny valley side of her a bit more though, imo.
Akechi is now… one of the best (if not the best) character in the game? His confidant was really good, and now his betrayal actually means something to the player. When he comes back in 3rd semester; genuinely my favorite bits in the entire game. I wish we could choose who our navigator was for the remainder of the palace, because he is so fucking funny. Brilliant.
Maruki is the only competitor to Akechi as the best character in the game. His story, relatable motivations, realistic expression of intentions, all combined with the amazing voice acting of Billy Kametz all make for one of the best Persona antagonists in the franchise.
The 3rd semester is what everyone wanted P5 to lean into more; the gray morality and contemplation on what the Phantom Thieves were actually doing. This arc questions this straight up; how is what Maruki is doing different from the rest of them? If you could get rid of all pain; should you?
These questions are debated brilliantly between 1.) the character foils of Akechi, Maruki, Sumire, and Joker as well as 2.) the Thieve’s reflection upon breaking free from their desired reality.
A bit off topic, but my favorite bit in the game is the slow descent of Maruki’s reality. First it’s just a weird dream, then a vibrant haze in Joker’s vision, then HUMAN MORGANA- all before Joker walks downstairs where the audience can see the back of Wakaba. But we are in disbelief until her character sprite shows up- then everyone says “oh shit ; what?”. We see Akechi (and later Sumire) being the only cognizant people and suddenly this mystery has everyone intrigued. The whole story here is just wham plot twist wham plot twist, one after another, and I love it.
The execution of this palace is also genius. The music is perfect, and I don’t need to expand upon that I think we all know and agree. The research lab setup that is Lovecraftian and cultish at the same time. Then the second half where we see the garden of Eden- and Rumi is the apple’s core of Maruki’s motivations. It’s beautiful; even if that light puzzle made me want to shoot myself.
The ONLY major(ish) complaint I have is that the ending in Vanilla P5 was much better. I liked Maruki showing up as a taxi driver, but he should’ve been more of a passerby instead of the driving force behind Joker leaving. His friends doing that in og ending was much more impactful as a “look how far we’ve come” moment. Also Sumire didn’t offer like anything in that ending; I wish they chose a better last words for their interaction.
That Akechi tease at the end…. I’m mixed on. I think I like that they left it open-ended. My interpretation is that Akechi is 100% dead, and that Joker seeing him was some kind of reminiscence of their relationship & the metaverse, as his Phantom thief persona shows up right after. I don’t think it’s good if they left his character alive without some veryyyy specific interpretations that I think would thematically make sense