Persona 5 is the equivalent of going to Epcot at Disney World in search of food. You know you're going to wear your Thanksgiving pants and eat until you're full. The only problem here is you end up eating a 72oz porterhouse steak and then are expected to swallow a huge wedding cake immediately after.
Having played Persona 5 and the "Royal" version, I can easily say I prefer the supersized and jam-packed P5R much more than its predecessor. The added characters, side quests, and flexibility favoring player choice are welcome additions and are produced with the same pristine level of care that made Persona 5 a GOTY-contender. The only misstep is placing an additional dungeon AFTER the very conclusive and satisfying ending to the main Persona 5 storyline. It doesn't all line up with the game's original ending, but the characters are so sincere and charming that it is difficult to be upset about it.
If you want a JRPG that you can lose weeks (and let's be honest, months) playing, Persona 5 Royal is likely the best bang for your buck you'll find on modern consoles. You'll get all the trappings of the usual Atlus fare (including some backwards and unsavory cultural norms) tied up in a presentation that still looks sensational even if nothing much has changed since the original 2016 release date.
I enjoyed about 99% of my time in this game, save for the moments where the narrative's superb "social justice against adults at all-costs" storyline rubs up against some jarring juxtaposition coming from the thinner story elements. Prepare for some "Return Of The King ending" level cutscenes and fall in love with the Phantom Thieves. With a voice cast and turn-based mechanics like these it's quite easy to do so.
(Also, DANG this was on Game Pass? Wild. The best deal in gaming five times over.)
Having played Persona 5 and the "Royal" version, I can easily say I prefer the supersized and jam-packed P5R much more than its predecessor. The added characters, side quests, and flexibility favoring player choice are welcome additions and are produced with the same pristine level of care that made Persona 5 a GOTY-contender. The only misstep is placing an additional dungeon AFTER the very conclusive and satisfying ending to the main Persona 5 storyline. It doesn't all line up with the game's original ending, but the characters are so sincere and charming that it is difficult to be upset about it.
If you want a JRPG that you can lose weeks (and let's be honest, months) playing, Persona 5 Royal is likely the best bang for your buck you'll find on modern consoles. You'll get all the trappings of the usual Atlus fare (including some backwards and unsavory cultural norms) tied up in a presentation that still looks sensational even if nothing much has changed since the original 2016 release date.
I enjoyed about 99% of my time in this game, save for the moments where the narrative's superb "social justice against adults at all-costs" storyline rubs up against some jarring juxtaposition coming from the thinner story elements. Prepare for some "Return Of The King ending" level cutscenes and fall in love with the Phantom Thieves. With a voice cast and turn-based mechanics like these it's quite easy to do so.
(Also, DANG this was on Game Pass? Wild. The best deal in gaming five times over.)