Persona started out as a splitter series from the Megami Tensei series, but it is now one of the most well-known Atlus titles. This series was initially locked to just release in Japan. Over time, more break-out releases in the West led Atlus to make these games available to the rest of the world.
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These turn-based dungeon crawlers had unique combat systems and lovable characters. Each Persona game is a gem in the Megami Tensei series and is widely regarded as some of the best JRPGs to date. In this list, we will be talking only about the definitive edition of each game.
6/6 Revelations: Persona
It’s the first game that set the stage for the idea of Persona by introducing players to Philemon and the velvet room where they fused new Personas for battle. The grid-based battle system was a breath of fresh air into the turn-based battle system. This required more planning and strategy before going into a dungeon, based on how they were using each teammate.
Each teammate is given their own arcs and time to shine throughout the story. While this may seem like a generic post-apocalyptic storyline, there are a few twists that will stick with you for years. This game falls short in dungeon exploring, with very clunky controls that confuse exploration outright.
5/6 Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Persona 2 learned from its predecessor and made some much-needed gameplay changes. Switching to an overhead view while exploring dungeons made gameplay much more bearable. Persona fusion and strengthening were expanded to a more complex but rewarding system.
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“Joker” is a very noteworthy villain in this game. From the beginning of the story, he starts taunting the players because of their actions and the “sins” of the past. The rumor system also helps players feel this world is alive and they are influencing it and the story.
4/6 Persona 3: FES
Persona 3 was the first to introduce the calendar system and free time. Taking over the course of about a year, players play every single day of the protagonist’s life. During their free time, players can explore the dark hour, hang out with friends, or find other ways to strengthen their character for the next mission.
While Person 3’s story is incredible, it does suffer from long stretches of not having any story. Also, not being able to control your other party members makes combat sometimes challenging. That being said, Persona 3 was an incredible journey and a stepping stone for future games.
3/6 Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
While this is a sequel to Innocent Sin, everyone has lost their memory, and time has reverted to right before the previous game’s events. Maya is now given center stage, and a side character is fleshed out much further.
This is the only Persona game to have an all-adult cast. This allows different stories to be told as side characters deal with much bigger issues than the high schoolers of previous games. The battle and persona systems don’t change much, but they have a few upgrades, making this game feel more streamlined.
2/6 Persona 4: Golden
While Persona 3 suffered from not having a clear goal for most of the year’s story, Persona 4 is made into a murder mystery – Quickly throwing the protagonist and their team into an investigation to stop the murders. The confidant system now gives bonuses for hanging out with teammates during your free time.
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These bonuses help you when exploring the TV world or when using them in your party for combat. The story of Persona 4 is by far the best, with some of the greatest characters Atlus has made. Living in a small town for an entire year can make it feel empty near the end of the game as free time grinds to a halt.
1/6 Persona 5 Royal
This is one of the most recent Persona releases and by far the best. Persona 5 has learned from each game in the past and is the perfect blend of story, gameplay, visuals, and music. Taking place in Tokyo and having a plethora of confidants to meet makes this game almost feel too big to explore in just a year.
Each character you meet has an intricate and interesting story to tell. Everything you do in the real world benefits your character in the metaverse, making free time just as rewarding and beneficial as leveling up. Persona 5 is not only the best Persona game but one of the greatest JRPGs of all time.
