[Persona 5 Royal] A Spoiler-free Intro to My Favorite Re-release of All Time

ATLUS as a publisher loves creating enhanced re-releases. Many of ATLUS games get Director's Cut versions after their release. Persona franchise isn't different.

All main Persona titles since Persona 3 have gotten updated versions with improvements on both story and gameplay. While the new stories aren't always well-received by fans, the gameplay improvements are usually a reason to get the updated version of each title.

Persona 5 Royal, the updated version of Persona 5 adds new content in every corner:

• It updates the battle system with new abilities and enemies.

•  Baton Pass system totally revamped.

• New Confidants.

• New Personas, (including ones last seen in Persona 2.)

•  Guns reload after every battle which makes them actually useful.

•  The Trait System gives each Persona infinite customization.

• Grappling hook: Access new sections of Palaces (dungeons) added in Royal. Exploration is more stylish.

The only downside gameplay-wise is that Royal version adds new ways to break the game on top of the already existing ones. If you know what you're doing, you can reach end-game levels halfway through the story. Persona 5 Royal is too easy even on the hardest difficulty.

Depending on your skill level, you probably won't find this game challenging, even on the hardest difficulty.

What I like the most about Royal is the new story content. The new Confidants stories as well as The Third Semester which unlocks if you meet certain conditions. (You get the original ending of Persona 5 if you fail to meet them.)

The new story revolves on two new characters introduced in Royal. The first one is Kasumi Yoshizawa. The girl that you know will eventually join the heroes considering how she was introduced 10-minutes into the game.

The other one is Takuto Maruki. This funny guy becomes the counselor of the school after Kamoshida incident and tries his best to help students overcome any trauma that resulted from witnessing that teacher.

I won't spoil their stories in this article, I plan on publishing about them later on Read.cash. I've got to say though, they have deep stories that are worth your time.

Their stories are the only reason I prefer Royal over the original Persona 5. Around 100 hours of both version have the same story, so I don't recommend playing both. I can't recommend the game at full price for those who played the original.

For now, let me gush on my love of both of their impact on Royal versionsHer Persona is Cinderella too! (Extra points!)'s main-story (which only becomes apparent when the third semester comes,) and their Confidant interactions. Kasumi in particular has the most adorable Confidant interactions in the whole game. (Read: More adorable than Futaba, at least in my opinion.) She also has a very interesting backstory that adds depth to those adorable moments.

The story of Royal's third semester gives a new perspective on how the power of The Metaverse can be used.

We've seen in the original how different people use the cognitive world for their goals: Black Mask uses it for Murder. The Phantom Thieves use it for Justice. The big bad of the original Persona 5 uses it rule over people.

The new antagonist of Royal version uses it for a completely different goal than all of them. Their methods to accomplish their own just goal, fall into the same gray-area category as the Phantom Thieves own methods.

I have to add, considering how self-contained the original Persona 5 story was in the first place, I'm surprised that they managed to include a continuation. It does make the story incoherent a bit, but it's a sacrifice I accept for the thinking this version of Persona 5 gave me.

It's true that Persona 5 original's ending had more finale feel to it. In my opinion the new ending is even better despite its flaws. (You know you're doing something right when the bad ending is as beloved as your good ending!)

So, that was my introductory article. This is the first republish of a trilogy. The second article will discuss Yoshizawa's backstory. The third will explore Maruki's. Hope you're looking forward to them!

Comment Below: What are your thoughts on Persona 5 & it's Royal version?

This article is a re-publish/re-write of my article on Hive.