• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Persona 5 Review Thread

PXWhJdK.png


This Review Thread is best celebrated while listening to "Life Will Change" by Shoji Meguro. (YT)


Review Thread Etiquette:

  • Please respect all reviewers and other GAF users, regardless of scores given or comments made. Please do not link reviewer's social media profiles or set out to vilify those you don't agree with, either.
  • Refrain from posting spoilers. (Text, Images, GIFs, etc.) If you must discuss the game in detail please use spoiler tags and mark ALL story/event spoiler tags with the IN-GAME DATE for reference. Example: "I can't believe (4/4)
    Morgana isn't a cat
    !"

#1 Best PS4 Game of 2017 (As of March 29th, 2017 | Ongoing | Metacritic)

#2 Best Game of 2017 (As of March 29th, 2017 | Ongoing | Metacritic)


ACCOLADES TRAILER


METACRITIC: 93 (66 Critics)

OPENCRITIC: 94 (66 Critics, 8 Contributors)


Eurogamer: Essential
Eurogamer said:
Real talk: if you've played Persona, if you've enjoyed JRPGs, if you even have a passing interest in Japanese media, there's absolutely no reason to read this frankly ponderous review. Persona 5 is everything you've wanted: style and substance distilled into an experience worth waging cultural wars for.

Easy Allies: Masterful (5/5)
Easy Allies said:
While it’s easy to rattle off the merits of the various gameplay systems and gush about the presentation, those aren’t the things that make Persona 5 stick with you. It’s a game that’s willing to comment on the issues of today both in a broader sense and on a personal level. It doesn’t just have typical characters but rather people that you come to know by investing serious time in them. Persona 5 honors the now decades-old Shin Megami Tensei legacy without feeling content to stay within its limits, serving as a prime example of what a modern JRPG should be.

Push Square: 10/10
Push Square said:
Persona 5 sets the benchmark for modern Japanese RPGs: it oozes style, charisma, and polish quite unlike anything we've played. With this fifth entry, the series' trademark formula of dungeon delving and socialising has been perfected. Addictive, engaging gameplay, incredibly endearing characters, and a consistently rewarding narrative loop combine to create a spectacularly cohesive whole – whether or not you're already a fan of Persona. A masterpiece from top to bottom.

The Sixth Axis: 10/10
The Sixth Axis said:
Persona 5 stole my heart. It was impossible to believe that the best game of the already venerated series was still to come, and yet somehow everything works wonderfully. I’d rather the dialogue didn’t pad things out as much as it did, but I was captivated from beginning to end, while it successfully brought back mechanics long thought out-dated, and introduced smart changes for the better. An essential RPG for 2017 that you should not miss out on.

US Gamer: 5/5
US Gamer said:
With the most bewitching tale the series has ever told and an incredibly likable cast that rises above their typical archetypes, Persona 5 sings a song of rebellion. Not just against the norm of JRPGs, but of society's oppressive grasp, inspiring its players to rise up as the Phantom Thieves would. In the end, in spite of its minor missteps, Persona 5 has the power to steal the hearts of longterm fans of the series and newcomers alike.

The Guardian: 5/5
The Guardian said:
Persona 5 is a vast proposition. Each case, of which there are many, will take around 10 hours to clear, so it’s a game best approached like a multi-season TV series. The comparison is apt too, as your emotional bond with the characters and their daily struggles and hang-ups matures as with a soap opera. Like many soap operas, it’s a game that could, at times, have used some hard editing. Exposition is thorough and dialogue lengthy, although it is mercifully possible to speed through conversations. But there’s an authenticity to all the writing that proves memorable and affecting. The protagonists speak and text like school children. They make misinformed or sexist remarks. They fumble social interactions. They are, in short, teenagers. At its core this is a spectacular work of contemporary young adult fiction, one with a strong moral core, angled yet never didactic, expansive yet always focused.

RPG Site: 10/10
RPG Site said:
And so here we are: we give out a handful of perfect scores in our 11-year history and then three come along at once - go figure. Persona 5 is absolutely deserving of that level of praise, however. Small nags and flaws can't drag this experience. There is too much here that's too special to call this game anything other than fantastic; a must-play. More than this, Persona 5 feels important too, especially to much of this site's audience. It's a startlingly confident assertation that the JRPG is not dead. It's the sort of game that reminds us of the genre's golden age.

You'll struggle to find a more complete, self-assured, forward-thinking, and simply joyous example of the modern JRPG than this. Persona 5 knows what it is and is unashamed about it: the result is a game that, for all its themes about imprisonment and societal slavery, is free of shackles itself. That freedom makes it series-defining, genre-defining, and a must-play.

Games Radar: 5/5
Games Radar said:
Other than that, Persona 5 is simply phenomenal. The voice acting is outstanding, the music is genius, the art style is so slick it'll raise your personal coolness level just from being in close proximity to it. Playing Persona 5 will make your hair glossier, increase your vocal range by an octave and add 7.32 years to your overall life expectancy. Play it enough times and you'll likely not only be able to levitate but also make a perfect omelette while in midair. It's that good.

IGN: 9.7/10
IGN said:
Persona 5 is a massive, gorgeous JRPG with well over 100 hours of gameplay for completionists. With more to do than ever and the series’ strongest story to date, it stands out as an extraordinary, memorable experience and easily one of the deepest JRPGs of the last decade. Its sprawling dungeon design and stylish, fully realized world are an absolute joy to explore, and even after three playthroughs and the Platinum trophy, I find myself itching to go back to try different dialogue options with Confidants or revisit particularly fun puzzles. This is a new gold standard for Japanese RPGs and by far the best entry in the series yet.

VentureBeat: 97/100
VentureBeat said:
Persona 4 is such a beautiful RPG that it seemed like an impossible task to ask any sequel to surpass it, but Persona 5 manages to keep the series’ conceits working while adding meaningful improvements. Dungeons are more fun to explore and you have more options in battles. Other, smaller quality-of-life changes make things easier, like getting texts from friends when they want to hang out.

This is a deep and gorgeous RPG that’s slicker than Fonzie after wrestling with an oiled pig. If you loved Persona 3 or Persona 4, you’re going to be ecstatic with how Persona 5 keeps the momentum going and delivers one of the greatest JRPG experiences of all time.

GameInformer: 92.5/100
GameInformer said:
If the opening hours of Persona 5 are like starting a massive novel, then the closing hours are like finishing one, complete with the bittersweet finality of turning the last page. But it also carries an immense sense of satisfaction. After 100 hours of playing, all of my big questions were answered. I understood the characters, I knew my way around the world, and I had fun almost every step of the journey. You become a resident of Persona 5 the more you play it, and it has the rare ability to transport in a way few games can.

Hardcore Gamer: 4.5/5
Hardcore Gamer said:
Persona 5 is a once in a generation game. It contains a highly-addicting gameplay formula mixed together with a compelling storyline that even after 100 hours will leave you wanting more. The decision to move away from the randomly-generated labyrinths was also one of the smartest moves Atlus could have made, creating elegantly designed dungeons that aren’t just a palette swap. They were even able to make stealth captivating, as even though the button commands can be a bit sensitive at times, jumping in and out of combat is a seamlessly stylish process. This mixed together with gradually more challenging puzzle mechanics creates one of the most engrossing JRPGs in a long time. More than anything, though, Persona 5 is more about the story than it is about the gameplay. While it has the Pokémon “Gotta catch ‘em all” appeal, the individual stories and relationships are the highlights of the experience. Not everything is perfect; many of the characters and their roles too closely parallel Persona 4 and managing so many relationships at once can occasionally feel like busy work. Regardless, these are minor hindrances in the grand scheme of things as this is an enthralling experience from start to finish. When traditional JRPG franchises are losing steam, Persona 5 is able to not only overtake its predecessor, but also become the pinnacle of the genre.

ACG: Buy
ACG said:
Persona 5 is an unmitigated blast. Now this is a game that feels like no others, and in many ways feels like Persona fans probably want it to. The game does deliver its content to you in an almost absurdly slow fashion where your fourth day sitting in a dinner eating a steak is going to have you asking yourself 'why the fuck did I just simulate my real life?' That's what makes it simply unlike anything else; there are hints of Shenmue here in the job systems, reflections of Yakuza in the various activities, and yet it's all built on the rock solid structural skeleton of turn-based combat in a system that defines how interwoven skills are supposed to be handled in a game. While I may not have fallen in love with the story, and there were certain issues here and there, overall Persona 5 adds an incredible amount of gameplay across an almost unbelievable amount of hours.

Polygon: 9/10
Polygon said:
It’s been almost a decade since the original release of Persona 4, a game that introduced many players — including myself — to this series. With that amount of time, with the amount of energy and passion a lot of Persona 4 fans put toward that game, it would have been easy for Persona 5 to be a letdown. Instead, it successfully pushes this series to new heights of polish, allure and charm. It has a few blemishes, enough to distract a bit from the intriguing and weighty themes that the game wrestles with. But even through the rough patches, Persona 5 doesn’t give up a drop of its colorful personality.

Gamespot: 9/10 (Endgame Spoiler Warning for Video Review)
Gamespot said:
Within Persona 5 is a complex set of interconnected gameplay mechanics, and in almost every aspect Atlus has executed on its vision exceptionally, barring the pacing issues towards the end. At every turn, it presents something to marvel at, whether it's the fluid combat, vibrant world, or the many memorable characters. It's a game I could talk about for hours; I haven't mentioned the ability to connect to the Thieves Guild, which lets you see how other players spent their day or ask them for help answering questions at school. Or the thumping acid-jazz-infused soundtrack that I've not been able to get out of my head. Or even just the joy of seeing how it stylishly transitions between menus. But that encapsulates why Persona 5 is a game that shouldn't be missed. It's stuffed to bursting point with gameplay ideas and presentation flourishes--there's an overwhelming level of artistry in every part of Persona 5, making it a truly standout entry in the series. It's a refined, effortlessly stylish RPG that will be talked about for years to come.

Destructoid: 9/10
Destructoid said:
If you didn't dig Persona 4, this is your gateway back into the Velvet Room. Persona 5 manages to differentiate itself not only from the rest of the market, but its own franchise in a lot of standout ways. It still has the rigid backbone of a JRPG, but the organs, skin, and soul are teeming with more personality than most of us could even dream up.

EGM: 9/10
EGM said:
Atlus’ revival of one of its lesser-popular MegaTen branches back in 2006 has grown into something bigger than any of us could have imagined, and this latest iteration offers up those engrossing ideas and situations with the best presentation and polish that the series has ever seen. Returning fans will find more of what they loved before made even better, and new players will find a perfect jumping-off point for the series even if they have no prior franchise experience. I still worry for where the franchise is going to go from here, but I also know that I just sat through a 100-plus hour RPG and kept wanting “just one more hour” the entire time.

The Jimquisition: 8.5/10
The Jimquisition said:
As someone who has spent a lot of time with the Switch recently, and who loved the hell out of the Vita during that year or two it was getting regular games released on it, I really did find myself at times wishing this game had some kind of portable version. It just felt like the social life aspects of the game might have been more at home when I experienced them on the Vita in P4G.

Still, the fact that’s my biggest complaint in 120 hours of JRPG says a lot. I was damn impressed by Persona 5, and will certainly be returning to it once I’ve had a few months to decompress from this super concise playthrough. I played 120 hours in just a couple of weeks and damn it was a lot of fun.

Digital Trends: 7/10
Digital Trends said:
Persona 5 is massive, bold and beautiful. Though it struggles in some areas, it’s everything the series’ fans could hope for in a sequel, while making changes that make the game more accessible to newcomers as well. From its addictive combat to the incredible sense of style that pervades the entire game, the great, original aspects of Persona 5 outweigh our complaints.


Japan @ the 2017 GOTY Awards

iPFOazd.png
 
We gave it a 10/10 at Push Square:

Persona 5 sets the benchmark for modern Japanese RPGs: it oozes style, charisma, and polish quite unlike anything we've played. With this fifth entry, the series' trademark formula of dungeon delving and socialising has been perfected. Addictive, engaging gameplay, incredibly endearing characters, and a consistently rewarding narrative loop combine to create a spectacularly cohesive whole – whether or not you're already a fan of Persona. A masterpiece from top to bottom.

http://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/persona_5
 
Top Bottom