Persona 5 (Japanese: 5 Hepburn: Perusona Faibu ) is a role-playing video

game developed by Atlus for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. Persona 5 is chronologically the sixth
installment in the Persona series, which is part of the larger Megami Tenseifranchise. Published by
Atlus in Japan and North America and Deep Silver in Europe, the game was released in Japan in
September 2016, and will release in North America and Europe in February 2017.
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Persona 5 takes place in Tokyo, and follows a silent protagonist after their transfer to the fictional
Shujin High School after being put on probation for assault on a stalker. During the course of a
school year, he and other students awaken to their Persona powers, become masked vigilantes
dubbed the "Phantom Thieves of Hearts", and explore a supernatural realm called "Palace" to steal
ill intent from the hearts of adults. As with previous titles in the series, the party does battle with
supernatural enemies using manifestations of their psyche called Personas. The game incorporates
standard role-playing gameplay and exploration alongside social simulation elements.
Preparatory work began around the same time as the development of Persona 4, with full
development beginning after the release of Catherine in 2011. Returning prominent staff from
previous games included director and producer Katsura Hashino, character designer Shigenori
Soejima, and composer Shoji Meguro. The game's themes revolved around attaining freedom from
the limitations of modern society; the story was strongly inspired by picaresque fiction, and the
party's initial Personas were based around the theme of outlaws. First announced in 2013, the game
was delayed from its original late 2014 release date so its quality and content could be improved.
Contents
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1Gameplay

2Synopsis
o

2.1Setting and characters

2.2Plot

3Development
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3.1Story and themes

3.2Art design

3.3Audio

4Release

5Reception
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5.1Sales

6References

7External links

Gameplay[edit]
See also: Gameplay of the Persona series
Persona 5 is a role-playing video game where the player takes on the role of a silent protagonist, a
high school student who lives out a single year while attending high school in Tokyo: Tokyo is
governed by a day-night cycle and weather systems that govern general behavior similar to a social
simulation. The year is punctuated by both scripted and random events the protagonist attends
school, can go to part-time jobs within Tokyo, and pursue leisure activities or creating items for use in
other areas of the game. These various activities raise character attributes, which in turn grant
passive buffing effects during battle.[1][2][3][4] When in the real world, the main protagonist can develop
character relationships dubbed "Cooperation". An evolution of the Social Link system from Persona
3 and 4, the main protagonist can converse with and improve his relationship with characters. The
main cast are among those with Cooperation branches, with some leading to possible romances.
Each relationship is symbolized by one of the major arcana, and each Cooperation link grants
different boosts to the character: one character link enables the Baton Touch system which passes
on an added turn to another character while granting a temporary stat boost, while others improve
Negotiation abilities or give access to new items and equipment. [3]

The game's silent protagonistconducts two alternating lives over the course of a school year: a normal life
involving going to class (top), and quests into the otherworldly Palace to fight hostile Shadows (bottom)

Alongside the normal school life is exploration of two different types of dungeons within a realm
called the Palace: story-specific dungeons and randomly-generated Memento dungeons populated
by Shadows, manifestations of suppressed psyches. Within Memento dungeons, the main
protagonist can fulfill requests for non-playable characters (NPCs) received through a sympathetic
in-game forum connected to one of the Cooperation links.[1][3][4][5] While navigating, the party uses
stealth to avoid the sight of enemy Shadows, and some areas hold puzzles that can be solved using
an insight ability dubbed "Third Eye".[6] When exploring the Palace, an "Alertness Meter" is present,
where the party being spotted results in security being raised alongside awareness of their
presence. If security becomes too tight, the party is forced to leave the Palace. The Alertness level
can be lowered by launching surprise attacks on and eliminating enemies. [7]
As with previous entries in the series, the game uses a turn-based combat system: battles can be
initiated when the party runs into an enemy, or they can launch a surprise attack and gain an
advantage in battle. In battle, the party has access to long-range and short-range weapons, in
addition to being able to summon Personas.[4][8][9] Personas, the manifestations of the main
characters' inner psyche, in this game summoned through the mask each character wears.
Beginning with an initial Persona, the party uses elemental, physical and magical attacks: each
enemy has a particular weakness.[6][8][9] If a character strikes an enemy's weak point, they are

awarded an additional turn and knock down the enemy. When all enemies are knocked down, a
"Hold Up" session is triggered. During Hold Up, the party can launch a devastating All-Out Attack,
demand money or items, or enter Negotiation. Negotiation allows the protagonist to win the selected
Shadow over to their side to become a new Persona: they can only be persuaded if the protagonist
is of the right level and has sufficient room in their roster.[1][4][10] When a party member is knocked out,
they can be captured by the enemy Shadows, and they will be unable to return to the party if the
resultant Negotiation fails.[7]
New Personas are gained from battle through successful Negotiation, and different Persona types
are represented through different arcana with relevant Cooperation links. Personas can in turn be
fused and further manipulated within the Velvet Room, a realm the protagonist visits as part of his
journey through the story where he can also accept side quests.[5][11] Within the Velvet Room,
Personas can be fused with "Guillouteen" fusion processes, with the resultant Persona inheriting
skills and stats from its parents. The more skills a Persona has, the more are passed on to the fused
Persona. How powerful Personas are through fusion depends on how advanced its associated
Cooperation link is. In addition, Personas can be sacrificed in various ways, also styled after styles
of capital punishment: "Hanging" grants a sacrificed Persona's experience points to another chosen
Persona, and "Electric Chair" sacrifices one to create a high-end item. A Persona can also be sent
into "Solitary Confinement", where they undergo intensive training and gain additional skills quicker
than normal. The number of days a Persona must remain to gain strength lessens based on its
arcana strength.[5]
Minor multiplayer elements are incorporated into the game through the "Phantom Thieves Alliance"
network. Similar to the "Vox Populi" system from Persona 4 Golden, players can use the in-game
SNS app to communicate both with in-game characters and other players via PlayStation Network.
Players can send messages to each other about what activities they have performed, in addition to
affecting the Alertness metre in the player's favor and aiding in battle when a party member is taken
hostage.[3][7]

Synopsis[edit]