Persona 5 (2016): The Review

Overview

It’s hard to imagine a modern JRPG that feels more complete, confident, or downright joyful than this. Persona 5 understands its identity perfectly and embraces it without hesitation. The payoff is a game that, despite exploring ideas of confinement and societal control, feels utterly unrestrained. That sense of freedom elevates it to a series landmark, a genre benchmark, and an essential experience.

Score: 9.5 out of 10

The Positives ✅

Persona 5 is Atlus at the absolute top of its game. From a purely mechanical standpoint, it refines everything the series has been building toward for years. Combat remains turn-based, but it’s faster, flashier, and more satisfying thanks to streamlined menus, weakness exploitation, gun mechanics, and stylish all-out attacks. Atlus didn’t abandon tradition, they sharpened it.

Dungeon design is a massive leap forward. The handcrafted Palaces are packed with personality, clever gimmicks, puzzles, traps, and unforgettable visual flair. Each Palace feels distinct not just aesthetically, but mechanically, which keeps dungeon crawling exciting rather than repetitive. Stealth mechanics enhance the flow without bogging things down, giving combat encounters more tactical weight.

Tokyo itself is a standout feature. Moving away from the rural setting of Persona 4 was a brilliant choice, and the bustling districts of Shibuya, Akihabara, and beyond feel alive and authentic. The city isn’t just a backdrop, it’s a fully realized space full of activities, side stories, and secrets that constantly pull you in new directions.

The soundtrack deserves legendary status. Shoji Meguro’s acid jazz compositions paired with Lyn Inaizumi’s vocals create an identity that’s instantly recognizable and endlessly replayable. From battle themes to ambient tracks, every piece enhances mood and pacing. Even after dozens, if not hundreds, of hours, the music never wears thin.

Visually, Persona 5 is unmatched. Its bold red-and-black aesthetic, animated menus, transitions, and UI design elevate even mundane actions into something stylish. Few games commit this hard to a visual identity without compromise, and Persona 5 wears its confidence proudly from loading screens to victory poses.

The Negatives ⚠️

Despite its excellence, Persona 5 isn’t entirely without flaws. Some background assets in Tokyo: posters, signs, environmental props, are noticeably low resolution. This clashes sharply with the otherwise pristine presentation and can be distracting in a game that places such emphasis on style.

The dialogue interface is another minor annoyance. The expanded three-line text boxes in the Western release can feel cluttered compared to the cleaner two-line layout of the Japanese version. It’s a small UI issue, but in a text-heavy game, it becomes noticeable over long play sessions.

While the cast is excellent overall, later party members unfortunately receive less screen time once they join. Early Phantom Thieves benefit from deeper development simply due to pacing, leaving some later additions feeling underexplored by comparison.

Voice acting is mostly strong, but not flawless. Certain characters’ voices may grate on individual players enough to affect party composition, which is unfortunate in a game that otherwise excels at character immersion. Thankfully, the protagonist and Morgana are standouts.

Finally, while the game’s length is impressive, its sheer scale may intimidate players with limited time. Persona 5 demands commitment, not because it wastes time, but because it offers so much of itself. That’s more a caveat than a criticism, but it’s worth noting.

The Experience 🎮

Persona 5 is the kind of game that completely consumes you. Managing school life, friendships, dungeon crawling, and time-sensitive decisions creates a rhythm that’s both engaging and strangely comforting. Free time feels precious, and every choice, whether studying, socializing, or exploring, carries weight.

The Phantom Thieves feel like a genuine found family. Their shared sense of alienation, rebellion, and growth gives the story real emotional grounding. Bayonets of style aside, the heart of Persona 5 lies in its characters and how their lives intertwine over time.

Social interactions through the Cooperation system are deeply rewarding. Spending time with friends, teachers, doctors, and oddballs across the city doesn’t just flesh them out narratively, it meaningfully affects gameplay. These relationships make Tokyo feel lived-in rather than staged.

There’s also something deeply personal about Persona milestones. Fusing Personas in the Velvet Room, tackling food challenges, finishing certain Cooperations, these moments become memories unique to each player’s journey. Few games foster that sense of ownership so effectively.

Even long after finishing the game, Persona 5 lingers. Its music echoes, its characters stay with you, and its world invites revisits through old save files just to soak it all in again. It’s not just a great JRPG, it’s one of those rare games that leaves a permanent imprint. Persona 5 isn’t easy to forget, and honestly, you wouldn’t want to.