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Post by CitizenChris92 on Jun 24, 2018 14:06:50 GMT -6
Make no mistake, Persona 3 and 4, are still incredibly intriguing, with intringuing themes, and very human qualities to their respective characters and tone. I didn't write that colossosal blog on Destructoid on P3 for nothing.
But now that Persona 5 exists, I feel they are dwarved by said game in comparison. Each game had their strengths in allowing the player to bond with the characters. Persona 3 had dormitory, which meant that you'd spend every living moment with your friends, because they all live under the same roof, so things get more personal that way. In Persona 4 it's the familiarity, and the celebrations of those high school years that come and go quickly, life moves on and we have to accept that there are people who will come into our lives, and ultimately leave them again.
In Persona 5, it feels a bit more grounded with regards to the world we live in today (obviously ofc given the tech that is presented in the game). But also in how the characters interact, there's the familiarity of Persona 4, and the seriousness of Persona 3. It's a game that has taken everything the previous games have learned and perfected it. Persona 5's theme of rebellion and freedom is grounded in how we are always so nervous about the future (sort of like Catherine) and the expectations that are lain upon us. How are we supposed to behave, and what we are supposed to do, it feels like we aren't really free to choose how to live. I can relate to a lot of those things in the game, feeling like your life isn't going where you wanted it, or it isn't going anywhere at all. So you break those boundaries and choose instead to live how you want, it might seem simple on the surface, but Persona has its own share of subtlety in how it chooses to deliver its message.
Personally, I wasn't beaten up by Persona 4's conclusion as much as I was with Persona 3. And I wasn't with 5 either because it didn't feel like the game wanted me to feel that way. It was a much more positive feeling of hope for the future instead of the bittersweet stuff of Persona 4 and the downer ending of Persona 3.
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