Still early in, but even after 15 hours, I have yet to feel as attached to the drama or characters as much as I did almost instantly with both P3 and 4.
Possibly due to expectations and the absurd hype surrounding this release more than anything, but I'm just not vibing with the events, characters, or scenarios quite yet.
but there's really nothing to vibe with? i mean, what exactly is the story? 'weird things happening'? 'let's be heart thieves!'? the narratives in p3/p4 had a lot to do with my enjoyment of the games. this game (after 3 dungeons, anyway) just don't seem to actually have a narrative. pretty disappointing, considering how well everything else's done ...
I didn't see that one mentioned, neat. These references are less overt than P4's references to P3, though. More akin to P3's references to P2 through TV.
you need to spend time with them to earn more point so that the next time, the confident will rank up!
when you'll get the fortune confident, level it up to rank 7, it will help you progress a confident in these same situation without wasting time (you will need to pay, but it's nothing considering the time you gain by doing that)
I'm still fairly early in the game, I'm working on palace 2 right now. Question!!
So when I meet up with one of my pals and it says "I don't think my bond with so-and-so will deepen yet." does that mean I have to hang out with them a couple of times more or has it something to do with the strength of the corresponding Persona or something? Meaning, hanging out with him at that point would be a waste of time?
And speaking of, once I unlocked a confidant, do I always need to carry a Persona of his or her type do start those events, or is it enough to have them registered?
Another question!!
Is there a way to see how many times I still need to work on my stats (Guts, Knowledge, etc.) for them to level up? That would make it easier to plan ahead.
You can't see the incremental gauges for these things. S-link or social stat level ups.
You have to keep hanging out with a person regardless of what they say if you want their s-link to improve. It will improve more if you have the correct Persona type equipped, and it will let you know when you're going to level up.
They need to be equipped, not just in your inventory. The level of Persona don't matter, just the type.
With social stats you just have to grind them. I'm sure data exists somewhere that tells how many points you need for each level, but unless you count each point (music notes = 1 point ) as you gain them you can't tell how much more you need to level.
If you're draining everything, you don't need Ali Dance and should go with Apt Pupil instead for the increased critical chance. I only took 2 resists on my Yoshitsune when I finished my game so I took Apt Pupil and Ali Dance.
Since we're on the topic of Yoshitsune again. reposting this from a few days ago for folks that finished the game. Pretty amusing stuff. =P
Does anyone which store sells red phosphorous and liquid mercury. Have low amounts of them and I'm hoping I can find them in a shop rather than grind for them.
Can anybody that has played a lot of Persona 5 help me out. I am still unsure about this game, seeing it gets so many positive reviews makes it tempting to get. Played my first Persona game this winter (P4G), but there was so much i didn't like about it.
Is the story better? I like a darker tone then the 4th game. How is the gameplay compared to P4. And how is the romance in this game? Because P4 has some cringey dialogue and bad romance options.
Without going into too much detail, Persona 5 is essentially P4G, but set in Tokyo with a new cast of characters. The core game has not really changed. They've definitely changed/improved a few gameplay systems, but I can't really think of anything so groundbreaking as to sway someone who didn't care for P4G. A brief example of a gameplay change is that instead of performing an all-out attack, you can extort enemies for money, items, or convince them to become your persona. These are the type of changes you can expect.
The story contains more mature themes, and does touch on some taboo social topics, but it really doesn't hit that hard most of the time. Not sure if that's due to the translation or source material. Cringey dialogue is back, and so are bad romance options.
If you're draining everything, you don't need Ali Dance and should go with Apt Pupil instead for the increased critical chance. I only took 2 resists on my Yoshitsune when I finished my game so I took Apt Pupil and Ali Dance.
For sure. Back in my first post I was thinking that Ali Dance would be useful for when superbosses use Megido skills or break your resistance so I wasn't totally sure, but even then Apt Pupil is probably better.
I'm still fairly early in the game, I'm working on palace 2 right now. Question!!
So when I meet up with one of my pals and it says "I don't think my bond with so-and-so will deepen yet." does that mean I have to hang out with them a couple of times more or has it something to do with the strength of the corresponding Persona or something? Meaning, hanging out with him at that point would be a waste of time?
Yes, that means you need to hang out with them more. Other methods include using the shrine, social events and the affinity reading (rank 7 fortune teller perk).
And speaking of, once I unlocked a confidant, do I always need to carry a Persona of his or her type do start those events, or is it enough to have them registered?
Carrying a persona of the confidant's arcana boosts those blue musical notes by 1. Doing so means you need to spend less time with them to up your rank.
Is there a way to see how many times I still need to work on my stats (Guts, Knowledge, etc.) for them to level up? That would make it easier to plan ahead.
You need to hang out with them regardless or their S-Link will not change. If you don't rank up when hanging out with them, usually you will when you hang out with them next time.
Also you need to carry a persona with you of the right arcana if you want the S-Link bonus. But benefits seem to be pretty minimal from my point of view.
And no, the stats have hidden counters. It basically requires a certain number of yellow notes (the ones you get from studying for example) for a skill to progress to the next rank. Some activities give more notes than others. Also, not all skills are the same. It's way easier to level up the first level of Kindness versus Knowledge, for example. You can look online of you really want the 'raw' numbers.
So when I meet up with one of my pals and it says "I don't think my bond with so-and-so will deepen yet." does that mean I have to hang out with them a couple of times more or has it something to do with the strength of the corresponding Persona or something? Meaning, hanging out with him at that point would be a waste of time?
It's not a waste of time, you just don't have enough points to trigger a rank up yet. But you'll get more points by hanging out with them.
And speaking of, once I unlocked a confidant, do I always need to carry a Persona of his or her type do start those events, or is it enough to have them registered?
It's better if you carry the corresponding Persona because you'll get more points.
Another question!!
Is there a way to see how many times I still need to work on my stats (Guts, Knowledge, etc.) for them to level up? That would make it easier to plan ahead.
but there's really nothing to vibe with? i mean, what exactly is the story? 'weird things happening'? 'let's be heart thieves!'? the narratives in p3/p4 had a lot to do with my enjoyment of the games. this game (after 3 dungeons, anyway) just don't seem to actually have a narrative. pretty disappointing, considering how well everything else's done ...
P3 didn't have much of a narrative at all until the second half. Until the summer trip it was pretty much just "huh, this is kind of weird. Oh well I'll just keep going to Tartarus and do the full moon event when it pops." P4 was much better about telling a straight story throughout.
Have you got into the setup for the 4th dungeon yet? IMO that is when P5's story goes into a higher gear.
you need to spend time with them to earn more point so that the next time, the confident will rank up!
when you'll get the fortune confident, level it up to rank 7, it will help you progress a confident in these same situation without wasting time (you will need to pay, but it's nothing considering the time you gain by doing that)
Social links/confidants essentially work on a "point" system. You know how, when you say certain things when you hang out with them, 1-3 music notes will appear over their head? The number of music notes you see corresponds to "points", which is what gates the next rank. If you don't have enough points to get to the next rank, that's when you'll be told you don't feel like you'll get closer to them soon. Certain responses during their events will get you more points, having a Persona of the same arcana will get you more points, and sometimes story events in the main story will get you a few points as well. If you don't have enough points, you need to hang out with them to get more until you have enough for another rank up.
I don't understand that decision either, it's pointless for it to be exclusive to NG+ when your level is reset anyways at the start. But still you should be able to reach 50-60 REALLY quickly if you kill Reaper 3-4 times. It would be really quick if you have Hifumi's rank 10 perk from previous playthrough as you can simply escape the battle if he is not inflicted with despair.
I don't understand that decision either, it's pointless for it to be exclusive to NG+ when your level is reset anyways at the start. But still you should be able to reach 50-60 REALLY quickly if you kill Reaper 3-4 times. It would be really quick if you have Hifumi's rank 10 perk from previous playthrough as you can simply escape the battle if he is not inflicted with despair.
only 3-4 times really to get lvl 60? How much freaking xp does he give?? and i just need to inflict despair to beat it easily (didn't except it to be vulnerable to this)? Then maybe i'll do it, thanks
So for direct character references to previous titles, these are the ones I know of. Anyone else?
- Rise Kujikawa (idol poster / news report on her being 20)
- Kanami Mashita (idol poster)
- Naoto Shirogane (news report / references to the original Detective Prince)
- Chie Satonaka (indirect reference by TV report of an aspiring cop who knows kung-fu)
- Teddie (on top of one of the gifts you can get from a Confidant)
- Tanaka (Dark web)
- Yukari Takeba (news report)
- Taro Namatama (news report)
fighting the twins since one uses gun skills that can wreck you otherwise just go with apt pupil since it's best for clearing out the other 99% of the game.
Can anybody that has played a lot of Persona 5 help me out. I am still unsure about this game, seeing it gets so many positive reviews makes it tempting to get. Played my first Persona game this winter (P4G), but there was so much i didn't like about it.
Is the story better? I like a darker tone then the 4th game. How is the gameplay compared to P4. And how is the romance in this game? Because P4 has some cringey dialogue and bad romance options.
I want to play P4 but my worry is the randomly generated dungeons. P5 has them handcrafted and I liked the one I played.
Im more interested in P4's story, but am enjoying P5 so far. First chapter seems to be its own thing, like a tutorial to set up the rest of the game, so Im curious how the characters get to the bigger adventure of the world (which I assume exists).
I enjoyed the first chapter (everything up to the first boss).
My mini-review of P5 compared to the rest of the series, wall of text incoming.
Major spoilers are marked
Main plot:
P5 > P3 > P4
P5 obviously learned a lot from 3/4. Every dungeon is woven directly into the story, and the classroom segments all end up being relevant to it as well. The pacing is much better and never broken up by exploring floors and floors of a similar looking dungeon (other than Mementos which feels less stressful as it isn't the "main" dungeon). The Phantom Thieves tie into every aspect of the story and the main plot is really the driving force behind the game.
Shido and Akechi make fantastic villains. Yaldabaoth was kind of... whatever. I feel like the game could have done without him, but the Igor surprise was kind of worth his inclusion.
P3's main plot was incredibly unique and had a killer atmosphere
literally
, but the repetitive nature of Tartarus broke the pacing of the game for me. I LOVED the full moon segments, but the mandatory tower crawl is not something I ever want to go back to. (Mementos is nothing compared to the hundreds of floors Tartarus had). P4 had much tighter pacing, and its focus on weather and murder mysteries was really cool, but the goofiness of the main cast puts it a bit below the others for me. I love P4, don't get me wrong - but it got a little too cartoony at times.
Characters:
P5 > P3 > P4
I love P5's group of outcasts. They're a bunch of urban city kids who don't have anywhere else to go and have every reason to be one of the Phantom Thieves. They act like realistic teenagers (which is incidentally why a lot of people hate Ryuji, but I found it to be a positive). Their chemistry with each other is fantastic. Yusuke is probably the most lovable goofball I've ever seen in a game. The supporting cast is amazing too (love Sae and
Akechi
).
P3's SEEs felt less close to each other than the other two games, but I kind of liked that in its own way. P3 was a more serious game and the relative distance didn't feel out of place there. P4's Scooby Doo gang was fun to be around, but a little too lighthearted for me.
The traitor has gotten more interesting with each game.
Social Links:
P4 > P3 > P5
This is probably the low point of P5 to me. The social links aren't bad, per say, but they certainly aren't as impactful as the ones in the previous two games. I feel like a lot of bonding events end with almost nothing substantial happening. Every confidant also ends with
them finding out you're a Thief
which feels a bit shoehorned in. Overall, I think the focus on the main plot harmed the social aspect of the game a bit.
This was where P4's holly jolly murder mystery team had a chance to shine. The lighter atmosphere and tighter group connection (without the negative connotation of being a group of outcasts) was the perfect backdrop for a game about hanging out with other people. P3's was also very solid as you came to learn about the different people who lived in the city, and the school life segment felt much beefier than it did in the other games (probably because it was the first game to really use S. Links).
I don't dislike P5's, but they are weaker than the last two games.
Atmosphere:
P3 > P5 > P4
I think P3 is still the king for me in this regard. It's clean, cool and composed. The city is very sleek and everything feels eerily calm in that game. The game had the heaviest themes with its obsession with
death and evil cults and the like
, which appeals to my personal tastes more than the lighter stuff I suppose. P4 worked well as a complete inverse of that, trading the distant loneliness of the city for the intimate and casual countryside.
P5 hit a good balance between those two settings. It returned to the city, but wasn't a complete repeat of P3. It has urban grittiness and a "noise" to it than P3's quiet city does not. It's like upscale private school compared to an ordinary public school. It was darker and more serious than P4, but never as crushing and empty as P3 got.
Conclusion:
Overall, I'd say each game its place, but P5 is the best overall package for me despite its weaker social links. It's clear the team has taken what they did with P3/P4 and used their experience to create a tighter game, which can be seen most prominently in how the plot and dungeons fit together perfectly, and how the game has an airtight pacing after the long intro. I think it's my favorite Persona game.
Goddamn the cover system is seriously jank sometimes. Just got ambushed and killed because it made me leap to a completely different warp point than the one I'd selected.
Are you telling me there was no big Persona game on PS3? Seems like the series is more popular than ever before and that it will continue to grow tremendously if there's a P6.
BTW, why is this only on Sony consoles? Is it a partnership or just convenience for the developer?
Also, I see P4 was remastered or something for VITA.... Is it reasonable to expect it to come to PS4? And are P3 and P2 outdated by today, or are they worth going back to too?
I sort of would like a collection for PS4, but I imagine that's not an easy undertaking
fighting the twins since one uses gun skills that can wreck you otherwise just go with apt pupil since it's best for clearing out the other 99% of the game.
Still early in, but even after 15 hours, I have yet to feel as attached to the drama or characters as much as I did almost instantly with both P3 and 4.
Possibly due to expectations and the absurd hype surrounding this release more than anything, but I'm just not vibing with the events, characters, or scenarios quite yet.
Ain't that the general opinion though? Not seeing much love for the palaces, story and characters outside of critics (especially the palaces). Seems like the hype killed the game for most people.
Thanks for the responses! Yeah, I had no idea that you could get a bonus on the points you earn during S-Link events. Must have missed that detail in the sea of tutorials you get early on. (And it's my first Persona game.)
Just need clarification on one thing, as some of the responses here were a bit contradicting on this...
Do I just need the corresponding Persona in my current inventory to get a bonus or do I actually have to have it equipped?
I don't really care about min/max-ing, especially on a first playthrough, but I at least gotta know how the system works.
I'm playing Persona 4 right now and I figured out why I hated the high school setting in that game but don't in Persona 5. Two reasons, firstly the character models don't look anything like their portraits, the portraits look like high schoolers but the models make it look like they are 10-12 year olds. Secondly, the tone and comedy is like children's cartoon. Like when the portagonist is stuck inside the TV at the store at the beginning and both Yosuke and Chie are trying to figure out something you just see them running in circles and then bumping into the MC and they all end up inside. That is like looney toons humour...lol. persona 5 has anime humour as well but it's not done in a way that makes it look like it was for 10 year olds nor do the character models look like that, plus the tone of Persona 5 is much more mature.
I also really don't like the way entering a menu or moving through a door etc... cuts off party chat. Even when it's repeated lines it's still irritating.
My mini-review of P5 compared to the rest of the series, wall of text incoming.
Major spoilers are marked
Main plot:
P5 > P3 > P4
P5 obviously learned a lot from 3/4. Every dungeon is woven directly into the story, and the classroom segments all end up being relevant to it as well. The pacing is much better and never broken up by exploring floors and floors of a similar looking dungeon (other than Mementos which feels less stressful as it isn't the "main" dungeon). The Phantom Thieves tie into every aspect of the story and the main plot is really the driving force behind the game.
Shido and Akechi make fantastic villains. Yaldabaoth was kind of... whatever. I feel like the game could have done without him, but the Igor surprise was kind of worth his inclusion.
P3's main plot was incredibly unique and had a killer atmosphere
literally
, but the repetitive nature of Tartarus broke the pacing of the game for me. I LOVED the full moon segments, but the mandatory tower crawl is not something I ever want to go back to. (Mementos is nothing compared to the hundreds of floors Tartarus had). P4 had much tighter pacing, and its focus on weather and murder mysteries was really cool, but the goofiness of the main cast puts it a bit below the others for me. I love P4, don't get me wrong - but it got a little too cartoony at times.
Characters:
P5 > P3 > P4
I love P5's group of outcasts. They're a bunch of urban city kids who don't have anywhere else to go and have every reason to be one of the Phantom Thieves. They act like realistic teenagers (which is incidentally why a lot of people hate Ryuji, but I found it to be a positive). Their chemistry with each other is fantastic. Yusuke is probably the most lovable goofball I've ever seen in a game. The supporting cast is amazing too (love Sae and
Akechi
).
P3's SEEs felt less close to each other than the other two games, but I kind of liked that in its own way. P3 was a more serious game and the relative distance didn't feel out of place there. P4's Scooby Doo gang was fun to be around, but a little too lighthearted for me.
The traitor has gotten more interesting with each game.
Social Links:
P4 > P3 > P5
This is probably the low point of P5 to me. The social links aren't bad, per say, but they certainly aren't as impactful as the ones in the previous two games. I feel like a lot of bonding events end with almost nothing substantial happening. Every confidant also ends with
them finding out you're a Thief
which feels a bit shoehorned in. Overall, I think the focus on the main plot harmed the social aspect of the game a bit.
This was where P4's holly jolly murder mystery team had a chance to shine. The lighter atmosphere and tighter group connection (without the negative connotation of being a group of outcasts) was the perfect backdrop for a game about hanging out with other people. P3's was also very solid as you came to learn about the different people who lived in the city, and the school life segment felt much beefier than it did in the other games (probably because it was the first game to really use S. Links).
I don't dislike P5's, but they are weaker than the last two games.
Atmosphere:
P3 > P5 > P4
I think P3 is still the king for me in this regard. It's clean, cool and composed. The city is very sleek and everything feels eerily calm in that game. The game had the heaviest themes with its obsession with
death and evil cults and the like
, which appeals to my personal tastes more than the lighter stuff I suppose. P4 worked well as a complete inverse of that, trading the distant loneliness of the city for the intimate and casual countryside.
P5 hit a good balance between those two settings. It returned to the city, but wasn't a complete repeat of P3. It has urban grittiness and a "noise" to it than P3's quiet city does not. It's like upscale private school compared to an ordinary public school. It was darker and more serious than P4, but never as crushing and empty as P3 got.
Conclusion:
Overall, I'd say each game its place, but P5 is the best overall package for me despite its weaker social links. It's clear the team has taken what they did with P3/P4 and used their experience to create an enhanced experience, which can be seen most prominently in how the plot and dungeons fit together perfectly, and how the game has an airtight pacing after the long intro. I think it's my favorite Persona game.
and to me the story is pretty underwhelming, i just can't put it over P3 or P4! there's never a real sence of urgency or the feel of a real threat, like previous persona games, especially persona 3! I'm pretty sure there's gonna be a twist after this palace, can you tell me if it will change my mind about the story? I really hope so!
Also you should play persona 2 if it's not already the case, the best one when it comes to the story IMO, especially if you like darker stories!
Persona 5 and the mistery on why Atus decided to actually make a highschool cafeteria (and it's modeled too) this time and then forgot to make characters invite you for launch like in past games.
I'm fine with P5 not having a bunch of "stand-out" group hang out scenes if it means we can avoid hot fiery garbage trash like the camping trip and hot springs scenes of P4 that made me hate every character that wasn't Kanji.
only 3-4 times really to get lvl 60? How much freaking xp does he give?? and i just need to inflict despair to beat it easily (didn't except it to be vulnerable to this)? Then maybe i'll do it, thanks
76,000 per kill. I went from 57-76 with 3 kills and obviously the XP needed to cover that is going to be a LOT compared to how much it takes earlier.
And not exactly
he is immune to ailments inflicted by you, but if you go to Mementos when it's flu season there is a chance that the fight starts with him already being despaired. If he isn't then you just escape the battle, move a bit and restart the battle...Keep repeating until he has despair takes like 5 mix max to get a kill. You do need Hifumi's rank 10 perk to make it quick though otherwise escaping is hard.
Persona 5 and the mistery on why Atus decided to actually make a highschool cafeteria (and it's modeled too) this time and then forgot to make characters invite you for launch like in past games.
Well, they obviously didn't forget. P5 puts a lot less emphasis on leisurely school life than the previous (modern) games. It's why there are no club activities, or why
how the school festival will be handled for your class just comes out of nowhere when it's actually happening.
The characters in this game obviously wouldn't be the types to hang out at school like the P4 cast in a small town were.
Christ almighty, how was I supposed to find the time to study enough before the first exam? I spent days reading and studying with both party members and I still come out a dumbass. That's about all the time I had after being forced through something like a solid week of story beats.
Meanwhile I take a bath and suddenly I'm fucking Casanova.
and to me the story is pretty underwhelming, i just can't put it over P3 or P4! there's never a real sence of urgency or the feel of a real threat, like previous persona games, especially persona 3! I'm pretty sure there's gonna be a twist after this palace, can you tell me if it will change my mind about the story? I really hope so!
Also you should play persona 2 if it's not already the case, the best one when it comes to the story IMO, especially if you like darker stories!
Man just finish the game first.
Also sense of urgency is not necessary for a good plot, I don't need to be chased to feel like I am progressing. But still, finish the game first.
The Persona team made Catherine after P4. That, combined with getting used to the needs for HD assets, lead to a pretty large gap between P4 and P5. P5 was originally supposed to be released in Winter 2014 (for PS3 only) but they obviously hit some challenges.
BTW, why is this only on Sony consoles? Is it a partnership or just convenience for the developer?
Just convenience. Small developer with limited resources. The Japanese market is the primary focus.
Also, I see P4 was remastered or something for VITA.... Is it reasonable to expect it to come to PS4? And are P3 and P2 outdated by today, or are they worth going back to too?
Anything is possible but given P4 has already had a re-release on VITA I wouldn't think another release would be a priority.
P3 is missing a lot of quality of life stuff from P4 and P5 but it's still a damn good game and worth going back to. P2 has an amazing story and cast of characters but the gameplay is really slow and, the encounter rate is insanely high, and the dungeons are really boring.
Christ almighty, how was I supposed to find the time to study enough before the first exam? I spent days reading and studying with both party members and I still come out a dumbass.
Meanwhile I take a bath and suddenly I'm fucking Casanova.
Heh, did you start studying only after the game tells you to for exams? The way to do it is to study regularly, not just try to cram it all before the exams, since you usually won't level up your knowledge in time like that.
My mini-review of P5 compared to the rest of the series, wall of text incoming.
Major spoilers are marked
Main plot:
P5 > P3 > P4
P5 obviously learned a lot from 3/4. Every dungeon is woven directly into the story, and the classroom segments all end up being relevant to it as well. The pacing is much better and never broken up by exploring floors and floors of a similar looking dungeon (other than Mementos which feels less stressful as it isn't the "main" dungeon). The Phantom Thieves tie into every aspect of the story and the main plot is really the driving force behind the game.
Shido and Akechi make fantastic villains. Yaldabaoth was kind of... whatever. I feel like the game could have done without him, but the Igor surprise was kind of worth his inclusion.
P3's main plot was incredibly unique and had a killer atmosphere
literally
, but the repetitive nature of Tartarus broke the pacing of the game for me. I LOVED the full moon segments, but the mandatory tower crawl is not something I ever want to go back to. (Mementos is nothing compared to the hundreds of floors Tartarus had). P4 had much tighter pacing, and its focus on weather and murder mysteries was really cool, but the goofiness of the main cast puts it a bit below the others for me. I love P4, don't get me wrong - but it got a little too cartoony at times.
Characters:
P5 > P3 > P4
I love P5's group of outcasts. They're a bunch of urban city kids who don't have anywhere else to go and have every reason to be one of the Phantom Thieves. They act like realistic teenagers (which is incidentally why a lot of people hate Ryuji, but I found it to be a positive). Their chemistry with each other is fantastic. Yusuke is probably the most lovable goofball I've ever seen in a game. The supporting cast is amazing too (love Sae and
Akechi
).
P3's SEEs felt less close to each other than the other two games, but I kind of liked that in its own way. P3 was a more serious game and the relative distance didn't feel out of place there. P4's Scooby Doo gang was fun to be around, but a little too lighthearted for me.
The traitor has gotten more interesting with each game.
Social Links:
P4 > P3 > P5
This is probably the low point of P5 to me. The social links aren't bad, per say, but they certainly aren't as impactful as the ones in the previous two games. I feel like a lot of bonding events end with almost nothing substantial happening. Every confidant also ends with
them finding out you're a Thief
which feels a bit shoehorned in. Overall, I think the focus on the main plot harmed the social aspect of the game a bit.
This was where P4's holly jolly murder mystery team had a chance to shine. The lighter atmosphere and tighter group connection (without the negative connotation of being a group of outcasts) was the perfect backdrop for a game about hanging out with other people. P3's was also very solid as you came to learn about the different people who lived in the city, and the school life segment felt much beefier than it did in the other games (probably because it was the first game to really use S. Links).
I don't dislike P5's, but they are weaker than the last two games.
Atmosphere:
P3 > P5 > P4
I think P3 is still the king for me in this regard. It's clean, cool and composed. The city is very sleek and everything feels eerily calm in that game. The game had the heaviest themes with its obsession with
death and evil cults and the like
, which appeals to my personal tastes more than the lighter stuff I suppose. P4 worked well as a complete inverse of that, trading the distant loneliness of the city for the intimate and casual countryside.
P5 hit a good balance between those two settings. It returned to the city, but wasn't a complete repeat of P3. It has urban grittiness and a "noise" to it than P3's quiet city does not. It's like upscale private school compared to an ordinary public school. It was darker and more serious than P4, but never as crushing and empty as P3 got.
Conclusion:
Overall, I'd say each game its place, but P5 is the best overall package for me despite its weaker social links. It's clear the team has taken what they did with P3/P4 and used their experience to create a tighter game, which can be seen most prominently in how the plot and dungeons fit together perfectly, and how the game has an airtight pacing after the long intro. I think it's my favorite Persona game.
Story is completely underwhelming, you're vspoiled hours ago by the game itself and the twists should've instead bring content. I'm bored and just want it to end now. I shouldn't have hoped that after chapter 4 that story will pick up.
Christ almighty, how was I supposed to find the time to study enough before the first exam? I spent days reading and studying with both party members and I still come out a dumbass. That's about all the time I had after being forced through something like a solid week of story beats.
Meanwhile I take a bath and suddenly I'm fucking Casanova.
I'm following a 100% guide and my knowledge was 1 at the first exams man.
I'd actually rate Persona 5's Social Links as pretty high just because of their affects of gameplay and the systems. Like all of the Confidants have effects related to who they are and what they do and affect the game in pretty large ways.
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