With the increasing popularity of thePersonafranchise and the release ofPersona 3 PortableandPersona 4 Goldenacross multiple platforms, the prospect of a new spinoff is more plausible now than ever. With the last crossover-basedPersonaspinoff having been released in 2018, the franchise might be due for another one soon.
ThePersonaseries, backed by its origins under theShin Megami Tenseifranchise, is known most for its social simulation gameplay coupled with strategic, turn-based combat. Its core features have the player oscillate between exploring enemy-filled dungeons and experiencing life as a high schooler as you strengthen your bonds with surrounding characters through deep talks and everyday activities. While its traditional formula has been met with resounding praise, it hasn’t stopped the franchise from delving into the world of spinoff titles.
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A Clash of Persona Casts
Gliding on the success of its main entries, Atlus' foray into thePersonaoffshoots have demonstrated a wide array of approach in both genre and mechanics. From fighting games to rhythm games, thePersonatitles and its characters have been seen in a number of contexts: brawling, dancing, and slashing their way to victory. The biggest allure of these spinoffs, and perhaps the reason whyPersonafans are most drawn to them despite the change in genre, has been their emphasis on bringing the beloved characters from the series' main entries back for more adventures. This is made all the more exciting when some spinoff titles, including thePersona QandPersona 4 Arenaseries, make use of ‘crossovers’ in their narratives, combining the casts of the mainline entries in new and inventive ways.
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinthbanded itsPersona 3andPersona 4casts together in its first shadow-slaying adventure developed for the handheld 3DS system.Persona Q’s joined cast of characters meant not only a wider range of strategies to utilize in combat, but also the opportunity for the game to emphasize its strengths as a social simulator. With its cute chibi art style and endearing dialogue, players could see their favorite characters interact with one another from across thePersona 3and4entries through wholesome banter, playing off their shared personalities and archetypes.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, which releasedon the tail end of manufacturing for 3DS games, ended up following suit with its increasingly inclusive cast. Adding thePersona 5team to the mix, as well as thefemale protagonist fromPersona 3 Portable, the crossover appealed to both old and new fans of the series through its addition of the ever-popular Phantom Thieves.Persona 4 Arenaon the other hand, a spinoff ofPersona’s fourth mainline entry, focused mainly on its respective mainline cast in its all-out fighting game experience, though it did offer cameos from a few ofPersona 3’s S.E.E.S. Team, including the characters of Mitsuru Kirijo, Akihiko Sanada, and Aigis.
The game’s roster opened up exponentially through its successorPersona 4 Arena Ultimax,which then included the rest ofPersona 3’s supporting cast (with the exception of Shinji). UnlikePersona Q, thePersona 4Arenagames put a spin on its crossover by aging up thePersona 3cast, giving its characters new designs and backstories following the events of the original game.Arena Ultimaxreceived a digital port for the PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam just last year, making it accessible to an even wider audience than before.
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Looking to Future Crossovers
Given that 2022, which wasPersona’s 25th anniversary, focused mainly on ports of older titles, it’s quite likely that Atlus might be gearing up for a newPersona-based release or announcement sometime this year. With thePersonaseries' newly found stretch in accessibility, this could be the perfect time for another crossover spinoff that brings the casts of theP3PandP4Ggames back together. Some fans have speculated that the ports might be hinting towards a newPersona Arenagame in the works, a guess that could be further backed up byArena Ultimaxbeing brought to modern platforms.
A newPersona Arenagame would certainly be a logical next step for the series, and might even take notes fromPersona Q2by throwing thePersona 5cast into the mix. Moreover, it would give Atlus the chance to reintroduce thePersona 4cast in a grown-up light, much likeArena Ultimaxdid with itsPersona 3characters. Seeing the casts back in the fighting game limelight could prove to be a beneficial move from Atlus, allowing them to work fromUltimax’s framework while making use of the resurgence in popularity ofP3andP4’s characters.
Overall, the ports ofP3PandP4Genable Atlus to go in quite a few directions, given the company doesn’t have to worry as much about bringing newer fans up to speed on characters from previous titles. Because of this, Atlus has an even wider breadth of spinoff games that it can tackle. While it’s unlikely that a newPQwill release in the near future, as its second installment already dabbled in a three-game crossover, there could be a crossover between their characters in another context altogether. Additionally, because Atlus chose to portPersona 3 PortableandPersona 4 Goldeninstead of their originalPersona 3andPersona 4counterparts, it can make use of characters exclusive to these versions, much like how the aforementionedP3Pfemale protagonist was featured inPQ2, or howMarie was included inPersona 4 Arena Ultimax.
There’s even a chance that Atlus might work with something similar toPersona 5 Strikers, utilizing the hack-and-slash approach with itsP3andP4cast. The musou game’s combat, much like inFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, certainly lends itself to having a large character selection, which would work particularly well as aPersonacrossover. Whatever the case, the increased accessibility ofP3PandP4Gamong the fanbase, coupled with the series' in-between period of mainline entries, point towards the release of a new crossover spinoff title soon. WhetherAtlusdecides to work from a previous spinoff or introduce a new one altogether, it’s likely thatPersonafans haven’t seen the last of theP3PandP4Gcrew.
