I recently completed my first playthrough of P5R.
I think it’s the peak of the series. Gameplay-wise, the dungeons are really expressive compared to Persona 3’s Tartarus. The puzzles are not dated like the ones in Persona 4.
What really sets it apart from the other two games though is the theme and the setting. I think where a lot of games tend to suffer is how disconnected they are to reality and their fictitious worlds are self-contained.
The game is 10 years old already. It’s sad to see the state of the world today. In democratic countries, why do we still fall for the false promises of Shidos and Yaldabaoths?
I know Persona 5 is not the first to deliver its message but that only makes it even more concerning. I can really feel the pessimism of some older artists and media professionals when they say their work has no influence in this world.
It can be quite depressing sometimes. But I guess that can also be the sin of sloth…
That said, I’m interested in what Metaphor is about and what sentiments about the world it expresses.
I absolutely loved Persona 5, especially playing it at a politically turbulent time in my life when I was still figuring out what my values were and who I wanted to be. The whole message of doing something, anything resonated with me a lot. I also love the atmosphere of Tokyo they captured here. Being able to see foreshadowed events months in advance by talking to ordinary NPCs was so fun on a replay.
I’m in a weird spot where I actually prefer the Vanilla ending over Royal (while still greatly enjoying the additional Royal palace). The pacing of the vanilla ending gave me such an inspired “put the game down and go change the world for the better” feeling that Royal’s more melancholy tone didn’t capture. Also like some other comments mentioned some of the writing regarding Ann’s arc & others (like adult women getting romantically involved with a high schooler) rubbed me the wrong way. If I revisit the game again, I want to try out the Rose & Violet (Kasumi as protag) mod as I’ve heard really good things about it