Persona 5 (PS4 and PS3)

[G0 BIG 0RANGE]

If you're a fan of JRPGs and haven't played the Persona series (at least 3 and 4), you're really missing out. They get confused with being a teenage life sim, but that really couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, few RPGs delve so deep into such dark material (if you've played them, you know what I'm talking about). The characters are always great, the turn based battles are some of the best in the genre, the side quests feel like they mean something, and the main story always manages deliver a 100 hour story. The only complaints I've read have been that parts of the game could be better on-the-go on a Vita and the end-game dungeons can be brutal. I don't often buy games full price, but I'll be making an exception with this one.

Persona 5 is getting great reviews with a Metacritic of 94

IGN - 9.7

"Persona 5 is a massive, gorgeous JRPG with well over 100 hours of gameplay for completionists. With more to do than ever and the series’ strongest story to date, it stands out as an extraordinary, memorable experience and easily one of the deepest JRPGs of the last decade. Its sprawling dungeon design and stylish, fully realized world are an absolute joy to explore, and even after three playthroughs and the Platinum trophy, I find myself itching to go back to try different dialogue options with Confidants or revisit particularly fun puzzles. This is a new gold standard for Japanese RPGs and by far the best entry in the series yet."

Game Informer - 9.3

"If the opening hours of Persona 5 are like starting a massive novel, then the closing hours are like finishing one, complete with the bittersweet finality of turning the last page. But it also carries an immense sense of satisfaction. After 100 hours of playing, all of my big questions were answered. I understood the characters, I knew my way around the world, and I had fun almost every step of the journey. You become a resident of Persona 5 the more you play it, and it has the rare ability to transport in a way few games can."

GameSpot - 9

"It's stuffed to bursting point with gameplay ideas and presentation flourishes--there's an overwhelming level of artistry in every part of Persona 5, making it a truly standout entry in the series. It's a refined, effortlessly stylish RPG that will be talked about for years to come."

 

[Freak]

Never played this series but I've read a lot of positives. Thanks for the post.

 

[Volwark]

I 100%'ed everything in Nier Automata so I guess I'll be picking this up. It will be the first one that I've played. When so many RPG's are set in the wilderness these days, I like that this goes back to a more urban setting like Midgar in FF7.

The length of the game scares me, tho.

 

[G0 BIG 0RANGE]

I 100%'ed everything in Nier Automata so I guess I'll be picking this up. It will be the first one that I've played. When so many RPG's are set in the wilderness these days, I like that this goes back to a more urban setting like Midgar in FF7.

The length of the game scares me, tho.

They're like FF in the way that none of the previous entries are required. There will be the occasional character crossover, and they're all set in Japan, but 5 sounds like a good jumping off point in the series according to reviewers. The 100 hours doesn't feel like 100 hours because very little of it is wasted (riding horses in Witcher or hiking mountains in Skyrim). Literally everything you choose to do with your time outside of fighting through the dungeons goes towards increasing your stats, and you can choose do whatever the hell you want. If you want to min/max and follow a strict plan you can, if you just want to screw around you can, and they both offer character growth. It's hard to explain, but the 100 hours is seriously stuffed with content in these games.

 

[Volwark]

The 100 hours doesn't feel like 100 hours because very little of it is wasted (riding horses in Witcher or hiking mountains in Skyrim).

That's good. I hate how open-world RPGs these days think they're adding longevity/content by making the world bigger than it needs to be with a lot of fluff (Witcher, Zelda, FFXV, HZD, etc). Lots of running in fields and even more running in fields. One thing I loved about Nier Automata was how condensed and efficient the world was. That's another reason why I think sticking this in an urban setting is a good thing.

 

[G0 BIG 0RANGE]

That's good. I hate how open-world RPGs these days think they're adding longevity/content by making the world bigger than it needs to be with a lot of fluff (Witcher, Zelda, FFXV, HZD, etc). Lots of running in fields and even more running in fields. One thing I loved about Nier Automata was how condensed and efficient the world was. That's another reason why I think sticking this in an urban setting is a good thing.

I agree, too much of something like that isn't always a good thing. Persona 3 and 4 were 100+ hour games, and aside from your JRPG things like grinding, there wasn't much in the way of fluff. Apparently this one has a Story Mode difficulty you can pick if you'd rather just focus on that than the combat.