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| Peter Triezenberg |
Includes a first look at Arsene, the main character's initial Persona!
02.14.15 - 12:35 AM
The hype train for Persona 5 has been chugging along as more and more details have come to light. Now, the latest issue of Dengeki PlayStation brings with it a whole host of new information and images, including a look at the protagonist's starting Persona, Arsene! Arsene's suave design may be a reference to the character Arsene Lupin, a gentleman thief from the works of Maurice Leblanc, which would tie in nicely with Persona 5's thematic concepts related to stealing and picaresque novels.
According to the article, a mysterious event will trigger the awakening of the protagonist's Persona (theorized to be represented by the blue flames engulfing his face), and he and his friends will confront a great darkness that is enveloping the city. The primary setting of Persona 5, as we've mentioned before, is the Shibuya District, where the characters are students at Shujin Academy, a play on words for shuujin, which means 'prisoner.' The calender, weather, and student life systems will all be making a return in Persona 5, although the new 'Cooperation' elements seems to be Persona 5's replacement for Social Links.
Dungeon crawling will take place under the cover of night, where the protagonist and his friends don their masks and search for whatever it is they are trying to steal. Combat mechanics such as All-Out Attacks are confirmed to return, and enemies will once again be visible in the environment before engaging them (although the player can use stealth to avoid battles or get the jump on enemies). Speaking of returning elements from the Persona series, composer Shoji Meguro is giving the music a more 'acid jazz' vibe this time around.
Persona 5 is coming to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 at an unspecified date, but rest assured that we'll keep you posted as new developments arise.
