LiefKatano
2023
Decent dungeon crawler but not one I'd recommend to those not already invested in the genre, imo. Some of the weird quirks of the game are fun to be able to use, at least.
Definitely would recommend this over the DS original, because you can make far more accurate maps in the HD Remaster!
Definitely would recommend this over the DS original, because you can make far more accurate maps in the HD Remaster!
2021
This review contains spoilers
The story's played way safer compared to the previous games, which wouldn't be as much of a problem if they didn't completely botch the execution anyways. The only real interesting scenario is Savalon, because of the whole "flooded by water crystal" thing. (I think it's neat, at least - the crystals causing problems by not being where they should.) The earth crystal scenario tries to be interesting like that, at least, but the fire crystal doesn't try at all.
Gameplay suffers from inexplicably cutting out QoL features. A huge one is with the battle system - for some reason, they made the shift to a conditional turn-based format (think Final Fantasy X), but they didn't pair being able to view the turn order - they just gave vague indications of who's up next. You could argue that this is to counterbalance how it would affect Brave/Default; I'd argue that's a good reason to just sticking to traditional turn-based like the last two games.
The jobs are kinda sloppily designed. They undid the "double unlock" system for magic that the first two games had, which wouldn't be too bad if they didn't also make getting job levels way more accessible. This does not make magic good. On the contrary, they massively undertuned magic because you can, without too much effort, get -aga spells before even leaving the first area. (The job levels being easier to get thing would be nice if this wasn't almost assuredly the direct result). One of the final jobs you unlock has its schtick completely undermined by its final passive, which lets you break the damage limit. You can deal 10k damage over four turns... or you can slam 45k (generously, it's easy to get more) at once with, say, Berserker. Your call.
...I will say that I do like that specialties are actually, like, special, rather than "just" a job having an innate version of a passive they can learn normally. The integration is kinda wonky and uneven (some are very subclass-reliant, some are more focused on the class itself. some are really fucking good (tank class gets more attack the more target rate it has!), others are bottom tier crap - I'm looking at you, black mage specialty 2, or "use a different element, dipshit!"). But it's a nice concept.
Also counterattacks are dumb in this game. They're either a huge pain in the ass or absolutely nothing to worry about, depending on where you are in the game. Early on they're godawful, most of the game they're un-notable because you get a passive to dodge most of them (yes really), end game they're super fucking annoying because one of them is... Counter Any Ability: BP +1. Extra turns because you did literally anything. This makes you lean towards not letting your enemies get a turn at all, which is really easy, and I'm gonna let you in on a secret: keeping your enemies effortlessly locked down is really, really fucking boring. Status effects are absolutely criminally unused in RPGs but the way to make them usable is not making a passive that lets them have a 100% success rate, at least/especially when one of those statuses makes your enemies completely unable to move.
Like it could be fun in theory but like, almost every boss (when it's relevant) is open to some variant of it. That's boring.
Also sidequests generally suck, compared to the last two games. There's some that are fun and also worth it (not-coincidentally, they have voice acting) but most of them are just... dumb crap for shit that's not even unique.
tl;dr - there's a lot that went wrong with this game. i won't, admittedly, say it's BAD - it's serviceable enough and for most of the game it isn't really offensive. But it could've been more - and it doesn't always land on its feet for what it's trying to be.
Gameplay suffers from inexplicably cutting out QoL features. A huge one is with the battle system - for some reason, they made the shift to a conditional turn-based format (think Final Fantasy X), but they didn't pair being able to view the turn order - they just gave vague indications of who's up next. You could argue that this is to counterbalance how it would affect Brave/Default; I'd argue that's a good reason to just sticking to traditional turn-based like the last two games.
The jobs are kinda sloppily designed. They undid the "double unlock" system for magic that the first two games had, which wouldn't be too bad if they didn't also make getting job levels way more accessible. This does not make magic good. On the contrary, they massively undertuned magic because you can, without too much effort, get -aga spells before even leaving the first area. (The job levels being easier to get thing would be nice if this wasn't almost assuredly the direct result). One of the final jobs you unlock has its schtick completely undermined by its final passive, which lets you break the damage limit. You can deal 10k damage over four turns... or you can slam 45k (generously, it's easy to get more) at once with, say, Berserker. Your call.
...I will say that I do like that specialties are actually, like, special, rather than "just" a job having an innate version of a passive they can learn normally. The integration is kinda wonky and uneven (some are very subclass-reliant, some are more focused on the class itself. some are really fucking good (tank class gets more attack the more target rate it has!), others are bottom tier crap - I'm looking at you, black mage specialty 2, or "use a different element, dipshit!"). But it's a nice concept.
Also counterattacks are dumb in this game. They're either a huge pain in the ass or absolutely nothing to worry about, depending on where you are in the game. Early on they're godawful, most of the game they're un-notable because you get a passive to dodge most of them (yes really), end game they're super fucking annoying because one of them is... Counter Any Ability: BP +1. Extra turns because you did literally anything. This makes you lean towards not letting your enemies get a turn at all, which is really easy, and I'm gonna let you in on a secret: keeping your enemies effortlessly locked down is really, really fucking boring. Status effects are absolutely criminally unused in RPGs but the way to make them usable is not making a passive that lets them have a 100% success rate, at least/especially when one of those statuses makes your enemies completely unable to move.
Like it could be fun in theory but like, almost every boss (when it's relevant) is open to some variant of it. That's boring.
Also sidequests generally suck, compared to the last two games. There's some that are fun and also worth it (not-coincidentally, they have voice acting) but most of them are just... dumb crap for shit that's not even unique.
tl;dr - there's a lot that went wrong with this game. i won't, admittedly, say it's BAD - it's serviceable enough and for most of the game it isn't really offensive. But it could've been more - and it doesn't always land on its feet for what it's trying to be.
There's a LOT of streamlining which is very much appreciated here. "It's super effective!" shows up during an attack, and how they handle EXP and learning moves makes post-battle far more streamlined and less annoying with pestering about learning moves and what-not. It's not perfect, and there's definitely some redundancy still (the menu to go back to town has two "I'm gonna keep exploring!" options, actually equipping new moves - while still less tedious than the old option - kinda takes too long for no real reason, and the "continue" screen in boss battles can be too verbose). It's still a much-appreciated step forward for the Pokemon franchise, though.
I will say, though, that rare Pokemon like Cherrim or Munchlax can be REALLY annoying to find, which is a huge pain in the butt. The action RPG elements don't really help either, especially for Pokemon that opt to flee - it MAKES SENSE but it's annoying for rarer ones that might not always show up.
I will say, though, that rare Pokemon like Cherrim or Munchlax can be REALLY annoying to find, which is a huge pain in the butt. The action RPG elements don't really help either, especially for Pokemon that opt to flee - it MAKES SENSE but it's annoying for rarer ones that might not always show up.
2019
A major improvement on the base game. Still maintains some of the awkwardness of the story (and the quality starts to roll downhill at roughly the final palace and it doesn't really get BETTER) and the DLC is, uh, atrocious still (ATLUS! P-Team!) but gameplay wise? Major improvements, making it an incredibly smooth JRPG.
If nothing else, being able to exploit status ailments and technical damage to knock enemies down, and also passing the baton to deal tons of damage? Beautiful. (The bosses that incorporate technical/baton pass into their gimmicks are the best bosses in the game, incidentally.)
If nothing else, being able to exploit status ailments and technical damage to knock enemies down, and also passing the baton to deal tons of damage? Beautiful. (The bosses that incorporate technical/baton pass into their gimmicks are the best bosses in the game, incidentally.)
This review contains spoilers
The story is great, and the game does an amazing job at fleshing out Midgar and its inhabitants. The only major beef I'd have with it is the ghosts, honestly - I "get" why they were included and I can appreciate it but every time they showed up besides the ending they just dragged things out.
Battle system is, in general, Very Good, being able to incorporate the... thoughtfulness, I suppose, of turn-based combat into fast-based action combat. Still some annoyances (with ex. a lack of super armor on moves, which is annoying especially with MP-costing spells) but overall it's still really solid.
Battle system is, in general, Very Good, being able to incorporate the... thoughtfulness, I suppose, of turn-based combat into fast-based action combat. Still some annoyances (with ex. a lack of super armor on moves, which is annoying especially with MP-costing spells) but overall it's still really solid.
Very good strategic gameplay. Decent if admittedly lackluster story. (I think it's fine but I get that other people might be wanting.)
I really like how bosses are handled in this game. Most map objectives are "defeat boss", which I liked in Tactics Ogre and I liked here as well. Bosses rooted in one place are also the exception rather than the norm, which I like as a way of making you always be wary of them. Also helping is the "revival stone", mechanic - basically the bosses having however many equally-long health bars. It sounds like it has the potential to be annoying but I can appreciate the staying power it gives the bosses - killing them in one full turn is still possible, but you'll definitely need multiple units for it and it's more of a commitment. And it feels really satisfying when you manage to deplete all of their health bars in one turn; each health bar being normal-sized helps. I'd say I only really got annoyed with revival stones when there were multiple units on the field with them, moreso when they otherwise were generic, but those moments are super rare, mercifully.
I think the main weakness of the gameplay is the unit building - specifically, how restrictive it is. You get exactly two slots for skills of your choice - and (at least before version 1.3) you had extremely limited SP to purchase skills with, leading to easy decision paralysis. Another potential annoyance is that there are some unique and potentially useful skills on bond rings, but using them means that you have to completely give up the generally-more-useful engage rings. Understandable, maybe, but still kind of restrictive for my tastes. (Also class skills kinda suck, though I do appreciate how the "activation skills" - things like Luna and Ignis - are restricted to special classes. Makes them feel fancier and exclusive like they used to... but they also don't have cool animations...)
Finally, I want to talk about the story. It exists. It's not the very best story, and I can see why it would be easy to be disappointed with it after Three Houses, which at the very least tried to be more ambitious with it (and I think is generally accepted to have been more successful with it than, say, Fates). There are still, however, pieces of the story that I liked a lot - some of them are, admittedly, most likely because they hit a weak point for me, but I really like the villain. Without getting into spoilers, I think he evokes some more unique emotions. He commits the cardinal sin of "you only learn about him five seconds before you punch his face in" but in spite of that those five seconds make him fairly memorable, I think! It's not a masterpiece by any means but I still genuinely think it was enjoyable enough to not make me want to skip through every story scene just to get to gameplay faster.
I really like how bosses are handled in this game. Most map objectives are "defeat boss", which I liked in Tactics Ogre and I liked here as well. Bosses rooted in one place are also the exception rather than the norm, which I like as a way of making you always be wary of them. Also helping is the "revival stone", mechanic - basically the bosses having however many equally-long health bars. It sounds like it has the potential to be annoying but I can appreciate the staying power it gives the bosses - killing them in one full turn is still possible, but you'll definitely need multiple units for it and it's more of a commitment. And it feels really satisfying when you manage to deplete all of their health bars in one turn; each health bar being normal-sized helps. I'd say I only really got annoyed with revival stones when there were multiple units on the field with them, moreso when they otherwise were generic, but those moments are super rare, mercifully.
I think the main weakness of the gameplay is the unit building - specifically, how restrictive it is. You get exactly two slots for skills of your choice - and (at least before version 1.3) you had extremely limited SP to purchase skills with, leading to easy decision paralysis. Another potential annoyance is that there are some unique and potentially useful skills on bond rings, but using them means that you have to completely give up the generally-more-useful engage rings. Understandable, maybe, but still kind of restrictive for my tastes. (Also class skills kinda suck, though I do appreciate how the "activation skills" - things like Luna and Ignis - are restricted to special classes. Makes them feel fancier and exclusive like they used to... but they also don't have cool animations...)
Finally, I want to talk about the story. It exists. It's not the very best story, and I can see why it would be easy to be disappointed with it after Three Houses, which at the very least tried to be more ambitious with it (and I think is generally accepted to have been more successful with it than, say, Fates). There are still, however, pieces of the story that I liked a lot - some of them are, admittedly, most likely because they hit a weak point for me, but I really like the villain. Without getting into spoilers, I think he evokes some more unique emotions. He commits the cardinal sin of "you only learn about him five seconds before you punch his face in" but in spite of that those five seconds make him fairly memorable, I think! It's not a masterpiece by any means but I still genuinely think it was enjoyable enough to not make me want to skip through every story scene just to get to gameplay faster.
2023
Definitely on the simpler side for an RPG (though tbqh I'll take this over the more complicated action commands its progeny can have), but still an enjoyable adventure, imo. I like the overhauled mechanics a bit, but the fact that most of the game was not designed with them in mind can make them fall a bit flat...
I think my main complaint is that some of the sidequest stuff still shows its age in being rough and kinda unfun, though I'll admit this is at least partially because I'm not actually the greatest at reflexive stuff.
Game is definitely a treat visually. I feel like they knew when it'd be best to show off the new possible capabilities (ex. boss intros, certain cutscenes) while otherwise still being charmingly faithful.
I think my main complaint is that some of the sidequest stuff still shows its age in being rough and kinda unfun, though I'll admit this is at least partially because I'm not actually the greatest at reflexive stuff.
Game is definitely a treat visually. I feel like they knew when it'd be best to show off the new possible capabilities (ex. boss intros, certain cutscenes) while otherwise still being charmingly faithful.
2012
It's a cute little RPG, though I'd definitely say the more hardcore might enjoy it more. Not as hard as I was expecting given some of the things I've heard about it - admittedly, I know some Secrets about the gameplay systems that help a bit, but they honestly don't feel like they'd be impactful enough to make it that much easier?
Admittedly, the game also forces you to grind. Probably one of the most infamous aspects of the game is that you need a fairly-rare drop from fairly-rare reinforcements to proceed in the game three times (if you're going for the good ending). Even if you know what to look for (I did) it's gonna take a bit to show up, which lets you power up your gear fairly well even without going out of your way (unless you get ridiculously unlucky or, in an ironic twist, ridiculously lucky with getting the required drop).
Mastering buffs, debuffs, and elemental combos are key to succeeding in combat, which is a plus in my book. Dice factor in less than you might expect, and the ability to rig your rolls (if you have a guide) makes it... even less contributory, honestly.
The writing is excellent, as you'd expect from a game penned by Matsuno - I think my only critique would be that the actions that let you get the good ending... don't really make sense for causing the good ending, if that makes any sense? Otherwise it does a good job of building the world, which is particularly impressive considering that it's sixteen hours long and takes place inside a singular dungeon.
Overall, I do like the game, but I can't really say I'd recommend it a ton (at least to actually play).
Admittedly, the game also forces you to grind. Probably one of the most infamous aspects of the game is that you need a fairly-rare drop from fairly-rare reinforcements to proceed in the game three times (if you're going for the good ending). Even if you know what to look for (I did) it's gonna take a bit to show up, which lets you power up your gear fairly well even without going out of your way (unless you get ridiculously unlucky or, in an ironic twist, ridiculously lucky with getting the required drop).
Mastering buffs, debuffs, and elemental combos are key to succeeding in combat, which is a plus in my book. Dice factor in less than you might expect, and the ability to rig your rolls (if you have a guide) makes it... even less contributory, honestly.
The writing is excellent, as you'd expect from a game penned by Matsuno - I think my only critique would be that the actions that let you get the good ending... don't really make sense for causing the good ending, if that makes any sense? Otherwise it does a good job of building the world, which is particularly impressive considering that it's sixteen hours long and takes place inside a singular dungeon.
Overall, I do like the game, but I can't really say I'd recommend it a ton (at least to actually play).
square enix refusing to release most of the Dragon Quest games that came out on the 3DS over here is a freakin' travesty
If mashing monsters together to make cool powerful dudes designed by Akira Toriyama appeals to you then man do I have the subseries for you! Some overhauls make creating powerhouses a bit easier in this game (and for making the monsters you like powerful, too), which I honestly think is fun! As a result the game does end up on the easier side, except for the end- and post-game where a lot of bullshit gets cranked up to maximum. Think the only real downside beyond that is the lame accessory crafting and customization system, which has materials that are a pain in the ass to get in meaningful quantities.
Oh yeah, and I love the sci-fi-fantasy aesthetic the game has going on. It's fun!
If mashing monsters together to make cool powerful dudes designed by Akira Toriyama appeals to you then man do I have the subseries for you! Some overhauls make creating powerhouses a bit easier in this game (and for making the monsters you like powerful, too), which I honestly think is fun! As a result the game does end up on the easier side, except for the end- and post-game where a lot of bullshit gets cranked up to maximum. Think the only real downside beyond that is the lame accessory crafting and customization system, which has materials that are a pain in the ass to get in meaningful quantities.
Oh yeah, and I love the sci-fi-fantasy aesthetic the game has going on. It's fun!
2021
there's some maybe interesting thoughts here but they're held back by an exhaustingly large dungeon and dice rolls upon dice rolls upon dice rolls
admittedly didn't get suuuuuuper far but the slog's gone on long enough i can't see it getting any better, especially with my significant issues with its systems (the large amount of highly random damage, floors being big and uninteresting, heavily encouraging skipping around and thus just... not engaging with the actual gameplay). overall 0/10, play Etrian Odyssey instead
admittedly didn't get suuuuuuper far but the slog's gone on long enough i can't see it getting any better, especially with my significant issues with its systems (the large amount of highly random damage, floors being big and uninteresting, heavily encouraging skipping around and thus just... not engaging with the actual gameplay). overall 0/10, play Etrian Odyssey instead
2020
It's an acceptable game but there's just... a lot of weird system things that bug me.
Story's nice. That the Monarchs are, like, relatable to the Phantom Thieves is nice (though some of the aspects are clunky. P-Team!), and Sophie is absolutely adorable.
The gameplay kind of suffers from trying to mash a phantom thief stealth game with a musou game, though it's at least tolerable unlike, say, Persona Q2. There's certainly annoyances, like having to leave a Jail completely to restore your HP and SP despite that not really being needed (the calendar system is basically aesthetic), but I don't want to completely tear my hair out.
Probably the WORST thing is the fusion system. It's an inferior version of Shin Megami Tensei IV's, where all the fusion options are laid out in a list and you have to sift through them to find the ones you want. There's no sort options or filters, so trying to create cool fusion chains from scratch is a pain in the ass, and with every Persona listed out it feels far more artificial and checklist-y, even if on a technical level it isn't that different from regular MegaTen fusion.
I don't feel like there's too much more to say beyond that. If you like Persona 5 and wanna follow the exploits of the Phantom Thieves, I wouldn't discourage against picking it up - it's a decent enough game and the story portions are nice, if not award winning. Just don't expect as smooth of an experience as Persona 5 Royal.
(also this game managed to make ice block puzzles even more annoying than normal, which is impressive)
Story's nice. That the Monarchs are, like, relatable to the Phantom Thieves is nice (though some of the aspects are clunky. P-Team!), and Sophie is absolutely adorable.
The gameplay kind of suffers from trying to mash a phantom thief stealth game with a musou game, though it's at least tolerable unlike, say, Persona Q2. There's certainly annoyances, like having to leave a Jail completely to restore your HP and SP despite that not really being needed (the calendar system is basically aesthetic), but I don't want to completely tear my hair out.
Probably the WORST thing is the fusion system. It's an inferior version of Shin Megami Tensei IV's, where all the fusion options are laid out in a list and you have to sift through them to find the ones you want. There's no sort options or filters, so trying to create cool fusion chains from scratch is a pain in the ass, and with every Persona listed out it feels far more artificial and checklist-y, even if on a technical level it isn't that different from regular MegaTen fusion.
I don't feel like there's too much more to say beyond that. If you like Persona 5 and wanna follow the exploits of the Phantom Thieves, I wouldn't discourage against picking it up - it's a decent enough game and the story portions are nice, if not award winning. Just don't expect as smooth of an experience as Persona 5 Royal.
(also this game managed to make ice block puzzles even more annoying than normal, which is impressive)
2023
Pretty easily the best Persona 5 spin-off, imo. The gameplay goes incredibly hard (even if it is kinda easy :U), adapting both Persona 5's general combat concepts and the whole "phantom thieves" idea to the strategy RPG genre really well. The only big issue is that most of the bosses... don't really capitalize on what's fun about the battle system. (This is a recurring Persona problem, to be fair. The boss that DOES engage with the battle system more is my absolute favorite.)
The story is fairly good, I think. The main antagonist is probably one of the best Persona's done - its philosophy feels like something people actually act on, and it's so irritatingly frustrating and hypocritical you absolutely want to tear its head off. In general, it's also focused more on one person, which allows the game to flesh out his character more - and seeing how the Phantom Thieves relate to his various plights is also good and interesting.
The DLC is... somewhat middling. It introduces a new mechanic that's potentially interesting, but not always applicable in an appreciable way. It goes a long way to making most of the boss fights more interesting, at least. (Though the final boss is... absolutely atrocious.) The plot of the DLC isn't bad, per say (though you could argue it doesn't utilize Kasumi and especially Akechi to their fullest), but its main antagonist is incredibly underwhelming compared to the main game's. All in all, I don't regret grabbing it, but I also won't fault you if you choose to pass it up.
The story is fairly good, I think. The main antagonist is probably one of the best Persona's done - its philosophy feels like something people actually act on, and it's so irritatingly frustrating and hypocritical you absolutely want to tear its head off. In general, it's also focused more on one person, which allows the game to flesh out his character more - and seeing how the Phantom Thieves relate to his various plights is also good and interesting.
The DLC is... somewhat middling. It introduces a new mechanic that's potentially interesting, but not always applicable in an appreciable way. It goes a long way to making most of the boss fights more interesting, at least. (Though the final boss is... absolutely atrocious.) The plot of the DLC isn't bad, per say (though you could argue it doesn't utilize Kasumi and especially Akechi to their fullest), but its main antagonist is incredibly underwhelming compared to the main game's. All in all, I don't regret grabbing it, but I also won't fault you if you choose to pass it up.
Honestly even if its only merit was "Westerners can actually play Rush Duels without knowing Japanese" it'd rank pretty high. Thankfully, that's not its only merit - it has lots of nice little animations that play when various effects activate, and the small "holograms" add a nice touch to your duels.
Admittedly, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Your deck-making capabilities are extremely limited - you can only use "deck recipes" for most of the game (you can unlock the ability early by using the Konami Code, but for the final storyline duel you HAVE to use a specific deck - that the game gives you the cards for, thankfully). I get the reason (this is a game for kids) but it can be frustrating getting the exact cards you need for them. The decks you face can also feel a bit same-y at times, which is... pretty unfortunate.
That said, I'd still probably recommend the game to anyone interested in Yu-Gi-Oh unless you're really interested in the super-complex plays of the modern game. They're simple, but fun, and trying to figure out how to use your hand so you can draw as many cards as you can? There's no rush (ha) like that.
...Definitely check out the options menu, though. By default there's a LOT of options enabled that slow down the duels or might be too hand-holdy.
Admittedly, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Your deck-making capabilities are extremely limited - you can only use "deck recipes" for most of the game (you can unlock the ability early by using the Konami Code, but for the final storyline duel you HAVE to use a specific deck - that the game gives you the cards for, thankfully). I get the reason (this is a game for kids) but it can be frustrating getting the exact cards you need for them. The decks you face can also feel a bit same-y at times, which is... pretty unfortunate.
That said, I'd still probably recommend the game to anyone interested in Yu-Gi-Oh unless you're really interested in the super-complex plays of the modern game. They're simple, but fun, and trying to figure out how to use your hand so you can draw as many cards as you can? There's no rush (ha) like that.
...Definitely check out the options menu, though. By default there's a LOT of options enabled that slow down the duels or might be too hand-holdy.
FUCK this game holy shit. the interactions ARE incredibly fun (it's why I haven't marked it as lower than 1.5), but it's bogged down by terrible combat and clunky customization.
The combat is bogged down by trying to force Persona 5's combat into a traditional turn-based system, which does not work at all. The "goal" of every random encounter is to knock down all of your enemies and perform an All-Out Attack, which... doesn't work when you have to issue commands at the start of the round and have to work with a randomized turn order. Combat also tends to slow down when you're facing FOEs (minibosses that wander the labyrinth that you're supposed to avoid at first) because they're immune to knockdown.
Oh also YOU, of course, can be knocked down. When ENEMIES are knocked down (and if you fail to perform an All-Out Attack) it pushes their turn to the end of the round and they MIGHT not be able to act, and it feels like they typically WILL anyways (though this might just be confirmation bias). If YOU are knocked down the ways you will NEVER be able act.
Customization is a pain in the ass because there's three games worth of characters. Also you have to deal with customizing sub-Personas AND main Personas this time, instead of having main Personas more or less just progress on their own. Some of the resulting perks are nice (main Personas actually get their unique skill early on, for example) but it's overwhelming and still really, really terrible to deal with. It honestly feels like it's a regression from the first game, which feels like it struck a better balance between Etrian Odyssey's systems and Persona's (if still lacking in the balance department, sure).
Oh yeah speaking of mechanically the game feels like a direct sequel to Persona Q, completely ignoring any of the applicable improvements Etrian Odyssey made in between the two games. That doesn't help at all.
Again, I will say that the interactions between the casts of each game are well done! They're funny, cute, and the P3 cast can be a bit heart wrenching! It's just... you have to struggle with the rest of the game to get to it. It's not worth it.
The combat is bogged down by trying to force Persona 5's combat into a traditional turn-based system, which does not work at all. The "goal" of every random encounter is to knock down all of your enemies and perform an All-Out Attack, which... doesn't work when you have to issue commands at the start of the round and have to work with a randomized turn order. Combat also tends to slow down when you're facing FOEs (minibosses that wander the labyrinth that you're supposed to avoid at first) because they're immune to knockdown.
Oh also YOU, of course, can be knocked down. When ENEMIES are knocked down (and if you fail to perform an All-Out Attack) it pushes their turn to the end of the round and they MIGHT not be able to act, and it feels like they typically WILL anyways (though this might just be confirmation bias). If YOU are knocked down the ways you will NEVER be able act.
Customization is a pain in the ass because there's three games worth of characters. Also you have to deal with customizing sub-Personas AND main Personas this time, instead of having main Personas more or less just progress on their own. Some of the resulting perks are nice (main Personas actually get their unique skill early on, for example) but it's overwhelming and still really, really terrible to deal with. It honestly feels like it's a regression from the first game, which feels like it struck a better balance between Etrian Odyssey's systems and Persona's (if still lacking in the balance department, sure).
Oh yeah speaking of mechanically the game feels like a direct sequel to Persona Q, completely ignoring any of the applicable improvements Etrian Odyssey made in between the two games. That doesn't help at all.
Again, I will say that the interactions between the casts of each game are well done! They're funny, cute, and the P3 cast can be a bit heart wrenching! It's just... you have to struggle with the rest of the game to get to it. It's not worth it.
The main game is INCREDIBLE, with expertly-designed levels. Once you get to the post game I think things can get a little more questionable but in general they're still really solid.
Bowser's Fury is a great add-on, though the power-up system can sometimes feel a little odd, and while the open-world nature is fun it does sometimes lead to some... wanting with level design and how specific aspects are incorporated.
Bowser's Fury is a great add-on, though the power-up system can sometimes feel a little odd, and while the open-world nature is fun it does sometimes lead to some... wanting with level design and how specific aspects are incorporated.