Persona has become one of the few JRPG franchises to achieve widespread mainstream success, and thus the expectation for Atlus’ Persona 5‘s follow up is huge even though persona 6 has not yet been revealed. Persona 5 catapulted the series into the homes of casual gamers and loyal fans alike, as its beautiful visuals, memorable characters, and jazzy soundtrack left a lasting impression when it was released in the west in 2017. Persona 5 Royal expanded the horizon of the game and a future release on Nintendo Switch for the last three Persona submissions are sure to entice more fans to give the Atlus-developed property a shot. persona 6 has been gone for a while, but theories abound as to how it will advance the formula and where it will go.
Persona 5 differs greatly from its predecessor, refining the edges and ensuring a higher production value than ever before. Persona 4 Golden is one of the PS Vita’s best titles, and one of the hallmarks of its success is its location. Inaba feels very different from anything the series has seen so far, and if Persona 5 presents an artistically stunning and culturally accurate take on Tokyo, its successor should move away from the Japanese capital to make the experience all the more innovative and fresh.
Persona 6 shouldn’t be Persona 5 again
Persona 5 is a unique experience despite (confusingly) being the sixth main entry in the IP, and did well commercially and critically as it uses a very different story and an instantly recognizable art style. persona 6 will be compared to its predecessor simply by existing, returning to a setting that makes 2017’s game so beautiful, otherwise arbitrary comparisons would be all the more legitimate. Tokyo is the chosen city of so many Shin Megami Tensei games and the most recent Personaand Persona 3 also uses an urban environment so choose to take persona 6‘s story elsewhere could help the game forge its own legacy.
Even in 2022 Persona 5 is a masterpiece and it’s important to build on what made it mechanically great. However, on a narrative and presentation level, the next game should move on to something new. Returning to Tokyo would make an already arduous task an almost impossible feat, as the city is so effortlessly recreated Persona 5‘s style that it would be hard to make it better. Like Persona 5 pretended to persona 4it would be safest to take the story to another side of Japan unless persona 6 is a direct sequel, although this is unlikely.
Japan is so much more than Tokyo
Tokyo may be the country’s most recognizable city, but Japan’s immense diversity and beautiful scenery extends far beyond its borders. From icy Hokkaido in the north to historically fascinating Okinawa, Japan has so much culture embedded in its shores that can be taken advantage of in persona 6. The franchise has yet to launch a game outside the country, so it might be safe to assume Japan will be a mainstay for Atlus, but taking the series out of such a recognizable city could pave the way for somewhere else to start. to shine.
Not only would this increase geographical diversity, but it could also provoke a different narrative tone. Persona 5The premise only works if the game is set in a busy, populated city, but persona 4‘s smaller scale works perfectly in a rural city rather than a densely packed metropolitan area. Ghost of Tsushima is a radically different experience from the Persona series, but shines brightest for its immense beauty that emanates from an area of the Japanese archipelago that the international audience may not be familiar with. persona 6 should adopt a similar philosophy, as it could elicit a valuable new art style and a story that bears no significant resemblance to its predecessor.
Persona 4 proves there is charm in rural settings
A quieter environment with fewer side characters and fewer opportunities for extracurricular activities may seem like a definite downside, but persona 4 did so well to show that a great story doesn’t have to be set in a bustling city. The small town of Inaba was modest at first glance, so when the intrigue kicks in and the murders begin, it feels like the crimes are disrupting the peace of an intimate, peaceful place. From this angle, the story is arguably more substantial than the story of Persona 5because the latter takes place in a city where so much is happening at once.
This is good for differentiating persona 4 and Persona 5, making them both must-have titles regardless of age. In front of persona 6 to follow suit, it must bring something new to the table, both on a mechanical and atmospheric level. persona 4 has a very different feel to what came next. The characters are more grounded and have small-town issues, the mystery is less ambitious and more personal, and the protagonist feels like a fish in water everywhere, allowing players to project themselves with ease. Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better, and Persona 5‘s story suffers (albeit a little) because Tokyo is so overused in Japanese media.
Persona has several franchise traditions, many of which need to be adapted to the ever-expanding audience. However, one of the things that must remain intact is Atlus’ willingness to Persona to a new setting every time, because it evokes a completely different atmosphere with every new release. The Tokyo that Persona 5 presented was excellent, but that’s not to say its successor should try to recapture the magic. There’s so much potential in other parts of Japan that are ripe for a great story to unfold, and the capital has had a chance to shine, so it’s time for something new.
Persona 6 is under development.
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