Personafans will tell you there’s something special about the series, and they will be right. From the first game to its evolutions over time, Atlus has proven that Persona has become a game-changer in the JRPG genre.
Challenging stereotypes, innovating turn-based combat, and becoming the standard for ensuring every detail in a game is as polished as it can be, the series has set new highs and subverted expectations. With a stellar party of unique characters in each entry, storylines that tackle difficult issues we have to face, and a style distinctly unique to the series, there’s truly nothing like Persona, and nothing beats it either.
8Personal Relationships And Social Simlulation
Whether you love them or hate them, Persona is really outshining every other game in the genre with its social links. Playing along naturally with the high school aspect, these students are forced to see each other and work together under a ton of difficult circumstances. Of course, they’ll eventually form bonds due to this. However, a big part of high school is forming bonds with peers.
The social aspect not only evolves based on spending time with other NPCs, but you will gain some great perks from these relationships that will help you in the Metaverse. The bonds you form in the real world translate to the Metaverse in a way that makes you want to play out the social aspects not only for the story, but for the buffs.
7The Most Stylish UI In Gaming
There is no competition here, the modern Persona games and the remakes all have the most stylish UI in gaming, not just in JRPGs. Your favorite game cannot compete with the UI and the menus in a Persona game. While function is integral for your UI, because it needs to be easy to understand, no one said it had to be stylish.
Atlus has made form and function come together in a style you can’t ignore. With each game being distinct and following a color palette and theme that translates througohut every inch of the game. Distinct color identities for a JRPG series are pretty rare, and a design choice that further cements Personas place as the king of style when it comes to JRPGs.
6Engaging Turn-Based Combat
I always say that Persona’s turn-based combat doesn’t feel turn-based. It feels active even when it’s not, and that’s a testament to just how involved the combat system is. With enough style and animation to keep things moving in the background while you think of what move to do next, before you know it, you’re pulling off feats with your Persona and getting another chance before the enemy can go because you’ve hit their weakness.
The elemental strengths and weaknesses add an additional layer to combat, as do the Personas you fuse and bring to battle. Allowing for in-depth customization of the protagonist’s moves in combat, tied with follow-up attacks and tons of strategy underneath all the looks, and you’ve got the best turn-based combat in modern JRPGs. With most JRPGs turning to active time battle (ATB), action combat, or some hybrid, Persona is one of the best mainline turn-based series in the genre. Watching the combat evolve over the series is the best way to see how it outclasses other JRPGs. It’s great for making JRPG turn-based fans out of people who don’t like the genre.
5Music To Fight To
Another distinct factor that prevails through each title is the music. Another nod to just how cohesive each title is, there’s a distinct sound that goes along with every game. Whether it’s the Jazz/Rock/Funk of Persona 5, the Hip-Hop of Persona 3, or the J-Pop and Pop-Rock of Persona 4, you can tell which Persona game is being played by music alone. That distinction brings the game together, with music and lyrics you’re sure to sing long after you’ve finished the game.
While your favorite JRPG is sure to have stunning music, most of it is probably instrumental tracks. Nothing compares to fighting with “Rivers in the Desert” or “Disturbing the Peace” singing in the background, or randomly singing the Junes theme song. If you really want a treat, play Persona 4: Dancing All Night, where Hatsune Miku joined the gang to belt out these iconic songs.
4Fantastic Storytelling
One thing every Persona game is good at istelling a fantastic story. While most JRPGs will hit you with the small town kid having to fight god by the end, Persona does the same thing, but in a much more relatable way. The main villains throughout each game are people in society that you have to deal with. This relatability makes them villains you don’t empathize with, but the consequences of their actions are sorely felt throughout each title.
Watching these kids get through their own situations while fighting off evil to help a society completely unaware of their identity. They all feel grounded, despite the fantasy mixing with reality. While each game has a different approach, these stories are fantastical but still grounded in a reality that makes them unique among the other giants in the genre.
3Unparalleled Characters
While everyone has their favorite and least favorite party members, the Persona series has some of thebest party membersin the genre. As you watch the relationships build and grow, you’ll also gain insight into each party member, their struggles, their inner thoughts, and their wants and strong will.
The party members are all cohesive, and though they represent tropes, they overcome their own issues while leaving a bigger lesson for the player in the end. That’s what makes them so special, they each have a relatable lesson to learn, and by the end, they fight like a family in both the arguing with each other way as well as the beating up the enemy way. They’re magnificent coming-of-age stories told through these iconic characters.
2Beautiful Anime Cutscenes
Most JRPGs have some pretty distinct and gorgeous cutscenes, but nothing beats Persona. They’re high quality, and they convey thealready long storyin a new form, breaking up the action with gorgeous renders of exciting moments. There’s just something special about these highly produced cutscenes that makes you feel more involved in the story.
Not only do thecutscenes help provide a break from the game, but they enhance the game because, once again, the art style shines through, and they fit as part of the Persona package. No other JRPG is doing linked in cutscenes that feel seamless as you play.
1The Best Video Game Awakenings
Anime and JRPG are all familiar with thetransformation aspect of the characters, unlocking their powers and their full potential. However, no other JRPG does its awakenings in such an intense way as Persona does. The actions to awaken your true self all require you to face yourself, and that’s mentally and sometimes physically difficult to do.
Whether it’s ripping the mask from your face, leaving you bloody and raw and able to accept the truth, or shooting yourself in the head to summon your Persona, there’s always something unique and intense about facing your true self, and the awakenings of these characters have yet to be beat. And yes, even popping on some glasses in a cool anime style counts.
