Not only are the Phantom Thieves saving the antagonists’ victims in this game, they’re also saving the antagonists themselves. A key part of the Phantom Thieves exploration is finding out the source of the antagonist’s trauma and understanding who they’re facing on a much more intimate level. Most have personal trauma that they try to bury away underneath a new persona they’re projecting out to the public. The majority of the antagonists are actual people, and not just “evil for the sake of being evil” characters like the original game. Each of the Phantom Thieves applies their hardships and lessons as they go, passing them on to Persona 5 Strikers‘ antagonists. What struck me once I was past the first couple of dungeons is how much of a focus there is on human connection. What made this especially interesting is that person was one of the antagonists!
She has one of the most touching arcs of the story as she reconnects with someone she knew from her childhood. In Persona 5 Strikers, she finally gets her chance to shine, and she feels like someone who has been with the Phantom Thieves the whole time. I’m a big fan of Haru and always lamented her lack of screen time in the original game. This provides a heightened sense of camaraderie for this installment, especially given the short amount of time the Phantom Thieves spent as a whole in the original game. Being in an RV and traveling across Japan means they are constantly together on this adventure. Something I immediately love about Persona 5 Strikers is seeing all of the Phantom Thieves hanging out together. The Phantom Thieves agree, and their “vacation” begins. In exchange for their help, he will keep the police from arresting them. After completing their first mission in Tokyo, Public Security officer Zenkichi Hasegawa approaches them and asks the Phantom Thieves for assistance solving this new mystery. They discover that the Metaverse has somehow returned, and the police are looking at the Phantom Thieves as the primary suspects for these strange occurrences. However, their reunion is happening right as strange events begin to take place across Japan. How would a sequel to a Persona game look like outside of what’s been previously done?Ī few months after the end of Persona 5 (sadly, not Persona 5 Royal), the Phantom Thieves have gathered together once again to hang out during summer vacation. Persona casts are beloved by their fans, and spending more time with them is always exciting, especially if the Musou title is announced as a sequel like Persona 5 Strikers.
Musou games in recent years have done a fantastic job representing the essence of their target crossover series. However, I knew P5S could potentially be something special.
#PERSONA 5 STRIKERS SERIES#
Musou games seem to carry a certain stigma - they’re nothing but mindless button mashers that series devotees buy every year. Later, some expressed disappointment that “ P5S” stood for Persona 5 Strikers, a Musou/Warriors-style game. When we first heard “ P5S” back in 2018, some thought the series might be making an appearance on the Nintendo Switch. See the video version of this review at the end of this page!