Persona 5 Gameplay Trailer Analysis and Speculation
In an event that has been seven years in the making, Atlus have finally revealed a gameplay trailer for Persona 5. For the moment, it appears safe to conclude that Atlus’ teasing over the past year in the run up to this reveal has been entirely worth it.
Following a staggering thirty hour event that included live music and a celebration of the two previous titles in the Persona series, developer Atlus concluded the show by displaying a brief trailer that showed off a mixture of gameplay and cinematics for their latest title that culminated in the simultaneous ejaculation of everyone in the room.
In the trailer itself, a variety of musings are there for the picking. For one thing, the game runs on a new engine that has replaced the one Atlus used during the development of their puzzle-platformer Catherine. However, it looks remarkably similar, if not a little more polished. The fears of fans when it was revealed that the flagship colour of this title was to be red have also been quashed. Despite the worry that the colour may be straining on the eyes in comparison with the relaxing blue of Persona 3, it seems that it is not overused through what we’ve seen of the UI so far.
Meanwhile, despite the fact that the length of gameplay shown here equated to less than a few minutes, when this is compared with what little else has been revealed since 2013 it would be fair to admit that this event has been somewhat staggering. In short, it shows off the changes made to Atlus’ winning formula, but at the same time keeps the old Persona that fans have adored for years. The subtle influence of the dynamic camera angles during the in-game sequences serve to add a sense of depth that was noticeably absent in the previous two titles, which tended to keep the player somewhat distanced from the characters in what appeared to resemble a nod to the isometric viewpoint of the older games. Meanwhile the allusions to the various tropes of the Persona series, namely the Velvet Room and the Persona’s themselves are just as exciting and it would seem are being little more than teased with the occasional brief glimpse for now.
Speaking of the gameplay the fans have come to know and love, it is worth noting that the ‘Social Links’ selection on the UI has been replaced by the ambiguous term ‘Cooperation’, prompting many to jump to the most grandiose of conclusions. Whilst it is highly probable that Atlus are merely revamping the system that brought the Persona series into the limelight in the first place, it is entirely possible that they may go in a different direction with this title, much as they did in the transition from the Persona 2 duology to Persona 3. However it would be an odd step to entirely remove such a vital component of the formula at this stage. Similarly, there a more gameplay differences notable as the Protagonist is seen indulging in some incredibly stylised stealth sections, which have yet to be fully explained. Similarly, the act of summoning a Persona has yet to be shown in-engine, although this trailer hints that the characters may in fact transform into their Persona’s themselves. Notice for example how the Protagonists hand morphs into one resembling those of what is presumed to be his Persona on the official artwork released the same day. (Although this may not be true as morphing into a Persona such as Jack Frost would be less shall we say…graceful) Is this good or bad? Who cares, it looked amazing. Finally, and also rather interestingly, many of the enemies seen in battle were unrecognisable bar two; Pyro Jack and Sandman, two demons that are prevalent throughout not just the Persona, but the Shin Megami Tensei series as a whole. Why is this interesting? Because in the Persona games, these demons are Personas, and in the latter two the creatures they are used to battle are known as Shadows. In earlier Persona games on the other hand, the characters would face these demons instead, prompting many to wonder if this game is in fact referencing the older games in the series. A nice sentiment for those who have been crying out for it, but it’s early to say for certain at this point, having only seen one battle.These comparisons go deeper though, as the addition of having a short and long range weapon is also reminiscent of the set up in the earlier Persona titles.
As a side note, we’ve yet to hear any voice acting, although if I’m honest I’m really not complaining. Don’t get me wrong, I love Persona and for a long time Persona 4 was my favourite game. But alas, the darker side of the internet has somewhat soiled terrible Japanese translations for me, and if one more person calls me ‘Senpai’ I might vomit.
As for continuity, some fans are divided. Should this game mark the beginning of a new start for the Persona series, it may attempt to leave behind the world of the last two games much as Persona 3 did before it, and to establish a new set of characters instead of continuing to abuse past titles with shameless spin-offs. There are of course arguments for both sides, but at least the Persona 4 cast haven’t appeared in it yet, and lets be honest that was a genuine fear that was entirely justified.
Put simply, Persona 5 will definitely be worth your time and PS3 and PS4 owners should be very excited indeed. That is unless you despise JRPG’s in their entirety, in which case, you’ve read this entire article for nothing. Shut up and go and play Rambo: The Video Game.
Persona 5 will be released in Japan and North America in 2015.