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Persona Community Thread |OT9| SPOILER TAGS OR DIE

Lynx_7

Member
The worst I can say about Q's writing is that it makes a bad first impression.

Although now I wonder... how well did Q do, financially? Enough for Atlus to consider going back to it in the future?

It debuted with 189k and sold better than any mainline Etrian Odyssey in Japan so I'd say it did alright.
 

barybll

Banned
I hope Persona 5 doesn't go through the classic JRPG thing where the laat section just keeps getting dragged out and doesn't want to end. I'm playing a Tales game and this game REFUSES to end. Like everything is set up to end but the game keeps finding the most dumbest reasons to drag its feet. "... But why are you still playing?" Combat is still crazy fun.

Elaborate.
 
Ugh, there's only a steelbook edition at launch? Guess I'm gonna have a double dip when there's a second run and try and sell off the steelbook. I hate that shit.
 

Jintor

Member
Disregarding plot stuff, I really hate the game's writing

It's like bottom tier shonen

it's godawful and the fact that it lets you into the heads of your favourite characters should be cause for celebration but instead outs them as idiotic teenagers.

which we knew all along, of course, but it's one thing to watch it play out in game and another to literally have their shitty in-head dialogue trample over your dreams.
 

Lunar15

Member
I hope Persona 5 doesn't go through the classic JRPG thing where the laat section just keeps getting dragged out and doesn't want to end. I'm playing a Tales game and this game REFUSES to end. Like everything is set up to end but the game keeps finding the most dumbest reasons to drag its feet. "... But why are you still playing?" Combat is still crazy fun.

You could argue that 3 and 4 draw out their endings, but it makes a huge difference when you don't want them to end.
 

Dantis

Member
I hope Persona 5 doesn't go through the classic JRPG thing where the laat section just keeps getting dragged out and doesn't want to end. I'm playing a Tales game and this game REFUSES to end. Like everything is set up to end but the game keeps finding the most dumbest reasons to drag its feet. "... But why are you still playing?" Combat is still crazy fun.

P5's ending kind of feels like it ends suddenly, because there's not a 'True' ending. So when you hit the ending, that's it. Game's over.

At the same time, the final dungeons are kind of a slog. Lots and lots of boss fights, and, at least to me, an unsatisfying narrative guiding it.

It's by no means bad, but it doesn't exceed P3 or P4's endings, and falls into many of the same holes (particularly as P3).
 

PK Gaming

Member
I can't say I particularly care, but you're already setting expectations for people who haven't played yet and some people might not like that.
 

Dantis

Member
I can't say I particularly care, but you're already setting expectations for people who haven't played yet and some people might not like that.

Should I spoiler tag it, do you think? I honestly don't know. There's nothing even vaguely specific in there.

I will say that dantis's evaluation of the ending at least in terms of writing is likely marred

Didn't mention the writing. This is all based almost entirely on what happens onscreen.
 
Should I spoiler tag it, do you think? I honestly don't know. There's nothing even vaguely specific in there.



Didn't mention the writing. This is all based almost entirely on what happens onscreen.

I haven't played it, so take that into account, but I think that you could spoiler it. It's talking about the endgame in some way, however vague.
 

Jintor

Member
we'll see when I reach it i guess. but if you want to talk about something coming out of nowhere etc, being able to understand what's happening is usually a prereq
 

jzbluz

Member
I've actually heard other people saying the same thing as Dantis.
Almost like Atlus left things vague enough for the eventual updated rerelease or sequel.
 

Dantis

Member
And the people who actually can understand what's being said mostly disagree with you ;P
The main disagreement came from Shouta, who doesn't seem to think overly highly of Persona 3 and 4. It's safe to say that our tastes differ.

There is no way that when I understand what is being said, it will make the dorky ass final boss less dorky.

EDIT: I... guess I can spoil it? It's really very vague though. Like, there's no way you're pulling anything about the the game from any of my posts.
 

QuadOpto

Member
^Uh...could you spoiler that stuff? Or just remove it all together? As someone still trying to keep themselves from getting too spoiled, especially on stuff from late-game, hearing things like
'dorky final boss, not a true ending, and falls into many "holes" of previous games' kind of paints a picture of things and can ruin a person's feel coming into the game...
even if I fully understand that it is only your opinion and a fairly subjective one based on visual impressions only.
 

Holundrian

Unconfirmed Member
I think pretty highly of P4 and respect P3 a lot(despite harping on people that herald P3 as the best while liking the main story there more as well but I just can't agree when like so many other things fall short of P4), I've been pretty baffled by certain statements regarding the P5 ending, well not really baffled since I know they come from a place that didn't understand what was said/written/etc, it's just weird reading an opinion so sure of itself when it's informed by incomplete information.

It's kind of like reading someone say the Persona games are kind of meh while playing the whole game on mute. I mean I guess that's certainly possible for someone to feel this way, but then for me as someone that thinks that music and VO add another dimension to playing it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense(like so many great games would be kind of super underwhelming without any kind of sound -> Last of Us, Layton, Bioshock, etc). The same way it just doesn't make sense reading someone speaking about the story in this way based on purely the visuals.

Really the most I would say about the P5 ending
is that it treads on almost the exact same grounds as far as certain story beats go and the general structure as the ending in P4. It's just better executed in the way it integrates within the themes as well as being better integrated as a whole given that it's not as optional this time around. Which makes it flow a bit better into and makes it less of an abrupt affair story wise.

If you're one to hate on the P4 ending for being tacked on this will be very much the same. If you love P4 for having that mythical greater than life extra bonus P5 is pretty cool as well. And I guess like I said P5 might be a bit disappointing in how it ends for how overly similar it is. But then most people still liked the Force Awakens :p
 

Dantis

Member
I think pretty highly of P4 and respect P3 a lot(despite harping on people that herald P3 as the best while liking the main story there more as well but I just can't agree when like so many other things fall short of P4), I've been pretty baffled by certain statements regarding the P5 ending, well not really baffled since I know they come from a place that didn't understand what was said/written/etc, it's just weird reading an opinion so sure of itself when it's informed by incomplete information.

It's kind of like reading someone say the Persona games are kind of meh while playing the whole game on mute. I mean I guess that's certainly possible for someone to feel this way, but then for me as someone that thinks that music and VO add another dimension to playing it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense(like so many great games would be kind of super underwhelming without any kind of sound -> Last of Us, Layton, Bioshock, etc). The same way it just doesn't make sense reading someone speaking about the story in this way based on purely the visuals.

Really the most I would say about the P5 ending
is that it treads on almost the exact same grounds as far as certain story beats go and the general structure as the ending in P4. It's just better executed in the way it integrates within the themes as well as being better integrated as a whole given that it's not as optional this time around. Which makes it flow a bit better into and makes it less of an abrupt affair story wise.

If you're one to hate on the P4 ending for being tacked on this will be very much the same. If you love P4 for having that mythical greater than life extra bonus P5 is pretty cool as well. And I guess like I said P5 might be a bit disappointing in how it ends for how overly similar it is. But then most people still liked the Force Awakens :p

I'm going to PM you, because I think we're of differing mindsets on things.
 

Holundrian

Unconfirmed Member
I'm going to PM you, because I think we're of differing mindsets on things.

Sure, but I mean being of differing mindsets can't be helped given that what we experienced was if I'm allowed to say rather different(Full maxed Slink run + being able to read/understand everything to the end, I dare say that our perspectives are naturally disposed to being different given the difference of what we experienced).
 

Dantis

Member
Sure, but I mean being of differing mindsets can't be helped given that what we experienced was if I'm allowed to say rather different(Full maxed Slink run + being able to read/understand everything to the end, I dare say that our perspectives are naturally disposed to being different given the difference of what we experienced).

I've sent it either way.

It's frustrating for me that any criticism I bring up is put down to ignorance on my part. Which would be fine if anything I mentioned was to do with the writing, but it isn't.

Persona 5 is still an incredible game, but certain parts of the ending fell flat for me. It peaks, in my opinion, in the first dungeon, hilariously.
 

Holundrian

Unconfirmed Member
I've sent it either way.

It's frustrating for me that any criticism I bring up is put down to ignorance on my part. Which would be fine if anything I mentioned was to do with the writing, but it isn't.

Persona 5 is still an incredible game, but certain parts of the ending fell flat for me. It peaks, in my opinion, in the first dungeon, hilariously.

Believe me when I say that your PM is way more frustrating to read.
I feel like it would have saved me way more work if you copy pasted that to the spoiler thread cause it kind of speaks for itself and the kind of perspective it comes from being the fundamental reason why I challenged your assessment to begin with.
Like so much of it goes along the lines of "red balloons are shit, the color red hurts my eyes." (I actually really want to quote stuff from your PM but don't feel comfortable for reasons of etiquette unless you allow it.)
The premise you set for most of what's in the PM is so incredibly subjective I'm just not sure where to even begin establishing common ground.

Never the less I'll try for the sake of discourse.
Let's start with my main motivation. Cause reading the PM I got the feeling that you think
I'm out to convince you of the greatness of P5 ending or am trying to dismiss your experience of it.

Which isn't the case I'm out to set expectations straight for the people that haven't
experienced the game yet. I've done it for the side saying P5 is the next coming of JEEESUS surpassing P4 and P3 by miles(hint in my humble opinion it isn't and it doesn't while at same time I think it's the best game out of the 3).
And I'm doing it when a person comes in with this assessment based off of incomplete information.

That's really all I'm doing contrasting your position as someone that has played the game and understood it + experiencing the full Slink max run.
After that I let people decide on how they want to feel. If they're like you gameplay inclined to the point where they're personally disconnecting the story in a story driven RPG from the main experience then they may very well align with your position.
If they're like me and sees a game like Persona only being great because all the sum of its parts come together they're probably more aligned with my view.
If that in itself feels like your criticism is put down, well...

I mean the facts remain that you did not experience what I experienced and probably what most will experience coming in February. That does absolutely not mean that there won't be people that will feel the same way like you but that also doesn't mean that your assessment right now isn't based on an incomplete experience.

As for me theoretically trying to convince you being wrong about certain aspects it would have to start with trying to get on the same page regarding the how integral story is to the experience in a Persona game and what things are separable from the core experience and what isn't a proposition that feels like a clusterfuck for forum discussion where people easily digress.

Also the thing about Goro/Haru the way you talk about it in the PM didn't happen like that, if one cares for nuance.

Also Dantis I also kind of want you to read that PM and replace every time you make these insanely subjective statements ala music is disappointing with me saying the opposite. And then actually try to answer that PM with something worth reading just so you can relate to my struggle. Like the amount of stuff one would have to write to take the first step of establishing common ground(given that we're starting off with these incredibly subjective premises -> read the balloon example) on every point would be this post x10 probably.
Hint: I definitely feel like I failed in this post.
 

Dantis

Member
That's quite a response.
It's also kind of my point. The problems I have with it are just problems I have with it, and don't really have anything to do with not understanding the dialogue at all.

I'm not asking you to convince me that I'm wrong, I'm asking what difference it would make if I understood what they were saying.
 

Holundrian

Unconfirmed Member
That's quite a response.
It's also kind of my point. The problems I have with it are just problems I have with it, and don't really have anything to do with not understanding the dialogue at all.

I'm not asking you to convince me that I'm wrong, I'm asking what difference it would make if I understood what they were saying.

To you? None cause you made up your mind based on how you experienced the game, to others I'm pretty sure how the game takes it's core themes integrates them and brings them to a conclusion story wise will matter.
An ending on its own can never be great unless the lead up to is good as well. And the lead up in P5 to how the themes culminate is just better executed than in prior games. Lots of games work because every aspect of them comes together and taking one aspect just out of the equation will just have a different feel for everything.

But then when you're asking about what difference it will make for you that's kind of wanting to know a reason that would change your mind, hence convincing and with how subjective you've been I would never attempt that the same way I would never attempt to convince someone to like something they don't. Just time wasted.
 

Dantis

Member
Ooft. That's heavily debateable.
I'd argue that it loses its way thematically around the time that the problems I have with it rear their head.

EDIT: I just want to point out, to those out of the loop, that what we're talking about is a tiny, tiny part of an amazing 90 hour experience. It's nitpicking, really.
 

Sophia

Member
From what I've seen and heard from others, there are apparently some minor points of contention regarding the endgame. But they're ultimately just that: minor, and it seems most people generally have nothing but praise for it.

I'll leave the subject there and not say any more for spoiler reasons, of course.
 

Holundrian

Unconfirmed Member
Ooft. That's heavily debateable.
I'd argue that it loses its way thematically around the time that the problems I have with it rear their head.

EDIT: I just want to point out, to those out of the loop, that what we're talking about is a tiny, tiny part of an amazing 90 hour experience. It's nitpicking, really.

No it really isn't to anyone that can read/understand. Now after saying all your problems had nothing to do with the story/writing that now you somehow gained the ability to judge how the themes were handled in this game without being able to understand a single thing?
Ok this one I would fight you on cause that's ridiculous + you already have proven that you didn't really get that one scene you complained in that pm about.
 

Dantis

Member
We'll see when February rolls around, I guess. I doubt we're going to see eye to eye on it though.

And until I see a translation of that scene, I'm not going to believe it's not remtely what I thought it was.
 

Sophia

Member
No it really isn't to anyone that can read/understand. Now after saying all your problems had nothing to do with the story/writing that now you somehow gained the ability to judge how the themes were handled in this game without being able to understand a single thing?
Ok this one I would fight you on cause that's ridiculous + you already have proven that you didn't really get that one scene you complained in that pm about.

We'll see when February rolls around, I guess. I doubt we're going to see eye to eye on it though.

And until I see a translation of that scene, I'm not going to believe it's not remtely what I thought it was.

Someone PM me this scene in question. I'm curious to see what you're all talking about.

Nevermind, got it.
 

Jintor

Member
this is the worst. i learn japanese for 2 years just so i can play p5 when it comes out in japanese* and dantis still has an opinion i can't counter because I haven't gotten to that part in the game yet

*not really
 

Lynx_7

Member
This discussion brings back memories of when I couldn't read english and would still write about how I perfectly understood what was going on in Chrono Cross. When I replayed the game years later the experience was quite different than what it was like at my 10 year old head. Understanding the dialogue is a bit important when judging a story, it just so happens.

this is the worst. i learn japanese for 2 years just so i can play p5 when it comes out in japanese* and dantis still has an opinion i can't counter because I haven't gotten to that part in the game yet

*not really

I've been wanting to do that for years. Not for P5 because that ship has sailed, just untranslated videogames in general. Maybe some literature while I'm at it. Learning like 3 new alphabets is way too intimidating though.
 

Jintor

Member
Two of the alphabets are easy, the third you'll be learning the rest of your life.*

*Actually the English concept of alphabets doesn't really map well to Kanji imho
 
i've started learning japanese, but I have 0 interest in playing games or watching anime in japanese. I just want to be able to communicate in the country better when I take trips
 

Makio

Member
"Battle Raidou" is easily one of the best battle themes Meguro has made so far in my book, pretty sure i gonna use that theme more than "Last Surprise"
Sadly they didnt include my all time favorite from Meguro "Battle For Survival" from Digital Devil Saga

Glad they keep "A Lone Prayer" in the Persona one

PD : Catherine "battle theme" is so fitting it hurts ... other i will be using a lot
 

Makio

Member
Is like the Dancing All Night and Arena ones ... the costumes are great but the battle music sounds so out of place , same with Catherine and Persona 1 battle results theme (i mean Dream of Butterfly is great but not for battle gameplay)
 

Lunar15

Member
God, the fact that I can have Battle Raidou, Obelisk, and the SMT4 battle theme in one game is pretty much fucking great, DLC or not.

Kinda shocked they didn't do DDS.
 

Lynx_7

Member
I'm looking forward to the If... costumes myself. One of my favorite battle themes in Nocturne and the new remix is sounding baller as fvck.

I'm probably only gonna start using the costumes close to endgame though since I want to take my time with Last Surprise.
 
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