Hands-down, the greatest video game I have ever played in my life. Also my favorite. A simple backloggd review cannot do it justice, but I'll try to express how I feel about this game. (Btw this is mainly my review for Persona 5 but with Royal content as a footnote)

For starters, let me say that I despise RPG's. I've always thought they were boring, repetitive, and take away so much of what makes video games what they are. So I really wasn't expecting much from this, but it was on sale and I liked Joker in Smash.

Persona 5, more than anything I've ever seen, has STYLE in SPADES. Everybody knows how cool this game is, but it cannot be stated enough. From the UI, to character designs, to animations, it's all so sick and fluid. Everything moves with an air of coolness about it, and it has such a unique visual identity that every frame is its own work of art. The soundtrack (11/10 in its own right) adds a whole new layer of pizzazz; dungeon crawling to low bass jams or fighting demons to the beautiful symphony that is Last Surprise is just on its own level in the gaming landscape.

The gameplay is honestly super compelling, too. I don't like RPGs because they feel like "choose your strongest spell until they die," but P5R and the entire Persona series shakes that up. Choosing elemental counters, in addition to ridiculously cool melee and gun attacks, makes each battle feel like outsmarting your enemies with an air of artistry. Being able to change Joker's Personas, All-Out Attacks, Baton Passes, and the brand-new Showtimes also give a lot of flavor to fights and keep the low-level grinding from getting repetitive. God bless your combat system, Persona 5.

The bestiary is super cool, giving Pokemon a run for its money throughout the entire game. Seeing all these reinterpretations of fictional characters, gods, and legends available to use in combat is such a crazy feature that it's hard to believe it's like the sixth coolest aspect of the game. The boss fights are huge and always a treat to get through, and it's awesome to see how they spin off from the humans that they spawn from.

Next is the real meat of the game, and I can't gush about this enough. Persona 5 Royal tells one of the greatest stories I've ever experienced in any form of media. I can't explain it; everyone has to try it. But starting as an outcast high schooler with no friends, one who has to develop himself and form relationships to gain new strength...then ending as humanity's silent savior with a team of your closest allies wielding godly power...it's an incredible transformation.

I want to say it like this: I cried when I finished this game. My parents saw me and asked why I was crying over a video game. I told them that they've cried over movies, where they follow a character's journey for about two hours. I followed the journey of these characters for ONE HUNDRED HOURS. I grew with the cast and followed their progress throughout a semester of high school. It really makes you feel like the silent member of a group that's been through it all together. The story is beautiful, and shocking. The very first boss of the game being a sexually and physically abusive gym coach who has a clear impact on the students around you (Ryuji, Ann, Shiho, Mishima) is a horrifying and bold move. It's the craziest first chapter of a game I can think of. I can't get enough of this story and I desperately crave more content.

My last point is the characters. Persona 5 Royal could have all other aspects fall apart, and its characters would still hold up. The music could be garbage, the story could be wack, the gameplay could be terrible, but it would still hold up simply thanks to its cast of characters. It's almost impossible to pick a favorite, and I could write out my love for each one of them in a separate essay. It also dodges the usual RPG trope where the characters only really have relationships with you; they all interact with each other and have clear roles within the friend group. You can see how Ryuji likes Ann, but won't admit it because he thinks she's too good for him. At the same time, Ann struggles with self-doubt and confides in you about her own weaknesses. Yusuke and Haru have a mutual respect for the finer things in culture, even though Yusuke doesn't have two pennies to rub together and Haru is the sole inheritor of a global empire. It always feels fresh and there's no amount of character interaction that would satisfy me because this is probably my favorite team of characters in fiction. I have bought every spinoff and consumed all the media just to see them again.

Persona 5 Royal itself is a welcome addition to the original story of Persona 5, and was easily worth another 80-hour playthrough for its content. Maruki and Sumi were amazing additions to the cast of characters, the new songs and animations were fantastic, the gameplay got even better, QOL tweaks were great to have, and the existing 10/10 content was brought to an 11.

I cannot stress enough how great this game is. My life would not be the same without it, and I can firmly say it is my favorite game of all time.