Levels

The first thing I'd Like to bring up is the level design. I feel it is in a CLASS OF ITS OWN, making these areas feel not as traditional levels where you go in a sort of straight line but a world or proper lively city in terms of travel. I felt a sort of similar feeling when I played BLASPHEMOUS for when returning to areas there are, by the time you've completed it, shortcuts that make it easier to travel. Final thing but I don't feel like I am slaving through an area, they feel much more managable as you go through it Besides the Tomb of the Giants

Bosses

Now, there are definitely some flaws such as the Bed of Chaor or the Four King IMO. But, all that aside I had a really god time with them. Most are quite Memorable and to me the most Important, fair. A good example of Fairness is Ornstein & Smough, Definitely didn't feel it at the time They feel difficult but not to the point of Impossible, which is great for this game. My Favorite Bosses:

• Ornstein & Smough
• Artorias
• Asylum Demon
• Priscila
• Gwyn
• Sif
• Moon Butterfly

Npcs

This part of the game is Both AMAZING but also A PAIN IN THE ASS Questlines for NPCS are somewhat complicated, especially for your first playthrough. There is a lot of specific Statuses or things that are needed for Certain NPCs, not hard with a Walkthrough but a challenge for those who don't. And the Npcs themselves are a treathaving so much personality and Welcome to this Dark and Cruel world you go through. The Goats IMO: Seigmeyer, Solaire, and Andre

Common Enemies

There are so many stupid enemies I didn't like, the bugs in blighttown, swamps, ALL DOG TYPE ENEMIES the rats, Wheel Skeletons, Lizards.

Story

The Story is quite unique with the world being barren in its landscape, making the small interaction with characters all the more memorable. The world is ruled by dragons in the beginnign, and it is not until the first flame is found when the four lord vanquish said dragons. From this they secured their position, and gave opportunity for the fearful humans to grow. It is a very interesting story that is even better after the game.

Favorite Area

Royal Forest,by far, had the most vibrancy out of all the previous areas and made it feel just as nice to walkthrough, same with the Sanctuary previously, b far one my favorite bonfire spots IMO. ALso, Anor Londo for more obvious reasons. It has mystery, beauty, deciet, and also a big turning point for the story

Bed of Chaos and Four Kings

To me, both of these were badBesides Pinwheel. Four kings is terrible if I had used my normal armour build, and also when fighting wiith Havel Armour felt more uninteresting fight in comparison to all of the other bosses thus farBed of Chaos, THE WORST BOSS IN THE GAME,tedious, annoying, and although lore-wise is pretty cool, does not make up for it

Gameplay and Progression

Felt clunky and slow in the beginning but pairs well overall with the surrounding. Same for progression, slow at first but when finished it feels rewarding. Not linear in the traditional sense but will pushu you in the right diirection. On that note, These games feel so well built for multiple playthroughs You're not supposed to find everything in the first palythrough. You are meant to get lost and not find everything, so on your second you finish solaire's questline, felel more familiar with the areas and in turn find it easier and much more welcoming. Areas tend to feel bigger then they actually are in retro spect

Side notes

• I didn't wanna make it a full section, but I feel upset and dissappointed with Lost Izalith, it had so much potential and now knowing the constraint of time and what would have been, is all the more upsetting
• Items were not well communicated on how to use them
• Other hated enemies: Bone dogs, Archers in Anor Londo, Aggro Range in Demon Ruins
• All of the DLC is AMAZING
• First Titanite Demon is INSANELY hard
• Songs and the usage of them are so cool,my favorite is the one in ASH LAKE

Adventurous

The beginning of this game opens with you to a discussion of your mother on the side of a cliff as you set up for camp. Eventually, as you go out to get some firewood and are seperated by an avalanche, and forced to explore a cave, where you find a minecart that presumably takes you back to the campsite, which then breaks, dropping you to your starter and in the region of Naljo. TO me, this gook was one my favorite parts of the game, being so different from the traditioan turn 10 or just moved in concept. You're not given a goal in the beginning of the game either which I liked too!

Sprites

The game includes a good chunk of new pokemon in terms of not just being Gen 1 and 2, thank god. And the sprite work done on them is just soooo good in my opinion. My personal favorite is Luxray, it is an intimidating one but it matches it really well. Not too much to say otherwise but felt it should be mentioned

Towns

Now, this isn't necessarily a downside but there a quite a few towns that feel the same. However, given the Hardware constraint it isn't something I necessarily hold against the game. But, there are some good ones, Here are some of my favorites

• Heath Village - Music, overall vibe and buildings in nighttime 10/10
• Acania Docks - Did a good job with the design and music
• Phlox and Phacelia, Saxifrage Prison, Firelight caves, and Naljo Ruins

Music

A cool thing that they did was Reuse many soundtracks or songs from other Pokemon games. I think it was a good fit and was done really well. Also, there are some original music in the game such as in Saxifrage Prison, which is my favorite song in the game

Music

Now the story to me wasn't too memorable as other mainline games, but not one to cast aside either. It wasn't groundbreaking but it was enough for me to have fun with it. The general themes they tackle are Industrialization, Preservation of Past ideas, and the Purpose or Roles we are given in life

Uniqueness

There are some really cool concepts that are used in the game. One of them is the ability to play as pokemon in certain areas. I found this to be really cool and fresh. They also had platforming levels, which added a whole other view of the game. Literally and in a way that did not feel out of place, props to how they did it!

Honorable Mentions

• Power Rangers were fun enemies
• Rival wasn't great but cool to see locked up at the end
• Provincinal Park
• I really liked the Dad Character

Areas

Now the amazing level design found in Dark Souls I is not present in this game, although, there are soem shortcut here and there, it is not to the same scale. The overall sense of progression was not terrible, having you go through 4 paths in order to get to the 4 Lord Souls and also having a similar concept of going back to prior areas at the end of the game. But some of these areas are not up to the same standard, overall though, the area progression isn't bad, just feels lackluster at times.

Enemy placement

OH MY GOD. They wanted you to suffer in this game for sure. Now to all the areas have bad enemy placement, but when they do it is absolutely terrible. And the difficult part part is that the enemies themselves are already difficult, leading you to have to find a way to lure them out , or run past them

Areas with Bad Enemy Placement: Iron Keep, Lost Bastille, Heide Tower, Brume Tower, Fallen Giants, Huntsman Copse, and Black Gulch

Bosses

Now the bosses in this game are pretty good, only thing really holding them back is the runbacks, and the reason for this the enemy placement. The on;y BAD BOSS I can think of with no redeeming qualities is the Dragon in Aldia's Keep. Other than that, the bosses were all round pretty good. Here are my favorite bosses

• Lost Sinner
• Ivory King
• Ruin Sentinels
• Smelter Demon
• Looking Glass Knight
• Veldstadt
• Fume Knight
• Sinh
• Nashandra
• Pursuer

Npcs

One thing they did good in this game was the Npcs, not as numerous but memorable. The only 2 questlines you really do are LUcatiels and Bernhardts.

Of course the best being Lucaties

Majula

A big aspect in Dark Souls I was the hub, and they nailed it!. Not necessarily as a converging point similar to Dark Souls 1, but more so the area you return to. It is jusy the right size and gives everyone a good location

Problems

Just wanna quick fire some things I didn't like but, but not enough to get a section.

• Staggering Enemies with Shield
• Poise with both you and enemies
• Roll Attack
• Hit Boxes on Enemies
• AGILITY

Story

The story follows suit of the first game with there being 4 great Lord Souls needed to get, and eventually leading to linking the fire. But the reason for the Journey is different with instead your main goal being to go to Anor Londo to get the Lord Vessel, to seek the king of Drangleic and become the Sovereign. I also like how they shed more light on the Hollowing and forgetting memories. Definitely a good story

Eluem Loyce

By far my favorite area is Eleum Loyce, with the overall atmosphere of it being un welcoming and full of light but in a way that's not warm. Also the branching paths as well as reexploration was really nice to see. And to top it off great dialogue and lore leading to an awesome BOSS FIGHT

Forlorn

Now something they changed in this game was Invasions, with you being able to get invaded at any time, and adding so much more. In my opinion, I feel they added to many with the reward only being few thousand souls and a human effigy. But, one of these invasions by chance and not a set encounter, is Forlorn. I saw this MF everywhere and of course his poise was insane. If I had fought him 1 or 2 tijmes it would bave been fine, but he pursued me more then the pursuer did.

Improvement

Here are some Improvements I felt while playing the game:

• Access to shards for Weapons
• Hub being more useful
• Huge Graphic Upgrade
• Bonfire Ascetic
• Can use all souls at once
• Faster way to get Boss Weapons

Section Title

Write your longer thoughts here. Add as many sections as you want.

Menu Visuals

This isn't my first Persona game, so I already had an expectation of there being a good visual style, coming from P3 and P4. Man, they just blew it out of the park with the ui and just all elements of the game. It is full of interactivity and is so responsive like, just the main menu with each submenu having a unique Joker sort of pose or action, is just so cool. It is really interesting, everything is so simple in the style with the art not being so detailed, but then gets very complex in the movement and interaction, it is a really good pairing. But they aren't just copies of eachother. Each submenu looks uniquely made, like the confidants, or the Persona menu, overall is amazing.

Setting

Now I will be honest, at first I wasn't too excited about it being located in Tokyo. Don't get me wrong, it is cool, but at the same time I liked the smaller more intimate spaces like Inaba and Port island. But after properly playing the game. The setting is just so perfect. I feel if the Persona team did any location it would be amazing. The thing about it is that they put so much detail that everything feels tied to it, as though putting these elements anywhere else just wouldn't work. Because Tokyo or Japan has a big fandom for moc builds, it would make sense to find a store with Model Guns, or getting part time Jobs. I've already been to some of these places before (in real life), but after a few hours of playing none of it really mattered. Really great, (although I hope they do a fictional one again for the next)

Party

The party members and overall group interaction was nice. It felt like they were close, but close for a common goal, and overtime it grew to be more than just that. I think the steady relationship they grew was nice and was perfect for this game. Also their designs were really nice, I liked that it wasn't exactly like 4, in which I felt I associated a color with each character. I can't think of much to say besides my favorite being Makoto, with her personality, and also her just being the goat in battle.

Battle Mechanics

Although of course it was built off of P4, they just blew it out of the park in this department. At first it felt weird, but to be fair it did feel the same way jumping from 3 to 4. I gotta say, adding Baton Passes, Technical, and kouga and eiga is perfect, I don't think I can ever go back (jk). The battle mechanics feel so well thought out, I really liked how fast it felt. Even if you don't use rush, if you know what you're doing, it will end fast. Overall, so smooth, well thought out turn based mechanics that are so far the best I have ever played with in any game, and I will miss it forever.

Personas

They changed and added some things with the personas too. First off, I liked the adding of abilities, although at times they feel a bit op (more so late game). It adds some more customization and made me want to fuse more to get specific abilities (like Relentless) on other personas. Something I didnt like for a while was the removal of 3, 4, and 5 way fusions. They did add advanced fusions for those specific kinds, but it still felt weird not having it for a while. They also added training, which can be huge (I mostly used it for Arsene), but its a nice side thing to have. Also the big addition: NEGOTIATIONS. At first, imma be honest, I was so confused and it felt so foreign to me. But now finishing it, I think it is perfect, and makes more sense then just having them appear on cards (although its not bad either). I liked the idea of negotiation, talking to the Demon (persona), needing to tune your answers to get them to join you, and also money and items too. I know its an SMT mechanic but it feels right at home, hope they continue this in P6

Palaces

Perfect, Perfect, Perfect. I am so glad these were not generated, but fine tuned and mapped. It feels nice moving or going somewhere, and it not being completely random. Im glad that they Palaces fit with the theme of Thiefs, and the palaces being places you could imagine robbery or thievery occuring. I think my favorite Palace has to be Maruki's. I liked one, how it was set up, being seen early on in the game, but not paying any mind to it. Two, It didn't really feel like an area of hostility, at least from Maruki, out of all the rulers, he was my favorite. I hope and pray, that they always do detailed dungeon/palace design, and give the same treatment to P4R

Confidants/Social Links

The social links or Confidants were very solid in this game, I liked how we more or less helped them all as being Phantom Thieves at some point, going to Mementos to help change the hearts of the people around them, making their lives better. It really solidified in my head how I liked the concept of the Phantom Thieves. Although they go after big targets, they want to help anyone, if they can. Now, there are two Confidants I will say is my favorite:(Honorable Mention Kawakami ans Shinya )

• Yoshida (Sun) - I honestly really liked him as a character. He is such a good person, and the things he is trying to stand for really hit me. He talked a lot about young adults, and in the current world it felt like whether in Persona or Real Life, hearing someone like that, preaching for someone like me, was nice. Also his Voice Actor was such a good fit.
• Sae (Judgement) - The main reason I liked hers a lot is due to how it fit in the story. It was really well done, and was the best judgement so far, rather than being given after completing the fool, but was the literal embodiment of Judgement, who was Judging you, and the more you grew the Confidant the more she trusted you

The Abilities were really a nice touch. It felt like the prior Social Links were purely to get more story, and help with fusions, but it didn't feel like they impacted too much. This to me is the complete opppsite in this game. Because the abilities are so helpful, I feel more inclined to hang out with them, as though they have a bigger purpose not only in the story, but also in terms of mechanics. It makes more sense, with the themeing of "growing bonds with those around you", and in turn do you receive the benefits, and the creation of the world

Mementos

Although they removed randomly generated floors in the main dungeons, they added an entire sepereate one called Mementos. Its Similar to Tartarus somewhat, but makes more sense in terms of story and overall visually. It replicates the idea of the subway, with you progressing further and further, deeper and deeper into the system. I liked also how it represented the masses, which tied well with the Story and Request elements. It also helped with grinding, it didn't make me feel like I needed to grind in the Palaces, but could just come to Mementos, within reason, and get to the level I need to be. (Driving into enemies feel really op)

Story

Well rounded, and perfectly crafted. The general premise to me is the injustice, negligence, the stereotypes given to one another, as well as the large impact of the internet and the interconnnectivity is has broughten. There is a constant struggle against the unruling adults who manipulate society for their own selfish gain, and in turn hurt those around them. You begin in one of these unfair, unjust scenarious, being thrown in to Tokyo for a crime you did not commit. You continue through the stories, hearing constant rumors of these so called crimes around you, and being stereotyped constantly. However, through the metaverse, the meeting of your first 3 party members, Ann, Morgana, and Ryuji, you find a way to rebel, and go against these unruling adults. The story fits really well with the modern day, as the injustices that these characters endure are constantly happening in the world. But what's even more telling is the connection of the metaverse and the masses. People are constantly feeding, grasping new information and tossing it aside, this concept is not only felt, but shown throughout the entirety of the story. Through the changing of hearts, you gain the favor of the masses, but this is not concrete, as at a certain point this love and appreciation turns on a dime. The theming is so complex and really puts the strugles of the internet, and the mindlessness we portray, on full display.

The embodiment of people wanting to imprison themselves, and become slaves, forcing themselves to walk mindlessly, is a great final boss. A constant battle of desire, to free those from the eternal chains that the Holy Grails claimed were asked for.

The rivalry between Akechi and so well written. At first, I didn't like him, I could tell there was something fake, or odd about him, as though he had an ulterior motive. I am not sure how the Original game portrays him, but through the Royal Edition, he is one of the best rivals I have ever seen in any source of media. He goes against you, but in the literal depiction of black and white, and for the ideals you embody. The game, is full of concepts such as this, and does not sturggle to portray them. Fantastic writing.

Graphics

The graphics and overall handling of the game is amazing. It is mind boggling to think that the previous game was Persona 4. It is just wow. Everything looked beautiful, and ran beautiful. At no point did anything look jarring, or lag in any way. And to think that this game came out on the ps3, it is astonishing and just proves how amazing the teams behind these games are. My favorite thing was the lighting effect, like t he lines that appeared outside of certain light sources at night, was a really nice touch in my opinion

Final Thoughts

For some of the things that I am not too sure on where to fit in these sections, I will mention them here.

The small details and design of the game is fantastic, like the walking animation stuck out to me in particular. It feels real, and at first felt fast, but in a city like Tokyo, most walk at that pace

At first, I did not like all the changes, but that was more so pickiness and wanting familiarity, which at the end, was not necessary for this game, what so ever

The twists at the end of the game were so cool, and it just felt so cinematic than the other games, mostly due to the visuals and the amazing strides they achieved visually in this game

Read less