Persona 5

[JaySevenZero]

Here's where you can contribute your memories and opinions of Persona 5 for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

Friendly reminder to all that where feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but self-editing (brevity) is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mainly reading. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.

[fieldy]

I’d been meaning to pick up a Persona game ever since I’d heard Cane and Rinse’s own Josh rave about the series on a previous show. When I saw early footage of Persona 5 I was bowled over, this game looked like nothing I’d ever seen before, the red and black anime art style of the trailers had me hooked.

Day one for me I started my play through and I became very invested. Then events in my life took a turn for the worse, in a matter of two months I lost both of my grandparents. Reality was a hard place to be at that time and in between managing stress at work and pretending I was coping I needed an escape - Persona 5 was that escape for me. For a couple of months I would steal a few hours every evening to boot up my PS4 and follow the adventures of Joker and his friends and yes I always watched the intro to the game!

Persona 5 became a welcome distraction and the more I played the more and more invested in the characters I became. with each new heart they stole the tension seemed to rise and the risk of The Phantom Thieves being caught became very worrying. Almost everything about this game captivated me, the unique art style, the story, the classic JRPG mechanics with a twist and of course the amazing soundtrack. My only annoyance was that in some places it felt puzzles were made awkward or artificially lengthened.

Then after around 97 hours I finally completed the game and I’ll be honest I shed a tear, I’d spent so long in this world that the characters felt like friends in some sort of odd way. I still find myself humming the odd tune from the game and look back on my time with Persona 5 fondly but also with a tinge of sadness remembering the hard time this game helped me get through.

[midnightdayman]

recently moved 4 hours away from my friends and family for work a few months ago (it's only for a year, like our protagonist) and didn't know anyone around me when I first moved. I started playing Persona 5 just to wile away the empty evenings, but quickly got sucked into the melodramatic story. I find myself thinking about Ann, Ryuji, Morgana, Yusuke, Makoto (best girl obviously), Futaba, Haru, and the rest while I'm at work, waiting to race home and spend another hour or so with my digital friends. I think about sitting at Cafe Leblanc, sipping coffee while eating curry and reading, listening to the TV in the background and my friends filtering in and out of the scene.

This would all be well and good, a fun visual novel, but nothing memorable if not for the exemplary JRPG gameplay on display here. With the breadth of personas and skills you master, each Palace is initially a puzzle to be solved as you encounter new foes with unknown weaknesses. But then you experiment, recruit and fuse new personas, and learn how to quickly take down your enemies. The combat would be repetitive in that bad/grindy JRPG way if not for the fact that encounters aren't random, so you can avoid them if you'd like, and the sheer joy of the battle music. You feel the acid jazz soundtrack it grooving in your fingers and up your arms to your head as soon as you hit the game intro screen, and it pervades everything; instead of rolling my eyes or getting frustrated when I encounter a new room full of enemies, I yearn to ambush each of the shadows and here that same great battle theme over and over. And don't even get me started on the other track that starts up after you've sent your calling card and you're heading for the treasure.

The story is no great shakes - a group of outcasts and misfits band together to take down those in power who care not for them. But in this age, the themes resonate: young people disillusioned with society because the "traditional" paths to success are cut off from them, but those above them in society resent them for bucking the system. I think this is why Makoto speaks to me. I'm a former student council member, honors student, and now a lawyer (not a prosecutor like Sae though) and can really understand her sense of overachieving, but for what? What is there in life after school, after work, after pushing ourselves? After becoming a Phantom Thief, casting aside societal expectations, and seeking to change the hearts of men? Friendship.

That's what Persona 5 means to me.

[Sage + Onion Knight]

I'm currently playing this, and I think there's a chance I could have it finished just in time for this podcast. Anyway, I've been interested in the 'Persona' series for a while (as a particularly fan of Final Fantasies VI through VIII, it's interesting to have a JRPG series set in a similarly real-world-but-strange setting) but this is my first plunge into the series. I was slightly apprehensive, in part because the whole UI looked - to my then-uninitiated self - like some visually noisy early-2000s Offspring fan-site or something.

It was something like a tenner on PSN though, so how could I pass up the opportunity?

I'm really enjoying it so far. Like many JRPGs, it could probably do with being a bit shorter, and it takes a good few hours to actually get past the obligatory swamp of tutorials; but I've really come to enjoy this game. It has that tone that has always attracted me to the series from afar (that mundane Japan paired with a really imaginative, really bizarre underbelly); and I particularly like how the story's themes of challenging the status quo even play into those mechanics - don't know if it's reading too much into it to say that I welcome a game that speaks up for the value of simple relaxation, socialising, and free time in a world so consumed by capitalism, skewed work-life balances, "side hustles", and whatnot.

As I say, I haven't completed it yet; but it's one of those games that I've really enjoyed getting into during these last few months (and I only wish the earlier games in the series were more easily accessible!)

[jackthebluemage]

It's been some time now since I played through Persona 5, but what has stuck with me is how it is a master class in top-down game design. The thievery theme drips from every corner of this game, not just from the phenomenal UI, but also in its twists on the now-familiar Persona formula with the social links and the design of the Velvet Room. It is also there in the soundtrack; I encourage everyone to sit and read the lyrics if they haven't already.

Playing in the role of a bunch of cocky kids out to steal hearts and change the world is fun to begin with, but this excellent thematic design enhances the experience dramatically.

[DaMonth]

This game was basically blind pitched as high schoolers whose special powers active when they rebel against authority and I was sold. Challenge run for anyone listening: play through the whole game without every touching that so-tempting ever-convenient FFWD button, which I'm surprised isn't a feature in all these long-winded JRPGs.

I had fun, but also, I feel the game felt like it was deeper than it was? Like, every villain would wax on about the nature of society, but in the end, they were all cartoonishly the worst people ever who were always wrong. I was more immersed in acing my exams.

Oh, and shoutout to Haru, who gets borderline shafted from being in the party and hard to level up so late in the game. Might as well not bother.

[Ben77000000]

Persona games are typically lengthy affairs, but of the 4 Persona games I've played, only 5 left me feeling that it had mostly wasted the 106 hours I'd given it. I'm not sure whether this was down simply to diminishing returns, a localisation effort lacking the care that helped previous entries shine, or even a loss of charm in the transition to more realistic character models, but the balance of hours spent to memorable moments was simply way off. Though the quality of life improvements made the title smoother to play than a buttered piano, and the combat system took a pair of defibrillators to turn-based encounters, the meandering storytelling and comparatively shallow cast rendered the whole experience something akin to socialising with a mannequin in designer clothing.

Persona 5 has its superbly designed main cast complete their arcs shortly after their introductions, after which they settle into static background roles. Though they can be explored further in their social links, these exist in a vacuum divorced from the main narrative. As such, 5 lacks the depth of character that Persona 3 was able to accomplish by having its party members develop not only alongside the story, but each other as well. Whereas Mitsuru and Yukari's bond developed throughout 3, characters like Ann and Makoto in 5 orbit the protagonist and never interact meaningfully with one another past a certain point.

Likewise, only the game's first arc truly gripped me, with its grounded subject matter and personal stakes taking me by surprise. Unfortunately, this turned out to be my last surprise, as the narrative soon abandoned such trappings in favour of increasingly unengaging villains with generic motives. I think Persona 5's inelegant writing can best be epitomised in the twist involving Joker faking his death. As with so many other key moments in the game, its impact is dulled massively by its contrived nature necessitating a tediously long-winded explanation.

The dungeon's designs were also so long-winded that I found myself missing the monotony of Persona 3's Tartarus. At least in 3 the player is rarely required to pay attention while wandering its dungeon's labyrinthine corridors. 5 meanwhile repeatedly asks for the player's attention before very stylishly squandering it with puzzles that serve only to prolong the busywork. I must admit though that the mosaic puzzle in Futaba's dungeon was a nice glimpse into the unrealised potential of the game's palaces.

For as negative as I've been, I do feel that there's a tight and terrific game buried somewhere beneath Persona 5's reams of reiteration and self-indulgences, just waiting for a ruthless editor to dig it out. As I await The Royal, I can't help but hope Atlus remove as much as they add.

[Nyx-Blaster]

Persona 3 and 4 will always hold a special place in my heart due to how much they helped me get through my own high school experience, Persona 4 especially due to its many themes, lovable characters and the wacky situations they found themselves in. Imagine my surprise when Persona 5, the sequel to my favorite JRPG of all time was announced for not only the ps3 but also the PS4 as well. I dont normally get games on the day of their release, but i did for Persona 5, and i voraciously played it for several months until i finally saw the ending credits.

Whenever i think of Persona one of the first things i think of is the music. Persona 3 and 4 already had amazing soundtracks that you could listen to both in the game and in your day to day life, and Persona 5 is no exception. Im not quite sure what genre you'd call Persona 5's music, i've heard the term 'Acid Jazz' thrown around to describe it, but whatever it is P5's tunes are just as likely to get stuck in your head as its predecessors.

As awesome as the game's soundtrack is, i think Persona 5's strength lies in its gameplay and general aesthetic. Persona has never looked so good, from the cell shaded art design, to the U.I., to just how information in general is presented in the game. Persona 5 simply oozes style from beginning to end like an over-the-top anime series, there's really no game that i can think of that has the kind of 'flair' that P5 does. Atlus also smoothed out the gameplay in such a way that I felt that battles were almost always fun to partake in. The stealth felt a little weird at times but they really do make you feel like a thief in this game, and for the most part i found navigating the dungeons very engaging, save for one particular dungeon towards the end of the game involving a puzzle with mice. I also thought that it was a nice touch to add gameplay mechanics to the social links themselves, with each social link granting to an ability of some kind that you could use inside or outside of battle.

The area where i feel Persona 5 falters is its story and characters. The story is good but i can't say it really resonated with me this time around. Whereas Persona 4 took a more narrow approach focusing on the small town of Inaba and the inner struggles of its main cast, Persona 5 goes for a more broader scope with both its story and city location, and focuses more on the corruption of people in power than its characters' inner demons. I didnt find this approach to be quite as compelling, and at times the story felt really long winded and more drawn out than it needed to be. I think how the story is presented also plays a part in it's awkwardness as well, because Atlus really hammers the idea of "YOU ARE A DELINQUENT, YOU ARE A TROUBLE MAKER, NOBODY WANTS YOU HERE" over your head again and again so much that certain situations seemed absurdly unbelievable. From beginning to end the world of Persona 5 seems distrustful and hostile towards the player like a helicopter parent, and i felt myself just getting downright angry at how badly the MC and his allies were treated by everyone else.

I also found myself feeling quite luke-warm towards the characters as well. I dont think they're bad characters, but i think they pale in comparison to the P4 cast. I feel the main reason for this though also links back to my issues with the story. We get to see plenty of the P5 cast being quasi-superheroes as the phantom thieves, but we dont really get to see them being friends or getting to know each other. There aren't really any special events like P4's camping trip or cross-dressing pageant that show the P5 cast interacting together outside of missions and battle. There is the trip to Hawaii, and the group celebrations at the fancy buffet and the amusement park, but even during these events the focus was still on 'Phantom Thieves business'. As a result the main cast felt somewhat distant in my eyes, they struck me more as a group of co-workers than a group of friends.
This detachment also permeates through many of the social links you make with other 'Confidants' that you meet in the city, and overall i was left with the sense that many of the relationships that the MC made with other characters felt very 'conditional' rather than 'genuine'. Maybe I'm just weird and reading too much into it, but something about the social links didnt quite jell with me.

Even with the gripes that i have, im still glad i got a chance to play Persona 5 to completion. It was great to battle shadows again while listening to Quirky JPOP music, find and fuse new personas, and simulate the school life of a rebellious teenager and his newfound allies. I think more than ever Persona 5 really sells the 'Teenage Power Fantasy' idea, and at times the game feels grand and punchy like a good marvel movie. I just wish it gave a bit more time to its characters and their relationships to one another.

[Aaron]

Made an account on the forums here just to gush about P5 haha

Persona 5 was the game that rekindled my love of JRPGs. After years of thinking the genre was bloated and stale P5 came swooping in and whisked me away on an incredibly stylish, indignantly righteous, and heartfelt journey. The social link mechanics blew me away. Never before had I seen a game that placed so much narrative and mechanical emphasis on hanging out with all your cool friends ... and also Mishima.

I want to bring up Futaba in particular because her portrayal of mental health was really refreshing to see. To me, once she joins your crew her issues are never(as I recall) stigmatized by the Phantom Thieves. She's allowed to just be herself, quirks and all, and she's still an incredibly valuable member of the team (saving you as she does from Morgana's "looking cool Joker!") It was just really nice to see a character with mental health issues be given the room to breath in that way. While her social link story is about overcoming some of the obstacles she faces it always seemed to be on her terms and driven by her will to change. Her story of an extreme introvert reaching out for help and finding cool supporting friends really speaks to me.

P5 was so good that I've since gone back and am playing through the backlog of Persona games now. It's brought me back into the JRPG genre in a way I never thought possible. One could say it has.... stolen my heart

10/10 would become infamous brain hijackers for the good of humanity with my cool rebel friends again