It’s a bit strange for a definitive edition release to be getting a de facto definitive edition for itself but welcome to the wacky and wonderful world of being a Japanese role-playing game fan. Persona 5 Royal is one such JRPG with an unusual release pattern, as this once-exclusive PlayStation 4 enhanced edition is coming out on PlayStation 5, PC, Switch, and the last two generations of Xbox consoles. While the upgrades from the previous release are relatively minor, it does include the $60 worth of downloadable content that Royal wound up receiving, making this quite the value for new players and a good reason for veterans to revisit one of the greatest RPGs ever made.
While Persona 5 Royal didn’t feel necessary when it came out three years after the original — it’s hard to make an already lengthy game sound more exciting by adding 20 or so hours of additional content — it is much easier to appreciate now upon replaying it. Many small annoyances from the original are gone, such as Morgana’s insistence on getting the player to sleep so often (so now maybe fewer heathens will hate the adorable cat sidekick), thus further opening up the player’s ability to explore Persona‘s recreation of Japanese city life and creating social bonds with playable and side characters. This is an essential change as Royal adds in a few new locations and social links to max out.
However, the biggest addition that Royal brings is the new playable character and an entire school semester that takes place after the main game. This includes plenty of story content, including a sprawling dungeon to explore, which makes this the perfect way to replay Atlus’ masterpiece. There are also a number of small tweaks to the regular game, such as adding in small scenes with the new character and post-activity phone calls that keep the game feeling somewhat fresh even if you know the main story beats. Giving players more time to spend with this cast of lovable characters like this is its biggest advantage over the original. There’s also some added maneuverability within dungeons as you can now use a grappling hook to traverse areas in the slightly reworked dungeons. Overall, Atlus did a great job of adding to the experience in meaningful ways while keeping the core game intact.
RELATED: Sega Wants to Adapt Atlus Games Like Persona Into Live-Action Films and TV
As mentioned, all of the DLC that came out for Royal on PS4 is now available from the get-go. To access this, all you have to do is check the cardboard box in the attic you sleep in. After doing so, you are overwhelmed with costume options for the characters to wear in dungeons, which include homages to other games, such as the characters of Catherine or the cast’s chibi-style look in Persona Q2. However, the coolest addition in the DLC is the two new challenge battles that allow your team to go up against the protagonists of Persona 3 and Persona 4. This dream match is one of the few good uses of DLC for what was already a rerelease and these are even more significant now that the two classic RPGs are coming to modern consoles in 2023.
As for the core game, Persona 5 remains a delight to play. It still has incredible visuals and the most stylish presentation of any role-playing game ever. The action even looks smoother thanks to its higher frame rate, even if 60 frames per second isn’t all that exciting for a turn-based RPG. The battle system is filled with depth as players can fuse demons and gods to create new entities with greater power and more strategic options. While the story is quite lengthy, the dialogue is snappy thanks to a stellar localization, and the narrative surrounding personal freedom and the impact of nationalist politics is just as relevant now as when it was originally written. There’s no better look at the social struggles of modern Japan and the hope for a brighter future via people coming together.
RELATED: Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Review: Persona’s 25th Anniversary Kicks Off with an All-Out Attack
Persona 5 Royal expertly takes an amazing game and makes it even better. This rerelease goes an extra step by including all of the DLC and improving the frame rate as well. Living up to its marketing, this truly is the definitive way to play Persona 5, one of the greatest role-playing games ever made, and experience its stellar story and cast of wonderful characters.
SCORE: 10/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 10 equates to a “Masterpiece.” This is the rare release that transcends genre and must be experienced by all fans of the medium.
