This game kicks ass!
Persona 5 Royal is my favorite game ever. I don't make a secret of that. Learning of the existence of this game, which is a spin-off/sequel of sorts was exciting to say the least, but at the time it was only out in Japan. I made a Japanese Nintendo account to try out the demo on switch, but after a while a localization for the west was revealed.
This game picks up in the summer vacation after the original game. And I say original, because the events of the content Royal adds, are not canon to this universe. At least they're never mentioned by the characters. Slight bummer, but the two titles were being developed at the same time and by different studios, so it's definitely understandable. Alongside that I have to say, this game really expects you to have played the original, and I don't think you'll get as much mileage out of it as you can if you have. It's not required, since this narrative is pretty separate, but it does build on a lot of character arcs from the first game and throws terms around that might not make much sense without knowing what they're from. Still though, I think it's decently playable without any prior knowledge.
The gameplay is switched up quite a bit as well. Instead of the usual turn-based combat there is now a more action/warriors-type of combat. You'll be controlling Joker and the party members in real time and mashing buttons to attack wave after wave of shadows and demons. That's not to say it's easy though, and a lot of the elements from the turn-based combat are also implemented, and incredibly well at that! When you want to use a magic attack, the battle pauses so you can select it and see the area it affects. This way you keep the strategy that is present in the other Persona titles. It's very well done.
Overall I'd probably describe this game as kind of a Persona 5 Lite. It's all a bit more streamlined and simpler than the original game, but it works very well. It definitely delivers and feels more like a sequel to P5 than a spin-off. I highly recommend it!
Persona 5 Royal is my favorite game ever. I don't make a secret of that. Learning of the existence of this game, which is a spin-off/sequel of sorts was exciting to say the least, but at the time it was only out in Japan. I made a Japanese Nintendo account to try out the demo on switch, but after a while a localization for the west was revealed.
This game picks up in the summer vacation after the original game. And I say original, because the events of the content Royal adds, are not canon to this universe. At least they're never mentioned by the characters. Slight bummer, but the two titles were being developed at the same time and by different studios, so it's definitely understandable. Alongside that I have to say, this game really expects you to have played the original, and I don't think you'll get as much mileage out of it as you can if you have. It's not required, since this narrative is pretty separate, but it does build on a lot of character arcs from the first game and throws terms around that might not make much sense without knowing what they're from. Still though, I think it's decently playable without any prior knowledge.
The gameplay is switched up quite a bit as well. Instead of the usual turn-based combat there is now a more action/warriors-type of combat. You'll be controlling Joker and the party members in real time and mashing buttons to attack wave after wave of shadows and demons. That's not to say it's easy though, and a lot of the elements from the turn-based combat are also implemented, and incredibly well at that! When you want to use a magic attack, the battle pauses so you can select it and see the area it affects. This way you keep the strategy that is present in the other Persona titles. It's very well done.
Overall I'd probably describe this game as kind of a Persona 5 Lite. It's all a bit more streamlined and simpler than the original game, but it works very well. It definitely delivers and feels more like a sequel to P5 than a spin-off. I highly recommend it!