Review: Persona 5 Strikers

Save them, Phantom Thieves

Omega Force, as a studio, has carved a nice little niche for itself. Well, some would not say it’s fun! ‘Repetitive’, is the word some may use. But despite their reputation for similar beat-ups, Omega Force fans know they are not afraid to innovate, not even in a small, gradual way.

Persona 5 Strikers is a little more obvious with his progress.

Persona 5 Strikers (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Link)
Developer: Omega Force, P-Studio
Publisher: Atlus
Released: February 20, 2020 (JP) | 23 February 2021
MSRP: $ 59.99

As I intimidated in my review that was going on, Persona 5 Strikers really feels like a Person game first in many respects. This is a very smart thing that Omega Force can focus on, because even with the recent Royal release, people are always thirsty for more of this series.

I’m actually amazed at how deep that thematic throughput is. Everything from the menus, to the series between the fights, the shops, the music. If someone walked into you playing Persona 5 Strikers outside of a fight series, you can probably mislead them into thinking you’re playing Person 5 properly. This is … really cool.

This is partly what P-Studio does because they helped Omega Force with the project (as IP owners tend to do things like Hyrule Warriors). Either way, the collaboration has paid off, because Stakers style style, even if you go through the equipment system. Now the story is sometimes a little touching, but it’s about half the length of a large Person game, which can be a big plus for anyone who does not have the schedule to dump in the seemingly big time acceleration.

But while the overarching story is not as exciting as a main entry, the small moments matter. The chatter between the characters, which at this point already has a fairly strong bond (in both English or Japanese sound), is genuine Person. The tracks, the voice acting in general, even the little characters, it’s all there. Although it is not 100% necessary and you can get a lot out of the dialogue of the conservation post, you really have to play Person 5 first (Royal does not really have an impact here) to make the most of it.

The real-time combat system also helps many people who are not so JRPG-prone. Yes, it has the very famous “basic special”, “basic basic special”, “basic basic basic special” combo system, but Stakers offers you the option to develop further. As you push through the issues, things immediately become more interesting. The weakness, persona, gun and all-out attack systems all come back Person; which gives struggle a slight edge, both stylistically and strategically. It’s fun to put skills in the queue knowing you’ve broken down an entire group because you’ve memorized what they’re vulnerable to. To have a giant persona called indicates that it is the payout.

One of the major sins in the game, and many reports are not immune, is recurrence at the moment. Persona 5 Strikers do an excellent job of shedding new concepts in your own way, and with the adapted church system, offer them in unique ways. But so-called ‘trash’ crowds (enemies) can sometimes be a task to clean up, as you end up going to the more exciting skirmishes worthy of spending your power.

This is neat, because you do not always have to fight constantly if you do not want to. In general, the game puts you in the dungeon settings, which can let you move through the maze at will and avoid fights if you want. It has its merits and its flaws. Arenas generally do not feel as sweeping or as epic as some maps of previous Omega Force titles (Age of evil did a great job of this), but it does feel Person, which is going to be the most important thing for many people.

The parts of Japan between the battles also rule and give you a nice breather that beats half of the “menu-choice” level transition clamp from earlier. Musou experiences. Overall, it’s just a little more relaxing Person 5. A truncated story (in Person provisions), reduced requirements for dungeon jump and party improvement. But within the confines of this new subgenre, it works. After all, Person 5 (and Royal) still exist.

Persona 5 Strikers suffer from the same mistakes as others Musou games, but this collaboration benefits greatly from the strength of the source material. Even if you are not interested in the genre, if you like it Person in any case, it’s worth picking up at some point while you patiently wait for the next big entry.

_{[This review is based on retail builds of the game provided by the publisher.]}

Persona 5 Strikers reviewed by Chris Carter