My team of anime mind-thieves deftly jump across chandeliers, then take cover to avoid the gaze of a patrolling guard in the corridor that follows, zig-zagging behind him to initiate an ambush. As the jazzy soundtrack reminds me, he never saw it coming, and taking advantage of the weakness of the demon who lives inside him we tag-team attacks to wipe it out in seconds.
It’s the kind of dynamism you might not expect from a turn-based JRPG, but Persona 5 Royal is fine with bucking tradition to execute this near-flawless adventure. Even now, a few years since its original release, this is the genre’s pinnacle.
Despite being later to the heist on PC, this is an excellent version – perhaps the best one on the market. While clearly intended for controller play, keyboard and mouse support adds a nice, direct layer to this largely slow-paced, tactical affair. Graphical options are limited, but get the job done, and the option to play with 120fps – as well as 30 and 60fps options – adds to P5R’s slick vibe.
That fluidity and sense of style, which seemingly has an answer for every reason players might be bored of the genre. Its combat is comfortable operating in both an arcadey mode that has you chaining together weaknesses to clear boards almost like a puzzle game, and boss fights that require a thorough use of its toolset. Its story of teenagers rebelling against an unjust world of adults in modern day Tokyo feels refreshing in its parallels to our world. Its main dungeons are far cries from straightforward corridors, instead featuring environments worthy of exploration as you scoop up shinies.
