REVIEW

Persona 5 Review

by Rob Pritchard, May 3rd, 2017

It’s hard to believe it has been almost ten years since the last main instalment of the Persona series came out in the UK. The series has seen a major shift in the number of sales, prompting Atlus to make the wait for the localisation for Persona 5 as painless as possible. Last year, we provided you with a review of the Japanese release of the game, and after extensively testing the English release; it is undeniable that Persona 5 is still one of the best RPG’s of the current generation, as well as one of the best entries in the series to date.

The protagonist of Persona 5 is a wild step beyond the orphaned Makoto Yuuki from Persona 3, and the blank slate that was Yu Narukami from Persona 4. Unlike these two characters, Akira Kurusu, although you can choose to rename him if you wish, is a far cry from the traditional hero who resides on the righteous side of the law. After being falsely convicted for criminal actions, you are placed on juvenile probation in the care of Sojiro Sakura, a family friend who runs a coffee shop in a Tokyo suburb. You are also sent to enrol at Shujin Academy, a school that prides itself on excellence, whilst holding dark secrets beneath its surface.

During your first day, you hold true to Persona tradition and cross over into an alternate dimension which is formed from the subconscious of the human race. This time around, it is known as the Metaverse, which is formed of several smaller areas known as Palaces, and a larger hive mind area known as Mementos. Whilst inside the Metaverse, you and several other misfits of society gain the ability to summon a Persona, which protects their owner from harm, and grants them the ability to fight against other supernatural threats. Upon learning the reason for the existence of the Palaces from a mysterious cat like being known as Morgana, the newly awakened Persona users decide to band together to rid society of evil by stealing the treasures of each area, which form the base of the Palace owner’s twisted desires.

The core gameplay of Persona 5 is split into two distinct styles. The first part is centred on infiltrating the Palaces and reforming the corrupted adults of the world. As well as facing Shadows in battle to earn experience and items, you will need to channel your inner Solid Snake to ensure that your thievery is successful, as well as surprising enemies to give you a one turn advantage in battle. When engaged with your foes, you will need to find their weaknesses using a mixture of physical and weapon attacks, and element based attacks such as Agi (Fire), Nuclear and Garu (Wind). Providing that you have enough experience, knocking down your enemies will allow you to recruit them as additional Personas, who can be fused into more powerful entities in the Velvet Room, or their abilities can be used against enemies that you will encounter in future fights.

The second part centers around your life in the real world, where you will need to attend Shujin Academy as well as live with Sojiro at Café Leblanc. If you were fond of the calendar and weather systems that was used in previous Persona entries, then you will be pleased to learn that they make a return in Persona 5. The game is set over the period of one school year, and while some of the sections in the game can be long winded because of the extended cut scenes, there is a significant amount of events and side quests on offer. As well as the usual array of school exams, mini games like the fishing areas and visiting movie theatres, you can interact with your Confidants, which are the game’s equivalent of the Social Link side characters. As well as providing the additional experience bonuses when fusing Personas, each Confidant also hides special abilities and in game bonuses such as increased experience points at the end of battle, the ability to brew items to heal your SP and the potential to switch between active and non active party members when fighting enemies. Regardless of which characters you choose to talk with, each of them will make your treasure stealing antics an easier task to complete.

Outside of the dungeons, the over world of Persona 5 is without a doubt the largest in the series to date. Although the main character resides in a fictional suburb, he is also able to visit actual Japanese locations such as Shinjuku and Ahikibara, and visit stores which are geographically similar to their real world counterparts. As well as buying medicines and food from the local shops, you can earn money using part time jobs. Unlike the previous games, certain days will allow you to earn more than your average wage by completing certain challenges. The same is also true if you do not meet your targets, which is definitely a motivation to perform well when saving up for items you need for the dungeons. The social stats system, which first appeared back in Persona 3, returns with a vengeance. This time around, you will need to increase your Charm, Guts, Knowledge, Kindness and Proficiency to see everything the game has to offer, and with the limited time on offer, you will certainly need to use the New Game Plus mode to do just that. There are certain bonuses for playing through Persona 5 for a second time, and returning players will definitely be able to guess one of secret bosses when they encounter the characters early in the game’s narrative.

The Persona games have always had a strong focus on a distinct visual appearance for each entry, and the same remains true for Persona 5. The red, black and white graffiti styled user interface flows perfectly from one menu to the next, and the cel shaded character models that were previously used in previous Atlus titles such as Catherine look fantastic whether you choose to play on PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4. The soundtrack of Persona 5 opts for an acid jazz theme, and for the most part, it fits perfectly with the style of the game. The opening theme, “Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There” is a perfect introduction to the game’s corrupted world, whereas certain tracks such as Rivers in the Desert and Beneath the Mask fit perfectly against the boss fights and relaxing moments respectively.

Unlike the original release, the international version of Persona 5 allows you to choose between the Japanese and English vocal tracks, but you will have to download the former option as free downloadable content. The Japanese voice work feels very professional, with the actors providing a consistent voice for the characters they portray. The English translations, which include more voiced dialogue than its Japanese counterpart, include some first class performances from voice actors such as Cherami Leigh and Matthew Mercer, who took over the role of Persona 4’s Kanji Tatsumi from Troy Baker. The translated dialogue and game text retains the professional quality as the original version, and the various popular culture references which have been added by the localisation team feel appropriate, and are definitely the finishing touch that many developers would not implement.

In conclusion, Persona 5 is game that will be guaranteed to steal your heart time and time again. The newly enhanced gameplay, alongside the dramatic storyline and memorable cast ensures that you will want to return to the game’s world as soon as the credits have rolled. If you are looking for a role playing game to give you an emotionally fulfilling journey that you will never forget, Persona 5 could be just the experience that you have been waiting for.

If you would like to see our review of the Japanese version of the game, be sure to follow this link.