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Series Newcomer Booting Up Persona 5 For the First Time. Any Tips?

D

DragonKnight

Member
Hey, GAF.

As the topic title says, I am a newcomer to the persona series who is about to play Persona 5. I have always loved JRPGS (rpgs in general really) and I am kinda OCD and hate missing things. What are some helpful hints that will help me get the most out of my first playthrough?

Here is what I know:

- I should play the game with the japanese voices. Downloaded the language pack last night.

- I should fuse personas like crazy to make new ones

- Seek out as many social links as possible and upgrade them

- Create multiple save files

- Resist the temptation to listen to the velvet room music for hours on end instead of playing the game (first encountered it in a music thread about jrpgs)

- There is a rock-paper-scissors type battle system that I would do well to learn.

Any tips will be greater appreciated. Will probably dig in about an hour or so from now.
 
D

DNAbro

Member
The English voices are actually good. Only one kind of bothered me. Also make sure to do the dungeons a bit before the deadline. It actually takes a bit more time than you would think.
 
A

amodelmerol

Member
-enjoy the waifus

-save OFTEN

-do not play on easy. Normal should suffice if you are new

-FAQs are good for test answers

Have a blast, I'm still not done with the game, but I've savoured it all the way
 
L

Lumination

'enry 'ollins
DragonKnight said:
I have always loved JRPGS (rpgs in general really) and I am kinda OCD and hate missing things.
Click to expand...
I think this describes a lot of rpg fans. But the best advice I can give you is to let it go. There's a 99% chance you won't max everything without a guide. That's ok. Your decisions carve out your own unique slice of the pie. Just enjoy that without the specter of the whole pie haunting you for 100hrs.
 
O

OVDRobo

Member
It's down to personal taste, but I'd recommend not trying to do everything in your first run through. Without meticulously following a guide and removing a lot of the fun from the game, you won't be able to maximise all of your social links in one playthrough. Focus maximising the links of the characters you really like first, prioritising your party members.

Aside from that, at the start of every battle against a new foe, you should be using attacks of all types until you find a weakness. Once you've found a weakness to exploit for every foe in a dungeon, the only thing that stops you from being invincible (at least on normal difficulties) is your SP limit.

For the most part the games are paced such that you'll gain a grasp on the mechanics long before they introduce the next set. Be ready for a long haul.
 
Z

Zakalwe

Banned
English voices are superb. There's definitely no "should go Japanese".

Also don't stress about missing things. This is not a game to go for it all on your first run, play naturally. The strength of these games is in forging your own story to a degree. Let go of the completionist mindset.
 
C

cheesekao

Member
Whenever you have a deadline coming up on the top right corner of your screen, subtract it by 2 i.e 15 days left = 13 days left. I've seen plenty of people complain about this.
 
F

Fireblend

Banned
Have fun, don't use guides, don't worry about min maxing or having the optimal skills, just enjoy the ride.

Fuse often, don't get attached to any Persona.
 
P

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
- Always have a persona with the same arcana as an S-link/Confidant in your set before spending time with them. If that means a trip to the Velvet Room and paying for the cheapest one, its worth it for how much it boosts your affinity and thus speeds up ranking up.

- At the crafting desk, there are actually other menus of items to create accessed by L1 and R1 I think. I only found this out after actually beating the game.

- When obtaining new Persona's, you don't need to go back to the Velvet Room to register them into the Compendium, but you do need to add them to your pack (you can't just forget them then and there and still have them added)

- SP items. Get them. All of them. Whenever, wherever.

- Every Sunday, go to the Underground Passage subway, and drink that special juice. It's costly, but its a free Attribute point without passing time.

I personally think the Sun, Star, and Tower Confidants are the most important to max because of the new abilities they add, but play how you wanna play. Temperance gives you some of the best time-saving stuff in the game but your mileage may vary on whether you're okay with where that sub-story goes, ha.. ha...hmmm. It's far too hard to max all social links, so just pick your faves and be okay with seeing them through.
 
P

psynergylover

Member
The English voices are fine; I don't why people fret over them so much.

Don't spend all your time on social links; find a balance between your social links and leveling up your personal stats(I.e kindness, knowledge, guts, charm, proficiency) I would focus on the personal stats more so you can breeze to the social links on your 2nd playthrough

Don't use a guide, persona is discovering all the city has to offer on your own.
 
L

luulubuu

Junior Member
DragonKnight said:
Hey, GAF.

As the topic title says, I am a newcomer to the persona series who is about to play Persona 5. I have always loved JRPGS (rpgs in general really) and I am kinda OCD and hate missing things. What are some helpful hints that will help me get the most out of my first playthrough?

Here is what I know:

- I should play the game with the japanese voices. Downloaded the language pack last night.

- I should fuse personas like crazy to make new ones

- Seek out as many social links as possible and upgrade them

- Create multiple save files

- Resist the temptation to listen to the velvet room music for hours on end instead of playing the game (first encountered it in a music thread about jrpgs)

- There is a rock-paper-scissors type battle system that I would do well to learn.

Any tips will be greater appreciated. Will probably dig in about an hour or so from now.
Click to expand...

- Don't force yourself to like it

- Don't force yourself to play it

- Don't force yourself to boot it up

- Don't feel bad if you don't like it

- Don't try to convince yourself to like it

- Don't ask NeoGAF what's wrong with you if you ended up don't liking it

If you have those steps clear, then;

- Embrace the journey as yourself, don't look for guides, don't stress yourself

- Talk to everybody, engage their lives

- Read everything, try to understand the mechanics by yourself

- Stay away from spoilers

- Play often, not too much per day

- Remember to play on hard to have a small challenge ahead


Have fun, Joker
 
-MD-

-MD-

Member
Here's a tip, don't wait until you only have a few days left to get to the end of a dungeon, get that shit out of the way as early as you can.

I thought I gave myself plenty of time but with how the game progresses I fucked myself over and lost like an entire day's worth of progress.

Have multiple save files.
 
S

Setsu00

Member
I think the most important tip here is that you shouldn't stress yourself too much about doing everything perfectly. You cannot see everything in P5 during one playthrough anyway. Just lean back and enjoy the ride.
 
N

Nugg

Member
DragonKnight said:
- I should play the game with the japanese voices. Downloaded the language pack last night.
Click to expand...

Try both and stick with the one you like best. English voices are pretty great.

And for your first playthrough if you're a newcomer, just go with it, don't try to follow a guide, optimize stuff or shit like that. Just enjoy the ride.
 
D

DragonKnight

Member
I agree on the japanese voices, actually. It is just a sentiment I have often seen expressed but Ive never been in a situation where I could actually try them for myself. I booted the game in english and the new game questionaire sounded fine to me. I switched to japanese and everything sounded so much more serious and melancholy which I did not like. Will switch back to english.

Thanks for all the tips, gals & guys!
 
D

Drillary Clinton

Banned
Zakalwe said:
English voices are superb. There's definitely no "should go Japanese".

Also don't stress about missing things. This is not a game to go for it all on your first run, play naturally. The strength of these games is in forging your own story to a degree. Let go of the completionist mindset.
Click to expand...

Yup. I agree, the English VA do great work. The only issues are the goofy localization things like them still using Japanese formalities while speaking English and constantly talking about things being in English that they can't read being kinda dissonant.
 
N

Napalm_Frank

Member
Don't use a guide first time playing.

And yeah, save often. I lost an hour of progress due to controller not reconnecting before booting the console :p
 
D

Dabi

Member
My biggest tip would be to put in 1-2 hours for your initial sessions. As a newcomer myself the game was a little overwhelming. Taking the time to understand the systems helped out a bunch.
 
P

poipoipoi9

Member
Concentrate on Temperance and Fortune, those are lifesavers.

Oh, and make sure you have enough time to play the game, some story scenes can last quite a while.

Disagree with most folk, go with Japanese voices and pretend you're Lelouch. In fact, name your character Lelouch, it's a great experience.


There's also a new game plus for all your trophy collecting needs, don't bother save scumming in your first playthrough, it hurts the experience a bit.
 
Acquiescence

Acquiescence

Member
- Kawakami and Haru are the best waifus. There's no shame in banging your teacher.

Other than that OP, it sounds like you've already got things covered. Just go about things freely and don't stress too much about what you're doing on an (in-game) day-to-day basis.
 
K

Kuraudo

Banned
I prefer the Japanese audio over the English, but there's so much unsubtitled material, that I wouldn't recommend using it unless you have a good understanding of the language. You'd miss out on a few important story beats as well as a lot of great incidental dialogue that way.
 
B

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
DragonKnight said:
Hey, GAF.

As the topic title says, I am a newcomer to the persona series who is about to play Persona 5. I have always loved JRPGS (rpgs in general really) and I am kinda OCD and hate missing things. What are some helpful hints that will help me get the most out of my first playthrough?

Here is what I know:

- I should play the game with the japanese voices. Downloaded the language pack last night.

- I should fuse personas like crazy to make new ones

- Seek out as many social links as possible and upgrade them

- Create multiple save files

- Resist the temptation to listen to the velvet room music for hours on end instead of playing the game (first encountered it in a music thread about jrpgs)

- There is a rock-paper-scissors type battle system that I would do well to learn.

Any tips will be greater appreciated. Will probably dig in about an hour or so from now.
Click to expand...

Lots of quasi-misinformation here to somewhat unpack, point by point.

-English voices are fine. Play in Japanese if you want, but it's the localized writing that is the issue(in certain instances), not the voice talent.

-Don't feel that fusing blindly is some law to stick with. You will learn to balance your persona loadouts at a decent pace and the game will ensure you are equipped or have access to needed persona for all situations, often without needing to touch fusing. Please don't presume a blanket "always be fusing!" Is the law of the land.

-Yes search out social links, but don't forget to balance with other activities. Choosing to increase your social traits are equally vital for certain social links to even unlock. Balance is more important. Just because social links are available doesn't mean studying to raise knowledge or making lock picks isn't equally helpful.

-Multiple saves...eh. Up to you I suppose.

-Rock paper scissors isn't really apt in describing combat. You are matching weaknesses, but there is no 'triangle' here. If an enemy is weak to fire, you know what to do. Resource management is more the consideration at play.

Bottom-line is to just enjoy the game. If you allow yourself to feel obligated to feed your OCD and 100%, not only will you frustrate yourself but you will entirely miss the point of it all. The discovery, the surprises, etc... You will more likely end up walking away earlier than you think.

The game is designed to ease you in sloooowly. Either you tense up and worry about every move and decision(and choices never let up) or you go with the flow and dictate your own path. Don't fall into the trap as one OCD gamer to another... Relax with this one.
 
S

SlipperyFishes

Banned
If you come up against a boss fight that you can't win don't be afraid of starting that day over again when the game over screen pops. Grind, upgrade or do whatever you need to prep better.
 
T

The Last Wizard

Member
tumblr_onwtfdYHj41s82c3do1_500.gif
 
U

ubiblu

Member
Play on Easy, especially if you are new to JRPGs. Nothing worse than losing heaps of progress, and it is still challenging. Veterans should start on Normal (or Hard if you enjoy grinding before getting OP fusions).

The Greek Freak said:
Don't play in Japanese if you don't speak it. Don't be ridiculous.
Click to expand...

This is one of the most ridiculous comments I've read on GAF to date, especially considering all text is in English. Play however the fuck you want, and definitely be open to exposing yourself to different languages; in particular, the one that this entire game (and genre) is centred around.
 
N

Namegoes_Here

Member
Show me the money. Are doing fine on exp, ask for money instead of an all out attack. Execution fuel isn't cheap, even after the discounts.
 
B

BTA

Member
There are certain confidants that boost your social stats when you do their events. Had I realized this sooner, I easily could have maxed all the confidants the first time through. Instead I'm missing a few of them and constantly got points for stats I'd already maxed while finishing what I could, and that just feels bad. So maybe make sure to at least do everyone's rank 1 ASAP and if they add to a stat, do them sooner or at least keep them in mind while training stats. Off the top of my head, these confidants are:
Hifumi/Star for Knowledge, Shinya/Tower for Kindness, Ohya/Devil (and I think Sun gives some as well? I maxed them so early that I forget) for Charm, and Iwai/Hanged Man for Proficiency. There's likely a guts too but they're slipping my mind.

Maybe also keep track of what confidants are available on what days too. But again, I almost maxed everyone and I barely noticed people's patterns so you should be fine without, like, meticulously writing everyone's availibitility down. It could help, though. Along those lines, it's good to do dungeons ASAP but if you have the time and want to rank up certain confidants first, go for it. Also, keep in mind that party member confidants cannot be raised during the time between finishing a dungeon and going to fight its boss, so be sure to do that pretty soon after if you want to rank them up with the free days you have left before the plot resumes.

Other stuff, uhhhh... I also agree that you want the fortune teller ranked up ASAP. Oh, and you want to build up as many requests as possible before you head into Mementoes so you don't waste too many days in there. A good accessory to get is one that regains SP; I used the best of those on my entire party for most (potentially all? we'll see) of the game. Finally, if you ever feel like farming ridiculous amounts of money,
fuse a Sandman to have Pulinpa and Confuse boost, strengthen up its luck a ton, and just confuse Mementoes request bosses- there's a list of ones that work somewhere.
 
S

Son Of Sparda

Member
Prepare yourself for a very very long game.

Edit: Also, while there are choices in the game this is not Mass Effect or Witcher. You are going through a linear story and choices are there for you to express your character's personality rather than changing the story.
 
J

JetSetRadio

Banned
Try not to strangle the cat.
I went in blind, it's how I like my games. Just watched missed content on youtube, NG+ is insane for a 100h game.
 
D

Drillary Clinton

Banned
I will not tolerate the Morgana slander. We can shoot the ones over it.

ubiblu said:
Play on Easy, especially if you are new to JRPGs. Nothing worse than losing heaps of progress, and it is still challenging. Veterans should start on Normal (or Hard if you enjoy grinding before getting OP fusions).



This is one of the most ridiculous comments I've read on GAF to date, especially considering all text is in English. Play however the fuck you want, and definitely be open to exposing yourself to different languages; in particular, the one that this entire game (and genre) is centred around.
Click to expand...

Ehhh idk about this. The game is pretty easy, even on Normal.
 
B

BTA

Member
Drillary Clinton said:
I will not tolerate the Morgana slander. We can shoot the ones over it.



Ehhh idk about this. The game is pretty easy, even on Normal.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've found it almost too easy a lot of the time on Normal (and my only prior experience with the series is TMS and 3 hours of 1's PSP remake). I would definitely say Normal is the way to go over Easy; as long as you can cover weaknesses well, you should be fine.
 
K

KLonso

Member
Unless you really like Japanese voices in your games, play in English. The english voices are great and people really make too much of a big deal out of a few minor localization issues. The way the main characters pronounce the names is a bit annoying at first, but nothing you can't get used to.

Also, no need to play on Easy. I feel like the game would just get boring at that point.
 
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