This review contains spoilers
P5R’s story can be summed up in a single word— injustice. From Ren’s/Protag’s false arrest, to Futaba’s mother being murdered by mental shutdown, every member of the Phantom Theives has had some form of injustice put upon them or their close friends and family. That’s what makes the camaraderie of the group work so well; that common bond that they have helps them through the year long journey of retribution. Maruki and Kasumi/Sumire are incredibly welcome additions as part of the Royal content, with Maruki having his own palace and Kasumi/Sumire being a party member. Maruki’s plight is one of the most interesting pieces of social commentary I’ve seen in an JRPG. It makes the end game of P5 feel like a genuine finale, especially in comparison to the vanilla version. Kasumi’s backstory is incredibly relatable to anyone who has ever lost a close sibling. Overall, the story and themes of Persona 5 Royal all blend together really well as a final product.
The gameplay is definitely the best part of this game. The quality of life improvements to the gun mechanics in comparison to vanilla P5 is great. The baton pass is also a brilliant gameplay mechanic that is really essential when playing on harder difficulties. Speaking of difficulty, this might be one of the easiest JRPGs I’ve ever played. Even so, that also makes this one of the most accessible RPGs for people looking to dip their toes into the genre. It’s one of a few games that I’ve played more than twice because of how addictive the gameplay is. And that’s not even mentioning the side activities like fishing and going to the batting cages. You can really sink hundreds of hours into this game because there’s always something to do.
By the end of the game, I felt emotional. This was the first RPG for me that I really didn’t want to finish. I didn’t want to say goodbye to Shibuya or any of my friends I had made and I especially didn’t want to say goodbye to that memory of Akechi. To be honest, I just ran around the city looking at everything I could and talking to every NPC. You see the place change as you have with it and you realize that it’s okay to go, because you made a difference. And now you can start over.
The gameplay is definitely the best part of this game. The quality of life improvements to the gun mechanics in comparison to vanilla P5 is great. The baton pass is also a brilliant gameplay mechanic that is really essential when playing on harder difficulties. Speaking of difficulty, this might be one of the easiest JRPGs I’ve ever played. Even so, that also makes this one of the most accessible RPGs for people looking to dip their toes into the genre. It’s one of a few games that I’ve played more than twice because of how addictive the gameplay is. And that’s not even mentioning the side activities like fishing and going to the batting cages. You can really sink hundreds of hours into this game because there’s always something to do.
By the end of the game, I felt emotional. This was the first RPG for me that I really didn’t want to finish. I didn’t want to say goodbye to Shibuya or any of my friends I had made and I especially didn’t want to say goodbye to that memory of Akechi. To be honest, I just ran around the city looking at everything I could and talking to every NPC. You see the place change as you have with it and you realize that it’s okay to go, because you made a difference. And now you can start over.