Many questions aboutPersona 6boil down to what the game decides to keep from its predecessors and what it chooses to set aside. If Atlus so chooses,Persona 6could be totally different from previousPersonagames, potentially revolutionizing the whole franchise by splicing it with new genres or different storytelling conventions. Drastic changes seem particularly likely inPersona 6because Atlus so fervently wants the game to surpassPersona 5,which made a name for itself by introducing a bunch of its own new ideas toPersona.If it wants to become the nextPersonatitle to redefine the JRPG genre, thenPersona 6really needs to be willing to take risks and try new things.
However, there’s a design philosophy from a previous game thatPersona 6should make use of, even if it doesn’t directly imitate that game.Persona 5 Royalwas an expanded version ofPersona 5in a lot of ways, particularly in the realm of combat. Atlus revampedPersona 5’s core combat in a ton of ways that granted players more freedom and generally made combat more satisfying to play and rewarding to master.Persona 6should look closely atPersona 5 Royal’s liberated, player-supportive combatand create a similar combat system that gives fans tons of options on how to take down Shadows.
RELATED:Persona 6: Why The Protagonist is Unlikely to Break From the Fool Arcana
How Persona 5 Royal Loosened Up Combat
AlthoughPersona 5’s combat was great fun, on the whole, it had some restrictions that vastly limited a player’s options, only opening up those options after a ton of work from the player. For instance, in the originalPersona 5,Baton Pass is a Confidant perkfor each of the Phantom Thieves. That means players can only pass a One More to a party member if they’ve unlocked that Phantom Thief’s Baton Pass. For Phantom Thieves like Haru that are hard to befriend, this design was very restrictive, nullifying a lot of strategies until players invested time in a Confidant. InPersona 5 Royal,players can Baton Pass to anyone freely and can even restore HP and SP through Baton Passes, rewarding players for thinking tactically and letting them approach combat however they like.
The Baton Pass changes are some of the most foundational adjustments toPersona 5’s combat, but there are other ways thatRoyalopened up combat and provided more options. For example, inPersona 5,each Phantom Thief only has a certain number of bullets in their guns foreach foray into a Palace or Mementos. That made ammo precious and discouraged players from using guns very often. InPersona 5 Royal,Phantom Thieves all get one clip of ammo for every battle, which much better encourages fans to invest in gun upgrades and use guns in combat regularly.
Persona 5 Royalalso introduced totally new combat mechanics that added to the excitement. Shortly intoPersona 5,the player unlocks Showtimes, which are very powerful attacks triggered when Joker is in danger or when a Showtime might finish an enemy off. Showtimes are a great new weapon in thePersonafan’s arsenal, letting them obliterate the toughest of enemies while also showing offthe unique personalities of the Phantom Thieves. All of thesePersona 5 Royalchanges add up to a combat system that gives players some very rewarding freedom.
RELATED:How Persona 6 Should Tweak Its Confidants
How Persona 6 Can Imitate Persona 5 Royal’s Combat
Persona 6would be wise to take noteof all of these changes and build on them. For instance, Baton Passes are a new mechanic to thePersonaseries introduced byPersona 5whichPersona 5 Royalperfected by making it easier to use and more impactful for the characters performing the Baton Pass. IfPersona 6keeps Baton Passes, then it should not only keep the automatically available version of the mechanic fromRoyal,but it should build on it. For example,Persona 6might give each party member unique perks that activate when someone Baton Passes to them, adding a new layer of strategy to combat.
Persona 6should also think carefully about how it manages any secondary ammo system likePersona 5’s guns.The Phantom Thieves' wide arsenalof guns is another unique trait ofPersona 5,which makes the Gun damage type a little more accessible.Persona 6could consider keeping this system in place or pushing its limits further. If guns stay inPersona 6,then it should vastly expand Gun customization, allowing players to apply more debuffs and status effects with guns than before. That’d letPersona 6players specialize each team member’s playstyle far more than before.
Beyond established ideas like these,Persona 6should attempt to introduce new ideassimilar to Showtimes, even if it doesn’t replicate Showtimes exactly.Persona 5 Royal’s Showtimes empower players and celebrate the game’s main characters, but Showtime doesn’t have to be the only ability of its kind. It’s great to see similar but more complicated team attacks make their way intoPersona 6,encouraging players to combine the powers of two team members for rare but impactful attacks.
Persona 6 Will Benefit From Experimentation
All of these suggestions are based on the assumption thatPersona 6will stick to the turn-based JRPG style and carry over many oldPersonaconventions as well as new ideas fromPersona 5.After the success ofPersona 5 Strikers,there’s always the possibility thatPersona 6will opt for a more action-oriented angle, focusing on real-time combat rather thanPersona’s traditional style.Persona 6probably won’t break convention quite that much, but whether it does or doesn’t, it has to give players options.Personafans don’t want to be boxed in during combat; on the contrary,Personacombat shines brightest when it rewards players for using team members and the protagonist’s Personas creatively.
Hopefully,Persona 6doesn’t throw away morePersonatraditions than it keeps. Part of whyPersonahas grown so much in recent history is that Atlus knows how to build on what it’s already made out of thePersonaseries, rather than starting over every time the franchise gets a new game. Even so,Personahas to get out of its comfort zoneifPersona 6wants to top its predecessor. Combat would be a great place forPersona 6to start innovating. Giving players new strategies and techniques to utilize in combat could redefine thePersonaseries once more.
MORE:Gamescom 2021 Shows Persona 5 is as Big as Ever
