Persona 5 | PS3, PS4 | "P5R" announcement coming in March

[Qazimod]

LATEST RELEASE INFO AND MISC DLC NOTES: 

 

It's been over eight years since a mainline Persona game has come to Europe (in its original form, that is - Golden was obviously more recent), and in late November of 2013 series fans watched a stream that would ultimately reveal that Persona 5 was happening, and would release in Japan in the Winter of 2014.

 

So naturally, it came to Japan in September 2016. The west wasn't immune to delays either, with the US and European release slipping from 14 February 2017 to 4 April 2017. It's finally here though, and you can skip past the dozen or so pages of pre-release hype if you just want to get to the post-release discussion. If there's anything people want me to add to this OP - content news, beginner tips, whatever - let me know, and obviously keep your spoiler etiquette in check.

 

Launch DLC:

JP audio track (free):

https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-gb/games/addons/persona-5-japanese-audio-track/cid=EP4062-CUSA06638_00-ADDCONTENT000022

Skill cards (free):

https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-gb/games/addons/persona-5-skill-card-set/cid=EP4062-CUSA06638_00-ADDCONTENT000021

Healing items (free):

https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-gb/games/addons/persona-5-healing-item-set/cid=EP4062-CUSA06638_00-ADDCONTENT000020

Merciless difficulty (free):

https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-gb/games/addons/persona-5-merciless-difficulty/cid=EP4062-CUSA06638_00-ADDCONTENT000025

 

LATEST MEDIA:

 

Thanks to @Vemsie for highlighting the latest "sizzle trailer", below:

 

http://www.atlus.com/persona5/

 

If you're wondering what a Persona is, I've provided a little primer below:

 

 

Persona is a spin-off series from Atlus' (Shin) Megami Tensei series. Often shortened to SMT, this series is a little like Final Fantasy in that there are numerous games with wildly different gameplay mechanics and stories, but they're all loosely connected by common themes. In Final Fantasy's case, this can be seen in the crystals, the chocobos, the characters named Cid; in SMT the games often haven a contemporary urban setting and extraordinary events happening in these ordinary locations, not to mention a love for demonic mythology and negotiation systems. Persona games take place against the backdrop of a modern-day high school, with the heroes being students who obtain the power of "Persona" - a demonic manifestation of their psyche. The idea of the persona and the "shadows" - enemies that the heroes face in-game - are inspired by Carl Jung's studies, which suggested that a shadow represents the inner behaviours and desires we prefer not to show in society... Meanwhile the persona represents the "mask" we wear for society, defined by our social standing, culture, line of work, etc.

Gameplay in the games is often divided between activities in the urban environment and completion of the dungeons found in the game, and the titular personas (personae?) are demons that can be summoned by characters and offer skills in the turn-based battles that occur. Persona 3 injected a lot of new ideas into the series - events in town that raise stats, "social links" that play out like mini dating-sims and offer perks to your character, a more rewarding elemental weakness system in battles, and an in-game calendar that contains scripted events on certain dates, as well as affecting who you can meet in town on each day. The floor-based dungeons in the later games also make a good effort at providing a smooth difficulty curve, although many bosses in the later games can still be formidable. As well as all of this, the later games make enemies visible in the dungeon so that you can instigate battles or run away. In short, P3 and 4 try their best to make things fair, interesting and rewarding for players, and this is why the games have their fans.

Persona 5's reveal was the conclusion of a gargantuan stream that featured reveals of spin-off games such as Persona Q and Dancing All Night , and so far it looks like a polished and substantial update to P4, with fantastic presentation, intriguing new characters and some new gameplay ideas detailed in this thread. So, read on!
 

 

[Pockets]

PS3?

[Mr.Jeff]

Persona Q 3DS

A dungeon crawler done in SD style by the team behind Etrian Odyssey.

http://p-atlus.jp/pq/

Persona 4: The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold (P4A2) announced for PS3

Persona 4: Dancing All Night announced for Vita

http://www.youtube.com/watch?fv=M5BIRWiifo8

[Qazimod]

PS3?

There's a bit in the video that says "Winter 2014 for PS3".

Unless you're wondering why they're releasing this for a console on it's way out - in which case, see P4, which was released on the PS2 in 2009 over here. A lot of people were predicting either a PS3 exclusive (Persona games typically release on Playstation) or a release for both 360 and PS3 (I was wondering about the latter myself, as "Team Persona" released Catherine on both consoles)...

[Keyboard Koala]

Yet another series I'm eager to try, but haven't got the time for *firstworldproblems*

[Pupponvesh 2]

That's a lot of game announcements around one franchise. Maybe it's a new tactic. I guess we can add 6-18 months on for EU releases.

Anyway, Persona 5 and Q sound good. The fighting game is alright I suppose (I haven't played the first one), but the dancing game looks a bit naff. I just find that those types of games (like Ouenden) just don't work. To hard to concentrate on what you're doing when there's loads of stuff going on.

More Persona is a good thing though.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

I'd rather have another handheld version. As much as I love Persona 4 Golden, I can't see myself play it on a home console.

[Siri]

YEAR OF PERSONA

(three years of Persona if Arc System Works fucks up the P4AU release like the original)

So looking forward to 5 - bought the PS2 version when that arrived, and didn't open it because I wasn't keen on JRPGs at the time, and everyone including myself was playing on shiny new consoles.

After cracking open the game this year and playing it on PCSX2 (and then immediately buying P4G after for more), I know better now, on both counts.

[Gambit]

As a fan of the music in Persona, I'm strangely interested in that weird Rise dancing game.

[Paulando]

Yeah, it has to be on Vita for me. Made up there are more games coming though.

And Persona 4: The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold is the best name ever.

[womblingfree]

Persona 5's releasing in Japan in Winter 2014? So we could expect an English translation sometime around Winter 2015? Or never, seems likely given we'll be deep into the PS4's lifespan by then.

[Keyboard Koala]

I'd rather have another handheld version. As much as I love Persona 4 Golden, I can't see myself play it on a home console.

Tru dat! A lot of people have said that. Same for Disgaea btw.

A shame they still haven't made a handheld version of Persona Arena yet

[Gambit]

Persona 5's releasing in Japan in Winter 2014? So we could expect an English translation sometime around Winter 2015? Or never, seems likely given we'll be deep into the PS4's lifespan by then.

Persona 4 came out in Europe around 2 years after the PS3's release.

[Qazimod]

Persona Q 3DS/Vita

3DS only

Whilst I'm happy to know that P5 has actually been officially announced, I might need to keep the hype on hold until gameplay details emerge (and until I get a PS3.) As Dandy Sephy and others have mentioned in the past, the earliest Persona games were very different from P3 & 4, and so they might end up taking things in a different direction again. On the other hand, I think P3 & 4 were kind of the "breakout" games that earned the series so much praise over in the west, so maybe they'll play it safe. It could go either way.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

Yeah, it has to be on Vita for me. Made up there are more games coming though.

The handheld version of Persona 4 works so well, it surprises me they're not using the 3DS and/or Vita as lead platform, especially with portables being so popular in Japan. Persona is the perfect lunch break / commute kind of game or the gaming equivalent of reading a book on the couch or in bed. I wonder what the rationale is behind releasing it on a system that's about to be retired, a year after the successor has been launched apart from installed base.

[Dandy_Sephy]

The handheld version of Persona 4 works so well, it surprises me they're not using the 3DS and/or Vita as lead platform, especially with portables being so popular in Japan. Persona is the perfect lunch break / commute kind of game or the gaming equivalent of reading a book on the couch or in bed. I wonder what the rationale is behind releasing it on a system that's about to be retired, a year after the successor has been launched apart from installed base.

I imagine Atlus's thinking is along the lines of Nippon Ichi's, make a console version for the worlwide market, make a portable version later with more content and any gameplay updates they can use from other titles. (Disgaea 4 Return for example has the original DLC included, new content, plus gameplay and system changes from the most recent console entry).

As for your latter point, I think P3 and P4 have both proven their is a method to their decision. This will have been in development since Catherine wrapped up, if not sooner, so the choice of platform makes a lot of sense due to the size of the installed base.

Putting the enhanced version on the portables after a initial console version has served both Atlus and NIS well so there isn't any reason for them to change it.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

Yeah, I suppose so. I hope I live to experience it, seems it'll be a while.

[Gambit]

Screenshot from Persona 4 Arena: Suplex-thingy-ma-do reveals a surprising return.

[Sabreman]

A reason to live for another year! Result.

[Keyboard Koala]

Persona Q looks lovely. SD Persona characters FTW!!

Do want!!

[toythatkills]

That's a lot of game announcements around one franchise. Maybe it's a new tactic. I guess we can add 6-18 months on for EU releases.

Anyway, Persona 5 and Q sound good. The fighting game is alright I suppose (I haven't played the first one), but the dancing game looks a bit naff. I just find that those types of games (like Ouenden) just don't work. To hard to concentrate on what you're doing when there's loads of stuff going on.

More Persona is a good thing though.

Er, guys, can we just hold the thread for a minute? I'm pretty sure this lunatic just said that Ouendan wasn't good.

As a fan of the music in Persona, I'm strangely interested in that weird Rise dancing game.

As a fan of Rise, I'm really bloody interested.

[Uzi]

They better not region lock the US version of 5 like they did Arena. I'd rather not wait until 2017 for the PAL version.

[stefcha]

Persona 4: Dancing All Night announced for Vita

What the fuck did I just watch. On the plus side it reminded me of the commentary in Winning Eleven 6: Final Evolution, after a fashion.

[Wiper]

I just find that those types of games (like Ouenden) just don't work.

[Laine]

If I can't get all of these I'm going to be literally devestated. They all look amazing.

One thing I do misss from the earlier Persona games is the ability to talk to demons, bribe them, give them stuff, choose not to attack and have a jolly chat instead. I loved that.

[The Bag]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mZssK05WYo%5B/media%5D'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mZssK05WYo

Okay, I haven't got a PS3, but whatever. The date probably translates to late 2015 for the west, so there's plenty of time to build hype in the meantime. That Atlus teaser site had been streaming various bits and pieces about P3 and P4 over the last few days, but this morning saw a bit of an information blowout, with trailers for Persona Q (a cutesy 3DS title with P3 & P4 characters), Persona 4 Dancing All Night (a Rise dance game)... and this.

http://persona5.jp/

it's all I've ever wanted

[strawdonkey]

OK, so P4: Dance all Night features Kanamin, a name that'll be familiar to anyone who has played P4, and is a really neat touch. I wonder if the story will be canon...?

Can't decide if it's ridiculous or brilliant.

[Qazimod]

Notes on P5's plot themes, from this week's Dengeki, via Siliconera:

The teaser that was shown during the Persona 5 reveal had what appeared to be five chairs with a ball and chain attached to each one. According to the magazine, these chairs are part of a high school classroom, and the chairs and chains represent the theme of the upcoming game.

Additionally, Dengeki reports that Persona 5 will be an RPG that sends a strong message of catharsis, after overcoming trials to free yourself from your shackles. The game will take place in the series’ usual juvenile school setting, but will take on a different mood this time around.

Well, P4 revolved around imprisonment within the dungeon of your psyche, so it's not that far-fetched an idea

[RubberJohnny]

The Japanese school system is literally purgatory

/

all their media

[Talk Show Host]

Amazing news!

Bring it! Now!