Comment: Persona 5 Strikers

Beat ’em up, ghost thieves

Omega Force, as a studio, has dug a small niche for itself. Well, some would not say it is good! “Repetitive” is the word that some use. But despite their reputation for similar-looking beat ’em ups, the most radical Omega Force fans know they are not afraid to innovate, even in small, gradual ways.

Persona 5 Strikers it is a little more obvious with its advances.

Persona 5 Strikers (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Light switch)
Developer: Omega Force, P-Studio
Publisher: Atlus
Released: February 20, 2020 (JP) | February 23, 2021
MSRP: $ 59.99

As I suggested in my ongoing review, Persona 5 Strikers really looks like one Persona play first in many ways. This is a very smart thing for Omega Force to focus on, because even with the recent Real launch, people are always hungry for more of this series.

In fact, I’m a little surprised at the depth of this thematic transfer. Everything from the menus to the sequences between fights, stores and music. If someone caught you playing Persona 5 Strikers out of a combat sequence, you could probably trick them into thinking that you’re playing Persona 5 appropriate. This is really cool.

In part, this is the work of P-Studio, as it helped Omega Force with the project (as IP owners tend to do for things like Hyrule Warriors) Anyway, the collaboration was worth it, because Forward exudes style, even when you’re messing up the equipment system. Now, the story is a little complicated at times, but it’s about half the length of a big Persona game, which can be a big advantage for everyone who doesn’t have a schedule to dive into what are a big waste of time.

But while the comprehensive narrative is not as exciting as a main entrance, small moments matter. The play between the characters, who already have a very strong bond at this point (in English or Japanese audio), is authentically Persona. The scenes, the dubbing in general, even the minor characters, are all there. While it’s not 100% necessary and you can learn a lot from the expository dialogue, you really should Touch Persona 5 first (Real doesn’t really have an impact here) to get the most out of it.

The real-time combat system will also help many people who are not so inclined to JRPG to acclimate. Yes, it has the well-known combination system “special basic”, “basic special basic”, “basic basic special”, but Forward presents you with the option to evolve further. If you increase the difficulty, things get more interesting right away. The systems of weakness, personality, shooting and total attack return from Persona; which gives the combat a little stylistic and strategic advantage. It is fun to line up skills knowing that you have divided an entire squad, because you have memorized what they are vulnerable to. Having a giant persona invocation popping up and meaning that this is the reward.

One of the main sins of the game, and many beat ’em ups are not immune to this, it is repetition at the moment. Persona 5 Strikers does a great job of launching new concepts on its way, and with the modified dungeon system, presenting them in unique ways. But so-called “trash” mobs (enemies) can be a chore to clean up at times, as you eventually make your way to the most exciting skirmishes that are worth spending your power on.

It’s cool, because you really don’t always have to fight constantly if you don’t want to. In general, the game pushes you into dungeon configurations, which allow you to move around the maze at will and avoid fights if you want. It has its merits and its defects. Arenas generally don’t look as sweeping or epic as some of Omega Force’s previous title maps (Age of Calamity did a wonderful job at it), but it looks like Persona, which will be the most important thing for many people.

Japan’s inter-fight portions also rule and provide you with a good break that beats the hell out of the entry-level transition menu “before” Musou experiences. All in all, it’s just a little bit more relaxing Persona 5. A truncated story (in Persona terms), reduced dungeon jumping requirements and group enhancement. But within the limits of this new subgenre, it works. After all, Persona 5 (and Real) Still exist.

Persona 5 Strikers suffers from some of the same defects as others Musou games, but this collaboration benefits greatly from the strength of the source material. Even if you are not interested in the genre, if you like Persona either way, it’s worth catching it at some point, while you wait patiently for the next big entry.

_{[This review is based on retail builds of the game provided by the publisher.]}

Persona 5 Strikers reviewed by Chris Carter