The primary wave ofPersona 5spin-offs seems to have come and gone. First, there wasPersona 5: Dancing in Starlight, a rhythm game that dropped alongside aPersona 3rhythm game. Next came the release ofPersona 5 Royal, an expanded version of the main game that featured a much-lauded expansion and a well-received new party member. Finally,Persona 5 Strikerscame out just this year in North America. It took the form of a sequel toPersona 5that merged theMusouaction gameplay style with aPersonagame’s structure.Persona 5fans have been swimming in spin-offs, but there could be something else in the pipeline beforePersona 6is revealed.
However, there’s one type of spin-off that a lot of fans have felt is being slept on.Persona 4was the first game in theShin Megami Tenseisubseriesthat achieved enough mainstream success to get multiple spin-offs, two of those being thePersona 4 Arenagames developed by Arc System Works. Old JRPG franchises dipping into a more complex action format is becoming more common nowadays, but back in 2012, it was a shock to the system. However, both games went over extremely well with fans, and many would love to seePersona 5get the same treatment.
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A Firm Fighting Foundation
Persona 5 Arena, or whatever Atlus decides to call it, would make an ideal sequel to the otherPersonafighting games. ThePersona 4 Arenatitles did what few expected and adaptedPersona 4,Persona 4: The Golden, and evenPersona 3into a pair of fighting gamesset after the initialPersonamainline entries. Fighters from the main casts ofPersona3andPersona4, as well as a number of newcomers, duked it out across a pair of large and entertaining (if basically written) story modes. It would be great to see a chunk of these heroes back in aPersona 5context, especially if Yu Narukami and Joker get a chance to interact.
TheArenagames have an extremelysolid base for aPersonafighting game. The controls are simple and interesting, with two buttons controlling a fighter while two more control their Persona. Special move inputs are simple, and several more actions like an All-Out Attack can be performed by pressing two or more buttons.Personamechanics like status effects and One More combo extensions have been adapted to the 2D fighting gameplay. These games work extremely well for players of all skill levels, so if Arc System Works returns for anotherPersonaadaptation, not much would need to change for aPersona 5fighting game.
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Persona 5 Has All It Needs
Of course, aPersona 5fighting game would need to focus specifically onPersona 5, and theP5cast can definitely fill out a roster. The full playable roster ofPersona 5 Royalprovides around ten characters to cleanly slot into the game, andStrikersadds a couple more. With a handful of olderPersonacharacters and maybe an original villain or two, the base roster is more than set. One of the main reasons whyPersonafans are asking and theorizing about aPersona 5fighting game is because it is very easy to conceptualize; thePersona 5cast, combined withPersona 4 Arena’s gameplay, is surely a winning formula.
That isn’t allPersona 5can lend to a fighting game. AsStrikersshows, there’s still plenty of room for a story mode usingPersona 5’s cast. The plot could be motivated by any reason, but perhaps it could have something to do with the Shadows of the main characters causing trouble. In terms of other content,Persona 5’s Mementos dungeonis the perfect way to bring back a survival mode like the Abyss fromBlazblue Chrono Phantasma Extend. Players can progress through a randomly generated dungeon, fighting AI opponents, gaining upgrades and special modifiers along the way.Persona 5’s take on the Metaverse is a gold mine that could still be explored further.
Arc System Works Would Do Persona 5 Justice
A discussion ofPersona 5 Arenawouldn’t be complete without bringing up the obvious choice for developer of the game, Arc System Works. Having become the go-to Japanese company forlicensed 2D fighting gamesin the past few years, ArcSys has put itself on the mainstream map by making extremely stylish games that are easy to get into, hard to master.
It makes perfect sense that it would be the one Atlus turns towards to make anotherPersonafighting game, as it has already proved itself willing and able to complete the task. However, the Arc System Works of today is not the Arc System Works of a decade ago, and that could bring some massive advantages to aPersona 5project.Persona 5 Arenacould end up using 3D models instead of the previousPersonafighters’ 2D sprites, and that could be its biggest triumph.
Arc System Works games are gorgeous. That has been the case for a long time, butever sinceDragon Ball FighterZ, the gaming community has definitely noticed how unique and good-looking its cel-shaded 3D games are. ArcSys’ ability to translate 2D art into 3D animation is unmatched in the game industry, and that makes it the ideal match for making aPersona 5adaptation.
Much like Arc System Works' modern work,Persona 5is considered a prime example of in-game art design, and especially UI design.Persona 5’s menus, menu transitions, battle screens, and general HUD are incredibly stylized and slickly animated. Even if not all of that particular red, black, and white aesthetic will be prominent in the average 2D fight, Arc System Works can be trusted to preserve it in whatever form best fits. In the end, seeing win screens replicatingPersona 5’s seamless and iconic transition from combat to victory screen would be worth the price of admission.
Persona 5 Royalis currently available on PlayStation 4.
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