Atlus Persona 5

[Hyperion]

Well, the ride is officially over. And what a ride it was. 110 hours, at the Clear Data savescreen. I feel like a total weeb loser, but I can't remember the last time feeling bummed out after completing an RPG, knowing it's over and the first-time experience can never be felt again. The game truly made me feel like a kid again, when games were just tons and tons of fun because you knew the game had loads of heart and soul.

The game's end and message was typical melodramatic cheese, but after playing so many games that try so hard to be "different," it's refreshing to get to enjoy some time-tested tradition.

The series may be over, or at least in purgatory right now, but I'm already getting excited for that Project Re Fantasy Hashino just started working on. Even if it may be a 2022 release.

 

[Hobo Elf]

The series may be over, or at least in purgatory right now,

But they already said that Persona 6 is in the works. Hashino won't be directing it, however.

 

[Hyperion]

I've only seen Atlus is currently "thinking" about 6. Should I have taken that to mean they're already working on it?

 

[oddech_wymarlych_swiatow]

Still haven't finished it yet so no my opinion here but what's yours guys on...

1. P5 vs other Personas (especially 4) ?
2. P5 vs other MegaTens (especially Nocturne) ?

 

[Hobo Elf]

It's better than Persona 4, but Persona will never be better than mainline or the other spinoffs that are closer to mainline.

 

[jungl]

Its a fun game but the social links system in the persona games sucks ass. So many reloads because you didn't say the right thing. Why the player have to be a sociopath to get people to be their friends.

 

[Cromwell]

Its a fun game but the social links system in the persona games sucks ass. So many reloads because you didn't say the right thing. Why the player have to be a sociopath to get people to be their friends.

because they are going the realistic route.

 

[kalganoat]

I've only seen Atlus is currently "thinking" about 6. Should I have taken that to mean they're already working on it?

Maybe early concept but most of them are working on p5 enhanced edition

 

[Cowboy Moment]

Its a fun game but the social links system in the persona games sucks ass. So many reloads because you didn't say the right thing. Why the player have to be a sociopath to get people to be their friends.

Eh, I'd be fine with having to say what they want to hear if those lines weren't all so painfully dull. You do get the occasional funny or insightful option, and sometimes even what the other person really should hear, but you never get points for those. And it's not like it matters even if you pick them, as they amount to nothing more than inconsequential flavor text. Nothing about the actual confidant storyline changes no matter what you do or say. Except for the romance option, which should tell you where the developers' priorities lay.

 

[SerratedBiz]

Preface: I was a huge fan of P3, slightly less so of P4 (b-but muh teddy). P5 seemed to start off great (awesome presentation) but quickly fell to a painfully dull, slow, linear step that never seemed to pick up as I went through the game. I'm sure I'm not that far into the game

Spoiler

Just went to Hawaii with what seems to be all of Japan regardless that we're all in different schools

but it seems to be the same formula over and over again. I liked P3 for its rather freeform exploration of Tartarus with only the deadline in mind - aka, get as strong as possible and everything done by the end of this month, then prepare for a boss battle. I was ok with that and felt like the challenge was good enough to keep me interested. I'm playing P5 on Normal (which used to be pretty tough in the previous ones) and the game is too easy. I'm blowing through the dungeons in the first couple of days after they're up (it literally takes me longer to sort through all the "preparation" to open them than it does to beat them), same with the more "freeform" dungeons where you can just make a straight path for the next floor because the shadows will prolly never catch you, and if they do it's extremely easy to know their weaknesses if you've played SMT before or have just done their fusion already.

Basically, about 30 hours into the game I'm like, I've done the same thing about 10 times now and the characters/plot is so fucking slow I can't be bothered to slog through it.

Please tell me there's something more to this game so I'll be able to muster the patience to sit through its zany dialogue and friendships a little longer.

Also, the soundtrack is horrible. Going into Tartarus Mementos makes me sit through that insufferable beat that makes me feel like taking a nap rather than fighting enemies. School music just wants to make me get out of school quicker. The test taking music is good but their programmers can't be assed to make it not restart from the beginning whenever you answer a question.

Now this is music you can enjoy life to.

 

[Jinn]

I'm playing P5 on Normal (which used to be pretty tough in the previous ones) and the game is too easy.

This is probably 75%-80% of your problem with this game right here. Why wouldn't you switch it as soon as you were getting bored/feeling unchallenged? I'm playing on the hardest mode and the game regularly slaps my bitch ass around, making the time spent outside of dungeons extremely tight and valuable (to stock up on supplies, get new weapons and armor, improve links, etc.)

I do agree it does tend to drag at times, and some dialogue sections can go on forEVER! But everything from the art, music, presentation, gameplay, battlesystem, to the social links are things that keep me coming back for more after little breaks. I'd say that this game is way improved compared to P3 in my opinion.

 

[Cowboy Moment]

It's pretty easy on Hard as well, even clearing dungeons in one go isn't a problem once you buy sp regen accessories. Main problem is really that fights against normal enemies are completely uninteractive the vast majority of the time.

 

[Jick Magger]

Yeah, once you get your SP management under control, normal fights will end in one of two ways:

1. You steadily curb-stomp the enemy before they have a chance to seriously threaten you.
2. An enemy will exploit the protag's persona weakness, in which case they'll immediately start gang-fucking him and end the fight before it even begins.

There's really no middle ground.

 

[jungl]

shin megami games are one of those rpg games where "hard" difficulty is a waste of time. Its all about getting the initiative in a fight and capitalizing on weaknesses. If you fail to do so you are FUCKED.

 

[Latro]

only gaysona


mainline SMT and maybe DDS (i don't remember) let you experiment

 

[Cowboy Moment]

rpg games

Anyway, the problem isn't capitalizing on weaknesses or taking initiative, it's that in P5 you literally win the majority of normal fights without the enemy ever getting to do anything. That's just stupid, and would be incredibly boring if not for the need to manage SP in the long-term. And if you don't care about completing dungeons in a single go, then it is incredibly boring, can't imagine how people manage without their brains rotting in the process.

Only played Nocturne out of SMT, but combat in that game doesn't suffer from Persona's problems, mainly because it doesn't let you ridiculously snowball advantages and the MC isn't an ubermensch capable of exploiting all weaknesses and immunities all at once.

 

[lightbane]

The downside in NOcturne and Devil Saga is that if you're unlucky, the enemy will start first, wipe out half of your party with Megido, then kill the rest with a powerful spell without giving you a chance to respond.

I guess I'll wait for P5's inevitable super-extended, enhanced, enhanced Golden-Black edition, as P4 had.

 

[flyingjohn]

rpg games

Anyway, the problem isn't capitalizing on weaknesses or taking initiative, it's that in P5 you literally win the majority of normal fights without the enemy ever getting to do anything. That's just stupid, and would be incredibly boring if not for the need to manage SP in the long-term. And if you don't care about completing dungeons in a single go, then it is incredibly boring, can't imagine how people manage without their brains rotting in the process.

Wait does that apply for endgame enemies as well?
I mean even legend of heroes endgame enemies had specific gimmicks to make it harder,so this seems kinds surprising.

 

[Cowboy Moment]

rpg games

Anyway, the problem isn't capitalizing on weaknesses or taking initiative, it's that in P5 you literally win the majority of normal fights without the enemy ever getting to do anything. That's just stupid, and would be incredibly boring if not for the need to manage SP in the long-term. And if you don't care about completing dungeons in a single go, then it is incredibly boring, can't imagine how people manage without their brains rotting in the process.

Wait does that apply for endgame enemies as well?
I mean even legend of heroes endgame enemies had specific gimmicks to make it harder,so this seems kinds surprising.

You get the occasional enemy type with no weaknesses, or with enough HP that they can survive all out attacks, but other than that, it's pretty much the same.

 

[GarlandExCon]

Yeah, once you get your SP management under control, normal fights will end in one of two ways:

1. You steadily curb-stomp the enemy before they have a chance to seriously threaten you.
2. An enemy will exploit the protag's persona weakness, in which case they'll immediately start gang-fucking him and end the fight before it even begins.

There's really no middle ground.

Part of the problem is the repetitiveness of the enemies you face in the palaces. It's usually no more than 4 at a time so once you feel out their weaknesses if you ambush them you can kill them before they even attack.

 

[Hobo Elf]

That's why mainline SMT is better, because there are a shitton of boss fights that mix things up a bit and make gameplay less repetitive. Persona has 1 boss fight every 10-15 hours.

 

[Cowboy Moment]

That's why mainline SMT is better, because there are a shitton of boss fights that mix things up a bit and make gameplay less repetitive. Persona has 1 boss fight every 10-15 hours.

Bosses in P5 aren't that interesting either though, for the most part. There were some miniboss fights in Mementos and the final dungeon which had multiple enemies interacting, and those required some specific tactics, but other than that, it's all the same. You buff your party, debuff the boss, heal through their damage, and hit them with whatever is most effective. You never run out of SP so you just repeat until they die.

In Nocturne, being able to steal boss turns via absorb or null effects, plus the way party management works, makes the fights a lot more... deliberate, for lack of a better term. Like, it makes sense sometimes to have a demon out which only absorbs an element and just passes every turn, or just stacks buffs or debuffs, and the encounters are tuned in such a way that having a demon die and summoning a replacement is a perfectly valid move. So the combination of a better combat system and more in-depth party management come together to make these fights fun.

It stands out to me as well because I'm currently playing Labirynth of Touhou 2, and that game is a master class in this kind of combat design, where a boss fight is a kind of puzzle that you solve by finding both the correct tactics and the correct party setup.

 

[SerratedBiz]

Sooo.... rip p5?

 

[Malpercio]

Japan has never really given a fuck about progressive shit*.

Someone has never read a manga in his life.



Can you guys imagine if a wester game had lines like this? The Codex and /v/ would riot.

Good old "It's fine when japan does it".

 

[Hyperion]

Because a game whose entire premise is social criticism and commentary is comparable to throwing a tranny into a High Fantasy setting. Right.