Never played anything like Persona before but I kept seeing the insane ratings online and the massive fan following with everyone singing its praises. Decided to finally try it when I had some free time and that turned out to be a dangerous decision because I played all 113 hours in 15 days. This is the only game I’ve ever no-lifed to this extent because I was completely hooked from start to finish.
This game also really solidified turn-based combat as a genre I genuinely enjoy. Before this the only turn-based games I’d played were Pokémon which are much simpler. Persona 5 Royal showed me how stylish and strategic turn-based combat could be when done right. The way you exploit weaknesses for extra turns and chain attacks together made every battle engaging rather than just mashing through menus.
The story starts with you being interrogated and then jumps back to show how you got there which immediately grabbed me. From there it just keeps escalating in the best way possible with each palace raising the stakes and revealing more about what’s really going on. Without spoiling anything the way everything comes together and pays off is brilliant. The twists genuinely surprised me and the third semester content in Royal adds a whole new layer that’s even better than the base game’s ending.
The characters are what make this game special though. Your team of Phantom Thieves all have their own issues and growth throughout the story. There’s conflict between party members that feels real and gets resolved in satisfying ways rather than just being forgotten. The confidant system lets you get to know everyone on a deeper level and maxing them all out was addictive. Even the side characters have compelling stories that made me want to see them through.
Turn-based combat is usually not my thing but the style and presentation here makes it exciting. All-out attacks look incredible and exploiting weaknesses to get extra turns keeps battles moving fast. The persona fusion system is deep enough to experiment with but not so complex that you need a guide. Palaces are well designed with unique themes and puzzles that don’t overstay their welcome.
The soundtrack is absolutely incredible and I’m not exaggerating when I say multiple tracks are still in my daily playlist months later. Last Surprise never gets old and Beneath the Mask is perfect chill music. The acid jazz style is so unique for a JRPG and it works perfectly with the phantom thief aesthetic.
The calendar system and time management adds this constant tension of wanting to do everything but having to make choices. Balancing palace infiltration with social stats and confidant hangouts becomes this engaging puzzle. By the end I was following a guide to max everything because I didn’t want to miss any content.
This game is long and it knows it but it earns every hour. There’s no padding here just constant story progression and character development. I’d recommend this to anyone who can commit the time even if they don’t usually play JRPGs. It’s that good.
I finally found a game that lived up to impossible hype. This series has a new lifelong fan!