Now that we’ve typed that last days of 2023the record harvest of new game releases for the year has fallen to a minimum. With long, relaxing days ahead of you, it’s a nice time to get busy with one of the biggest and strongest games on your backlog. And if you’re looking for beef, role-playing games are the way to go. On December 15th, Atlus announced this Persona 5 passed an important sales milestone. The modern fantasy role-playing game and its spin-offs have now been sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Nowadays that is persona Series seems like a safe bet. But just a few years ago, it was a niche fascination for a few loyal weebs. If you haven’t tried it yet, now is your chance.
Back in 2017, when Persona 5 After the game first debuted outside of Japan, critics and audiences were largely disappointed with turn-based role-playing games, deeming them outdated and passé. The previous year, Final Fantasy XV eschewed menu-driven gameplay in favor of fast-paced action combat that was flashier and faster than the venerable Square Enix series had ever been. It seemed like turn-based RPGs were a thing of the past – until Persona 5 set the world on fire.
Buy Persona 5: Amazon
Set in modern-day Tokyo, the game follows a group of teenage vigilantes known as the Phantom Thieves. During the day they are just strikingly attractive high school students. At night, they summon demonic Pokémon called Personas to fight crime and corruption in supernatural dungeons called palaces. P5The stylish, anime-inspired presentation stood out in the late PlayStation 4 era, which leaned heavily toward realism. Thanks to the innovative combo mechanic, encounters with enemies felt fast and unique. The game scored sky-high ratings and currently sits at an enviable 93 points Metacritic. Not bad for a genre that’s past its prime, right?
An expanded and improved edition, Persona 5 Royalwas launched globally in March 2020. Royal was released in October 2022 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PC and Xbox consoles. And like any good video game phenomenon Persona 5 spawned a ton of crossovers and spin-offs. In addition to a dedicated anime series, the cast appeared in a rhythm game (2018). Persona 5: Dancing in the Starlight), a Switch-exclusive action RPG (2021). Persona 5 Strikers) and this year’s strategy role-playing game, Persona 5 Tactics. Oh, and protagonist Joker has also joined the list Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
Persona 5 is not without flaws. Okumura’s Palace, which you come across late in the game, is an absolute must-do. And the presentation of the game same-sex relationships is about as subtle as a bag of hammers. Oh, and it easily takes over 100 hours to beat. If you can forgive these shortcomings, it’s an excellent way to while away the final hours of 2023 – whether you’re playing the vanilla version or royal.
Persona 5 Royal is available for PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch and often retails for $30 or less. (Used copies of Vanilla P5 on PlayStation 4 are even cheaper!)
