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I think I prefer Tokyo Mirage Sessions to Persona 5 - Here's why

S

Steiner

Banned
Z03eXga.jpg


I finally have some free time this weekend, and I figured I'd hop back into Persona 5. As I walked into my studio room, however, I realized that I was really itching to play Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. Then it hit me: about a quarter of the way through both games, I think I'm enjoying Tokyo Mirage Sessions a bit more.

Don't get me wrong. Persona 5 is great so far, and I'm sure it only gets much better. But as I'm about 14 hours into P5, and about 22 hours into TMS, I feel like my time with TMS has been much more pleasant.

Characters
skoQSFO.jpg

- I find I enjoy the characters in TMS much more. They actually come across as a little more believable to me, and their personalities are more entertaining in my opinion. Both the male and female companions I find more engaging, and I've had more laugh out loud moments with Tokyo Mirage Sessions.

Visuals / Aesthetic
QzmDGfP.jpg

- I actually think I like the visuals and aesthetic more in TMS. The world is more vibrant and alive, and the Tokyo streets here feel more bustling and happenin'. I love wandering the streets and peeking into the random shops around Tokyo in TMS, and in Persona 5 it's just... okay. I feel like TMS has more of those delicious, tiny little graphical details and textures that made Persona 4 such a joy to me. Seeing all of the individual items lining shelves, food stuff when you're eating, magazines, shop backgrounds, etc. All of that looks better in TMS in my opinion (hee ho mart forever!).

Combat
a2iLFS3.jpg

- I prefer combat and dungeon crawling in TMS. The sessions system keeps things moving at a really great pace, and the performances and special attacks are an absolute spectacle, though you can always skip them when you want to rush through. I also love the upgrade system and the way you acquire new skills through equipment. The sense of flow and progress seems much more gratifying in TMS than in Persona 5. At least for now.

Side Quests
FAoUsOs.jpg

- The side stories and side missions in TMS have been more enjoyable to me so far. I've yet to do a side quest that didn't yield up an interesting, funny, or romantic thread that I wanted to see through. The rewards are always nice, too.

So yeah! I made this post because I realized that I'm putting Persona 5 on the back-burner because I'm SO pumped to get back into TMS. For those of you who have played both, which do you prefer and why? For those of you who have beaten both, what are your spoiler-free conclusions? I'm a huge Persona fan, by the way, and I loooovvvee Persona 5, so don't get the wrong idea.

Let's discuss.
 
R

ryushe

Member
Haven't finished either, but I vastly preferred #TMS to Persona 5.

The characters in #TMS are awesome, combat super fun and the dialogue in the game doesn't treat you like a fool and it's genuinely really funny.

Man, I really gotta go back to that game.
 
J

James Scott

Banned
I think the combat and "game" part of TMS is quite a bit better. Probably prefer P4G as a total package, but I'm:
P4G>TMS>P5

P5 feels like it needs a Crimson release to add more scenes with the phantom thieves like 4G has. It also feels a bit bloated
Realeza said:
Does TMS have anything resembling social links?
Click to expand...
Kind of. There are side quests where you improve your relationship with the main cast. You don't need to grind against a timer but you also can't date anyone if that's important to you

It's also more about them developing as entertainers
 
P

PK Gaming

Member
I haven't finished TMS, so I can't really comment on this (though I suspect you're right about the battle system)

- I find I enjoy the characters in TMS much more. They actually come across as a little more believable to me, and their personalities are more entertaining in my opinion. Both the male and female companions I find more engaging, and I've had more laugh out loud moments with Tokyo Mirage Sessions.
Click to expand...

HEH? EH? WHAT??

They're quirky and fun, but also pretty basic and very, very, very anime. Also P5 has a silent protagonist, but he somehow comes across as more of a real person than Itsuki (and the P5 protag isn't even good)
 
Eolz

Eolz

Member
TMS is pretty underrated yeah.
That said, I have difficulties comparing to P5, or even SMT. Feels like a different spinoff to me, like in previous eras, it'd be hard to compare SMT to Raidou to DDS.
 
S

Steiner

Banned
Realeza said:
Does TMS have anything resembling social links?
Click to expand...

Yeah pretty much. Each of your companions have their own personal side stories with you that you'll see through a series of side quests, and completing those quests and working through your relationship with these guys and gals also unlocks special abilities for them that they'll use in dungeons.

Sammy Samusu said:
They need to port TMS over to Switch. >.<

It's the only Wii U game I was interested in that I didn't get to play.
Click to expand...

If you still have your Wii U, I strongly recommend picking this up. I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised if not shocked by what you've been missing.

PK Gaming said:
They're quirky and fun, but also pretty basic and very, very, very anime. Also P5 has a silent protagonist, but he somehow comes across as more of a real person than Itsuki (and the P5 protag isn't even good)
Click to expand...

I couldn't disagree more, but opinions are okay!
 
K

Kowashitai

Banned
You aren't alone! People really overlooked this great game.

TMS seems like a proto P5 in a lot of ways but I feel like it is more "complete" than P5 is. P5 has pacing issues that lead to a lot of plot points feeling hollow or characters not being as developed as I'd like, even in their Confidant stories. TMS's story isn't anything to write home about but it's general themes are told pretty strongly. There also isn't a whole lot of downtime where you just do nothing like in P5, which is nice.

The dungeons in TMS also don't have crap stealth mechanics that make it frustrating to go through tight corridors.
 
W

_woLf

Member
The things I would do for a TMS port on Switch...

I never was able to get too far into the game because how busy I got. And then the Switch came around, so my Wii U was put away. Both Smash and TMS both have me want to pull out the Wii U again, but it's hard.

I wish I was able to beat the game before all that happened. I was really enjoying what I had played.
 
W

Wichu

Member
Persona 5 just feels a lot more stressful to play. I'm in the second dungeon, but I haven't touched the game for a while. Tokyo Mirage Sessions was fun all the way through, and wasn't stressful outside of the first couple of Savage Enemy encounters. P5 emphasises style, but I thought TMS was more about the fun.

Realeza said:
Does TMS have anything resembling social links?
Click to expand...

The main characters each have a small quest chain that's basically Social Links. Not quite as in-depth, but the rewards are very SL-like.

EDIT:

James Scott said:
but you also can't date anyone if that's important to you
Click to expand...

Basically all the female characters want Itsuki's D after you finish their last quest.
You totally date Eleonora in her last quest though.
 
M

Memory

Member
Yeah I've said this before and got attacked for it lol. PS5 has way more style and it's on PS4 where it's main fanbase is, I don't expect many people to agree regardless if they have played both or not.
 
Z

Zareka

Member
Man I want to finish TMS but being shackled to the Wii U is such a motivation killer. I'd buy it in an instant if it were ported to Switch. And in the alternate reality where it gets an English dub alongside a port it'd be even more perfect.

Edit: Not sure where I stand on characters. TMS are super basic and one note, but they're bubbly and quirky. Persona 5s, bar a few, are just...boring.
 
G

GamerJM

Banned
I've only recently started Persona 5 so the jury's still out but I greatly prefer Persona 3/4 (especially 4) to TMS. Those games just have a lot more variety to them with the social links and school system. The dungeons in TMS are more complex, but they're more frequently just kind of annoying and consist of a lot of backtracking. The lack of demon/persona fusing elements in TMS brought that game's core RPG elements down a lot for me compared to Persona. I found the TMS characters to also be kind of one-note (though Persona 5 is honestly a little disappointing in that regard so far as well, though I imagine it'll get better).

Preferring TMS' visuals over Persona 5's seems kind of crazy to me as well, but I guess it's your opinion. Persona 5 is probably stylistically the coolest looking game ever to me. I think TMS is better than Persona 3/4 probably, in that sense, though.
 
K

Kindekuma

Banned
I liked P5's dungeons way more than TMS. But what TMS does really well is the carnage and unity fusions. Having weapons that have upgrade paths and then you move to the next is really unique. Combined with a really fun battle system it goes toe-to-toe with P5's combat in terms of the arbitrary "how fun it is" scale.
 
S

silva1991

Member
I struggle to think of anything I like in TMS better than P5. P5 is only worse when it comes to hand helding and treating me like an idiot.

I disliked the story and characters in TMS alot. Not that P5 has the greatest characters or anything, but at the very least they were tolerable.
 
O

Orayn

Member
Despite being even more one-dimensional anime stereotypes than P5, I found most of the cast a lot more fun and likable.
 
S

Steiner

Banned
Kowashitai said:
TMS's story isn't anything to write home about but it's general themes are told pretty strongly. There also isn't a whole lot of downtime where you just do nothing like in P5, which is nice.

The dungeons in TMS also don't have crap stealth mechanics that make it frustrating to go through tight corridors.
Click to expand...

This is one HUGE point that I didn't mention in the OP because I didn't want to get grilled about comparing stories, especially since I haven't completed Persona 5. But this is one of TMS's strongest traits. The story is so over the top and so anime and strange... It just works. It never takes itself too seriously, but it's well told, well paced, and the characters are so fucking lovable that it makes the entire thing just work. It's serious when it needs to be, and when it's shallow, it's totally self-aware and fun.
 
P

Peff

Member
- I prefer combat and dungeon crawling in TMS. The sessions system keeps things moving at a really great pace
Click to expand...
,

Hm...

Steiner said:
about a quarter of the way through both games, I think I'm enjoying Tokyo Mirage Sessions a bit more
Click to expand...

Yep, that checks out.

Does TMS have anything resembling social links?
Click to expand...

Yeah, but they're a lot more scripted in how they pop-up and when you can do them.
 
S

SporeCrawler

Member
fire emblem is my most favorite franchise and even though TMS is not a FE game the "personas" being FE characters alone makes me excited... as much as i love persona this is like the mash up of my two most favorite jrpg things.. if they just threw in some Bravely Default/ FF V style characters I would have died in joy...
 
P

perorist

Unconfirmed Member
Steiner said:
I find I enjoy the characters in TMS much more. They actually come across as a little more believable to me
Click to expand...
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I had to drop TMS because of how one-dimensional the characters are and how mind-numbing their conversations were.
 
cireza

cireza

Member
Good thread. I did not play Persona 5, however I played Persona 3 & 4. In terms of pure gameplay (dungeon, battles, upgrading your characters), TMS is a much better game.

I also enjoyed much more than I could ever anticipate the story, characters and situations.

Art-style is also amazing, really colorful, beautiful gradients everywhere, great character designs. Very good soundtrack too.

This game was a really big surprise for me. Before playing it, I was sure that it wasn't for me lol (because of the idol stuff). And I came to find this pretty fun in the end.
 
M

meppi

Member
My copy is still wrapped and just today I got an email saying my Persona 5 shipped....
ugh, so many RPGs to play, way too little time to actually play them. :(
 
P

PK Gaming

Member
I will say this:

Tsubasa is genuinely fantastic, and not even in a "best girl" sort of her way

C8pk2BoXgAAM7YL.jpg


Also the game's texting system is WAY better
 
S

spazchicken

Member
So TMS is very similar to P5? I have never played either one and had no idea they were comparable. I was planning to try P5 eventually.

Maybe I should give TMS a shot as well.
 
P

Phoenixus

Member
As much as I love P5, I have to agree OP. TMS felt like a more unique and cohesive experience overall. It most definitely deserves another try on Switch, I'd happily sell my physical Wii U copy to have it on the go.
 
K

Kanann

Member
Yeah, on 2016 new year party all 3 days 3 nights and all I thought about was going back home playing this game, sweet memory.

But P5 is better. ;)
 
DR2K

DR2K

Banned
Would be great to play it. Shame it released at the ass end of Wii U short tragic life.

Persona 5 seemed kind of wooden at times, probably because of the shit localization, still my GOTY.
 
Revolutionary

Revolutionary

Member
tolkir said:
Barry wants a Switch port too.

WVW69jVjs6gSCcguxX
Click to expand...

Ugh, almost purged this character from my mind. His obsession with the loli character in the game was immensely creepy, especially in the later parts of his Confidant/S-Link story or whatever they were called in the game.


That said, I really did like the combat system in this game.
 
O

Oreiller

Member
spazchicken said:
So TMS is very similar to P5? I have never played either one and had no idea they were comparable. I was planning to try P5 eventually.

Maybe I should give TMS a shot as well.
Click to expand...

It's really not, it's much more anime and lighthearted. Its structured like a standard RPG as well, there is no calendar system or anything.
TMS is not bad but its plot and characters are shallow as fuck. My least favorite megaten spin off by a landslide.
 
R

ryushe

Member
PK Gaming said:
I will say this:

Tsubasa is genuinely fantastic, and not even in a "best girl" sort of her way

C8pk2BoXgAAM7YL.jpg


Also the game's texting system is WAY better
Click to expand...
Like I said before, this game is legitimately funny. I can't count the times I've actually laughed out loud reading the text in this game.

And now that you mention it, there is texting in this game. I forgot. And you're right, it is much better.
 
I

iceblade997

Member
This is one game I'd really love to try but I can't decide if it (and a few others) are worth buying a Wii U for. I'm a fan of Fire Emblem too, and having a blast playing Persona 5 right now so it'd be a way to scratch that itch once Persona 5 is done...

Seems the game is really underrated, though, especially thanks to turning out to be something different from what was expected when it was first announced ...
 
M

MoonFrog

Member
I liked TMS#FE sincerely when I came to it intending to sort of hate play it/play it for the combat only.

I do think TMS has better bosses than P5 and has a competitive battle system wrt P5. Both have their balance issues and their "times in the sun" and "times in the shade." (P5 is so much better when you are figuring out weaknesses/trying to get monsters to join you, whereas TMS keeps getting better until it peaks and then the systems just become near automatic and less thoughtful while simultaneously eating up more and more screen time.)

I think which dungeons are better is also debatable between the two, but Persona has better dungeon premises.

As I said, I actually like the TMS cast, largely off liking using them in battle, but they also do have some endearing side content.

That said, P5 has TMS clearly beat in this regard, imo. P5 has a stronger, better characterized cast, better serviced by the confidant system.

Imo, P5 also has a much much better art-style and music, Personas are much better than the weak FE cameo, and has a better story/setting, even if it is disappointing in its own ways.
 
R

RumbleHumble

Banned
They're both solid games, but I VASTLY preferred the art style, music, social links, waifus, main plot, side quests, dungeons, combat, villains, weapons, Easter eggs, teaching moments, overall cast. But that's because TMS is only a very good game whereas Persona 5 is one of my very fave games of all time.
 
Y

yanipheonu

Member
I reeeally couldn't get past the Idol schtick, though I'd admit that's entirely subjective.

Being cyncial of the whole idol anime thing didn't help. Did the FE crossover really need to be tied to Idol anime? Was this really the best way to do the crossover, or was this just to cash in on the Otaku crowd? But I know that's potentially just my cyncism and there are plenty who enjoy it.

I hate that feeling where you recognize a game's merits but just couldn't get into it due to some other aspect. I genuinely like a lot of what they did with the battle system and everything.
 
O

Oreiller

Member
Ninjimbo said:
Wtf does it mean to be "more anime"?
Click to expand...

Yeah, putting it like this was not a very good idea since it doesn't mean much.

I meant to say it follows more closely establish trends found in Japanese pop culture. Not a bad thing mind you, and it makes a lot of sense since the game revolves around said pop culture.
 
E

Eumi

Member
Ninjimbo said:
Wtf does it mean to be "more anime"?
Click to expand...
It means that you power yourself up using a vocaloid so you can fight evil demons by singing catchy jpop songs in skimpy outfits because the scary man from another dimension who lives in your head needs the power of believing in oneself to save the world.
 
T

tsundoku

Member
i lasted like 4 hours of constantly looking away from the screen to smash tap the gamepad in incredibly precise locations to read all the stupid fucking chat messages
at least in p5 i can just tap the square button, see if its anything remotely important, and hit the fast forward button for all the absolutely fucking nothing forced story chats

p5 on hard and up has incredibly well managed scaling where you can't even come into newgame plus with your gear and personas and be perfectly safe or wipe out enemies with bad tactics. Red encounters are kept spicy by this incredibly well managed and controlled damage scaling, just like on easier difficulties they can and will wipe out your team if you do something stupid, or leave enemies alive for a set of actions

TMS#FE on hard is still trivially easy, until you get to the purple challenge encounters which will immediately wipe out your entire team after you get to take a single action because they appear to have 3x damage 5x health, you'll need to purposefully avoid challenge encounters and come back to them a dungeon or a half later after you've finally been handed the "permission" to unlock skills that allow you to stand a chance to kill one of the purple encounter enemies and survive the first barrage of attacks. And no you aren't allowed to ever ambush these encounters because you might have actually stood to have an enthralling strategic experience if they had given you one round to setup / take out or incapacitate an important target
 
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