Persona 5 (2016)

I don't know what to say about Persona 5 to do it justice. Yes, it's a turn-based JRPG that oozes anime flash, so if you've ever played a Final Fantasy (for example) you'll understand the combat and if you've ever watched an anime, you'll be totally at home with the stylish character designs. But where Persona 5 rises above is with fun leveling mechanics, character interactions that feel meaningful, and a narrative that grips the imagination and flows well from start to finish.

Everything in Persona 5 is a resource. I mean, technically real life can be viewed that way, too: every breath we take on this planet takes place while we're choosing how to spend our money, time, energy, and emotions. Right now I'm choosing to spend an hour writing this review for Persona 5 instead of, say, reading (currently in the middle of the second James Bond novel, Live and Let Die) or watching TV or looking up old college friends on Facebook or looking for a new job, or, or, you get the picture. And while most games can, at their core, be viewed as resource management one way or another (take Resident Evil 4: Do I buy an ammo upgrade for my shotgun, or a couple of health sprays?), but few games have embraced the idea of managing resources so integrally as Persona 5.

It goes beyond normal RPG choices, like opting for a ring that protects against fire instead of ice, or normal turn-based choices, like whether this character's turn should be spent healing or attacking (and if healing, whether that should be done via your limited magic or with a limited potion)--basically every decision you make in Persona 5 has a tangible impact on something. Leaving battle stuff aside (since we all know the importance of managing resources in battle), Persona 5 has found a way of making the slice-of-life, social simulation-type stuff integral to advancing your character.

The game is split into days, and most days provide several opportunities to make choices on how to spend your time. You can do activities (work a job, study, go to the theater, eat at a diner, etc) or hang out with people. And these activities provide boosts to your character in the form of social aids (such as increased knowledge or charm or kindness) or better connections to your friends (which help you get more powerful in battles)--and the social aid activities help you form those connections with friends. So even sitting down in the library to study for an afternoon can help you in the end game.

If this all sounds complicated, it sounds more so in words than in actual practice. In-game it just feels good. Initially you're choosing daily activities that sound fun (like hanging out with one of your early friends--which the game terms "confidants"), and the benefit is just a perk. But as you become acclimated to what Persona 5 is doing, it becomes just as fun to pick and choose activities based on the benefit you get from it. You start seeing what you need to help level up your character and seeing how going to the bathhouse (which increases your charm) helps you advance your friendship with a confidant, which in turn gets you the in-battle perks associated with that confidant level.

I did a Very Poor Job of finagling my free time, especially during the first half of the game, yet I still had a lot of fun and rarely felt like I was really missing out--yes, I probably missed some side quests because I didn't get some confidants leveled up high enough to get them, but there is so much that you can do that no one is going to get everything without religiously following a walkthrough outlining the specific activities on specific days that need to be done. Some may view this as a weakness within the game, but I think it's actually a strength: it allows your character to evolve in a way that feels specific to the priorities you value.

There is so much going on in Persona 5 that I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface of what the game offers. I haven't touched on gathering personas (which, for those unfamilliar, are a bit like Pokemon--"enemies" that you capture in battle and use), fusing them, strengthening them, juggling their abilities--I had a blast just managing my personas and their skills; and as satisfying as that is, being able to use them in battle is fantastic. And they are fused/strengthened in such a way that it seems like everyone who plays--every play through--will end up with a different set of personas they lean on with a different set of skills.

So yeah. If a turn-based combat JRPG sounds up your alley, Persona 5 is the cream of the crop.