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| Scott Clay |
Learn about how the developers are tackling both titles.
03.09.15 - 3:30 PM
In commemoration of the Persona 5 and Persona 4: Dancing All Night announcements from the Persona Super Live concert, Atlus and Dengeki put out another issue of the Persona Magazine last week in Japan. The magazine included interviews with the development staff, giving us a little more insight on what we can expect from both titles.
The first interview with Persona 5 director and producer Katsua Hasino and character designer Shigenori Soejima details the production and reception of the recent trailer, along with talk about the game's overarching themes. Hasino and Soejima both felt that production of the trailer had to be done as soon as possible to let the fans know the game was still moving forward. The reception they got from the trailer has been very positive, which was a huge relief for them. According to Soejima, the choice of style for the trailer and the game was unintentional, and it's more a reflection of all the hurdles the team has been though since the end of Persona 4.
Persona 5's picaresque theme had some light shed on it as well. Hashino stated, "If there's one thing that lies at the center of our themes in the game, it's the notion people have that there are things that they want to do with their lives but can't actually realize for one reason or another. One of the goals in making Persona 5, then, is to give those people an outlet to explore those thrills and experience that sense of freedom that the protagonists themselves have within the context of a game. Although that being said, I won't deny that a lot of us were also just way into stories about good-natured thieves like Lupin III growing up, too."
The team wanted to get across the point that the world is the main character's oyster and it is his to take. The masks and the urban area are also very intentional, and play into the picaresque style. Soejima and Hashino finally noted that they have a lot more of Persona 5 to show off in the near future including some allied characters that we have yet to be shown, so they both hope that fans will be patient because the pay off will be worth it in the end.
The second interview with Kazuhisa Wada, the producer and director of Persona 4: Dancing All Night, discusses the development of the rhythm game. Wada was clear that even though this is a spin-off game, it was important to maintain the personalities and charms of each character from Persona 4. Each character remains faithful to the original game and dances in a style that fits them personally. According to Wada, the game's development was clearly different from anything the team had done before, ranging from making fully proportioned models to the scratch mechanic that would be the core gameplay element. He noted that balancing the playability and keeping things flashy on screen was the hardest part of developing the title. The team didn't want the game to be difficult because of what was happening on screen, but didn't want the game to be to easy either. In the end, they felt like they have found a good balance. Wada has paid attention to fan feedback, and is using it to support the rest of the development in hopes to get the final product out soon.
The final interview of the magazine is with Ryota Kozuka, one of the head composers at Atlus who has done a lot of work on Dancing All Night. Kozuka's interview focuses on the actual music of the game, ranging from the opening theme, "Dance!" to the very peculiar full version of the "Junes Theme". Kozuka got to work with a lot of outside talent for the large amount of remixes in the game, which according to him was a humbling experience. He hopes that the combination of remixes, original pieces, and tracks from Persona 4 will keep everyone playing and enjoying the game for some time.
Persona 5 is coming to the PlayStation 3 and 4 but has yet to receive a release date. Persona 4: Dancing All Night is scheduled for release in Japan on the PlayStation Vita on June 25th, but a western release date has not yet been announced.
