Persona 5 Strikersis a wonderful spin-off of the popular JRPGPersona 5that’s a must-play for anyone who enjoyedPersona 5.CompletingP5before playingPersona 5 Strikersis highly recommended, because even though the latter is advertised as a spin-off, it feels more like a sequel;Strikersassumes that players know about the characters and the rules of its world going in.
The Phantom Thieves Explained
The most important thing to know about thePersona 5story before picking upStrikersis its lore.Persona 5spends the first 10 hours or so laying out the rules of the world, and it can get a little bit complicated. Without knowing how palaces and changes of hearts work,Strikersmay be confusing. In essence, the Phantom Thieves enter “mind palaces” of criminals with corrupted or evil desires and steal the manifestation of that desire, which takes the form of a treasure. In stealing the treasure, the Phantom Thieves cause the criminal to have a change of heart and confess their crimes. Every mission feels like a heist, and while the Phantom Thieves are working their way through a palace, the characters are also working through the real-life consequences of the palace owner’s actions.
Another crucial element is thePersonas themselves. Personas are consistent across all of Atlus’Personagames, so for existing fans it’s nothing new. Each member of the Phantom Thieves has their own specific persona - with the exception of Joker, who has many. Personas are the personifications of each character’s rebellious spirit, and theyhelp the Phantom Thievesdefeat Shadows. Each character has an “awakening,” which happens when they decide to defy what’s expected of them, or what they expect of themselves.
For players diving into theworld ofPersona 5withStrikers,the Personas aren’t explained as thoroughly. When a character’s persona is awakened, they get their special costume and come up with their code name to be used in palaces for protection.
Persona 5’s Characters Explained
The other important story element fromPersona 5is its characters.P5spends hours painstakingly introducingeach new member of the Phantom Thieves,exploring their backstories, and giving them their own unique arc.Strikersexpects players know who the characters are and where they came from, so it’s important to know the basics.
Joker is the protagonist of bothPersona 5andStrikers.After being falsely accused of a crime by a corrupt politician, Joker is sent to a new school where he meets the Phantom Thieves and awakens his primary persona, Arsene. Unlike the other party members, Joker can collect many different personas and wield their powers.
Morgana (Mona) is the mascot ofPersona 5.He appears early in the story and instructs players about all the technicalities and rules regarding Personas and palaces. In the real world he appears as a normal cat, but in palaces he appears as a bipedal cat-like creature. Morgana believes that he was once human, and is determined to discover the truth about his origins and strange powers.
Ryuji (Skull) and Ann (Panther) are the first membersto join the team, and together with Morgana they form the core of the Phantom Thieves. Ryuji is the class clown and former track star who many believe to be a bad influence. As two misunderstood misfits, he and Joker become fast friends. Ann joins the team to help bring down Mr. Kamoshida, the game’s first major boss, after Ann and her best friend Shiho were victims of Kamoshida’s abuse.
From there, others slowly join the team. Yusuke (Fox) is an artist whose talent was taken advantage of by his famous teacher. Makoto (Queen) is the high school’s student body president who fears being useless above all else, and Futaba (Oracle) is a younger girl who has serious social anxiety and wrongly blames herself for her mother’s death. Finally,Haru (Noir) is the reluctant heiressof her father’s massive fast food corporation, which abuses its workers. Each chapter ofPersona 5lets the new recruit face off against their villain and overcome personal challenges, and the team becomes inseparable along the way.
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Persona 5 Strikers is Technically a Spin-Off
Even though it takes place afterPersona 5and feels like a sequel for those who have played the original, newcomers to the series shouldn’t feel too intimidated byStrikers.It’s really a spin-off, which implies it’s a good game for newcomers to try. It helps to know what the Phantom Thieves have been through together, but it’s not essential. Gamers often play games likeThe Witcher 3,God of War(2018) andRed Dead Redemption 2without playing their earlier entries and still appreciate them;Strikersis very similar.
Persona 5 Strikersalso takes the original premise and turns it on its head. InPersona 5,the Phantom Thievesworked to steal treasure and change the hearts of criminals. InStrikers,the goal is to stop corrupt “monarchs” from causing negative changes of hearts in innocent civilians. Instead of palaces, players explore jails. It’s a similar but fresh spin on the concept that keeps things interesting for veteran players and doesn’t make new players feel left out. It’s best to playPersona 5first, but for those who aren’t interested or aren’t able to, general knowledge will suffice.
Persona 5 Strikersis available now on PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.
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