Wingandwind

First off I believe you need to compare this version of the game to the original since they are both playable on the same system and a new player would have to choose between them and old players need to choose if this is worth buying when they already have a version of persona 5. If you are getting this one solely to have the ‘definitive’ version, also keep in mind both persona 4 and persona 3 got remakes on portable systems, so I would not be surprised if we get another persona 5 remake for a portable system one day. So for everything good I have to say about royal I have something bad to say compared to the original: Good new graphics update - but bad new opening that you see every time you start the game, uglier, smaller font (big deal since this game is largely told through text and dialogue) used than the original game, and some of the new character busts are very odd looking and don’t look like they were drawn by the people who did the old busts. A new semester with a new palace! - it is optional. It also needs to be unlocked and the unlocking is easy enough to miss that many players may accidentally miss it. Also the new ‘semester’ isn’t very long and it is only like a month ish, calling it a ‘semester’ almost feels misleading. I can see why there are many bad reviews saying they were unhappy with how little new content there was. New confidants to do and a new romance option - but without going into spoilers the new royal characters are very similar to ones from previous Atlus games (including previous persona games) so if you are familiar with other persona, smt, or other Atlus games the new characters may feel stale or predictable. A new party member to use! - but she is on team for a very, very short amount of time so people excited to use a new party member will probably be disappointed. And her character arc doesn’t match the other characters being more about accepting her past and herself than of fighting against social norms and abuse. And as above, her writing is really predictable and weak. New battle mechanics and changes to make some aspects (like weapons and guns) more useful! - but it causes some balancing issues. Some changes now make the game too easy later in the game and make make some things already in the game obsolete. Example: changes to the guns to make them better made gun-based persona and gun persona skills a waste of time to use as well as making Haru much less useful, and she already suffers as she joins the cast very late. ...So, yeah, I do not believe royal is an unquestionable improvement to the original. I’d even go as far as saying that the new additions really could have used more work and many of the changes actually hurt the game instead of improving it. The new characters are also very disappointing and I don’t think most players will enjoy them. So overall I can’t say I enjoyed this version as much as the original, but I don’t think it is a bad game. If you played the original I wouldn’t bother getting this one and if you have never played persona 5 I would say get the original because it will probably be cheaper and it isn’t any worse. I’d only really recommend this version if safety difficultly was too hard for you in the original or if you are a stickler for good graphics and have a giant, super HD TV so a graphic upgrade would make a huge difference to you. Overall though I don’t think royal is worth it to the average gamer. It isn’t ‘bad’ but ‘unnecessary’ might be a good word. Buy, rent, watch an LP, or skip? Skip. The original will probably serve you fine and most of the new changes may not be worth buying the game again, most new plot points are optional and don’t change the story and are skippable.

This is probably my least favourite persona spinoff. My reviews for persona 5: dance and persona 3: dance are the same because they are the exact same game just with different soundtracks and swapped out characters. While the soundtrack is great, that is only because the main series has some of the best video game music of all time. However, most of it is locked behind paywalls. The gameplay is less than stellar and doesn’t do anything that you can’t find already in another rhythm game. The main selling point of this game is the characters, having many costumes and dances for them. Many of these, however, are also locked behind paywalls. Buy, rent, watch an LP, or skip? SKIP. This is literally just listening to music you have heard before, watching character dance around, and playing a run of the mill rhythm game. Even without the paywalls this game would be barely passable, but with them this is a firmly bad game.

This is probably my least favourite persona spinoff. My reviews for persona 5: dance and persona 3: dance are the same because they are the exact same game just with different soundtracks and swapped out characters. While the soundtrack is great, that is only because the main series has some of the best video game music of all time. However, most of it is locked behind paywalls. The gameplay is less than stellar and doesn’t do anything that you can’t find already in another rhythm game. The main selling point of this game is the characters, having many costumes and dances for them. Many of these, however, are also locked behind paywalls. Buy, rent, watch an LP, or skip? SKIP. This is literally just listening to music you have heard before, watching character dance around, and playing a run of the mill rhythm game. Even without the paywalls this game would be barely passable, but with them this is a firmly bad game.

This was a good game. Was. While the soundtrack is great, this game suffers due to its age. The art, gameplay, and menus are so outdated this game is nearly unplayable post 2000. The battle system is much slower and more complex than the modern personas and definitely will become annoying if it doesn’t come to you naturally. The strongest parts of the game are the the story. The characters are a step up from the previous game and the story has aged well outside of **** being involved. However, without social links or confidants, you only get to know the characters so well. I’d say this version of the game is stronger than the first half based on Maya being a much better and more developed character than Tasuya as well as actually concluding the game. Buy, rent, watch an LP, or skip? LP. Getting the game legally is harder to do each year and while the gameplay may not be worth it, the storyline and characters are still enjoyable.

This was a good game. Was. While the soundtrack is great, this game suffers due to its age. The art, gameplay, and menus are so outdated this game is nearly unplayable post 2000. The battle system is much slower and more complex than the modern personas and definitely will become annoying if it doesn’t come to you naturally. The strongest parts of the game are the the story. The characters are a step up from the previous game and the story has aged well outside of **** being involved. However, without social links or confidants, you only get to know the characters so well. Buy, rent, watch an LP, or skip? LP. Getting the game legally is harder to do each year and while the gameplay may not be worth it, the storyline and characters are still enjoyable.

This... exists. The graphics are OK but the chibi gimmick is something not everyone will love. However, the graphics for in game effects and menus are all quite pleasant. Oddly enough I’d say the high point of this game is the music, having a totally solid soundtrack. The battle system is pretty complex and definitely will become annoying if it doesn’t come to you naturally. Honestly I don’t understand why they didn’t use the same one from the main series. The weakest parts of the game are the characters and the story. The story is pretty basic and characters you probably know and love are boiled them down into one or two traits each that make complex characters super annoying. I’m confident that if this was not a persona spinoff and these were original characters most people would call them annoying. Buy, rent, watch an LP, or skip? Probably skip. If you are curious about the gameplay maybe watch a LP to see if it is for you, but story isn’t really important to the franchise as a whole and the characters are not themselves so it is totally skippable.

This persona game is my favourite out of the persona series and honestly I think this is the best version of the game. The graphics were honestly outdated even when the game was new, with square, clunky models that most games haven’t used since the 90’s. The soundtrack however is probably my favourite video game soundtrack with everything from bouncy pop to powerful emotional orchestra numbers. The battle system isn’t super complex and pretty clean, if you are familiar with Pokémon or other turn based battle you will pick it up very fast. It should be noted that it is a huge step up from the previous persona 2 and was a genuine and successful attempt to make the game better. However, it may come across as outdated to modern players. This version in particular has the option to play as a girl with different interaction, giving this version the best replay value. While the plot does have issues such as the game being so dark at times it is overbearing and villains that get very little development, is probably the best of the series with the strongest cast. Buy, rent, watch an LP, or skip? Buy if you can or beg Atlus to remake this game on a modern console.

This one is a good game to test the waters to see if you’ll like persona or SMT gameplay, but it isn’t for everyone. The graphics were honestly outdated even when the game was new, with square, clunky models that most games haven’t used since the 90’s. The soundtrack however is excellent and most people will probably feel at least one song they would put on an MP3 player to listen to outside of gaming. The battle system isn’t super complex and pretty clean, if you are familiar with Pokémon or other turn based battle you will pick it up very fast. The story is good, but has some fatal problems. The game is one of the most tone deaf persona games being a blissfully happy game where friend play while people are dying in the background. The game also has an obnoxiously long tutorial that may cause players to drop the game before they even really start it. And the characters are very hit-or-miss, you’ll either relate to them or find them boring as they are some of the least flashy but most grounded characters in the franchise. Buy, rent, watch an LP, or skip? Buy it, maybe rent it. LP’s are pointless as there is an anime of this game if you aren’t a fan of the gameplay.

Honestly, this is the best persona game so far. It may not be the best JRPG of all time, but I think most people who like turn based RPGs would consider it a contender. The graphics are amazing, blending the anime aesthetic with 3D models really well as well as beautiful menus and effects. The soundtrack is also excellent and most people will probably feel at least one song they would put on an MP3 player to listen to outside of gaming. The battle system is amazing, making the turn-based gameplay as smooth and fast as possible. After playing this game, older persona games and other similar games feel clunky by comparison. The story is good, but I take a point off for it because it definitely has problems like “smart” characters who do some of the dumbest things in the series, plot holes, and characters and arcs that don’t really add anything to the story but we need to be realistic, with a game with this much story of course some of it won’t land and most of the story is totally enjoyable. Seriously, if you like the genre and they system to play it on this is a must play. Buy, rent, watch an LP, or skip? Buy it 100%!