The Phantom Thieves stole my heart.
By Ameer Ammar
I have managed to avoid basically everything about Persona for years due to a complete lack of interest and that has actually lead to this being the most blind playthrough possible. I had no idea what a "Phantom Thief" even is before going into this. Recently I decided to be more open to experiences and games that I otherwise never gave a chance before regardless of genre, and the first game has been Persona 5 Royal, after getting all the achivements, I am quite shocked to report that I am no longer a hater of anime, JRPGs or turn-based games. Persona 5 is one of the best games I've ever played.
Story:
I went into P5 with literally 0 knowledge on what it's about aside from there's a dual-life mechanic where you're a student and also some kind of magical guy and you had friends and relationships, so I found out all about the Phantom Thieves and the side characters naturally through the game and this was a truly special experience.
Persona 5 is an expertly written game, in a way it is structured like a multi-season TV show where every palace is a dedicated season where new characters come in, new conflicts and there's a general overarching narrative unfolding as well but in my opinion P5 shines the brightest in those smaller scale conflicts.
The Phantom Thieves are the definition of "I can fix her!" and seeing these group of high school kids' impact on the world around them and their desire to truly incite change is amazing, especially when it involves some truly shitty individuals, but the kind of which you will definitely meet at some point in life.
The Phantom Thieves themselves are an absolutely loveable cast; character I didn't expect to like somehow I ended up loving like Yusuke, while others you just instantly see and go "yeahhh that's my bro from now on" like Ryuji.
Plus Ann, Futaba, Makoto, Sumire, Haru, Morgana, they are all unforgetable characters that I really developed a bond with, you spend so much time with them and they truly feel like your very own friends by the end of the journey.
I also can't go on without mentioning my goth girlfriend in P5 Takemi who is an amazing character whose story really resonated with me and of course Akechi, who might genuinely be the best character in the game especially in the third semester where he is just unleashed as this absolutely loveable (and ruthless) detective, I won't go further into spoilers though!
The only time I felt Persona 5 fulter in it's story is towards the end of the second semester when the plot is kind of blown up a bit too big in my eyes, but I am more than glad to have played the Royal version as it adds a ton more after it and my personal favourite villain of that section just lacked personality.
I fully see why people said the ending of the original P5 was its weakest part but I am more than glad to have played the Royal version, as it adds a ton more after it and my personal favorite villain in the entire game whose motives are genuinely so complex and really give you a lot to think about. it is truly an incredible third semester that should not be missed.
Overall the story left me with an insane amount of feelings. it is a gigantic tale that goes into many tangents and side-arcs that all resonated deeply with me personally and genuinely caused me to make actual changes in my own IRL life and how I treat the people around me. I think that is the strongest praise anyone can give a story.
Gameplay: I don't think it's a secret that I never in my life enjoyed turn-based games or JRPGs but Persona 5 has really just broken that mold for me, it plays incredibly well, the combat is not exactly difficult which is what makes it really beginner friendly. It is fast paced, feels really strategic and some encounters and boss fights will have you feeling insanely smart for handling them so well and mastering the mechanics by the end. Exploring the palaces is really fun as they are all uniquely themed and each one introduces some new mechanic to shake things up which I loved. I also adore (and prefer) the student life side of P5 more, I really enjoyed spending so much time around Tokyo and it's locales, hanging out with all the confidants and seeing what trouble Joker could get up to on the streets.
Soundtrack: Persona 5 has one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard, I'm pretty sure this is a fairly common opinion due to how many views all the tracks have and I can confirm I have added a ton of them into my Spotify playlist. "Beneath the Mask" and "Rivers in the desert" are permanent bangers in my rotation. Graphics: Persona 5 has a really gorgeous artstyle, it really relies on its main color which is Red across it's HUD, menus and important sections which I love because Red is my favorite color. There's also something about the design of Tokyo here that makes it feel almost nostlagic to just walk around, it really feels like home. Atlus are beyond talented and you can really tell the artists poured their heart and soul into it.
Persona 5 Royal - 10/10 - MUST-BUY