PlayStation Magazine - 05.2020

085

REVIEW

palaces. They’re varied, each
one linked to an Arcana, with
a variety of moves.
The turn-based combat has
been overhauled for Royal,
making it even slicker than it
was before. Hitting an enemy
with a type of attack they’re
weak to (such as gunfire for a
Pixie) knocks them down as
always, allowing you to use a
baton pass to throw the turn
over to a party member for
extra hits, but now you can
perform technical attacks to
knock them down, such as
putting them to sleep with a
debuff skill and then whacking
them on the head. Performing
a baton pass has extra benefits
in Royal, as you can heal HP
and SP as well as boost attack
strength (providing your bond
is a high enough level).
A new grapple attack means
you can start fights with an
immediate debuff. You might
encounter Disaster Shadows,
strong foes that can unleash
devastating counterattacks, but

if killed off quickly explode and

instead deal huge amounts of

damage to the other enemies.

Most of the boss fights

been given a fresh do-over,

with interesting new phases

and twists that make them

feel a little more special being

introduced. These challenge

you to think about a fight in

ways beyond doing the most

damage to your opponent.

More than ever, Persona 5’s

mechanics are used to further

the narrative, whether that’s a

high art plagiarist making fake

copies of himself to fight you,

or smart-aleck Akechi always

throwing three bullseyes in a

row at the new darts spot in

town. It’s bigger, better,more.

VERDICT

THE OPM BREAKDOWN

Right Ambush
enemies and
use baton pass
to chain skills
to end fights
end quickly.

Below The
grappling hook
breathes new
life into Persona
5’s dungeons.

Above left Akechi fans get plenty of new content in the revamped game.

While there’s a lot new to love,

you still need to be a devoted

Persona-head to go through it

all again. But if you are prepared

to put in the time, the Phantom

Thieves will steal your heart

once more. Oscar Taylor-Kent

8%Making

coffee to

restore SP in

the cafe you

live in.

27% Blowing

off adventuring

to hang with

friends getting

fashionable in

Harajuku.

20%Spending

ages fusing your

persona to get the

perfect team.

5%Planning

the perfect date

for any friends

who become

extra-special.

WHAT YOU DO IN... PERSONA 5 ROYAL

30%

Running through

some of the best

RPG dungeons

ever made.

10% Finally

understanding

why Akechi has

so many fans.

Sitting in front of the TV to play

a 100-hour-long JRPG is quite

the commitment. Thanks to PS4

Remote Play, you can do that from

a larger selection of positions. Royal

looks great on the handheld, and controls

with minimal delay – perfect for some bedtime grinding.

ALSO ON PLAYSTATION VITA

HOW TO... STAY IN PALACES LONGER

All the Phantom Thieves’

targets now have three

Will seeds hidden inside

them. Once collected,

these fuse together to

form a skill-granting

accessory. They also

give you an SP boost

when collected, meaning

you can spend more

time in the palace.

FRIENDS FOREVER

Our in-game calendars feel busier

than ever as we try to get close to

our favourite characters and find

out more about the new ones.

NO BROMANCE

New scenes with Akechi flesh him

out, and many play up the near-

romance between him and the main

character. But we can’t date him!

LOVING/HATING

EG

TT

NI

G

TH

EV

APO

RS

TROPHY CABINET

HT

E

PA

TH

CH

OSEN

OM (^) A
TS
S
UT
DI
OU
S^
DIS
GUIS
E
BRONZE
Hit up the local
bathhouse at the same
time as a steam-loving
old man to see if you
withstand the heat.
SILVER
Take the number one
spot in the schools’
exams by answering
trivia questions.
How charismatic.
GOLD
Just beat the game for
this one. With playtime
clocking in at around
100 hours, you’ve really
got to earn it.