Great news for all those patient Persona fans! While the game has sadly been postponed to a drearily far off 2016 release, there does seem to be a glimmer of light at the end of this tunnel. P5‘s director, Katsura Hashino, in an interview with folks over at Game Informer stated that we can expect a new twist to the storytelling in Persona 5. WIth new characters, new narrative, and great gameplay, players can look forward to a game tailored to surpass returning fans’ expectations while also ensuring we aren’t bored. They aren’t going to keep pumping out the same Persona game.
…the story takes a different spin: Rather than getting drawn into a strange case, the team throws themselves into the fray. Through their actions, they draw the attention of an even greater enemy… That’s how the game sets in motion.
It appears developers at Atlus games, who have received nothing short of acclaim and cult status for past Persona games 3 and 4 (as well as their overwhelming popular puzzle game Catherine), have sincerely put forth an abundance of effort to think outside of the box with P5. Hashino continues:
..unlike Persona 3 or Persona 4, the protagonist and his team in this story aren’t being dragged into some sort of case or major crisis to resolve. The story begins with each of them looking for a sense of identity, and seeking to reform society with their own will. Picaresque heroes are fun, and you might enjoy their exploits or admire them in a work of fiction, but whether you’d actually want to be like them is a whole different story, isn’t it? That’s our stance in this game.
Anyone who has previously played a Persona game before is familiar that narrative, characters, and personality are three large motifs that play into a stellar Atlus game. It is heartwarming to see that developers are still hustling to bring new and exciting content to the table.
It’s quite different from the previous games’ protagonists who had no choice but to solve the mysteries they were confronted with. We think that sense of agency is one of the charms of this title, and as developers, it’s one of the aspects we’re most excited to bring to you.
Fans will have to continue to wait to play this fifth installment in the action RPG series, but the wait appears to be worth it. With new characters, story, and a seemingly distinguishing new direction, Persona 5 remains a highly anticipated game for both Playstation 3 and Playstation 4. We can expect the game out in North America sometime in 2016. Fingers crossed!