Persona 5 is JRPG perfection

In a time when game developers want their RPGs to be as Western as possible (*cough* “Final Fantasy XV” *cough*), “Persona 5” is unapologetically Japanese. The sixth major entry in the “Persona” series, “Persona 5” is a JRPG through and through, from its linear, non-open world, down to its turn-based battle system. And holy crap, is it good.

What makes this game so compelling is its masterful incorporation of the best aspects of other genres. Yes, it’s a JRPG, but it’s also an interactive story, a social and dating simulator, a monster-hunting/collecting game, and a dungeon crawler. That’s already a lot to cram into a single package, but “Persona 5” also manages to squeeze in stylish visuals; a funky soundtrack that you’ll never get out of your head; social commentary; lovable, relatable characters; and an amazing plot all spread across more than 90 hours of pure gaming joy.





Everyday wickedness

The world is a perilous place, particularly for the weak, and the young who lack the means to protect themselves from the unscrupulous. You, as the game’s protagonist, know this. You’re no ordinary high school student; you’re a social outcast, thanks to circumstances outside your control.

But then you and your friends stumble upon the power to reform even the worst of people. And so are born the Phantom Thieves – regular teenagers by day, demon-summoning heroes by night.

As the Phantom Thieves, you can enter a parallel realm known as the Metaverse, where corrupt individuals’ distorted beliefs take on physical shape, and entire Palaces form around the most malevolent. Your job is to penetrate these fortresses’ defenses, and effect change in your targets by stealing the source of their desires: their Treasures. And thus begins your rehabilitation of society, one wicked heart at a time.

This isn’t your standard RPG tale. There are no kingdoms or princesses to save, only ordinary victims of horrible yet realistic cruelties, such as sexual harassment, physical and/or emotional abuse, fraud, extortion, and the like. This is what makes “Persona 5” so relevant; it asks all the hard questions regarding justice and morality, and in dealing with believable issues shows you the consequences of everyday evil on regular people. Things do get more outlandish as the game progresses (and the supernatural element is strong throughout), but never in such a way that “Persona 5” loses sight of its core themes.





The heart’s desire

The Metaverse is where all the action is. As part of the Palace infiltration process, you’ll spend several days casing the joint and discussing strategy. Once you’ve ironed out the details, your mission starts in earnest.

Unlike dungeons in previous “Persona” games, Palaces aren’t procedurally generated, but are designed around making infiltration as fun as possible. There are traps to avoid, puzzles to solve, ledges to climb, treasure chests to unlock, tunnels to crawl through, shortcuts to discover, walls to hide behind, and more. Stealth is key to victory here; ambush an enemy from a hiding place, and you’ll be given the opportunity to initiate the first round of attacks. Should you be discovered and they attack first, you’ll be in for a world of hurt.

For those who enjoy randomly generated dungeons, there’s Mementos, where you’ll take on society’s lesser scoundrels. This place is composed of multiple levels that plunge ever downwards. While each Palace is unique and vanishes after you’ve stolen its master’s Treasure, Mementos remains for the duration of your playthrough, so you can visit it as often, or as infrequently as you like.

“Persona 5” offers an abundance of skills to employ in turn-based combat. You can strike foes with melee or ranged assaults, use items, or summon demon-like Personas to perform magical/elemental attacks.

Enemies have weaknesses. Exploiting an enemy’s vulnerability temporarily incapacitates them; this allows you to perform a follow-up action, paving the way for combos. Each battle is like a mini-puzzle, and successfully determining the best abilities to use in a given situation is gratifying.

If you manage to disable all enemies, you can utterly obliterate them with a powerful (and flashy) All-Out Attack. But the encounter doesn’t have to end in violence – you can instead negotiate with foes, which can result in them giving you money or items. You can even convince them to join you. This is where the monster-collection aspect of “Persona 5” comes in. Every enemy you meet can be recruited to become part of your stable of Personas. In battle, you can swap between Personas on the fly, allowing you to summon them as circumstances demand.

Personas level up with experience and gain new abilities. They can also be fused to create new Personas.





Navigating life

Outside the Metaverse, you’ll navigate the daily existence of a high school student, engaging in everyday activities such as studying and going to class, watching DVDs, working at your part-time job, hanging out with friends, etc. You can even fall in love and go on dates.

Every activity affects your interactions with the game world’s inhabitants. For example, watering your houseplant will increase your Kindness, while reading a book about a dashing hero will raise your Charm; the higher these attributes’ values, the greater the chance some people will open up to you.

Developing relationships leads to a diversity of benefits. For instance, by befriending a shady back-alley doctor, she’ll eventually let you purchase restorative items from her clinic. Another character will grant you additional time that’ll allow you to prepare tools for your next Metaverse incursion.

Cultivating friendships with your fellow Phantom Thieves unlocks new combat abilities. One such ability lets you to tag an ally mid-combo, permitting them to continue an assault you started. Another will have a friend rushing to block a blow meant to kill you. There are also skills that boost the efficacy of negotiations, and others.

Additionally, friendships affect how powerful Personas are after fusion.

Ultimately, however, spending time with friends simply feels good. The writing is so fun, and the characters so likeable, that you wouldn’t want to skip any dialogues. In getting to know these people, “Persona 5” explores a variety of relatable topics, such as depression, the desire to fit in, the need for an identity, family problems, peer pressure, loneliness, the unfair labels society saddles us with, and more. These characters may start out as anime archetypes, but as your bond with them grows, you’ll realize there’s more to them than initially apparent. It also helps that the voice acting is uniformly excellent.

“Persona 5” takes place over the course of a school year, with each day presenting unique happenings and opportunities. While the sequence of main events is linear, you’ll have near-absolute freedom to do whatever you want most of the time. Choosing which activity for which day can become overwhelming, especially because unexpected events, or unpredictable conditions such as sudden changes in weather, can throw a wrench into your plans – just like in real life!


So much style

There’s style to go with “Persona 5’s” substance. The visuals are splendid, but you know you’ve got a quality product when even the menu transitions are snazzy. It’s just a shame you can’t take screenshots. In its enthusiasm to prevent spoilers, developer Atlus makes it impossible for you to keep a record of precious memories created with your virtual friends.

If there’s one other thing that’ll amaze you with “Persona 5,” it’s the soundtrack – an infectious acid jazz masterpiece reinforced by the occasional heavy rock melody. It’s so good you won’t even mind the Engrish.





Transcending the genre

Atlus has done it again. “Persona 5” is a quality title that transcends its genre with its combination of excellent gameplay, gorgeous artistic and musical direction, and substantial themes concerning the ills of society, and the power of the individual to induce genuine change.

When all is said and done, however, it’s “Persona 5’s” intriguing, charming characters who’ll stick with you. If you had a great time in high school, this game will bring back the fondest of memories. And if you didn’t, these characters will be the best friends you never had. — TJD, GMA News


Rating – 9.5/10
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3