Persona 5 Strikers Review -- The Phantom Thieves' Last Surprise

It's been said in enough of other places on DualShockers, just for me, Persona five is just a stellar game; one that I wouldn't think could exist easily followed up betwixt its exceptional music, fashionable visuals, and incredible RPG gameplay. By the time I finished Persona 5 Imperial last year, I knew its world and characters. Combined, they made it then like shooting fish in a barrel to dedicate the dozens upon dozens of hours needed to finish it.

Friendship and connection accept always been at the heart of the Persona series, and that especially has been on full display with the Phantom Thieves and their journeying in Persona 5. The relationships shared between Joker and his friends were ones that truly felt close to dwelling for me, making it all the more hard to go to the very cease of Royal and having to leave it all behind.

Equally its spiritual "sequel," Persona 5 Strikers gave me the chance to spend only a bit more time with friends and characters that I've grown to dearest. Of course, "a flake more time" for a Persona game is yet a lot (roughly near forty+ hours, in this instance); but even and then, Persona v Strikers is a worthwhile follow-up that is more than just a simple spin-off. Taking the best elements of the original and infusing information technology with the style of an action RPG, Strikers is in every mode a truthful successor to Persona 5 while existence an incredibly satisfying and fun to play feel in its own right.

Persona 5 Strikers picks upward a few months after the original Persona v, and finds Joker and Morgana as they reunite with the residual of the Phantom Thieves to accept off for a summer road trip across Japan. Correct from the beginning, Strikers captures all the original'due south familiar beats as players stroll downward Central Street, hang out with Futaba, Ann, Makoto, and the rest of the gang, and then head back to Leblanc for a night of sleep (whether Morgana tells you to or not).

Like coming dorsum to your hometown after a long time away or communicable up with one-time friends, the elementary act of being dorsum in this world and seeing how much (or little) it's changed helped make the experience of jumping into Strikers fifty-fifty more highly-seasoned. It as well helps that, for the most part, Strikers assumes that nigh players volition take played Persona v. It doesn't take long for players to hit the ground running and stealing hearts once again.

Curiosity's Avengers | Holiday Content Trailer

All the same, compared to the Phantom Thieves' outset hazard, the biggest divergence that sets Persona v Strikers autonomously is how it plays. Coming from Omega Force, Strikers integrates a more action RPG style of play in the vein of Musou games, taking cues from the studio'due south other recent franchise crossovers like the Hyrule Warriors serial or Fire Emblem Warriors. Even so compared to something like Hyrule Warriors, Strikers is aiming for something a little deeper than just giving the familiar Musou formula a fresh coat of Persona paint. For the most function, information technology'due south much closer to a tried and true Persona game than I ever would have expected.

"Strikers is in every way a true successor to Persona v while beingness an incredibly satisfying and fun to play experience in its own right."

In nearly every fashion, Persona 5 Strikers' biggest goal from the beginning is to give fans an experience that feels directly influenced by its predecessor. In most cases this would be a pretty high bar to clear to match the style and tone of Persona 5, but Strikers virtually effortlessly meets or exceeds them. Well-nigh all the signature gameplay elements of Persona 5 are here in Strikers, even if they're scaled downwards or altered to some degree, though not necessarily in a bad manner. While Strikers is largely more streamlined, the core rhythm of the Persona serial is there–hanging out with friends, exploring dungeons, fighting enemies–and injected with newfound energy and depth from Omega Strength.

For the most part, Persona 5 Strikers moves at a quicker pace by focusing on gainsay and the Phantom Thieves' trip across Japan, while being less reliant on the serial' time direction and social aspects. The Confidants organisation is here in spirit, though in a more condensed grade through the "Bond" system, which is tracked across the unabridged political party instead of individually with each character.

In the instances where players can hang out with the unlike members of the Phantom Thieves, yous'll earn Bond points that can be used to unlock various upgrades and new skills for the political party. It's a bit more simplistic than the Confidants system in the original Persona five, merely for Strikers, information technology makes sense and gives some leeway for players to simply savor the visitor of their favorite characters without worrying about wasting a precious day.

"P ersona 5 Strikers moves at a quicker footstep by focusing on combat and the Phantom Thieves' trip across Nihon."

Strikers keeps things to a minimum when information technology comes to managing your time and trying to get the most out of your social calendar, but information technology's an understandable modify to make way for the core parts of the experience: exploring Jails and combat. Functionally like to Palaces, the Phantom Thieves explore a variety of Jails that reflect the desires and psyche of the target they're going after.

Much like Persona 5, each Jail is densely packed with enemies to defeat and treasures to observe, making it worth it for players to accept their time and fully explore each area. In plough, Strikers also reinforces an emphasis on stealth for the thespian, equally enemies that take hold of the Phantom Thieves off-guard will not simply be able to ambush the party but will also raise the Jail's security level and take a chance cutting them off from the rewards of a treasure chest. Additionally, players tin can make use of different objects in the surroundings to reach new areas or get a improve vantage point to drop a stealth attack on enemies.

In the tradition of Musou games (and in place of Persona 5'due south plow-based gainsay organisation), Strikers puts players into the office of iv of the Phantom Thieves at a time, including Joker and iii other members of your choice. Right from the beginning players have the freedom to assemble their party with any Phantom Thief they wish, giving a lot of flexibility to experiment or mix and match with each graphic symbol.

While I did gravitate towards bringing some of my personal favorite characters into each Jail (like Makoto, Haru, and Yusuke), Strikers hits a great balance of making each character feel largely different from 1 some other and with a specific purpose on the team as a whole. Combined with the fact that you tin can swap political party members at any time (equally long equally you aren't in combat), Strikers actually makes the case that you should get a feel for how each Phantom Thief plays and should identify the best opportunity to bring them in might exist.

"Correct from the beginning players take the liberty to assemble their party with any Phantom Thief they wish."

Though it has the trademark hack-and-slash combat that's expected from Musou games, Strikers in a lot of ways feels drastically different than something like Dynasty Warriors. The integration of Persona v'due south RPG elements add together an entirely different level of strategy and depth to the experience, equally calling upon a selected character's Persona will stop time and let the player codify the all-time set on option against a group of enemies. That goes equally far as incorporating the different weaknesses and resistances of each Persona, forth with all the condition effects players know from the Persona series.

It'due south here that I might say that Strikers peradventure throws a bit besides much at players sometimes in the rut of combat, as much as it does exceptionally well at bringing a more action-driven have on Persona 5's combat. Things can escalate pretty chop-chop when you're swarmed by huge groups of enemies and trying to manage not only yourself, but too keeping an eye out on the residue of your political party if they're downward to only a sliver of health or impeded by a status event.

This is especially the case during boss battles, which is where I felt Strikers really tin hit some significant difficulty spikes; more than often than not bosses can exist a struggle if you're not prepared for them, leading to some frustrating encounters. The turn-based RPG structure of Persona 5 lent itself a little better to give players a take a chance to think things through. Whereas, Strikers' real-time combat can feel like you're trying to catch your breath and stay above h2o.

"The integration of Persona five's RPG elements add an entirely different level of strategy and depth to the experience."

Simply in the moments that the combat clicks into identify and the music kicks in, Persona five Strikers is but a boom to play. Throwing a Baton Pass to some other party fellow member and edifice up to All Out Attacks feels satisfying and responsive, peculiarly when it comes to wiping out huge waves of Shadows with a character's Showtime Attack, which are merely as over-the-top every bit you lot'd expect. Strikers perfectly captures the energy and way of the Phantom Thieves, and fifty-fifty subsequently dozens of encounters, I couldn't help myself but smile when I'd hear the battle theme boot in. Information technology feels right at habitation with some of the best tracks from Persona v's soundtrack.

It could accept been piece of cake for Persona 5 Strikers to be an experience that simply wore the Persona franchise on its sleeve or that felt like a mismatch with its more action-oriented gameplay. However, what'south most admirable well-nigh Strikers is the fact that it aimed so loftier to deliver an feel that feels gratuitous to the journey that fans took with these characters in Persona 5. In nearly every way, Strikers finds the right balance of integrating the mode and gameplay of its predecessor while finding its own footing to bring players exciting and flashy combat that is worthy of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

"[Persona 5 Strikers is] much closer to a tried and true Persona game than I ever would have expected."

Persona v Strikers may look and feel a bit different from the original, merely at its heart, it still revolves around the Phantom Thieves that we know and admire. Every bit a dear letter to a group of characters and setting that I quickly grew attached to, having the chance to leap back in and steal some hearts with Joker and the crew is entirely worth the return trip to Japan. For that, Persona five Strikers is a fitting reunion for players that are looking for one concluding surprise from everyone'due south favorite Phantom Thieves, no matter where the road takes them next.

Take something to tell us about this article?

Source: https://www.dualshockers.com/persona-5-strikers-review/

Posted by: matapeng1987.blogspot.com

Share this post