Persona 5

I'll admit it - when it comes to JRPGs, I am overly critical. With their epic lengths and intense, character based stories, I feel it requires a lot of investment to see them through to the end. And it has to meet my stupidly high standards. To be honest, I have played very few JRPGs from the 2010s that have made it through this funnel. Without naming series and specific games, I feel that overall the genre is somewhat stagnant, relying on past glories, generic plots and either taking their gameplay too far in one direction and not enough in the other. That and I simply don't have as much time anymore to get invested in JRPGs like I used to, especially console ones. So thank god for the Persona series. When I first played Persona 4 on the Vita, it was the perfect balance of innovative and classic gameplay, an excellently judged story and well-fleshed out characters. Better yet, I could play it on go, making it easier to explore the dungeons, get invested in side-quests and pour more hours in then I ever could on a console, fitting it around my daily commute to and from work. This has led me to Persona 5, the latest entry in the series. I knew Atlus would not disappoint with the game but the biggest hurdle for me was it being exclusive to home consoles. Fortunately, it was 100% worth it. Four months worth of Sunday afternoons (110 hours game time) have led me to finally finish Persona 5. And my review, at last! 

Atlus have simply knocked it out of the park again. 

Introducing the new cast who will be taking over your life (l:r) Makoto, Ann, Yusuke, the player character, Haru, Ryuji, Morgana and Futaba

Tonally, 5 plays like a mix of 3 and 4. Taking the darker elements from 3 (dealing with some all too real teen issues) and the lighter, more comedic tone of 4, 5 is actually a perfect Persona game to get started on. Not that is compromises enjoyment for long-term fans. As with all Persona games, the basic structure is the same - the silent protagonist is uprooted from his family home and forced into an extreme situation to which he awakens to extraordinary powers and embarks on the meta-narrative of completing atask set by the mysterious Igor of the Velvet Room. From here, comparisons to the previous Persona games end, as the story deals with the hero embarking a mission to reform society. The Hero and his new group of friends discover the Metaverse, manifestations of people's subconscious. Guided by the game's mascot Morgana, he imparts that if you embark into someone's 'Palace', a manifestation of an extremely negative subconscious, and steal the user's 'Treasure' you can fundamentally change them and have them confess to their crimes. Starting out with an abusive teacher, the gang discover this does in fact work and decide to set out and reform society at large as the Phantom Thieves, seeking to take down powerful and evil adults. 

If the plot sounds a bit .. esoteric, that's because it is. It takes a bit of time to get round all the inner-workings of the story's mechanics. However, the emotional arc of the characters and story is clear. While Persona 5 doesn't quite hit the same levels of 4, the new cast of characters are fun and offer enough variety in their personalities to make for a varied party. You'll eventually pick your favourites and, if my experience seeing all the cosplayers at Manchester Comic-Con is anything to go by, the cast have really struck a chord with players. By-the-by, I favour the nerdy and awkward Futaba, the brilliant detective Akechi, and the loveable Morgana. I've heard some negative feedback to Morgana (mostly because he makes you go to bed against your will) but I like him a lot - he has a fun character arc and a neat design. I also really love your cranky new guardian, Sojiro, who owns the oddest specialised restaurant I can think of - one that serves exclusively in curry and coffee. I can see the appeal. 

Major tip: take time to get to know your confidants - it will reward you massively

While it's not my favourite game in the series, Persona 5 is above and away the best one from a gameplay perspective. Persona 4 surprised me with its central tenant of "getting to know the characters will also help to improve your stats and Personas". 5 takes this concept to the next level by offering additional perks to each level you reach with your 'confidants'. Some are so invaluable for when you are exploring the Palaces, it's almost mandatory to invest in your party and the side-characters and get to understand them and their small stories. The palaces themselves, massive labyrinths of exploration, are a huge step-up from 4. It's going to take you a lot longer to work through the dungeons in 5 and overall there is more variety. The jump up in technology to PS4 might not be utilised as well as it could do but it does allow for bigger, more complex dungeons that do genuinely challenge the player. 

Battles have also never been more thrilling. Normally, in JRPGs, the thought of yet another random encounter is enough to infuriate the player, Persona 5 has such a bright and energetic presentation that just makes each battle so enjoyable. All the enemies have wonderful, unique designs with a specific weakness of some kind that must be exploited by the player. There is also the addition of guns to the game, which adds new (though slightly under-explored) level to the battles. The biggest change is how one acquires personas. In the previous game, it was through loot and creating new creatures in the Velvet Room. Here, one must battle the creature, 'down it' and then interrogate it. If you can convince the creature to turn to the path of righteousness (or simply that you're a fun person to hang around with), they will join your cause. This change has divided some players and while it's not perfect (it essentially comes down to knowing the personality of the creature - which is listed at the start of the interrogation - and selecting the appropriate responses) I do feel it suits the tone of the game. The fun then comes from experimenting with Fusion, in which multiple creatures can be fused together to form better personas. It's endlessly deep, fun and rewarding.   

Amazingly, battles never get dull in Persona 5

Persona 5's biggest new addition is Mementos, a massive Palace formed from the cognition of the general public. You will explore various different levels and sections of Mementos over the course of the game. The player can freely explore the dungeon in your free time, grind for EXP, try to reach its depths or complete the dozens of side-quests the game offers you. A slight flaw in Persona 4 is that the combat and exploration elements are locked to the dungeons. Here, Mementos allows the player to gain EXP and experiment with their Personas and train up new members While the Phantom Thieves have bigger goals of changing society, they never forget the little people. A confidant will keep you up-to-date on requests the general public to change the hearts of evildoers. Mementos allows time for little side-stories to be fleshed out, sometimes linked to the various different confidants. It is somewhat similar to The Witcher 3's side-quests and mini-stories, though maybe not quite as rich. 

Mementos is a massive side-dungeon that'll keep you going for hours, whilst also grinding for EXP and experimenting with your new Personas. 

Do I wish Persona 5 was on the Vita and not the PS4? Sure, it would be great and I hope that a handheld version will someday be released (a perfect game for the Switch, maybe). That said, playing Persona 5 on a console, with my 5.1 surround set up, is truly an excellent experience. Which brings me nicely onto the soundtrack. The music of Persona 5 is simply brilliant. Bright J-Pop, backed by irresistible strings, makes the whole world of the game come to life and perfectly sets the tone. The song choices might get a bit repetitive after 110 hours of playing (something my partner voiced!) but there is no denying that the music is insanely good. The presentation in general is pretty great, though cut-scenes can be a little bit static. The character models really come to life in the rare higher-quality cut-scenes and the anime segments are a lovely addition as well. The voice-acting averages out as being good, even if there aren't as many standout performances as 4. 

Then there's the exaggerated version of Tokyo, beautifully rendered with all the hustle and bustle of the legendary city. It makes me pine to return one day. Persona games are always excellent at representing a certain place, in particular 4 with the charming small town of Inaba, and the choice to set 5 in Tokyo is inspired. The game was originally going to based around the concept of back-packing, meaning you would have to travel around the world. However, following several crises affecting Japanese society in recent years, Atlus decided to look inwards and set the game in one of Japan's most iconic cities. In general, Persona 5 deals with real life villains - molesters, gangsters, corrupt government officials etc. This marks something of a turn in the series, that I honestly welcome. It's unique, just as 4 was essentially Twin Peaks in the guise of a Persona game. In the age of Trump and irresponsible adults, there is something incredibly appealing about a group trying to fight back against this tide of larger authority.    

Exploring Persona 5's take on Tokyo is such a wonderful experience

What's there left to say. If you have any kind of love for JRPGs, or simply games where you get lost in their worlds, then I can't recommend Persona 5 enough. You owe it to yourself to play this game (or any of the others in the series). The game's success is a testament to the quality of its design and execution. As the final hours begin to unfurl, characters reflect on their first encounters with you with a sense of time and affection, which you also feel as the player. Saying goodbye to a cast of Persona character is always a hard thing. With its stylish art design, infinitely deep gameplay, a system that actively encourages you to get to the know the characters and an epic story, Persona 5 will keep you going for hours and hours and hours...

However, it does mean I can move on now and play some of the year's other gems!