Matthew Tamez
mtamez@foghornnews.com
“Persona 5,” a Japanese RPG developed by Atlus for the PS3 and PS4, is the sixth entry in the main “Persona” series, with the previous game having been released back in 2008. The latest entry was released April 4, three years after originally planned, leading to great expectations from longtime fans.
“Persona 5” tells the story of a group of high schoolers who have become fed up with the lies and hypocrisy of society. With no one willing to fight for change, they take it upon themselves. Using a power known only as “Persona,” they will form a group known as the Phantom Thieves, enter the hearts of corrupt individuals, steal their twisted desires and ultimately cause a change of heart. However, as the thieves uncover more corruption in the hearts of those in power, they come to learn of a conspiracy that may threaten their entire country, if not the world.
“Persona 5” was a highly anticipated game by many, and it delivers on every front. The game begins with an exciting intro that doesn’t pull any punches in its delivery, with exciting music to go along with it. The game plays as a turn-based JRPG, with the player casting spells and attacking on their turn. They player has an ability to summon more than one Persona to assist in battle and can collect and fuse them into even stronger Personas. Enemies have weaknesses that the player will need to discover and exploit in combat.
Outside of battle, the character is a normal high schooler and must try his best to appear as one. The character will spend each day trying to manage his time between his duties as a thief and a student. The game only has one year, and each day that passes is another year closer to the end.
“Persona 5” is one of the best games to come out this year. The game practically oozes style and the story is extremely engaging, touching upon subjects that actually happen in real life. That being said, players should know that the game does have situations that may make some uncomfortable. Suicide as a theme makes its way into the story multiple times and its played realistically.
“Persona 5” absolutely lives up the hype, and just like the Phantom Thieves steal the hearts of their targets, maybe they’ll take yours as well.
Gameplay: A
Story: A+
Graphics: B-
Soundtrack: A+
Overall: A
