Persona 5 is a game that knows exactly what it wants to do. It sets out to do it in a manner so confident you’ll forget that it’s not a terribly original sequel beyond its excellent aesthetics.
Oh, but what aesthetics they are. Bright red dominates the color palette, and the game opts to blend its relatively basic 3-D graphics. After all, it is basically a mid-budget Playstation 3 game with some of the best 2-D art you will ever see in a game, period. It all goes toward the confident, jazzy feel Persona 5 exudes.
That confidence goes a long way to help tell its story. You play as a shaggy-haired, bespectacled Japanese high-schooler who was framed for assault and sent to Shujin Academy in Tokyo to serve your probation. You then suddenly gain the ability to delve into the cognitive world of heavily corrupt individuals and steal the source of their distorted desires.
So, imagine Donald Trump. Narcissistic, vain and not above a good old-fashioned scam. The main characters would be able to use a phone app to ring up his name, what he views his kingdom as and his crime. If we’re speculating what it is, his Palace would be a fusion of Trump Tower and the White House, decked out with shrines to himself. You can then enter it to steal that treasure and force a change of heart, but not before administering brutal beatings using your titular Personas.
Those beatings are delivered through more or less the same combat system the previous games used, a turn-based combat system that uses flashy, short animations and a high-damage rule-set that makes random encounters start and end really quickly. But those same rocket-tag rules make bosses with higher HP pools a nice, meaty challenge to conquer.
You and enemies can hit weaknesses Pokemon-style to gain extra moves and knock down the target. If you can knock down everyone, you can hold enemies up and pressure them for new Personas, money or items, or just deliver a high-damage All-Out Attack, usually ending a fight in a hail of gunfire and a stylish bit of 2-D art.
Outside the combat and the dungeon exploration, you have a high-school life to manage, much like the other Persona games. Here, time moves forward inexorably, and getting more powerful in the dungeons requires you to make friends and improve your social stats. Stronger friendships give you new abilities, like the ability to slack off in class or buy experimental medicine, and you can produce stronger Personas when you go to combine them. The tension that comes from knowing your time is limited is palpable, and doing everything without a guide is almost impossible.
The writing is pretty strong, and Atlus has become the best in the business at localizing quirky Japanese nonsense for Western markets. You won’t feel lost amidst the proceedings, despite how complicated the plot and the supernatural mechanics are. Unlike Persona 4, you won’t be stuck wondering what the heck daigaku imo even is and how you’re supposed to cook it — but do have a guide on hand for the questions asked of you in the classroom, at least.
In the end, however, what we have on hand is a supremely polished example of what the Japanese role-playing game can do. It's also the single best jumping-on point a player can ask for, what with its spread of difficulty modes and generous anti-frustration features. It might have been better suited for the Nintendo Switch than a Playstation console, given how both Persona 3 and 4 benefitted greatly from being handheld experiences. If you want to wait for a port to the Switch, that’s great, but right now we have a supremely effective game that is worth the full price of admission. Beginning to end, you’re looking at 70 to 100 hours of stylish combat and great writing, accompanied by an excellent soundtrack.
Also, I’m sorry.
Logan Graham is a junior studying media arts with a focus in games and animation at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Have you played 'Persona 5?' Let him know by emailing him at lg261813@ohio.edu.
