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[Sophia]

Reach Out To The Truth was already below Mass Destruction for me, especially compared to the remixes of Mass Destruction.

Last Surprise is my favorite battle theme yet tho. <3

It'/s more than the themes. The game really doubles down on dungeon sections and repeated boss fights. It's exhausting.

Your idea of exhausting sounds like my idea of amazing.

 

[Frozenprince]

The opening to Last Surprise is >>>>>>>>

Those Trumpets.

 

[Deleted member 518609]

Your idea of exhausting sounds like my idea of amazing.

Seriously. I suppose I can agree there's a lot of dungeon stuff toward the end, but that's a huge plus for me, especially when they're this fun. The endgame stuff in particular was just exhilarating for me, it does a fantastic job at building up hype. Final Dungeon Spoilers:

Spoiler

Those Archangel fights were so damn good.

 

[PK Gaming]

The opening to Last Surprise is >>>>>>>>

Those Trumpets.

It's so godlike

And then it hits that chorus and you're like :|

And then it loops over again and you're like &#12541;( ´&#12540;&#65344&#65417;

 

[Lunar15]

The only thing I haven't really heard a lot about is the cast. Don't know whether or not people find this to be a stronger or weaker cast than previous games.

 

[Dantis]

Seriously. I suppose I can agree there's a lot of dungeon stuff toward the end, but that's a huge plus for me, especially when they're this fun. The endgame stuff in particular was just exhilarating for me, it does a fantastic job at building up hype. Final Dungeon Spoilers:

Spoiler

Those Archangel fights were so damn good.

The final dungeon was good, though the lead up to it is really, really bad design (we'll not say any more for spoilers' sake.)
The part you spoilered was a pain though. Didn't enjoy it, and it continued the downward spiral of the overarching narrative for me.

The only thing I haven't really heard a lot about is the cast. Don't know whether or not people find this to be a stronger or weaker cast than previous games.

I think the cast will be more beloved than P3, less than P4.
I just can't imagine anyone latching onto the characters, and the popularity poll kind of highlighted that.

 

[A Dead Diehard]

I think the cast will be more beloved than P3, less than P4.

I'm gonna agree with this.

 

[Inquisitive_Ghost]

Arrrrrggghhhhh my slowly dying PS2 just bit the dust completely. For a while the only disc it would read was P4, so I could at least play that, but today it just gave up entirely. Dammit.

 

[Sophia]

The only thing I haven't really heard a lot about is the cast. Don't know whether or not people find this to be a stronger or weaker cast than previous games.

It's kind of a weird subject, especially because it depends on how you define a "strong cast"

(Minor spoilers for cast impressions)

Spoiler

In terms of character traits, they're probably not as strong as the Persona 4 cast. In terms of story, they easily blow the Persona 4 cast out of the water.

I guess they sit at a nice middle ground between the story-focused Persona 3 cast and the interactions-driven Persona 4? That's how I'd describe it.

They're already among my favorite cast in the franchise, at any rate.

 

[the_sun_king]

It's so godlike

And then it hits that chorus and you're like :|

And then it loops over again and you're like &#12541;( ´&#12540;&#65344&#65417;

Respectfully disagree with that bit. Those "Oooooooooh"s in the chorus are sexy.

 

[Dantis]

One thing that's worth mentioning is how important Dojima and Nanako are to P4. I'm sure Sojiro will be good, but Dojima was a really, really strong character and if you don't love Nanako then you're probably a bad person.
P5 only really has Sojiro and Sai, and Sai doesn't really fit into the likeable category.

 

[Lunar15]

Yes, your relationship with Nanako and Dojima gave the MC a strong sense of "place" in P4. It was a very grounded conflict that felt more personal than other social links because both characters were essential to the plot.

 

[Lunar15]

It's kind of a weird subject, especially because it depends on how you define a "strong cast"

(Minor spoilers for cast impressions)

Spoiler

In terms of character traits, they're probably not as strong as the Persona 4 cast. In terms of story, they easily blow the Persona 4 cast out of the water.

I guess they sit at a nice middle ground between the story-focused Persona 3 cast and the interactions-driven Persona 4? That's how I'd describe it.

They're already among my favorite cast in the franchise, at any rate.

I guess it's that I haven't heard anyone say "X is my favorite character ever!" or anything to that degree.

 

[Sophia]

I guess it's that I haven't heard anyone say "X is my favorite character ever!" or anything to that degree.

Well, lots of people haven't even played or seen the game yet. And a fraction of those who have have a limited understanding of it, like me and Dantis. So it's no surprise.

Ryuji, Makoto, and Futaba are quickly becoming my favorites tho.

Spoiler

Ryuji's just a plain bro, Futaba has a great story, and Makoto is pretty close to me IRL so...

 

[Lynx_7]

I guess it's that I haven't heard anyone say "X is my favorite character ever!" or anything to that degree.

Give it time. Also, does anyone really say "Chie is my favorite character ever!" or something? P4's cast is usually beloved as a crew instead of individually, even if people obviously have their favorites.

Spoiler

Kanji best bro, Rise best girl

Nanako and Dojima are probably my favorite P4 characters but I don't think future Persona games need similar characters fullfiling such roles.

 

[Dantis]

I guess it's that I haven't heard anyone say "X is my favorite character ever!" or anything to that degree.

Yep. This is what I keep saying, bro.

I'm sure the characters will be good, but I don't think they have that kind of appeal.

I think the lack of non-story scenes really doesn't do it any favours.

On top of that, P4's dungeons lend themselves to character development waaaay more, as well as the characters' personalities amping up to caricatures when they're in their thief outfits.

 

[Frozenprince]

One thing that's worth mentioning is how important Dojima and Nanako are to P4. I'm sure Sojiro will be good, but Dojima was a really, really strong character and if you don't love Nanako then you're probably a bad person.
P5 only really has Sojiro and Sai, and Sai doesn't really fit into the likeable category.

Sojiro is fun. Just the right levels of cantankerous but not an asshole.

 

[PK Gaming]

I guess it's that I haven't heard anyone say "X is my favorite character ever!" or anything to that degree.

I mean, most of the people who played it on GAF aren't Japanese native (some of them straight up can't even understand the language). I for one wouldn't have been as endeared to the P4 cast without the strong script/changes to to go alongside the ENG version.

Definitely think folks are jumping to conclusions.

 

[Dugna]

I'd say my favorite character, (for how far in I'm) is Yusuke but for obvious reasons I can't go into because of spoilers =/.

I'm kinda disappointed in the overall day to day music in P5 though, lots of repetition of the same tracks.

 

[Holundrian]

I guess it's that I haven't heard anyone say "X is my favorite character ever!" or anything to that degree.

Personally that's just not how I feel/think about characters. It's hard to put them into a tier list/ranking them for me cause that's not how I perceive characters so by nature I don't make statements like that, I imagine I might not be alone in that sentiment.

That said if we're talking about characters that have occupied my mind even after finishing the game. I really think very fondly about a lot of Morgana moments. Futaba as well, both own it to their standout VO. Yusuke has been one of the most enjoyable oddballs in all of gaming, he kind of surprised me in the way he is odd in a somewhat tropey way but then at same time isn't tropey. It's like he occupies the uncanny valley of tropey oddness. Like you see his behavior and it kind of rings bells of you having seen that before but it doesn't quite fit. In the end it gives Yusuke a really cool genuineness about how he is.

Doesn't mean though they're my most favorite ever just that they're super memorable. Same way that Kanji and Teddy were, or Jade(Tales of Abyss), or Estelle(Trails in the Sky), etc.

But I don't disagree, I've said it several times myself that there will without doubt be a lot of people that will prefer the P4 or even the P3 cast just by the thematic nature of their respective games and how it influenced how party dynamics were built up over the course of their games.

 

[daevious]

P5 only really has Sojiro and Sai, and Sai doesn't really fit into the likeable category.

From what I've seen/heard, you can argue that (Vague Persona 5 Spoilers, view at your own peril)

Spoiler

she isn't really supposed to be likable, at least not initially. By the end she completely in the protagonist's ball park, but it takes the majority of the narrative before she reaches that point.

 

[Mediking]

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is just $1.99 on PSN!!!! Awww yeah!!!! Bought!!!

 

[Zolo]

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is just $1.99 on PSN!!!! Awww yeah!!!! Bought!!!

Welcome to the best Persona cast.

 

[Deleted member 518609]

Sai doesn't really fit into the likeable category.

From what I've seen/heard, you can argue that (Vague Persona 5 Spoilers, view at your own peril)

Spoiler

she isn't really supposed to be likable, at least not initially. By the end she completely in the protagonist's ball park, but it takes the majority of the narrative before she reaches that point.

I actually think

Spoiler

Sae

will end up being one of the most liked characters.

 

[GSR]

I mean, most of the people who played it on GAF aren't Japanese native (some of them straight up can't even understand the language). I for one wouldn't have been as endeared to the P4 cast without the strong script/changes to to go alongside the ENG version.

Definitely think folks are jumping to conclusions.

Yeah, I think it's a little strange to try and pass judgment on the characters in the context of the series as a whole when very few people have played the game with a full understanding of it. I probably wouldn't even count myself in that category because even though I speak Japanese it's not at native level by any means and I know I missed plenty of subtleties in the writing.

It's also worth reminding folks that the P3/P4 casts have been around for 8-10 years and have had who knows how much exposure beyond their initial games in that time.

 

[daevious]

I actually think

Spoiler

Sae

will end up being one of the most liked characters.

Hence why I said initially. ;P

Spoiler

Even if she doesn't become popular, I do think she's an interesting character none the less.

 

[raven777]

Persona 5 Art book cover illustration

 

[Dantis]

Persona 5 Art book cover illustration

This is tremendous. Hot damn.

 

[TurnipFritters]

Persona 5 Art book cover illustration

Wow, so

Spoiler

Futaba really is a Squidling

.

 

[Nephilim]

anyone else like P3 over P4?

 

[MSMrRound]

anyone else like P3 over P4?

It's a topic that we have argued over dozen of time with varying answers.

Personally speaking, Persona 3 was my first ever Persona game so it definitely left me with a deeper impression that Persona 4, especially with its ending, though I do agree that I like how close-knit the Persona 4 party members were, while Persona 3's still had that "we are just colleagues/fellow dorm-mates in this together for this issue" vibe

 

[Lunar15]

Persona 5 Art book cover illustration

RAD

EDIT: I think I need to explain what I meant by saying I haven't heard anyone say "X is my favorite character ever!". I don't mean that people are down on the cast, it's just that the characters are the element of the game that I've heard the least about. It's understandable given that it's in japanese and it's also very connected to the story, which people don't want to spoil. I just meant that of all the elements I've been able to gather different opinions on, there's not a lot of comments on the cast, positive or negative.

 

[_Ryo_]

anyone else like P3 over P4?

Yes. I prefer P3.

 

[Nephilim]

Yes. I prefer P3.

 

[R_thanatos]

The general vibe I get from Persona 5 impressions is that the game is, on the whole, a much better "game" than P3 and P4 from a gameplay perspective, but that the "impact" is slightly muted compared to those. Stuff like the music and some story beats don't really blow minds, but are all strong enough to satisfy our cravings while everything else is polished to a shine.

I'm perfectly fine with this. I think a lot of people will say it's their favorite persona, and rightly so, but a bunch of people will also just put it in with the mix. If anything, I don't think it's going to majorly disappoint too many fans. Now that there's dual audio, I don't think the dub can ruin anyone's time with it.

I agree and disagree.
The music is on par with the best of P3 and P4 if not superior.
the only real problem is the number of tracks .
P5 is my favorite persona BY FAR , it just needed 1 OR 2 tracks to put this game in a place above the entire genre.
But goddamn if it's not still so high right now , IMO.
The "impact" was near perfect in a couple of scenes for me , to the point that i captured them ( Viva capture card )and i rewatch them once in a while just for the smiles or for the upbeats.

RAD

EDIT: I think I need to explain what I meant by saying I haven't heard anyone say "X is my favorite character ever!". I don't mean that people are down on the cast, it's just that the characters are the element of the game that I've heard the least about. It's understandable given that it's in japanese and it's also very connected to the story, which people don't want to spoil. I just meant that of all the elements I've been able to gather different opinions on, there's not a lot of comments on the cast, positive or negative.

Let me tell you something . All the casting made a very strong impression on me, and i disliked a couple of Social links at the beginning .

But at the end of the game , you can be sure i liked everyone. I have 2 favorites characters and it PAINS me that i can't talk about them since well i'm the only one who know japanese among my friends.

Don't worry about the characters , they are more than fine.
Oh yeah ..more than fine..

 

[Makio]

anyone else like P3 over P4?

Simply put Persona 4 is my least favorite entry in the series and Persona 3 is my favorite in the saga so far.

Is not like i dont like Persona 4 , i love actually but i always put Persona 2 & Persona 1 over it , Persona 2 for the storyline and cast and Persona 1 always had soft spot for me since played for the first time.

Despite is kinda a trend among fans to overlook it or hate it just beacuse the gameplay didnt age well even in the PSP remake. But i love Persona 1 at least more than P4.

 

[ShadowSoldier89]

Persona 3 was good enough that after beating it I wanted to play persona 4

Persona 4 is one of the best games I've ever played

 

[barybll]

Yes. I prefer P3.

My brother of another mother
We need a Dantis equivalent for P3 advocation in this thread ;p

 

[Sophia]

anyone else like P3 over P4?

I bet you can guess my answer to this.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

anyone else like P3 over P4?

I do.

 

[Dantis]

Thanatos, that post is... not exactly balanced.

It seems heavily influenced by hype.

My brother of another mother
We need a Dantis equivalent for P3 advocation in this thread ;p

There's only one Dantis.

 

[Sophia]

RAD

EDIT: I think I need to explain what I meant by saying I haven't heard anyone say "X is my favorite character ever!". I don't mean that people are down on the cast, it's just that the characters are the element of the game that I've heard the least about. It's understandable given that it's in japanese and it's also very connected to the story, which people don't want to spoil. I just meant that of all the elements I've been able to gather different opinions on, there's not a lot of comments on the cast, positive or negative.

If you'd like, I could give you a crap ton of comments and impressions on the cast. I've just been holding back because I don't want people clicking into my spoiler tags and then complaining.

 

[Inquisitive_Ghost]

anyone else like P3 over P4?

I did until I replayed it.

I like P3's themes and soundtrack more, but P4 has better gameplay, better writing, and better pacing, which really stand out on replays.

 

[OrionX]

I love P3's more serious tone and found some of its themes a bit more compelling, but I also love P4's whole murder mystery in a small town vibe and think it creates a great atmosphere. I prefer the overall group dynamic of the P4 gang, but P3 has great characters too...

In conclusion, both are amazing.

 

[Nephilim]

I did until I replayed it.

I like P3's themes and soundtrack more, but P4 has better gameplay, better writing, and better pacing, which really stand out on replays.

By gameplay do you mean the battle system and being able to control all members?

What annoys me the most in P4 is its extreme amount of talking/texts that didnt interest me. Combine with the fact that the game is literally based off scooby doo. Story was pretty interesting at first, then I got to the point where i just wanted it to hurry and end

 

[Strimei]

anyone else like P3 over P4?

I would rank P3 above P4, though honestly I prefer P4's cast overall, they click better for me.

P3's music, story, and above all theme I vastly prefer.

One aspect I particularly liked was (game mechanic and somewhat of a boss spoiler, I suppose)

Spoiler

the whole full moon system with the bosses. It gave me a near constant impending sense of dread. I always knew when the full moon was coming, it can't be changed, and I knew I would be in for something, lord only knew what (on my first playthrough, anyway).

I felt P4 very much lacked that.

Spoiler

Tying the fates of the victims to the foggy day was ok but it just lacks the impending sense of dread, especially as there were days of fogginess ahead of the final date, but it was just "oh it wasn't foggy long enough."

While I prefer P4's cast, one thing I will say about P3's is that I had a greater sense of them being their own people first and foremost. They didn't hang out all the damn time. That's not a bad thing, mind, but, at least for me, it made me feel like they had lives of their own. They felt like a group of individuals forced to come together to fight something, and it took time to forge them into a cohesive group, whereas in P4 its more "hey we saved you, now we best buds." It just felt a bit more forced there.

 

[A Dead Diehard]

By gameplay do you mean the battle system and being able to control all members?

What annoys me the most in P4 is its extreme amount of talking/texts that didnt interest me. Combine with the fact that the game is literally based off scooby doo. Story was pretty interesting at first, then I got to the point where i just wanted it to hurry and end

Pardon?

 

[ASilentProtagonist]

anyone else like P3 over P4?

Me.

 

[Strimei]

Pardon?

"literally" is a bit far yeah but its a common connection some people make (and joke/meme).

 

[PK Gaming]

P4 is absolutely better than P3 purely from a gameplay standpoint.

P3 is way more grindey, with long stretches of dead months where nothing of note is happening. The battle system has more depth than P4s, but it's less fun/engaging due to the existence of A.I partners (A.I partners are trash, debate me). Tartarus flips flops from tolerable to outright terrible. The game hits you hard with those slink requirements, so at times it feels like you're playing a dating sim (rather than a life sim). What do you mean you want to eat burgers after school to replicate an authentic high school experience? Lmao, hit the arcade or miss out starting Mitsuru's slink at a reasonable time, scrub. Slinks are generally worse. It has some of the best slinks in the series, but it's also weighed down by stupid shit like Kenji's social link, and it's incredibly obvious when the "we don't have friends that are girls" fact shines through. (They clearly get better by P4/P3P though). Finally, the the full moon bosses were uniformly terrible and it has one of the worst final bosses in RPGing.

All in all, it's much harder to outright replay P3 since it's somewhat clunky of a game. P4 by comparison just hits this sexy RPG sweetspot, making it infinitely more replayable. Like, there's a reason why it's considered a classic.