Topic: Persona 5

@Ralizah You're perfectly, right - I just want it. Female protagonist and all

@Ralizah I guess it is down to SMT being on Nintendo and, as far as I'm aware, there is nothing stopping them releasing the game on another platform. I also think it is partially down to there being a P3P and P4G, but only the Switch to do a mobile port on for P5. I certainly wouldn't get my hopes up for it though.

As an aside, I never once had a party member taken hostage in my entire playthrough, I didn't even know it was a thing.

@Feena I doubt we'll ever get a port with as much extra content as P3P again, unfortunately. It's too bad that game gimped the presentation outside of dungeons so much, because otherwise it would be the definitive version of the game.

I really, really wanted a Vita port of P3 that combined the best parts of FES and P3P. That would have been amazing.

@Dichotomy It's VERY rare (unless you screw up a lot, I guess), but yeah, it can happen. You have to either negotiate the release of the party member, call on another player's team to attack the persona, or let them die (they can be revived, of course). It's a cool addition to the game.

Back off my holidays and now 24 hours in and upto the 1st safe room in the bank. The story has improved with the introduction of the queen. The whole story has come on and is firmly back on track. I levelled the death confidant and own 2 sp3 bandages as johncal advised so i dont have to leave dungeons. Theres still a bunch of niggles that I dislike but the most important part of persona is the characters and yosuke is an unknowing goof and makano is complex so they have both added a lot to the initial lacklustre cast.

Are you sure you're playing Persona 5?

@Ralizah haha, I mean the artist guy who is using my character as his muse.

After 144 hours, I finally completed P5. Stellar game. I would honestly pay full price again for it.

Because it's been so long since I played either P3 or 4, I can't directly compare how P5 is to them, but it definitely stands on it's own as an enjoyable RPG. I love the reworked dungeons, with the whole thievery gimmick really fitting well. Only the endgame dungeons were below par, but the boss battles with the big villains more than made up for it to me. This game also has one of my favorite soundtracks to date, especially the boss fight themes. I unashamedly play Rivers in the Desert in my head every day. And of course, the cast of characters is great too, despite leaving a cruddy first impression (Especially Yusuke, who has one of the worst introductions I've seen a character get, yet is also one of my overall favorites in the group). I don't hate anyone from the party, which is hard to do in any game.

The one area where I'm undecided about is the story. It's good as it is despite lacking subtlety with it's messages and plot twists, but it's the endgame that throws me for a loop. Without spoiling anything, I just think it's a tad too vague for it's own good. Though I can't tell if that's an artistic choice or not. I did like the ending and felt satisfied, but it also left a big question unanswered, anyone who's beaten the game probably knows what I'm talking about.

That said, I definitely enjoyed my 144 hours with Persona 5. My favorite PS4 game thus far.

@DerMeister "The one area where I'm undecided about is the story. It's good as it is despite lacking subtlety with it's messages and plot twists"

Taken me a while to reply to this comment due to work and playing the game lol (just upto the tomb). The biggest turn off for me is the lack of subtlety, its contrived and less organic than the slow thought provoking developments of P4s overarching narrative. Its story is still better than 95% of games out there mind you. Im unsure if the flashback technique via being cross examined is the best way to tell this particular story, im sure theres a development or twist later on which will explain why, but when you are told your next target before the story unfolds it ruins the surprise.

The biggest issue for me is you are funneled by Morgana, for 5 days continuos days prior to the tomb he kept telling me to sleep. P4G had way more opportunities to exapand your social links and abilities. I think this maybe a consequence of releasing the game a tad early with more content planned for those sections in the P5G follow up.

@themcnoisy There is a pretty big reason why you're told through flashbacks, but it doesn't come up until late October-early November. It's not perfect, but it's a cool twist.

I definitely agree on Morgana though. I probably could have maxed more social stats or confidants if I could use the time he robbed me of. It's something I definitely believe will be tweaked when an updated re-release happens, whenever that will be.

At least Morgana makes up for it in combat. His healing skills were pretty crucial to some of my fights.

Tomb done and a couple of days from the beach. It was such a better section post tomb. A ton of time for social links, managed to max out my first confidant with Ryugi and now sojiro is starting to level. Wasted so much time with that guy and his confidant level is gated until after you help futuba dohhh. Playing blind is great, but its not helping my trophy count.

@themcnoisy yes, but you have to lay blind the first time! So much better I've done a second run to see the confidant stories I had let behind and to get the trophies though it kinda was a bit of a drag to redo all the palaces and stuff one you know the story.

@themcnoisy Making coffee helped my progress with slimeball Sojiro.

I've played through P5 twice and still somehow managed to miss a mementos request to get the plat. As good of a game it is, I just can't play through it a third time. Maybe I'll come back and sweep up that trophy in a game lull.

@Feena @ApostateMage i probably wont play another run. It drives me mad that morgana made me sleep so often rather than levelling Ann (level 8) and Yusuke (level 5) ealier on. Seems a bit crazy now looking back, the games 100 hours yet you have to play it twice? No way.

@themcnoisy I forget if this has been brought up yet, but if losing time at night bothers you that much, you should seriously consider investing time in getting to know Kawakami.

Modern Persona games are basically designed to be played twice. Once to level up all your stats and experience the story. Then a second playthrough to fill out your compendium and complete all of the social links (and do New Game+ bosses and such).

It's going to be very satisfying avoiding those pieces of chalk when I eventually replay the game.

@themcnoisy yes @Ralizah is right. Kawakami and the fortune teller are the key to optimise your time!

@Ralizah @Feena I haven't even started the fortune teller. No way is my precious 100k going to her. No chance.

Kawakami can do my laundry for me I think at her level although that option doesnt come up when im on the phone or anything.....

Just beat Masayoshi Shido. Good lord, is he tough on hard mode! There are, like, five phases to his fight, and I was struggling to stay alive every turn during the last two. Ended up using most of my best items just trying not to die.

I feel like I should probably level grind for a while in Mementos now before fighting whatever the final boss turns out to be.

@Ralizah You'll have plenty of Mementos time at your current juncture, so definitely make the most of it. I grinded to 67, mostly because I wanted Black Frost, but I'm glad I did because things can get hairy in the last acts if you're not careful.

In a robot factory now and Im struggling to find the motivation to progress.

During my 50 odd hours playtime theres been a number of junctures I could happily put the game away.

Im listening to robots to find out which big robots the one with the id card. After the eleborate tomb puzzles this section is woeful.

Its a complete bore.

@themcnoisy I know the feeling and tbh I am shocked the game received such universal praise but stick with it, it has some very cool moments coming...just not gameplaywise.