Persona 5 Royal (2019)

This game demonstrates that turn-based games are awesome, they have a great audience and can be master pieces. Square-Enix should learn from Atlus about how to do a turn-based JRPG like this one.

The plot catches you from the beginning and it goes up dungeon after dungeon, OST is awesome, Tokyo is really well represented and you feel like you are almost there. I have never been in Tokyo but some friends told me that are almost identical. Characters are really well designed and you even build some bounds with them to the point that the game ends... I am going to miss them. After almost 150 hours playing every day I felt like they were like part of my daily routine.

About the gameplay (without spoilers), you have something like a dungeon to explore and get to the end, and you have N days to accomplish that. In the meanwhile you can also do your daily life (go to school, shopping, meet with people, ... ). This could seem like useless but it isn't because you upgrade your social links and status and this makes you more powerful on combat. So everything is like a gearbox perfectly made. Yes, it is almost perfect and the daily loop makes you think: 'OK. just one more day'. Really addictive.

The only bad thing I could say about it is a boss fight that is just.. wrong. I sweat blood to win that fight. The rest of the game is well leveled :)

To be honest I don't know what else to say, is a must play game. PLAY IT! Let's see if Persona 6 is presented these days on the Summer Game Fest!

Persona 5 Royal is a masterpiece. I will say that upfront. It is one of my favorite JRPGs, if not my favorite. It's up there with Chrono Trigger and FFVII as the best of the best. I put in almost 200 hours into this game, and it wasn't until perhaps the final week or so where I started feeling the itch of wanting to wrap up. With how limited time is anymore and how I only love to invest that much time into a game if I truly love it, that should tell you the high regard I have for this title.

Set in modern day Tokyo, you play Ren Amamiya, a 16-17 year old teenager who was wrongfully accused of a crime he didn't commit. For his rehabilitation, he lives with Sojiro Sakura, a gruff cafe owner who puts Ren up in his attic. Ren ends up in the metaverse, where he is held a "prisoner" by Igor and his assistants, Caroline and Justine. There, he signs the contract to become a "trickster", someone with the goal of changing the hearts of humans by using personas, monsters or creatures with super powers. Ren has one year to make friends, learn skills and change the hearts of society, before the metaverse and reality become one.

The best way to describe Persona 5 Royal is Final Fantasy meets The Sims meets Pokemon. There are two distinctive elements of the game: the real life simulation where Ren goes to school, works jobs, hangs out with friends, goes on dates and other activities. Doing these things builds up confidant points or skill points. In certain situations, you need skill points to further strengthen your confidant points, and vice versa. The choices you make during the day have consequences, positive or negative, and with the limited time you have, it's important to make each choice count.

The second element is the "metaverse", where the game takes a more dungeon-crawler tone. You and your teammates, who you will meet throughout the game, meet up at a "hideout" and using an app on your phone, are able to enter the palace of a targeted enemy. The palace is a distortion of what the enemy truly thinks in his/her heart, and as such, you will battle enemies, find treasures and solve puzzles, with the ultimate goal of defeating a main boss and stealing their "treasure." The good news is time stops while in a palace, so as long as you don't leave the palace, you won't lose a day to do activities. However, SP, which is used to summon personas and do magic spells, is very limited, and so are the number of items you can find to refill it. So yes, you could leave the palace, go back to reality, and return the next day with full energy, but doing that means you loss time. And each palace has a specific time limit it must be finished in. If you don't finish it in time, game over.

The team you fight with feels like a mix between Scooby Doo (with a talking cat instead of a talking dog), The Breakfast Club and The Justice League. Each character has a role, a unique personality and attributes to help the team. As you learn the game and figure out how to utilize baton passing, swamping out teammates, getting "one mores" from enemies and holding them up to either capture a new persona, get money or items, or finish them off with an "all out" attack, the game does a nice job of taking the aging turn based battle format and keeping it fresh. It also does a nice job of making it feel like you truly are becoming more powerful. In the beginning, when I had no clue what to do, I was getting my butt handed to me by small little slime creatures. By the end, I had extremely powerful personas, and while the game was still challenging, I was dying much less frequently as I learned more and more tricks of combat.

The other dungeon crawler part is "Mementos". This is an underground lair of sorts that looks like a haunted subway station. Here, you can work on a number of "side missions" while collecting flowers/stamps to exchange for items or to improve how much HP, money or items you can collect. This is a good place to "grind" and if you spend a lot of time here, you might end up being quite powerful early on.

The writing in this game makes it feel like you are becoming friends with the confidants as you learn more and more about them. Each of them has a struggle they are dealing with, and you help them out along the way. Romancing can be fun, but one of the negatives I have is there isn't really an "advantage" you get from the game for getting in a relationship with someone, outside of some additional cut scenes and some additional items. On the flipside, you can romance ALL the people if you want to, and while there is a somewhat funny "consequence" for doing this, it doesn't hurt your confidant levels. I wish the game would have maybe made someone you romanced "stronger" than others, and perhaps if you were unfaithful, penalized you for doing that as well.

The music in this game is just fantastic. One of the best soundtracks I've heard of any game anywhere. "Rivers in the Desert" might be the best song I've heard in a video game. I like the music so much, I purchased the album.

Graphically, the game isn't the most advanced in this department, but I love the art style. It feels like you are watching an interactive anime or manga. There are some beautiful anime scenes in the game that are amazing. It ran very well on the Nintendo Switch and I didn't notice any major frame drops or other slowdowns.

If I had negatives, here's what they would be. First off, sometimes there are some manga/anime stereotypes sprinkled in that are eye roll inducing or just awkward. I thought the writing as a whole was strong, but these did happen from time to time. Also, with this being Royal, two new main characters are introduced (school counselor Dr. Maruki and transfer student gymnast Kasumi) and while I think on the whole their addition is good, the whole third semester starts to drag. There is a lot of trying to cram in time with Kasumi in particular (with very few opportunities to do so), and it seems like a lot of nights you will be going to the jazz club or playing video games, as there isn't much else left for you to do at night. I think there might have been a better way to incorporate them, while also not shunning the main core group, which is kind of feels like it happens.

Overall, this game is fantastic. If you love JRPGS with strong storytelling, a killer soundtrack, lovable characters, fun combat and an inspiring tale about friendship and cold, hard truth of reality, pick up Persona 5 Royal. Highly recommended.

Released in 2019 for the PS4, and in 2022 for other consoles, Persona 5 Royal is the "definitive" version of Persona 5, adding new content that you can't really explain without spoiling the whole story.

And the thing with Persona games is that you actually play them for the story and characters alone. The gameplay, while serviceable, isn't really interesting and is filled with lots of text, cutscenes and sections where the only thing you can do is walking from point A to point B.

There are some minigames where you actually do something different, like playing videogames, trying to hit home runs or throwing darts, but they are optional and really basic, so most of the time you only do them because they raise your stats and give you achievements, or because you don't know what else to do during your free time. Still, the variety is appreciated, and it is a lot better than in Persona 3 and 4, where the gameplay is basically the same from start to finish.

And how it is the story? Well, it really depends on your taste. The main message here is that civilization is full of rotten adults and only teenagers with superpowers can change society for the better, so you go through palaces to change the heart of awful people and basically force them to become good and reveal their crimes to the whole world. You can expect lots of generic anime moments along the way, like fanservice, school festivals, homophobia, and all that jazz.

However, my main problem with the story is that the pacing feels a lot slower and worse than in Persona 3 and 4. There are lots of moments where you can't do nothing during almost two weeks in a row outside of pressing a button to advance the dialogue box, and events that could happen in 2 days are unnecessarily stretched out. For example, before you can do the palace in October, you have to watch an awful conflict between the main characters that doesn't add anything to the story and it's just there to add forced drama. This is even worse in Royal, as there are two new characters that are important and have lots of screen time that you can't avoid.

This is the main drawback of the game, and I can't blame anybody who dropped it because they couldn't stand how little gameplay there was, especially because, in my opinion, the plot and characters interactions feel weaker than in previous entries, with Persona 3 being a lot more serious and having really interesting themes to analyze, while Persona 4 had a main group that actually feel like real friends and it was pretty fun to watch their interactions.

Meanwhile, you barely watch the Phantom Thieves interact with each other unless they find/complete a palace, and some members of the group, like Ann and Haru, become basically background objects as soon as they stop being the focus of the story. Which is a shame, because they start really promising, but even their friendship events feel like wasted potential that don't add anything new or interesting to them.

But despite all these problems, Persona 5 Royal had many elements that makes the experience a lot better than you would expect. For starters, the overworld is the largest and most beautiful of all Persona games, with lots of places to explore, full of shops, characters with dialogue that changes depending of the day and crowds that make the whole environment more immersive and alive. Because of that, when you are actually able to play, you will enjoy just running through Shibuya, or going with your friends to any of the multiple restaurants and shop districts available.

Also, some of the confidants you meet are very charming, fun, and have really interesting themes that were never explored before in Persona. My favorites were the politician and the teacher, which backstory and character development are so well done I'd say are some of the best of the entire franchise, which is especially amazing considering how underwhelming the social events from the main group are.

And of course you can't talk about the game without mentioning the aesthetic and menus, which are a delight to navigate and portray masterfully the tone. They mix so well with the soundtrack, the characters, the environment and basically everything to the point that you can't imagine Persona 5 without thinking about them, which is really appreciated, as you will be looking at menus during long periods of times.

Finally, the content added in Royal has some problems, like the new month where half of the time is wasted in story events, and the new playable character feels really forced to the story and you can't even use her until the last palace of the entire game despite being present and having lots of interactions with the protagonist since the beginning, which is a really weird choice. Still, the QoL changes, new mechanics and expanded selection of enemies and Personas are so good that the vanilla version actually feels outdated without them, so this is definitely the best edition to play.

In conclusion, Persona 5 Royal is far from perfect, but if you are a fan of the franchise, the JRPG genre, or can endure reading for more than 100 hours with the possibility of actual gameplay every 2-3 hours, it is definitely worth playing.

3.5 STAR actual rating.

Game length is a funny thing. It's always in the eye of the beholder on what the perfect time from is. Gone Home was perfect at 2 hours. Uncharted was close to perfect at 10 hours. Suikoden 2 was close to perfect at 30 hours. And shoot, Persona 4 Golden was close to perfect at 65 hours.

Now I know that everyone is going to have differing opinions on this and that's great, but it is hard to imagine a world where this 115 hour game, just to get through the main story, is perfect for anyone.

This game started off superbly. Just like other Persona games. It introduces interesting and unique characters that are a joy to follow and have accompany you. They compliment each other well. The story takes interesting turns and twists and it gets more complex as it goes and it really is a great story.

And then I just hit a wall. And I started punching that wall. And by the time I was about to break through the wall I was just done because I had worked so hard to get through the wall.

I found myself not caring about the characters anymore. I didn't care what they had to say. I didn't care about big twists. I didn't care about anything other than finishing the game. I felt bad that I felt this way because I grew to care about these characters. I described it to my friend like this: It's like the friend you invite over for dinner. You love the friend, that's why you invited him. You wanted to spend some time together and hang out and catch up and enjoy a good meal. There comes a time when you are ready for him to go home. It drags for a bit and you start to give cues to leave. He doesn't pick up on any of these cues. He continues to stay. Until you basically have to kick him out. You still love your good buddy! But you are completely over him for a bit and he left on a sour note since he overstayed his welcome.

This is what Persona 5 Royal is to me. It's completely pretentious to me that you would make a game where the main story is OVER 100 HOURS. Just the main story! Sure there are plenty of games that you can play for over 100 hours but I don't think you could find one where the main campaign takes that long. You poured 200 hours into The Witcher 3? Cool! But the main story is still only 50 and you have the option to continue whether or not you are having fun! Same with Skyrim or Cyberpunk or any other number of games.

This game went from a 4.5 to a 4 to a 3.5 and as the time continued on I just kept dropping the score. Shoot at first I was gonna round this one up to 4, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it because I don't think it deserves that.

I know that this review is like one big complaint, but this game is good. It is well done, the story is great the characters are great and the battle system is awesome. Masterful music. That Persona composer really is something else! And it is quite the feat that I was invested all the way until 85 hours. I just don't stay invested that long anymore.

So no, this game certainly isn't bad. But it certainly is overrated to me and that essentially boils down to the time they think you should invest. Again I find it a little pretentious.

I hope the next Persona game shortens the length considerably otherwise I'm not going to have any interest in playing it.

Played on PS5 - achieved platinum in 123 hours.

This game has been an absolute delight to play from front to end. The music, the dungeons, the story writing and the exploration part have all been near perfection. While there are 1 or 2 boring 'dungeons' (palaces) in the mid part of the game, they do not really put a dent in the overall experience with this game, and they are quickly forgotten with all the goodness that comes after.

The royal edition adds so much, it almost feels like a new game. Two new characters, an extra semester, an extra palace, a whole new room with unlockables, a new location with tons of stuff to do, and all new monsters. weapons, armour, etc. They also fixed a lot of things that were not so great in the non-royal version: reworked palaces, better boss encounters, expansions on another dungeon not spoiling the name), and lots off QoL improvements.

The non-royal version was already a solid 10 for me, but the royal version just makes it one of the greatest jrpg's of all time. Anyone serious about jrpg's should play this game, at least once ;)

I would definitely recommend playing the Royal version of the game, as it improves so much on the base game (i've played that version on ps4), it's almost like a different game, in a good way.

Amazing RPG that tells an impactful story, and marries linear storytelling with player choice in a unique way.

• Excellent writing; characters are likeable and realistic, and they grow over the course of the story.
• Choosing daily activities is an amazing mechanic, and works because the writing is so good. The scenes you experience and the order you see them in will be unique to you, and it elevates the story.
• Great turn based combat -- fights feel more like puzzles than DPS grinds.
• Storytelling and gameplay are woven together very well.
• Mementos side content is a too large for its own good (note: game doesn't encourage you to grind or collect 'em all).
• Scenes occasionally dip into lame anime tropes.
• Ending gets close to jumping the shark, but saves itself and ends on a high note.

Full of style, fresh ideas, and old favorites, this game is an obvious choice for anyone who is a fan of the Persona series, SMT, or JRPGs in general. The slower JRPG style pacing, the repetition and predictability, and the 150 hour time investment for the "perfect ending" though may turn some people off.

I would also suggest you play the "Royal" version, which is likely to be the final version and the most feature-complete. The Royal version adds quality-of-life improvements, fleshes out some characters further, adds some new ones, and generally gives you more story and content with less headache. The new DLC style story the Royal Edition introduces, which starts after the main story concludes, is just not as stellar as the main story of the game though. The ending is not nearly as satisfying.

Also BEWARE when it comes to the Royal Edition, as the new story can only be unlocked if you do some specific things during the main story. What you have to do is not too bad, but it does require a little work and planning. Just look up "Persona 5 third semester" on Google for more information.

Persona 5 Royal is delightful for both, people who have never played a persona game before and the ones who have already completed Persona 5.

With even better art-styles and delicious colours all over the screen, Persona 5 Royal has me leaving the game on, running in the background, just because of pure aesthetics.

The game adds new mechanics that weren't in P5 and also adds a whole semester with a new playable character. Party members have enhanced abilities with new areas to explore with them.

The game adds more mini games to participate in which aren't just for fun but serve actual purpose for your battles.

You also have new confidants to bond with and make your experience even greater during combat.

Mementos, the game's dungeon system, has a significant overhaul with customizability.

The narrative is still the same just the endgame has a new semester as closure if you make the right moves in the game. Be sure not to get locked out of the semester.

A must have for every Playstation owner.

Persona 4 Golden was the first JRPG I really, really loved that didn't have "Pokémon" in its title. Collecting personas had a similar vibe, sure, but the deeper mechanics, story and time management mechanics kicked everything up a notch: The game deserves its praise. The same goes for its predecessor, which I played via Persona 3 Portable. I can totally see why everyone has their own favorite Persona game.

Persona 5 is my personal favorite. I became a fan of Shigenori Soejima's art direction through this series, and his team's work has never shone brighter... the world and vibe seep into every pixel on screen, each character and persona stunningly realized. The dungeons feel alive and purposeful. The gameplay loop is a bit more forgiving, making it easier to indulge my inner completionist. But more than anything, its themes of cognitively fighting society's worst impulses through powers gained from self-acceptance resonate even more for me in 2020 than they did three years ago.

So as a big fan of the original, I had a lot of fun exploring Persona 5 Royal. It delivered the large additions it advertised (including one of my new favorite characters), but there were also quite a few smaller changes to things like dialogue, artwork and existing mechanics. It all adds up to a version of the game that feels definitive without invalidating the original... a great choice for new players or fans hungry for an excuse to return to Shujin Academy.

PROS

• Tells an enthralling story filled with unforgettable characters that maintains tension and intrigue across a 120+ hour run time.
• In terms of pure aesthetics and design, this is one of the greatest accomplishments in all of video games
• Fantastic soundtrack
• Simulation elements are incredibly robust and rewarding to pursue
• Takes the JRPG genre to new heights in terms of thematic/mechanical integration
• The sheer amount of content, systems, and options in the game are staggering without being overwhelming
• Creative dungeons are memorable and fun to explore
• This style of game should be its own genre, where are all the Persona-likes???

CONS

• Combat, though satisfying, starts to wear a bit thin toward the end
• Dialogue scenes are excessive at times, especially when there are several back-to-back
• Swingy difficulty makes the game extremely easy one minute only to insta-kill you the next