Playing this directly after playing Persona 5 Royal. This is a great sequel to the journey of the Phantom Thieves. If you haven't played Royal, I suggest doing that first, then picking this one up.Although the game changes up genre from Royal, it feels quite similar to the Persona 5 Royal in some of the elements of combat. The Dynasty Warrior style combat is quite overwhelming at times but if you can keep up with the hordes of enemies or raid style bosses, you'll have a great time.The story for this game is alright but it's the moments of characters interacting with each other that made this game pretty special. Plus, the elements of exploring Japan is great where you get to visit many familiar locations if you know locations in Japan. Music is also ... MorePlaying this directly after playing Persona 5 Royal. This is a great sequel to the journey of the Phantom Thieves. If you haven't played Royal, I suggest doing that first, then picking this one up.Although the game changes up genre from Royal, it feels quite similar to the Persona 5 Royal in some of the elements of combat. The Dynasty Warrior style combat is quite overwhelming at times but if you can keep up with the hordes of enemies or raid style bosses, you'll have a great time.The story for this game is alright but it's the moments of characters interacting with each other that made this game pretty special. Plus, the elements of exploring Japan is great where you get to visit many familiar locations if you know locations in Japan. Music is also fan-freaking-tastic, really good bangers.

A new addition to my favorite games

One of my favorite Switch games and a great continuation of the P5 story. The opening scene had so much lovely nostalgia in it, which is funny because I'm still playing Royal after finishing vanilla Persona 5, so there really wasn't a reason for me to feel like I miss the Phantom Thieves, but that's a testament to how good the atory snd characters are. They make you feel like you really are reuniting with friends after a long absence. Zenkichi is an awesome addition to the team and such a great character with a fun, unique Persona and skill set that makes passing the baton and controlling him it's own interesting challenge and I've enjoyed playing as Zenkichi as much as I do playing as Joker. The cooking and Bond level mechanics feel like a natural extension of the ... MoreOne of my favorite Switch games and a great continuation of the P5 story. The opening scene had so much lovely nostalgia in it, which is funny because I'm still playing Royal after finishing vanilla Persona 5, so there really wasn't a reason for me to feel like I miss the Phantom Thieves, but that's a testament to how good the atory snd characters are. They make you feel like you really are reuniting with friends after a long absence. Zenkichi is an awesome addition to the team and such a great character with a fun, unique Persona and skill set that makes passing the baton and controlling him it's own interesting challenge and I've enjoyed playing as Zenkichi as much as I do playing as Joker. The cooking and Bond level mechanics feel like a natural extension of the main game and I really like getting to explore areas, find recipes and have soecial little side mission requests for the other Phantom Thieves. I really can't say enough good things about this game. It helps that Persona 5/R is one of my all time favorite video games and really reinvigorated my gaming life, where I'd taken a long break from JRPGs infavor of hack and slash, Western RPG and FPS games for quite a long time. Persona reminded me of what I love about the genre and made me revisit old favorites like FFX and Dragon Quest. I highly reccomend this game to anyone though, not just Persona, JRPG or Musou style game fans. The characters, art direction, soundtrack and combat are all top tier and the friendship between the Phantom Thieves and the character growth they undergo in the story is well worth your time.

A sequel worht experiencing

Honestly, I can't praise the game enough. It was a smart move to use this opportunity to tell another story about the main characters from Persona 5. And while it is a spinoff in terms of gameplay style it feels like the kind of sequel story the original game deserved.The only negative I'd have is that it is following up on the story of Persona 5 and not Persona 5 Royal. But as a whole that distinction doesn't impact the experience very much so it still holds up.The game ran really well on the PS4 and I had no complaints about the performance. And I still have the original PS4 so not even getting any Pro improvements there. The music is great and you have the options to use music from the other Persona 5 games which is a nice treat. There are elements that were ... MoreHonestly, I can't praise the game enough. It was a smart move to use this opportunity to tell another story about the main characters from Persona 5. And while it is a spinoff in terms of gameplay style it feels like the kind of sequel story the original game deserved.The only negative I'd have is that it is following up on the story of Persona 5 and not Persona 5 Royal. But as a whole that distinction doesn't impact the experience very much so it still holds up.The game ran really well on the PS4 and I had no complaints about the performance. And I still have the original PS4 so not even getting any Pro improvements there. The music is great and you have the options to use music from the other Persona 5 games which is a nice treat. There are elements that were simplified from the original game to work within Strikers, but it's nice they used as many elements as they did considering this could have gone in a lot of different directions.This game is absolutely worth getting. Might not work as well if you haven't given Persona 5 a shot. Although they do try to explain some things so you aren't 100% in the dark, you are still better off playing that first. This is a sequel story after all. It is fun, you get plenty of hours (I finished around 55 hours) with more you can do if you want to get the most out of it.

An excellent sequel.

Admittedly, I was a little worried with how ATLUS would handle this game. Previously, with Persona 3 and Persona 4, their sequels came in the form of "side games" like fighting games. This time around, Persona 5 Strikers comes in the form of a "Dynasty Warriors-lite" kind of game, with the rest of it resembling more of a traditional Persona game.What we do have is fantastic. The music sees a return of the likes of Lyn and Lotus Juice and it is fantastic. The camaraderie with the main characters feels more cohesive and genuine this time around. The game runs surprisingly smooth at 30 FPS (with some hiccups). The graphics, unfortunately, have no AA on it. This results in jaggies all over the place.My main issue with Persona 5 is that the game's story did not feel ... MoreAdmittedly, I was a little worried with how ATLUS would handle this game. Previously, with Persona 3 and Persona 4, their sequels came in the form of "side games" like fighting games. This time around, Persona 5 Strikers comes in the form of a "Dynasty Warriors-lite" kind of game, with the rest of it resembling more of a traditional Persona game.What we do have is fantastic. The music sees a return of the likes of Lyn and Lotus Juice and it is fantastic. The camaraderie with the main characters feels more cohesive and genuine this time around. The game runs surprisingly smooth at 30 FPS (with some hiccups). The graphics, unfortunately, have no AA on it. This results in jaggies all over the place.My main issue with Persona 5 is that the game's story did not feel cohesive enough, even though it tries tying things together near the end. Persona 5 Strikers at least remedies that by having a clear cut mission from the beginning. With the friendships already settled from the start, there's no need to waste time on fluff. Our protagonists just get up and go.If you've played Persona 5 or Persona 5 Royal, you certainly owe it to yourself to play through Persona 5 Strikers. You won't regret it.

Great RPG, more Persona than a musou

This is a really good game. I went in expecting at least a fun romp through the P5 world with some musou combat that would get old fast, but perhaps still be fun enough to let me blow through the story. This turned out very different to that. This is nearly a full-blown Persona game with just a touch of musou. The combat setup functions like a musou with large groups of trash enemies with sometimes a few stronger enemies in between, so there are no turns, but otherwise it is entirely Persona. The ever present Persona abilities, items, all-out attacks, and baton passes are all there. I do wish that you could swap in team members that aren't currently present in the party. The story and writing is quite good, and feels classic Persona style and fun. The length was ... MoreThis is a really good game. I went in expecting at least a fun romp through the P5 world with some musou combat that would get old fast, but perhaps still be fun enough to let me blow through the story. This turned out very different to that. This is nearly a full-blown Persona game with just a touch of musou. The combat setup functions like a musou with large groups of trash enemies with sometimes a few stronger enemies in between, so there are no turns, but otherwise it is entirely Persona. The ever present Persona abilities, items, all-out attacks, and baton passes are all there. I do wish that you could swap in team members that aren't currently present in the party. The story and writing is quite good, and feels classic Persona style and fun. The length was about 50 hours for me which is good. I was not disappointed here. My one criticism would be that the early game can turn some players off because it is rather unforgiving. Early on, you have very limited MP reserves to cast spells to hit enemy weaknesses, your stats suck due to lack of gear, and items are pretty scarce. Some non-boss enemies can also 2 or 3 shot you as well. I would advise new players to pay extra attention in the early game to your own weaknesses, your position in the playing field, and to make use of the ability to auto-heal upon leaving the jail. Graphics, sound, and loading times are all fine though I would have liked to see the UI and text be scales to the Switch native resolution.

Great value, entertaining, and portable. Yes pls!

First some helpful background: I've collected and beaten ALL of the games from the publisher (ATLUS) of the Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) series and Persona series who published this game I'm reviewing. There's a LOT of games that were made for past consoles for this series so let's just summarize I've heavily invested myself. Many if not all of these games usually have a 100 hour minimum playthrough. But don't let that scare you; it's a great thing because that means there's a lot of story value. The most recent game in this series (Persona 5 Royal) I finished before Strikers came out and on last check I put 368 hours into it. Just goes to show how much the game offers. Many of the Persona series are very replayable, and reward you when you start a new game after ... MoreFirst some helpful background: I've collected and beaten ALL of the games from the publisher (ATLUS) of the Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) series and Persona series who published this game I'm reviewing. There's a LOT of games that were made for past consoles for this series so let's just summarize I've heavily invested myself. Many if not all of these games usually have a 100 hour minimum playthrough. But don't let that scare you; it's a great thing because that means there's a lot of story value. The most recent game in this series (Persona 5 Royal) I finished before Strikers came out and on last check I put 368 hours into it. Just goes to show how much the game offers. Many of the Persona series are very replayable, and reward you when you start a new game after beating it (A.K.A.: New Game+) often letting you keep most to all of the things you unlocked in your first playthrough so you can enjoy the story more on your second round. This is true as well for this game.Okay so onto Strikers: If this is your first Persona game, you're in for a great time. This game is a sequel to Persona 5 on PS3/PS4 (not the Royal Edition though because it doesn't have those characters or story details.) You don't need to have played Persona 5 to enjoy Strikers, but it will definitely make the experience better if you do or are aware of P5's story.If you are a veteran of the Persona games, the only thing to keep in mind is that it uses the same "hack and slash" game mechanics as Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and this is because the same developer created this originally for Persona 5 Strikers and then did it again for Age of Calamity. So to a veteran, it will seem a little off in terms of the style that Persona and Shin Megami Tensei is known for. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing! To me, it was fresh and still made sense in the story. And best part is you can fight with other characters, which you couldn't previously do.Story is a staple of ATLUS games and this time it's as entertaining with some hilarious scenes and absolutely is worth it if you've played any of the Persona games. Not to mention they kept the same voice actors as the original in both English and Japanese. I normally play JRPGs with the Japanese cast because, duh. However this is one of the very few JRPGs that I will listen to the English cast because it's so good and sounds very close to their Japanese counterparts.P5 Strikers is not a short game (it's a full length sequel), but that's one of the things that I have always loved about ATLUS games. For example, I have thought Persona 3-5 have had very memorable stories and like I mentioned at the top, have usually 100 hrs minimum to get through the story and other sections, and that means great value for the money you spend. I also really evaluate the replayability that games come with and I have always returned to the Persona games because of how good an impact they leave. Not to forget they reward you for finishing the game with New Game+. I have been finding that the Switch's $60 game tax doesn't hurt as much when games have a lot of long play value and of course replayability. That being said, there's so much good I can say about this game and series so I'll say if you love RPGs and especially JRPGs, this is well worth checking out. This game isn't going to appeal to everyone but if you're reading this amongst other research you've done, I'm sure this will appeal to you and then some. I hope sharing my experience will be helpful to you.Differences between PS4 and Switch Versions:So this section I made sure to mention because a lot of reviews online criticize the Switch version's presentation quality. This is true, while PS4 and especially PS4 Pro will output this game far higher than the Switch can, I bought my copy for Switch and played the demo on my PS4 Pro to see the graphics difference myself. Playing P5S docked on my Switch looks just fine, nothing looks broken and no real loss of detail. It does play in low resolution undocked but that hasn't been a deal breaker for me. This was the first modern Persona game to release on another console because it was originally exclusive to Playstation consoles before, so I didn't care, I was ecstatic to have Persona on the go and don't mind the little things that come with it.Honestly though, it's your call on what you prefer: Do you like the best graphics or do you want to play portably? One other thing I do need to mention is while the entire game is playable from the Switch cartridge with no extra downloads to your Switch SSD, it does have slower load times compared to PS4. But that is because of the limitations of the Switch. I don't consider that a dealbreaker for me because I wanted this game to play at home and on the go. I mention all of these things to keep in mind if these are considerations you have when buying a game. Also IMO buying the Switch version will let ATLUS and SEGA know they should be making their Persona/SMT games for Switch along with other consoles and PC.

Highly recommended those who enjoyed Persona 5

I’m really loving this game. I’ve played Persona 5 to completion on PS3, and I’m on the third arc in this game right now. Its story is well-written, the combat is fun and engaging (it’s not just some hack and slash, I’ve found some difficulty in normal mode that required strategy), and the music and design are *chef’s kiss*.Keep in mind, this game is not Persona 5 or Persona 5: Royal. It is an action game—those are strategy games. Explore Japan and rebel against those who oppress its people. You move quickly, and you’re on summer vacation. You’re not spending time developing relationships—you already have them.I do not recommend playing this game without having played either previous P5 game or without watching the P5 show, as some plot figures may go over your ... MoreI’m really loving this game. I’ve played Persona 5 to completion on PS3, and I’m on the third arc in this game right now. Its story is well-written, the combat is fun and engaging (it’s not just some hack and slash, I’ve found some difficulty in normal mode that required strategy), and the music and design are *chef’s kiss*.Keep in mind, this game is not Persona 5 or Persona 5: Royal. It is an action game—those are strategy games. Explore Japan and rebel against those who oppress its people. You move quickly, and you’re on summer vacation. You’re not spending time developing relationships—you already have them.I do not recommend playing this game without having played either previous P5 game or without watching the P5 show, as some plot figures may go over your head and you may not understand the pre-established relationships and tensions. This game’s story has a mature tone and deals with trauma.If you have played the previous game, watched the show, or don’t care for context, I highly recommend this game. I’m 23 hours in, and I’m going to be in for a while. I’m fighting monsters across Japan all the while practically watching an adequate anime along the way.

Not the same as P5, but a really good adventure

This game is nothing like the oringinal Persona 5, but it doesn't have to be. It's just what I wanted in a spin-off/sequel to one of my favourite games ever. The story and villains aren't anything new or outstanding, but I didn't really want them to be. I just love the P5 cast and wanted to see more casual summer vacation interactions with them, and there's plenty of that. The dialogue is funny and it shows off each character's personalities and inner problems really well, especially with the new character Sophia. Not sure why they keep adding redhead girls to Persona 5 but they have both been among my favourite characters, and the way they write Sophia helps each already existing character shine brighter when the robot has to try to understand what makes them ... MoreThis game is nothing like the oringinal Persona 5, but it doesn't have to be. It's just what I wanted in a spin-off/sequel to one of my favourite games ever. The story and villains aren't anything new or outstanding, but I didn't really want them to be. I just love the P5 cast and wanted to see more casual summer vacation interactions with them, and there's plenty of that. The dialogue is funny and it shows off each character's personalities and inner problems really well, especially with the new character Sophia. Not sure why they keep adding redhead girls to Persona 5 but they have both been among my favourite characters, and the way they write Sophia helps each already existing character shine brighter when the robot has to try to understand what makes them human. The loss of social links is kinda a bummer, but the new characters are really fun and cool. The new combat style works really well for a new take on the SMT style. I wouldn't want a full "Persona 6" like this, but it definitely fits in a spin-off/sequel like this. Very rewarding when you finally understand how it works and how you can use each persona you craft's strengths while not draining your SP every fight.I preordered it and my package came the day it came out in mint condition, would recommend ordering it here if it's still the cheapest option.

Strikers is an excellent sequel to Persona 5

Persona 5 Strikers is excellent. This is in every respect a worthy sequel to 2017’s worldwide hit, Persona 5. While being developed by Koei Tecmo and diverging from the mainline turn-based combat in favor of the musuo-dynasty warriors style action combat, it manages to feel entirely familiar and new all at once. (5 hours in) and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my time with it — being back with the beloved Phantom Thieves on a brand new adventure feels, well... like coming home.The soundtrack carries some new tunes that are just as excellent as P5’s brilliant score, and some returning tracks are a nice touch. The voice actors return to reprise their respective roles for each character and this is very, very good. Some of the best voice acting in the video game ... MorePersona 5 Strikers is excellent. This is in every respect a worthy sequel to 2017’s worldwide hit, Persona 5. While being developed by Koei Tecmo and diverging from the mainline turn-based combat in favor of the musuo-dynasty warriors style action combat, it manages to feel entirely familiar and new all at once. (5 hours in) and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my time with it — being back with the beloved Phantom Thieves on a brand new adventure feels, well... like coming home.The soundtrack carries some new tunes that are just as excellent as P5’s brilliant score, and some returning tracks are a nice touch. The voice actors return to reprise their respective roles for each character and this is very, very good. Some of the best voice acting in the video game industry here, and it shows. My only issue is that, on the Switch anyways, sometimes the voice acted lines drop in volume and the music drowns them out — it’s an odd occurrence and is certainly distracting, but it’s not too frequent to be a huge problem. I’m hoping that will be fixed in a future patch.Otherwise, everything here feels authentically Persona in the best way. In fact, if someone told me P Studio made this, I might have believed them. The recreations of LeBlanc cafe and the Phantom Thieves hideout in the main protagonists upstairs room, the bustling city on Main Street, etc - it all looks exactly as it did in P5.The story so far is interesting and does exactly what it needs to in order to create a reason for the Phantoms to jump back into the action. The inclusion of the new character Sophia is welcome - she’s funny and endearing and I’ve enjoyed her addition to the crew. As mentioned at the beginning, though, this story is a direct sequel to P5 vanilla - so no return of Kasumi or Dr. Maruki from Royal as that is not considered canon.In terms of gameplay, while you still carry on walking around town and the like talking with your crew and NPC’s and buying items from shops, there is no social sim bonding. The more I’ve played, the more I miss this aspect of gameplay as it’s always been my biggest draw to the Persona games and is what sets them apart in many respects from most other JRPG’s. Despite this, the heavy emphasis on narrative and character dialogue is still present here much like it was in P5.The combat reminds me of both Final Fantasy VII Remake and FFXV in that you are fighting in real time, but pausing/slowing down time to select from a side menu special attacks — in Strikers you do this by hitting R trigger to summon your persona and select from their attacks, as well as can pause the action to select restorative items. You can a switch to your other team mates by hitting the directional pad which works as this games version of baton pass. There’s many more intricacies and much more depth here, but suffice it to say that it feels both familiar and refreshingly new at the same time to both be playing an action RPG version of Persona while retaining some turn-based menu aspects of the mainline series.Dungeon crawling feels mostly reminiscent of P5’s palaces. Gimmicks and minor puzzles abound here that block your progress. Plenty of enemies to hide and ambush or go all out on. Some shifting perspectives (where it will transition from 3rd person behind the back to an almost 2D side scrolling perspective. There’s tons of stuff going on, the combat is mostly fluid and strategic (albeit it at times a bit chaotic), and it all feels very good.I’m very interested in the story Strikers has presented me with. Coming back to the Phantom Thieves feels great. And the changes in combat for this title are welcome after plying through P5 and P5: Royal, I’m okay taking a break from strict turn-based combat. So glad this game was finally localized for the west!!!!

Strong sequel that may not make sense to newcomers

While not quite as good as its source material, Persona 5 Strikers is a strong sequel to the original Persona 5 with fun combat and a solid story. I highly recommend it to any Persona fan. The art style and music is slick as always, and even normal JRPG haters like myself love this series. That being said, if you don't like Warriors/ARPGs, this might not cause an epiphany. The OG Persona 5 was able to convert JRPG haters, this might not have as much success.The only issue is that it may not make sense if you haven't played the first game. If you're a Switch owner and don't have a PS4, then I recommend looking up a synopsis before playing this. If you have a PS4, I recommend playing Persona 5 or Persona 5 Royal first. Royal is better than the OG Persona 5, but ... MoreWhile not quite as good as its source material, Persona 5 Strikers is a strong sequel to the original Persona 5 with fun combat and a solid story. I highly recommend it to any Persona fan. The art style and music is slick as always, and even normal JRPG haters like myself love this series. That being said, if you don't like Warriors/ARPGs, this might not cause an epiphany. The OG Persona 5 was able to convert JRPG haters, this might not have as much success.The only issue is that it may not make sense if you haven't played the first game. If you're a Switch owner and don't have a PS4, then I recommend looking up a synopsis before playing this. If you have a PS4, I recommend playing Persona 5 or Persona 5 Royal first. Royal is better than the OG Persona 5, but Strikers is a direct sequel to OG Persona 5 so some things will be missing if you've only played Royal (Wow this gets confusing).Pros: Good Warriors/ARPG gameplay, strong story, fantastic presentationCons: Won't make sense if you haven't played the original titles, may not cause an epiphany like the original game if this isn't normally your jam.