Somehow I've managed to write almost 1,500 words about Persona 5 without mentioning what is almost certainly its most immediately notable feature: It looks fucking incredible. For most games, ”good graphics" are about high definition and high fidelity, about creating an intense level of detail in every aspect — think of the breathtaking, sweeping vistas of Horizon Zero Dawn or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Persona 5 has a completely different approach. It looks great not by way of the most detailed, powerful graphics in the world — this is a game that began development on PlayStation 3, and you can kinda tell — but by way of visual design. Like any good RPG, Persona 5 is an information-heavy game, and much of your time is spent flipping through menus or looking at text boxes. But rather than downplay the user interface, Persona 5 blows it up. Every loading screen transition, every end-of-combat info box, every aspect of the game is presented in this bombastic, colorful style that's just a joy to look at.
Between that visual style and the smart, approachable balance of old dungeons and new, I have a surplus of hope about Persona 5 — not just that it will continue being great for the 80-or-so hours I have left in the game, but that it will be able to reach an even wider audience and introduce them to the things I love so much about this series.
Persona 5 launches for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on April 4. Look forward to Polygon's full review of the game the week prior to launch.