Review for Person 5 Royal. Game for PlayStation 4, the video game was released on 31/03/2020
Persona 5 Royal is an extended version of the homonymous title that made a lot of talk about itself, and not only in its field. Persona 5 won in fact as the best RPG in 2017, in its basic version released on PlayStation 3 and 4. The ATLUS JRPG that brought prestige to this niche series will return on March 31, 2020 with the intent of stealing hearts again. In this article we will mostly explore the new features and additions included, however we invite you to review Persona 5 in case it is your first time in front of this JRPG series.
Given that a title like Persona 5 is more than worthy of being played a second time, its Royal edition introduces a considerable amount of content, enriching even more an already excellent JRPG. Persona 5 Royal is also the first central title of the franchise subtitled in Spanish and we can confirm that the translation work put in place has paid off, albeit with some minimal smudging unearthed in some dialogue that is not vital for the purposes of the plot. And to be honest, this is perhaps the only clue left by the Phantom Thieves of a flawless hit. Dialogues that, however, have been rewritten and adapted from the original, as well as increased due to the new sequences and new films.
I'll reveal your true form
Persona 5 Royal reveals the true form of the eponymous JRPG, making it shine even more. If there is anything that can seemingly go unnoticed it is the way it is new content, new characters and new mechanics are being distributed constantly from the early stages of the game to the very end. Let's start with Kasumi Yoshiwara, one of the new key characters included in this version. The new schoolmate of Akira and companions is presented at the beginning of the game and will frequently appear in fractions of the main storyline, but also secondary ones as Kasumi is also one of the 3 new Confidants included in the Royal edition. Joining her is Taruko Maruki, another character already presented thanks to several trailers released in recent months. Maruki is the new school counselor who has arrived asking for help due to an accident that occurred in the first hours of the game at the institute attended by Akira. He is also a Confidant for Akira and, like Kasumi, will have a decisive impact among the additions present in Persona 5 Royal.
All this leads to a whole new plot arc, slowly revealed, as well as the real reason for the presence of the aforementioned characters. Staying on the subject of Confidants, and although it is a face already well known in Persona 5, Goro Akechi is re-proposed in a different way. His bond will optionally be strengthened in the simulation side of Persona 5 Royal gameplay and not in automatic mode as in the basic version.
When both quality and quantity matter
Atlus, with Persona 5, has revealed how a particular attention to detail and style, mixed with creative and non-trivial ideas can make the difference in terms of entertainment. The same dedication is shown two years later, pushing them even further where the content could be considered more than satisfactory. Let's take for example the news of the Battle System. For the first time in the series, the Personae obtained by fusion will enjoy a passive ability to indulge even more on the many approaches already available to the player to face the battles. The Relay - formerly known as Baton-Pass - has an even more positive effect on the bonuses obtained after the change. This last feature can also be upgraded by playing darts with your classmates during the afternoons after school.
The Phantom Thieves, as the story unfolds, will get special moves - particularly brilliant and hilarious - to use in pairs. As happened in the revised versions of previous titles in the series, too in Persona 5 Royal we are witnessing the arrival of new Personae, some obtainable from Akira, others from his companions, through special events available in the new narrative arc.
The horizons of Persona 5 are also broadened on the "sim" front thanks to new activities available in daily life offered by new explorable areas such as Kichijoji, which sees the presence of the Jazz Club to improve relations with their companions and strengthen their Person, or the Temple to meditate and increase the maximum HP, or finally the billiard room and darts, also with their usefulness to improve the with the Phantom Thieves. The Palaces and Mementos will also have several new features in store for the player.
In the Palaces there will be optional areas to explore with the help of the Grapple, including the ability to search and reach skulls which, if all collected, allow you to obtain unique accessories. The skulls also restore the SP of the whole group, essential for those who want to complete the Palaces in the shortest possible time. The boss fights have also been revised, and now they add new stages and new goodies to be able to be defeated.
Mementos is the only place where you can meet a new character, Jose, whose appearance resembles that of Caroline and Justine. Through Jose it will be possible to buy items by collecting special flowers scattered along the dungeon or increase the experience, money or the percentage of drops in battle when you are inside the Mementos, which in Royal will also have a new area to explore.
Another interesting novelty is the Den of Thieves, a kind of customizable meeting place where you can buy images and the soundtrack through coins that can be obtained in the game. Additionally, you can play a card game with the other Phantom Thieves. And speaking of the soundtrack, there will be new tracks whose text is relevant to the themes of the game.
Finally, the game introduces an infinite amount of improvements aimed at speeding up and lightening the general experience of the player, such as phone calls at every appointment with the confidants (useful to further increase their affinity) or the possibility of doing activities. at night right away, without being forced to go to sleep.
From what has been introduced so far it is clear how Atlus has managed to push on all aspects, be they aesthetics, gameplay or battle system, a title already complete as Persona 5. Therefore, Persona 5 Royal is a title recommended hands down even for those who completed the basic version in 2017.
When we talked previously about new content and mechanics in general, it should be emphasized that not only has Atlus enriched Persona 5 on all fronts, but it has managed to do so by inserting content of a more than enjoyable quality despite we are talking about a title that - a to be honest - it could still have been left for the small but great masterpiece it already is. But the Phantom Thieves are still not happy and come back to rob us again with new tricks up their sleeves, but with the same unique style of two years ago. Will it be possible to stop them this time? It would seem not. Persona 5 Royal invites old and new acquaintances to take off their masks on March 31st, only on PlayStation 4.
► Persona 5 Royal is an Adventure-RPG game developed and published by ATLUS for PlayStation 4, the video game was released on 31/03/2020
