“1 More” Homage to Persona 5 (2016)

Celebrating its 10th anniversary since its initial release, Persona 5 (2016) is a title that even non-gamers are familiar with, be it from its jazz fusion music with millions of streams or its strikingly iconic user interface that makes you forget that you’re just playing a game. Whatever it is about Persona 5, chances are, you’ve definitely heard about it. You don’t need to play to understand how evidently impactful the game is, and the reason why lies in the people behind it.

Persona 5 first came out exclusively in Japan in September 2016 before making it to worldwide audiences in April 2017, and was nominated for Game of the Year, becoming the most successful release for Atlus, the developer team behind the game. At its core, Persona 5 falls into the category of a Japanese Role-Playing Game: a genre that is defined by a linear, narrative-driven plot that often includes many anime-inspired tropes, generally turn-based combat, and a hefty playtime—Persona 5 boasts 100 hours of gameplay. Atlus maintained a similar formulaic approach that previous Persona games in the franchise had when making Persona 5, but further refined it to give the game a more established sense of identity and abstractness that reflected the evolution of the studio. However, the series wasn’t always as renowned as it is now.

The Persona series rose to fame when director Katsura Hashino introduced the calendar system in Persona 3 (2006) that would be present in the core gameplay loop of all of the series’s future games. Even with the significant amount of time needed to complete a single game, often taking months, the calendar system is refined in a way that doesn’t make the gameplay loop boring. Social links, the Persona term for friends, give the player a variety of options for who they want to spend their time with each day. Not only does this help the player character develop more intimate relationships (platonically and romantically, if you so choose) with his peers, but it also allows for upgrades in battle, meaning that time spent with them is fruitful. Although many may argue that Persona games, especially Persona 5, are overly lengthy, the thorough calendar system foundational to them is one that is enjoyable and doesn’t ever feel drawn-out. The role-playing aspect in Persona 5 works exceptionally well with the system, especially since Atlus made sure that there are always people to converse with, jobs to partake in, and a surprisingly accurate replica of Tokyo’s districts to explore. To top it all off, Persona 5’s memorable cast of characters that surround the game’s progression makes each interaction with them feel distinct, as, while spending time with them, you learn about their own aspirations and struggles that echo the game’s messages. Although dialogue can elicit a sense of cringe from time to time, the writing behind each of the characters effectively evokes a feeling of sympathy towards them. Some characters are definitely more likeable than others, but the game does a good job of exploring each one in their respective arcs. It feels personal. They feel like your friends, and you can’t help but be invested. 

The Persona games each have their different stories, but all of them tackle very relatable themes and most of the time take place in a high-school setting. As the name suggests, the Persona series deals with identity. Personas, supernatural beings that are representations of a person's soul, are what allow characters to fight against those threatening sovereignty, and the only way to “unlock” them is by being definitive in your moral compass and integrity, no matter how difficult it is to embrace. The main party in Persona 5, collectively named the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, is a group of students who all learn to defy the corrupt and self-important adults in their lives using their Personas, believing in their individuality and overcoming the control of others who try to dictate who they are. Iconography of the game involving masks and sleek silhouettes in burglary-like fashion is figurative of the game’s ideas of rebellion and being true to yourself behind facades. Persona 5 is very story-focused, and though there are issues with pacing and being less fleshed out or meaningful than previous installments, it still manages to present itself with some unforgettable narratives and villains that play as the backbone to the party’s quite moving character development. The game has some very thought-provoking antagonists, though it can be argued that their importance compared to the rest is disproportionate. Still, the plot’s handful of shortcomings can be easily overlooked with how well-made other aspects of the game are, and they only marginally detract from how fun it is.

Probably the most well-known element of Persona 5 is its immensely stylish user interface, even recognizable out of context, often seen being used as a template in presentations or promotional campaigns on social media. Atlus redefined what value user interfaces are supposed to bring to players, as before Persona 5, there were rarely examples of games that took full artistic advantage of how the basic technical elements of games were supposed to look. User interfaces were mostly thought of as what allowed people to do mundane things such as pausing a game or adjusting settings, therefore meaning they are extremely easy to forget, and rightfully so. Developers seldom tried to make their user interfaces particularly attractive. Persona 5, however, surpassed expectations and decided to make their user interface one players would actually experience, not just glance at. The bold black, white, and red graffiti aesthetic of Persona 5’s user interface cannot more obviously be a manifestation of the game’s rebellious themes. And besides being incredibly pleasing to look at, it also serves as a place to toggle almost everything that surrounds its gameplay mechanics, not just the settings. Experiencing Persona 5 means seeing the user interface incredibly often, and Atlus made sure to capitalize on that opportunity. Even after all these years, it’s hard to find a game that compares in innovativeness when it comes to prioritizing player interaction that is satisfying.

Alongside the user interface, Persona 5 further embraces creative freedom with its music, composed by Shoji Meguro and sung by Lyn Inaizumi, becoming the cherry on top of the game’s experience. Titles that Meguro created embody the game’s variety of atmospheres, always fitting the tone at any given point in the story, making day-to-day in-game interactions feel homey, boss fights feel momentous, and heartfelt scenes feel even more emotional. It’s an understatement to say the music in Persona 5 is good, and Atlus’s decision to focus on it has brought them nothing but more acknowledgement of their competence in developing games that are clearly made with such consideration and attention to detail. The studio chooses to take aspects of most games that are often disregarded, such as user interface and music, and instead highlight them in Persona 5, making the game nearly unparalleled. During a time when developers are prioritizing profits over memorable experiences, Persona 5 is a game that stays authentic to itself in an industry now built on monetization.

It’s been a decade since Persona 5 came out, and yet it is still a masterpiece that revolutionized the idea of what a quality game is and should present. Its tenth anniversary leads players to reflect on the impact the game continues to have, with further thought only making it more apparent that Persona 5 does not need the spotlight to deserve the acclaim it receives. This celebration, instead, serves as a reminder to us that any piece of media is imminent to be timeless if made with care and genuine passion. Despite the game’s peak time of popularity having already passed, Persona 5 remains a game that will permanently leave its cultural mark and will continue to steal the hearts of many. Happy birthday, Persona 5!