| Persona 5 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | P-Studio |
| Publishers | |
| Directors |
|
| Producers |
|
| Designer | Katsura Hashino |
| Programmers |
|
| Artists |
|
| Writers |
|
| Composer | Shoji Meguro |
| Series | Persona |
| Platforms | |
| Release | |
| Genres | Role-playing,social simulation |
| Mode | Single-player |
Persona 5[a] is a 2016role-playing video game developed byP-Studio and published byAtlus. The game is the sixth installment in thePersona series, itself a part of the largerMegami Tensei franchise. It was released forPlayStation 3 andPlayStation 4 in Japan in September 2016 and worldwide in April 2017. It was published by Atlus in Japan and North America, and byDeep Silver inPAL territories. An enhanced version featuring new content,Persona 5 Royal,[b] was released and published by Atlus for PlayStation 4 in Japan in October 2019 while parent companySega published the game worldwide in March 2020, then for other platforms in October 2022.
As with previous games in the series, the party battles enemies known as Shadows using physical manifestations of their psyche known asPersonas. The game incorporates role-playing anddungeon crawling elements alongsidesocial simulation scenarios. Its story, taking place in modern-dayTokyo, follows a player-named high school student, referred to by his codenameJoker, who was framed forassault, and put onprobation, getting relocated to Yongen-Jaya and transfers to a new school. Over the course of a school year, he and other acquainted students awaken to a special power, becoming a group of secret vigilantes. Referred to as thePhantom Thieves of Hearts, the group explores a supernatural realm born from humanity's subconscious desires nicknamed the Metaverse, in order to steal malevolent intent from the hearts of adults. Its themes revolve around attaining freedom from the limitations of modern society: the story was strongly inspired bypicaresque fiction, and the party's Personas were based on literary outlaws and rebels.
First announced in 2013,Persona 5 was developed by P-Studio, an internal development division within Atlus led at the time by game director and producerKatsura Hashino. Along with Hashino, returning staff from earlierPersona games included character designerShigenori Soejima and music composerShoji Meguro. Work on the game began duringPersona 4's development and commenced into full production after the release ofCatherine in 2011. Initially slated for a late 2014 release date,Persona 5 saw several delays due to being unfinished.
The original Persona 5 released onPlayStation 3 and4 on September 15, 2016 in Japan, then worldwide on April 4, 2017.Royal would release on PlayStation 4 in Japan, on October 31, 2019, worldwide on March 31, 2020, then release a couple years later onPlayStation 5,Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S,Nintendo Switch, andWindows on October 21, 2022.Persona 5 received acclaim from critics who praised its visual presentation, gameplay, story, characters, and music. The release ofRoyal saw higher praise in addition for its new content and expanding upon the original game. IncludingRoyal,Persona 5 is the best-selling title in theMegami Tensei franchise, with over10.45 million copies sold by March 2025.
Since its release, Persona 5 has been considered by critics to beone of the greatest video games of all time. As with prior series entries, related media based on the game have been produced including four spin-off games,manga andanime adaptations, and the cast's appearances in other games; most notably Joker's appearance inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018).
Persona 5 is arole-playing video game where the player takes on the role of a male high school student, codenamedJoker, who lives out a single year while attending school in modern-day Tokyo. The game is governed by a day-night cycle and weather systems that determine general behavior, similar to asocial simulation game. The year is punctuated by scripted and random events as Joker attends school, and outside of school he can have part-time jobs, pursue leisure activities, or create items for use in dungeons or in battle.[1][2][3][4] Joker's activities in the real world affect his socialstatistics; increasing these values grants additional activities and options.[5] When in the real world, Joker can develop character relationships known as "Confidants"; an evolution of the "Social Link" system fromPersona 3 andPersona 4. With this system, he can converse with and improve his relationship with other characters he meets, with some leading to possible romances. Improving Confidant ranks withparty members unlocks various abilities for use in combat.[3] Improving ranks with non-party Confidants grants other bonuses, such as access to new equipment or boostingexperience point gains.[3]
Alongside the normal school life isdungeon crawling gameplay of two different types within a realm called the Metaverse: story-specific dungeons called Palaces and a randomly generated dungeon called Mementos. Both are populated by Shadows, physical manifestations of suppressed psyches modeled after mythological and religious figures. Within the dungeons of Mementos, the party can fulfillquests received from Confidants and othernon-player characters.[1][3][4][6] While navigating, the party can use stealth to avoid enemy Shadows, and some areas hold puzzles that can be solved using Joker's "Third Eye" ability,[7] which highlights interactable objects and enemy strength.[8] Throughout Palaces are locations known as "Safe Rooms", where the player cansave their game andfast travel to other safe rooms within the Palace.[9]
As with previous entries in the series, the game uses aturn-based combat system. Battles can be initiated when the party runs into an enemy, or they can launch an ambush and gain an advantage in battle. In battle, the party has weapons and can summon Personas: manifestations of the main characters' inner psyche that are used mainly for special attacks.[4][7][10] If a character strikes an enemy's weakness, they knock the enemy down and are awarded an additional turn.[11] If all enemies are knocked down, a "Hold Up" is triggered, during which the party can launch a devastating "All-Out Attack", demand money or items, or convince a selected Shadow to become one of Joker's Personas.[12][13] Party members are knocked out when they lose all of theirhealth points, and the game ends if Joker is knocked out.[14]
New Personas can be gained from battle through successful negotiation, and different Persona types are represented through different arcana linked to Confidant links. Personas can be combined, or "fused" within the Velvet Room, a realm Joker visits throughout the story.[6][15] In the Velvet Room, Personas can be fused through the "Guillotine" fusion process, with the resultant Persona inheriting skills and stats from its parents. More skills are passed on depending on how many skills a Persona has, and the strength of the resulting Persona depends on how advanced its associated Confidant link is.[16] Personas can be sacrificed by "Hanging" to grant experience points to another Persona or by being sent to the "Electric Chair" to create a high-end item. A Persona can also be sent into "Solitary Confinement" for multiple days to undergo intensive training and gain additional skills quicker than normal.[6][16]
Minor online social elements are incorporated through the "Thieves Guild" feature, where players can see what activities other players did during any given day or aid other players in the Metaverse.[17]
Persona 5 takes place within thePersona universe, revolving around a group of high school students who harness Personas, physical manifestations of their inner psyche.[18] The story begins in April "20XX (2016)" and spans roughly a year. It is set in modern-dayTokyo and features several real-world locations, includingAkihabara,Shinjuku, andShibuya.[19] A major setting throughout the game is Shujin Academy, a high school that the protagonist attends.[2][20][21] The second major location is the "Metaverse", a supernatural realm consisting of the physical manifestations of humanity's subconscious desires. In the Metaverse, people with corrupted desires form their own unique "Palace," which is modeled after their distorted perception of a place in the real world, along with a Shadow version of themselves (their true self) possessing a "Treasure" symbolic of their desires.[20][22][23] Returning from earlier entries is the Velvet Room, a place that exists for the growth of Persona users and shifts appearance depending on the current guest; inPersona 5, it takes the form of a prison.[15]
Theplayer character is asilent protagonist, a commonplace feature in thePersona series, codenamedJoker. He becomes the leader of a vigilante group known as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, who change the hearts of criminals and other malevolent people through the Metaverse.[21][24] He is joined by school delinquentRyuji Sakamoto, fashion modelAnn Takamaki, and Morgana, a mysterious cat-like creature. As the game progresses, the group recruits more members, including art prodigyYusuke Kitagawa, student council presidentMakoto Niijima,hikikomori computer hackerFutaba Sakura, and cultured corporate heiressHaru Okumura.[2][21][24] Also interacting with Joker are high school detectiveGoro Akechi, public prosecutor and Makoto's older sister Sae Niijima, andIgor and his two assistants Caroline and Justine, who are residents of the Velvet Room.[2][25]
Much of the story is told through flashbacks while Sae Niijima interrogates the protagonist. After preventing an assault, he is framed for assaulting the man responsible and put onprobation for a year, resulting in expulsion from his school. He is sent to Tokyo to stay with family friend Sojiro Sakura and attend Shujin Academy during his year-long probation. After his arrival, he is drawn into the Velvet Room, where Igor, alongside his assistants, Caroline and Justine, warns him that he must be rehabilitated to avoid future ruin and grants him access to a supernatural mobile app. This leads him into the Metaverse, and the Palace of the school's abusive and lustful gym teacher and volleyball coachSuguru Kamoshida, along with a fellow student, Ryuji Sakamoto, who had been labeled as a troublemaker due to having been provoked by Kamoshida into assaulting him.
After the protagonist and Ryuji are captured by the corrupt manifestation of Kamoshida, also known as his Shadow Self, he awakens to his Persona, Arsène, to save Ryuji from being executed. The two escape to the lower levels of the Palace, where they meet Morgana, a mysterious, small cat-like creature who knows much about the Palaces. Morgana informs the protagonist of the ability to change wicked people's hearts by stealing their "Treasure," the emotional root of their behavior and desires, from the Palaces ruled by their Shadow selves. Not long after, upon discovering the truth about Kamoshida's abuse towards other students in the Palace dungeons, Ryuji awakens to his Persona and resolves to stop Kamoshida. The protagonist later confronts other fellow student Ann Takamaki, who was forced into a relationship with Kamoshida in exchange for her friend Shiho Suzui being on the volleyball team. When Ann doesn't come to Kamoshida's house one afternoon, he takes it out on Shiho in an impliedsexual assault, causing her to attempt suicide. After which, the group finally decides to steal Kamoshida's heart and force him to confess his crimes, with Ann awakening to her Persona after accidentally stumbling into the Metaverse.
The protagonist assumes the codename Joker, and after changing Kamoshida's heart, he along with Morgana, Ryuji, and Ann form the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, to steal corruption from the hearts of adults to reform the city, and slowly learns of a broader conspiracy to influence the hearts of Tokyo. They are joined along the way by Yusuke Kitagawa, an art student whom they help to reform his corrupt teacher, Ichiryusai Madarame; Sae's sister Makoto, the president of the school's student council who is assigned to spy on them but joins after being blackmailed by a mob boss, Junya Kaneshiro, who they also reform; Sojiro's adopted daughter Futaba Sakura, an expert hacker who became a depressedhikikomori after the conspiracy murdered her mother and framed her using a forged suicide note; and Haru Okumura, a corporate heiress who rebels against her rich father, Kunikazu Okumura, and his attempts to control her life and mistreatment of his employees. Over time, the Phantom Thieves attract the attention of the public and the police, including Sae and celebrity junior detective Goro Akechi.
However, the Phantom Thieves' popularity plummets after a masked assassin frames them for the death of Haru's father. While pursuing the conspiracy, Akechi joins the group and convinces them to change Sae's heart in order to prove their innocence. After infiltrating Sae's Palace, Joker is captured by the police, and Sae interrogates him despite being removed from the case, at which point the story comes full-circle. Joker convinces Sae of the truth. Akechi is revealed to be the assassin and attempts to kill Joker but the Phantom Thieves pull Akechi back into Sae's palace, where he kills Sae's cognition of Joker instead. It's also revealed that the Phantom Thieves knew Akechi's true nature all along and only agreed to infilitrate Sae's palace so that this deception could work. Aided by Sae and Sojiro, the Phantom Thieves go undercover and learn the conspiracy's leader is politician Masayoshi Shido, who was the one who framed and pressed charges against Joker, resulting in his probation. He has been using Akechi's Metaverse ability to remove obstacles in his path toward becoming prime minister and imposing his twisted reforms on Japan. When the Phantom Thieves infiltrate Shido's Palace, they face Akechi, who reveals himself as Shido's illegitimate son and that his collusion with him was part of a plan to get revenge on Shido for abandoning him and his late mother. Once defeated, Akechi sacrifices himself to protect the Phantom Thieves from a group of enemies (including Shido's cognition of Akechi himself) and allow them to defeat Shido. Despite Shido's arrest and confession, the public's opinion of him remains unchanged, and Shido may be released due to the manipulation of the public by his allies.
The Phantom Thieves infiltrate the depths of Mementos, the public’s Palace, to steal the Treasure at its core, believing that changing the general public's hearts will cause them to realize and accept the truth. Inside, they discover that the public is in chaos and has given up their free will, believing that it’d free them. The Phantom Thieves are ejected from Mementos by the Treasure itself, manifested as the Holy Grail, and vanish after the Metaverse merges with reality. Upon awakening in the Velvet Room, Igor proclaims Joker has failed to prevent the ruin and orders Caroline and Justine to execute him. Realizing that they’re not killers, Caroline and Justine regain their memories and integrate into Lavenza, their proper form. Lavenza reveals that the Igor in the Velvet Room until this point is actuallyYaldabaoth, the God of Control, who imprisoned the actual Igor. Yaldabaoth, the Holy Grail made sentient, was created from humanity's wish to be ruled and not act for themselves. Through a wager made with Igor over humanity's goals, Yaldabaoth had given Joker and Akechi their abilities but ensured that Joker would fail to prove that living with ambition is useless.
Yaldabaoth offers Joker to return the world to its previous state at the cost of the world's freedom. If Joker accepts the offer, an alternate ending happens where the Phantom Thieves return to fame at the cost of humanity's free will. If Joker rejects the offer, he reunites with the rest of the Phantom Thieves in the Velvet Room, including Morgana, who was revealed to have been created by the real Igor to lead Joker to the depths of Mementos. The Phantom Thieves attempt to fight Yaldabaoth again, and as Joker's confidants rally the support of the people, they rebel against Yaldabaoth's control and allow Joker to awaken his ultimate Persona, Satanael, to destroy Yaldabaoth and the Metaverse. After Yaldabaoth's defeat, Joker turns himself in to the police for Shido to be prosecuted. While Joker is incarcerated, the rest of the Phantom Thieves and his confidants help secure evidence of his innocence in the assault charge, leading to his conviction being overturned. By spring, Joker's friends drive him back to his hometown.
InPersona 5 Royal, two new characters interact with the Phantom Thieves:Kasumi Yoshizawa, an accomplished gymnast who transferred to Shujin Academy the same time as Joker, and Takuto Maruki, a counsellor hired by the school after Kamoshida is exposed. Kasumi awakens to her Persona after discovering a new Palace in Odaiba with Joker. Maruki, in turn, talks to each of the Phantom Thieves throughout the main story and learns their deepest wishes and regrets via their counselling sessions with him.
After defeating Yaldabaoth, a still-living Akechi turns himself over to Sae in Joker's place. At the beginning of the following year, Joker finds reality distorted; Akechi was released without reason, and each Phantom Thief has had their deepest wish granted, including some deceased people being brought back to life. Joker, Akechi, and Kasumi investigate the Palace in Odaiba and learn that its owner is Maruki, who is revealed to be a Persona-user that can alter reality by forcefully changing people's cognitions. After Yaldabaoth's defeat, Maruki assumed his role since the public embraced the Phantom Thieves, who in turn had previously wished for Maruki to remove their past trauma. Through meddling with Mementos, Maruki later brainwashed the Phantom Thieves into accepting into a reality that he believes is perfect for them. However, this causes them to stagnate and lose the will to fight for a better reality. "Kasumi" is also revealed to be her twin sister Sumire, who had been impersonating her to cope with the former's death due to the influence of Maruki's powers although only the Phantom Thieves could see her as "Kasumi". Maruki gives Joker time to choose whether to accept his idealized reality. Joker reminds the Phantom Thieves and Sumire of the strength and growth they gained from their real lives, and they agree to change Maruki's heart before he makes the idealized reality permanent by fusing reality with Mementos.
Joker later learns from Maruki that Akechi is alive in the altered reality because of Joker's desire to save him, and that whether Akechi lives depends on Joker accepting Maruki's world. Akechi convinces Joker to refuse the offer, stating he would rather disappear as himself, than live under Maruki's control. The Phantom Thieves then defeat Maruki the following day, and reality returns to normal. With Akechi gone, Joker finds himself back in prison as he was meant to be before reality was altered, but as with the original game's story, he is cleared and released thanks to his friends and allies. At their final meeting, having reflected on their rejection of Maruki's reality, each member chooses to pursue their own futures, separate from one another in order to make their wishes come true under their own power. On the day he is due to return home, Joker escapes tailing government agents with help from both the Phantom Thieves and a reformed Maruki, who is now a taxi driver. At the station, Sumire finds him and bids him farewell. Apost-credits scene achieved by reaching Rank 8 of Akechi's Confidant before November 17[26] shows a person resembling Akechi passing by the window on Joker's train ride home.
Similarly to the original game, an alternate ending happens should Joker choose to accept the idealized reality, instead of resisting and attempting to change Maruki's heart. The ending shows the other Phantom Thieves, including Akechi and Sumire, who is now "Kasumi" permanently, who are seemingly unaware of the true nature of reality, while Joker appears uncomfortable and unsure of his actions.
The game was developed by P-Studio, an internal development studio within Atlus dedicated to handling thePersona series. Preparatory development began in 2008 following the release ofPersona 4, with full development beginning following the release ofCatherine in 2011.[27][28][29][30] Development lasted five years.[31][32] Series directorKatsura Hashino was only fully involved in development afterCatherine was finished, later calling the latter game a test for the nextPersona game's development.Persona 5 would be Hashino's last game in the series as the leader of P-Studio, as he would afterwards form a separate internal team called Studio Zero.[33][34] When production started, the staff consisted of around 40 people. During full production, this number expanded to 70 with 15 planners, 15 programmers, and between 30 and 45 designers. These included lead designer Naoya Maeda, who had previously done modeling work for theTrauma Center series. The general development was a challenge for the team, as they intentionally changed their development structure due to the more powerful hardware they were working with.[30]
While the final game retains the turn-based battle system from earlier entries, one of the early design drafts was for an action-based system incorporating real-time elements foreign to the series. This idea was ultimately scrapped, but real-time command elements were introduced into the battle system, allowing the gameplay to evolve without extensive changes to the core system.[35] One major new addition was unique dungeons with locked layouts as opposed to the predominantly randomly generated dungeons of previousPersona games. This was done to better emulate the game's themes and provide veteran players with something different.[36] A returning feature from both earlierPersona games and the mainlineMegami Tensei series was Negotiation. As it was considered a key part of the overall franchise by fans, Hashino decided to reintroduce it after being absent from the previous two mainline entries. The Negotiation system forPersona 5 was tied into the origins of Shadows as suppressed psyches within the Collective Unconscious. The "Hold Up" function was inspired by scenes in films where the antagonist would hold people at gunpoint and make demands. These functions were incorporated due to the game being in part a celebration of the series' history.[32] In-game weather and environmental elements were all designed to reflect the real world. Dungeon layout was split into three distinct types: the Tokyo overworld environments, "institutions" such as Joker's high school, and dungeon environments.[30] Some segments take control away from the player aside from limited dialogue choices; this was chosen as it reflects the controlled environment of Japanese high schoolers.[37]
WhileCatherine used the third-partyGamebryogame engine,Persona 5 uses a specially created engine. Hashino believed that the new engine would make rendering their ideas much easier, although it would result in a long wait by fans for the game.[29][38] The event scene software was also developed internally by Atlus, with an estimated 1,160 scenes being included in the final game. The tools for developing and handling them were greatly expanded over the previous two entries so as to better utilize the more advanced hardware.[30] Character modeling, in general, was handled with a specially developed cel-shader which helped properly translate the character designs into the game, while also allowing for easy adjustment of shaders and lighting effects during fine-tuning.[30] The characters were originally rendered realistically like inCatherine, but the team felt that it was "wrong" for thePersona series. With this in mind, the team did some trial and error before finding a style that satisfied them, doing something similar for the interface and menu design.[39] In contrast toPersona 4, which has a general deformed look due to the PlayStation 2's hardware limitations on the variety of body shapes, the technology available to the team forPersona 5 enabled unique customization for all relevant character models. Two different models were used for members of the main cast: a detailed model for real-time cutscenes, and a general-use model for general event scenes and gameplay.[30]Persona 5 marked the first time a large number of Personas had been rendered in high definition, something which proved a grueling challenge for the team.[10]
The original story concept was written by Hashino, while the scenario was co-written by Shinji Yamamoto and Yuichiro Tanaka.[40][41] The initial concept was for a storyline that diverged from the established paths ofPersona 3 and4, with "self-discovery" and "journey" being its keywords.[35] Originally using the concept of abackpacking trip around the world as a framing device for the story, Hashino decided to refocus on Japan in the wake of the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[32] More specifically, it has been noted that the Japanese government's actions in response to the earthquake and tsunami's fallout, along with Japanese citizens' reactions to how the government acted during that time, may have served as partial influences on the game's themes.[42] Following that crisis and seeing how people were bonding in the face of it, Hashino decided to have the story take place solely in Japan, with the journeying being done through the ever-shifting (dungeon-like) Palaces.[35] Ultimately, the story's central concepts were inspired by equivalent social changes he saw in modern society, particularly in Japan.[23] Hashino also described the central theme of the game as being about freedom and how the characters attain it.[43] He wanted to make the game more "thematically approachable" for newcomers to the series, and to be an emotional experience that left its audience with a strong sense ofcatharsis and the inspiration to take on problems in their lives.[43][44]
The narrative ofPersona 5 was designed like an omnibus, with the antagonists pursued by the party changing regularly.[22] The development team has cited three main stories as inspiration, the Chinese novelWater Margin, the Japanese crime movieHakuchuu no Shikaku, and the Spanish novelLazarillo de Tormes.[45] Furthermore, the setting and style was compared topicaresque fiction; the team originally asked the question of how a character likeLupin III might win appeal in modern society.[46] This picaresque theme was carried over into the aesthetics of Persona fusion and sacrifice, which were themed after styles of capital punishment.[6] Having a more "stereotypical" theme enabled the team to create surprising story developments, mixing contemporary drama with the setting of thePersona series. The series' recurring motif of "masks" was used more overtly in the game's plot than previous entries as well,[47] and the game's main locations were based heavily on their real-world counterparts.[3]
The main characters, according to Hashino, share a mindset that they "no longer have a place where they belong in society", though the events of the game give them a sense of belonging.[24] Hashino stated that while the last few games were about the protagonists chasing the antagonists,Persona 5 would instead more prominently feature the antagonists and phenomena caused by them chasing the protagonists during the latter's activities. The characters have been described as "juvenile academics,"[46] with their activities as thieves being part of the way they break from societal norms and express themselves. Adhering with this concept, the game's main aim was to show the characters finding the courage to go outside the normal limits of society as set by previous generations.[46] In contrast to previousPersona casts, the party ofPersona 5 willingly embrace the unfolding unusual events in their role of masked vigilantes rather than being dragged into them.[24] The cast was originally going to be larger with character Hifumi Togo becoming a Phantom Thief, but as the story was already very large, she was relegated to an optional role as part of the Confidant system.[48] Technological advances such as smartphones and the use of social media were integrated into both the story and gameplay due to their growing prevalence in modern society and how the public responds to real-world scandals.[37][42]
The characters' initial Personas (Arsène,Captain Kidd,Carmen,Zorro,Goemon,Johanna,Necronomicon,Milady,Robin Hood, andCendrillon) were themed after outlaws and picaresque heroes to reflect the function and dominant suppressed passions forming the Palace, and also represent aspects of their owners' personalities.[2][21][22][24][49] Joker's initial Persona was originally the German demonMephistopheles, but was changed to Arsène as the latter character better fit the game's themes.[48] The cast's ultimate Personas (Satanael,Seiten Taisei,Hecate,Mercurius,Kamu Susano-o,Anat,Prometheus,Astarte,Loki andVanadis) were based on mythical beings who act as tricksters or rebels.[41][49] The three main inspirations behind Joker's alter ego wereArsène Lupin,The Fiend with Twenty Faces, and Japanese outlaw hero Ishikawa Goemon.[45] The name of Joker's high school, "Shujin", was chosen because it was ahomonym ofShūjin (囚人), the Japanese word for "prisoner".[50] Following a trend from earlier entries, the Velvet Room assistants are named after characters from the novelFrankenstein byMary Shelley.[15]
The use of adults as antagonists was a more overt expression of narrative elements previously explored inPersona 4. The relation to police activities was also carried over fromPersona 4, but this time with the role of protagonists and antagonists reversed.[35] Several writers have highlighted the parallels between the game's various antagonists with real incidents and figures in different sectors of Japanese society (e.g. political, corporate, academic), and how the game's story and characters serve as social commentary on life in Japan.[42][51] The game's villains and protagonists were also constructed to be parallels of each other, both groups being misfits trying to shape a world they saw as unsatisfactory or corrupted. This was intended to create moral ambiguity about the Phantom Thieves' actions, causing the player to question their concept of justice and their mission as a whole.[32] In addition, the way a vocal minority online could draw attention to and shift public opinion on events and scandals in the news was cited as an inspiration for the ambiguous nature of the Phantom Thieves' actions.[36]
The art director was Masayoshi Suto, whose most notable work on earlier games included theuser interface (UI) displays.[52]Shigenori Soejima, who had worked on the last two main-seriesPersona games, returned as character designer.[39] The art design reflects the picaresque theme aimed for by the rest of the team.[52] Aesthetically, the team felt that they were picking up wherePersona 4 left off. Its styling presentation was an unintentional reflection on the hurdles the team needed to overcome during development.[39] The teaser image used for the game's announcement was designed to convey a sense of the main characters' being chained down by the rules of the modern world.[53] Soejima designed the logo to convey the high-speed existences of the young cast, while elements such as Joker's Persona Arsène were designed to appear old-fashioned by comparison. This presented challenges as Soejima needed to balance this with a strong sense of style.[10]
Soejima was working on prospective designs for the game whilePersona 4 was still in development, with his designs evolving as the story forPersona 5 came together.[28] The first character sketches were submitted in 2012.[54] Soejima worked closely with Hashino so the characters and environments reflected the game's themes.[43] Due to being high school students, Soejima found it difficult to make each main character's uniform design distinctive, so he expressed their individuality through their thief costumes.[55] Joker's design was cited by Soejima as his most challenging recent work. Joker needed to both convey a taste of the game's overall art style and to act as an avatar for the player. As the main theme and narrative ofPersona 5 revolved around crime and vigilantes triggered by Joker voluntarily choosing that path, Soejima needed to convey this while allowing the character to suit whatever dialogue choices the player decided upon. Due to these difficulties, Joker was given multiple designs in a trial and error process to find the best one. As the "phantom thief" premise was a common stereotype in fiction, Soejima initially drew Joker and the main cast in a style similar toshōnen manga, but these designs were scrapped as they clashed with thePersona series' realistic aesthetics. As with previous entries, the protagonist is a silent character, so Soejima had to work out a way Joker could communicate without dialogue. His solution was to imagine him as the type of person who made plans but did not share them with others.[56] The Persona designs, being based on characters from literature, were intended to evoke both familiarity and surprise from players. Once the names were chosen, Soejima designed the Personas based on that character.[55] The main aim for the game's environments was to create a sense of realism, with its version of Tokyo being modeled after real world locations.[52][57]
As the team considered previousPersona games to be "fun" but not well marketed, the UI was designed in such a way as to attract a larger, more mainstream audience.[58] When creating the UI, Hashino wanted to demonstrate how a shift in perspective could alter a dull life into an exciting one in the context of the story. Early UI designs were so "aggressively animated" that it obscured what was happening in the game. As a result, the animations were toned down and text orientation was altered, toning down the UI's graphical elements to present a balance between user-friendliness and style.[37] Following the respective thematic coloring ofPersona 3 and4's blue and yellow,Persona 5 uses red, which was chosen to evoke a harsh feeling.[58][53] Because of this, Suto tested multiple font colors until settling on black and white, as it stood out best against it.[52] Rather than the use of sub-colors like earlier entries, the UI uses only the primary red, black and white colors aside from health and magic point meters, with the menus using a special moving 3D model of Joker which changes position depending on the selected menu.[58]
The game's animatedcutscenes were produced byProduction I.G and Domerica, and were directed and supervised by Toshiyuki Kono.[10][59] Kono was contacted three and a half years before the game's completion by Hashino. Faced with the project, Kono felt a great deal of pressure in his role.Persona 5 was the first time Production I.G had worked on the series, though many staff at the studio were fans. Despite this, the studio did not change their standard animation process, focusing on characters as they had done for many of their previous projects. The most important part of the cutscenes was getting the character's expressions right, particularly when it came to the general-mute protagonist. The animated opening sequence was directed bySayo Yamamoto.[60] The concept behind the characters figure skating around the environment was done as a visual symbolization of the overall theme of breaking free of an oppressive force, and was similar to her work inYuri on Ice.[10] The scene where Joker first summons his Persona was requested by Atlus to appear "wild", which was difficult as Joker's purpose is as an extension of the player. The blue flame effects related to the Persona were not created with CGI, but hand-drawn by the animators. All the anime cutscenes together were estimated to consist of over an hour of footage.[60]
The score was composed, performed, and produced by series sound directorShoji Meguro.[61] Further contributions, among other general sound design, was handled by Toshiki Konishi, Kenichi Tsuchiya, Atsushi Kitajoh, and Ryota Kozuka; all of them having previously worked on the series as well.[52][61][62] Meguro was given full creative freedom to work on the soundtrack and over a roughly three-year period produced about 80% of the total tracks.[55] Seven tracks were performed in English by Lyn (Full Name: Lyn Inaizumi), ajazz andsoul music singer.[61][62][63] Her first performance in a video game, Lyn claimed that the most difficult part of her contributions was performing a rap segment in the opening theme, "Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There".[64] The lyrics were written by Benjamin Franklin, while the ending song, "Hoshi To Bokura To", had lyrics written in Japanese by Shigeo Komori.[61]
To express the game's mood, Meguro incorporated strongacid jazz elements into the score.[65] He also wanted to make the music sound more realistic than previous entries, aiming to match the visuals.[55] Meguro also changed the way the music flowed when compared to the last twoPersona games. Instead of the opening and ending themes being conglomerates of the overall score, he described the entire score as a single continuous work. A recurring musical element was described as a "do-la" syllable; the opening uses "so la re mi" on strings as a hook, which then leads into the "do-la" syllable for other tracks, including the normal battle theme. While he was creating the music, Meguro received positive comments from Hashino when he made early tracks created for an internal demo.[52]
A three-disc soundtrack was released in Japan by Mastard Records on January 17, 2017.[62] Upon its debut, the album reached fifth on theOricon charts with sales of over 29,000.[66] The album features 110 tracks with commentary from the sound team, while the cover andliner note artwork were designed by Soejima.[67] In addition to the soundtrack, a 19-track disc featuring a selection of the game's main themes,Persona 5: Sounds of the Rebellion, was released as part of the North American and European collector's edition bundle.[62] The complete soundtrack later received a localized English release oniTunes on April 18, 2017, and on vinyl later that year byiam8bit.[68][69]
Persona 5 was first announced with a teaser trailer in November 2013, alongside spin-off gamesPersona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth,Persona 4: Dancing All Night, and thePlayStation 3port ofPersona 4 Arena Ultimax.[70] The game was originally announced for a late 2014 release exclusively for the PlayStation 3. During a Sony press conference in September 2014, it was announced that the game would also be released for the PlayStation 4 and that it had been delayed into 2015. According to director Katsura Hashino, the game was delayed to fully develop for the PlayStation 4, and improve the general quality of both versions.[71] The first gameplay trailer was shown during a speciallivestream on February 5, 2015. The song used in the first gameplay trailer is an instrumental version of the main theme.[65] ABlu-ray Disc containing an exclusive trailer was bundled with first print copies ofPersona 4: Dancing All Night in Japan on June 25, 2015.[72] During a special livestream at the 2015Tokyo Game Show, it was announced that the game would be delayed to late 2016.[73] Speaking in a staff interview, Hashino apologized for the delay and stated that it was necessary to deliver a high-quality product without having to hold back in terms of content.[74]
In April 2016, Atlus launched a countdown that ran until May 5, 2016. Shortly after, a special livestream was announced titledTake Tokyo Tower, which coincided with the countdown date. During the Take Tokyo Tower livestream, a trailer revealed the game's final release date.Persona 5 was released in Japan on September 15, 2016.[75] Along with the standard edition, a20th Anniversary Edition was released, which features alldownloadable content (DLC) based onPersona 3 andPersona 4, a five-CDbest-of album set featuring music from all six main games in the series, and the official artbook for the game by Soejima.[76] In honor of the game's Japanese release, the series-focused variety showPersona Stalker Club featured a new programming block titledPersona Stalker Club V.[77] To promote the game in Japan, Atlus partnered withAKG Acoustics to release limited edition wireless headphones based on Futaba's in December 2016.[78] The headphones were packaged in a box with art designed by Soejima, with a music CD featuring two remixed tracks by Meguro and Kozuka.[78] Apparel based on the characters was also released in Japan in early 2018.[79][80]
Following its release, character costumes and additional Personas were released as paid DLC. The costumes include those incorporated into the20th Anniversary Edition based onPersona 3 andPersona 4, in addition to new costumes based onRevelations: Persona, thePersona 2 duology (Innocent Sin andEternal Punishment),Shin Megami Tensei If...,Catherine,Shin Megami Tensei IV,Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army,Persona 4 Arena, andDancing All Night.[81][82][83] The costumes are accompanied by arranged battle music from each costume set's respective game, which replaces the default battle theme based on what costume Joker wears. Some of the key Personas fromPersona 3 andPersona 4 were released in bundles that include a new design and the original design of each. In addition, PlayStation 4 themes and avatar sets were released based on the central characters ofPersona 5.[84] An additionaldifficulty setting known as "Merciless" was also released as free DLC.[82][85]
Pre-order bonuses and its initial North American release date of February 14, 2017, was announced a week beforeE3 2016.[86] Its release in Europe and Australia set for the same date was announced the following August.[87] In November 2016, its release was pushed back two months to April 4. The stated reason was that Atlus wanted the game to be at its highest possible quality.[88][89]Atlus USA published the game in North America. In Europe and Australia, it was published byDeep Silver.[90][91] As with previousPersona games, the English localization was handled by Atlus USA and led by Yu Namba. According to Namba, the team began with a "blank slate" when choosing the English voice cast, as it was a new setting for thePersona series.[92] LocalizingPersona 5 was described by Namba as a massive project with the largest staff yet dedicated to the series. As project lead, Namba made the final call on issues brought up by the team during the localization process.[93] In English-speaking regions, the "Shin Megami Tensei" moniker was dropped from the title.[89][94] For the English release, the Japanese dub was made available as free DLC.[89]
Upon its worldwide release, Atlus published a set of guidelines forplayers livestreaming footage of the game, noting that streamers who shared footage past a certain in-game date "[did] so at the risk of being issued acontent ID claim or worse, a channel strike/account suspension".[95] The guidelines were widely perceived as threatening, and were criticized by many in thegames press and streaming community.[96][97][98] About three weeks later, Atlus apologized for the tone of its original guidelines and revised its policy, extending the amount that could be streamed considerably.[99][100]
Persona 5 Royal, released in Japan asPersona 5: The Royal, is an enhanced version of the game in a similar vein toPersona 4 Golden. This version features an additional Phantom Thief member namedKasumi Yoshizawa, a new Palace, a new area of the city (Kichijōji), new music, additional plot and social elements, a playable third semester, and support for thePlayStation 4 Pro, alongside many other changes and additions.[101] In a first for the series,Royal features subtitles in French, German, Italian, and Spanish.[102] It features a new opening sequence directed byYuichiro Hayashi and produced byMAPPA,[103] and as with the original game, Domerica co-produced the new anime cutscenes.[59] Atlus first teased the game asPersona 5 R in December 2018, with a full reveal in April 2019.[104] It was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on October 31, 2019, and worldwide on March 31, 2020.[105][106] The game was also released for theNintendo Switch,PlayStation 5,Windows,Xbox One, andXbox Series X/S on October 21, 2022.[107][108][109] These versions were ported by Atlus ownerSega.[110]
Sega publishedRoyal in Europe and Australia, taking over from Deep Silver who published the original in those regions.[111] Upon release,Royal received numerous character costume sets and Personas as paid DLC. Costumes include those based onPersona 5: Dancing in Starlight andPersona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth.[112] Additionally, Kasumi received her own costume bundle.[113] Personas added include those fromPersona 3 and4.[114] DLC adding additional battles against theprotagonist ofPersona 3 andprotagonist ofPersona 4 was released.[112] All DLC from the original game was also made available as a free download for owners ofPersona 5 Royal.[115] The paid DLC created forRoyal was included for free in the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S versions.[116][117] The game supportsXbox Play Anywhere on Microsoft platforms, but the PlayStation 5 version does not offer an upgrade path or save data transfer from the PlayStation 4 version.[118]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PS4: 93/100[119] Royal PS4: 95/100[120] PS5: 91/100[121] NS: 94/100[122] XSXS: 94/100[123] PC: 95/100[124] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| 4Players | 91/100[125] 92/100 (Royal)[126] |
| Destructoid | 9/10[127] |
| Easy Allies |  [128] |
| Edge | 8/10[129] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly |  [130] |
| Eurogamer | Essential[131] |
| Famitsu | 39/40[132] 37/40 (Royal)[133] |
| Game Informer | 9.25/10[134] 9.25/10 (Royal)[135] |
| GameRevolution | 5/5[136] |
| GameSpot | 9/10[11] 10/10 (Royal)[137] |
| GamesRadar+ | [138] |
| GamesTM | 9.5/10[139] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4.5/5[9] 4.5/5 (Royal)[140] |
| IGN | 9.7/10[141] 10/10 (Royal)[142] |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 18/20 (Royal)[143] |
| Nintendo Life | 10/10 (Royal)[154] |
| PlayStation Official Magazine – Australia | 10/10[144] |
| PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 10/10[145] 10/10 (Royal)[146] |
| Polygon | 9/10[147] Recommends (Royal)[148] |
| Push Square | [149] (Royal)[150] |
| RPGamer | 5/5[12] 4.5/5 (Royal)[151] |
| RPGFan | 87/100[13] |
| The Guardian | [152] |
| USgamer | 5/5[153] |
Persona 5 has been cited as one of the greatest role-playing games of all time,[155][156][157][158] receiving "universal acclaim" according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[119]Famitsu gave it a positive review, with the game garnering a near-perfect score.[132]PlayStation Official Magazine – UK described it as "an unabashed masterpiece".[145]IGN's Andrew Goldfarb saidPersona 5 "stands out as an extraordinary, memorable experience and easily one of the deepestJRPGs of the last decade".[141]RPGamer said that "WithPersona 5, Atlus has once again proven that it is the master of the modern JRPG. With terrific style, addictive gameplay, and an engaging, thought-provoking story...".[12] One of the aspects that was highly praised was its graphical style and art direction.[131][11] Japanese game designerMasahiro Sakurai named the game as an example of a video game with stylish UI design, calling it his favorite game UI.[159]
The quality of the Englishlocalization was one of the few aspects singled out for criticism, withPolygon describing it as "aggravatingly mediocre".[160][161] Another was its treatment ofLGBTQ topics.[147][130][13] Writing forPaste, Kenneth Shepard considered the game to beheteronormative and noted a "lecherous" gay couple who are treated as a joke.[162] These scenes' dialogue were altered in the Western version ofPersona 5 Royal,[163] with its localization team advocating for the change.[164] Shepard andPolygon writer Laura Dale both opined thatRoyal's localization changes were at least a minor improvement, but the game was still broadly uninclusive to LGBTQ identities.[165][166]
Persona 5 Royal received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic,[120] garnering an even higher score than the original.[119] The game is the third-highest-rated PlayStation 4 game on Metacritic alongsideNaughty Dog'sThe Last of Us Remastered.[167]IGN listed it as one of the best contemporary role-playing games.[168]Famitsu praisedRoyal's newer elements.[133] Michael Higham ofGameSpot lauded the new music, characters, and the added third semester, saying that it solves one of the original game's shortcomings of ending abruptly. He concluded his review saying thatRoyal refines an already great game and builds on what was best about it with a great new story and that it is "an unforgettable and empowering RPG that should be recognized as one of the best games of our time."[137]IGN's Leana Hafer saidRoyal is "a living master class in how to take an already amazing game and amp it up to the next level." She commended the improvements to the Mementos dungeons saying "The fact that Atlus has made Mementos feel so much more alive is a massive improvement by itself."[142]
The game received a boost to pre-order sales following the delay ofFinal Fantasy XV, which was originally scheduled to release the same month asPersona 5.[169] Sales went up onAmazon Japan by 450%, bringing it to second place in their best-seller charts behindTales of Berseria.[169] In its first week of release, the PS4 version reached first place with sales of 264,793 units, while the PS3 version reached second place with 72,974 units, resulting in total sales of 337,767 units. This madePersona 5 the fastest-selling title in the series' history, surpassingRevelations: Persona, and together withPro Evolution Soccer 2017 pushed sales of the PS4 up significantly over the previous week.[170][171] It was later reported by Hashino that combined physical shipments and digital sales had reached over 550,000 units by September 2016.[81] Within three weeks of its launch in Japan, the game became Atlus' best-selling game in the country.[172]
Outside of Japan, it was the biggest debut for anyPersona game to date, with packaged sales five times better thanPersona 4.[173][174][175] On thePlayStation Network in April, the game topped the PS4 charts, and was third on the PS3, with Atlus announcing that it had shipped 1.5 million units worldwide.[176][177] By November 2017, that number had risen to over two million, which made it the best-selling game in the series.[178] The success ofPersona 5 contributed to increasing annual revenue forSega, the owner of Atlus, in 2017.[179] At the 2018 PlayStation Awards, it received the Platinum Prize for topping a million sales in Asia.[180]Persona 5 had sold over 3.2 million units by December 2019.[181]
Persona 5 Royal shipped over 400,000 units in Japan by December 2019.[182] This brought total sales ofPersona 5 andRoyal to over3.6 million units worldwide by December 2019.[183][181] In February 2020,Royal topped theMedia Create sales charts in South Korea and Taiwan.[184] In the United Kingdom,Royal debuted at number five on the sales chart.[185]Royal had sold over 1.4 million units by July 2020, bringing the total sales ofPersona 5 andRoyal to over4.6 million.[186][187]Persona 5 andRoyal had sold over5 million units by June 2021 (when including1.8 millionRoyal units).[188]
When the game launched on additional platforms in October 2022, the Nintendo Switch version placed in second at 45,998 physical units sold, and PlayStation 5 version placed in seventh at 5,051 units during the week from October 17 to 23, according to Japanese publicationFamitsu.[189] In the United Kingdom, the re-release ofRoyal debuted at number six on the sales chart, with 79% of the launch week sales coming from the Nintendo Switch version.[190] By November 30, 2022, the PlayStation 4 version ofRoyal had sold 2.3 million units.[191] By April 2023, the ports to other platforms had sold a combined 1.7 million units,[192] bringing total sales ofRoyal to 4 million units, and combined sales of all versions ofPersona 5 to 7.2 million units.[188] ThePersona 5 series includingRoyal,Dancing in Starlight,Strikers, andTactica surpassed 10 million units sold by December 2023.[193]Royal had sold a total of 7.25 million copies by March 2025, bringing combined sales of all versions ofPersona 5 to 10.45 million.[194][188]
Persona 5 won two awards at the Japanese 2016 PlayStation Awards.[195] AtThe Game Awards 2017, it was nominated for the show's "Game of the Year", "Best Art Direction", "Best Score/Music", and "Best Role Playing Game" awards; it ultimately won for "Best Role Playing Game".[196] It won the Award for Excellence at theJapan Game Awards 2017.[197] It was named the second best game of 2017 byGameSpot, behindThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.[198] InIGN's 2017 end of year awards, it won "Best RPG",[199] and was also nominated for "Game of the Year",[200] "Best PlayStation 4 Game",[201] "Best Art Direction",[202] "Best Story",[203] and "Best Original Music".[204] The game was also nominated for "Best International Game" at the 2017 Ping Awards,[205] and for the "Best Music" and "Best Style" awards byGiant Bomb.[206][207]
It was ranked as one of the best games of 2017 byEurogamer,[208]Polygon,[209]The Verge,[210]GamesRadar+,[211] andElectronic Gaming Monthly's end of year lists.[212]Destructoid nominated it for "Best PS4 Game" in its 2017 Game of the Year Awards.[213] Staff ofGame Informer named it 2017's "Best Role-Playing Game", as well as "Best Narrative" and "Best Cast".[214][215][216] In their reader's choice awards, it was voted "Best Role-Playing Game" and came in second for "Best Sony Game" and third for "Game of the Year".[217][218][219] During the21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominatedPersona 5 for "Role-Playing Game of the Year".[220] The game won the Tin Pan Alley Award for "Best Music in a Game" at the New York Game Awards 2018.[221] It was also nominated for the "Best Visual Art" award at theGame Developers Choice Awards,[222][223] and for "Excellence in Musical Score" and "Excellence in Art" at the 2018SXSW Gaming Awards.[224][225] The game was nominated for "Best Game Music Cover/Remix" at the 2019 G.A.N.G. Awards.[226]
Persona 5 Royal won the award for "Best Music" at theFamitsuDengeki Game Awards 2019, where it was also nominated for "Best RPG".[227] It was nominated for "Best Role Playing Game" atThe Game Awards 2020,[228] as well as "Role-Playing Game of the Year" at the24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards,[229] but lost both awards toFinal Fantasy VII Remake.
A standalone anime special,Persona 5: the Animation -The Day Breakers-, aired in Japan on September 3, 2016.[76][230][231] Created byA-1 Pictures,The Day Breakers is set during the events of the game and portrayed as a "sub event" separate from the main narrative.[230] Amanga adaptation ofPersona 5 by Hisato Murasaki began serialization online from September 15, 2016.[231]Persona 5: The Animation, an anime television series based on the game's events, was produced byCloverWorks and began broadcast in April 2018.[c][232][235]Stage play adaptations under the titlePersona 5: The Stage have been performed in Japan,[236] with original music composed by Atsushi Kitajoh.[237]
Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, arhythm game for the PlayStation 4 andPlayStation Vita, features the main cast ofPersona 5 and was released in 2018.[238][239] The cast is also featured inPersona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth for theNintendo 3DS, also released in 2018.[240]Persona 5 Strikers, anaction role-playing sequel toPersona 5 co-developed withOmega Force and featuring gameplay based on theirDynasty Warriors series, was released in Japan in 2020 and worldwide in 2021 for theNintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, andWindows.[241][242][243] Atactical role-playing game spinoff namedPersona 5 Tactica was released in 2023.[244] A spin-off forAndroid andiOS namedPersona 5: The Phantom X was announced in 2023, developed by Black Wings Game Studio and published byPerfect World Games; P-Studio is assisting in the game's development.[245]
Joker appears as a playable character via downloadable content (DLC) in the 2018 crossoverfighting game,Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[246] The game's director,Masahiro Sakurai, is a fan of thePersona series and stated that Joker was emblematic of the approach that he wanted to take withUltimate's DLC, adding that he wanted characters that were unique and fun to use within theSuper Smash Bros. environment.[247][248] Other characters and series elements have also made crossover appearances in various other games.[266]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)3.2 million units in sales!
[Persona 3 Reload]'s DLC pack:Persona 5 Reload [sic] Phantom Thieves Costume Set,P5R Shujin Academy Costume Set,P5R Persona Set 1,P5R Persona Set 2
Astro Bot features more than 160 different wonderful little cameos for players to collect and find, including [...] the prospect of Atlus characters from the Persona series in Astro Bot, ranging from Joker to Teddie to Aigis.
Costumes for each party member & music from: Persona 5 [...]
The trailer for [Overwatch 2] Season 18 ends with a tease of Joker from Atlus' beloved JRPG, who will likely appear as a skin for an existing hero.
