Summary
ThePersonafranchise is no stranger to expanded rereleases that update mechanics and extend the story, butPersona 5 Royalis arguably on a whole other level. Adding multiple new interactive Confidants, a variety of completely new mechanics, several quality-of-life improvements, a new final dungeon, and more,Persona 5 Royalis really something special. Perhaps the strangest but most unique addition is My Palace, otherwise known as the Thieves Den, a special zone where Joker can view bonus content, play a minigame, or collect some decorations. My Palace is a nice change of pace from the usualPersonaloop, but there are still a ton of ways that a future game can make it better.
Persona 5is showing its impact on the franchise already, such as in the updatedart forPersona 3 Reload, but there’s a case to be made thatPersona 5 Royalspecifically should be the foundation that the franchise builds on moving forward.Persona 5 Royalis the definitive version of the game, offering players more combat options, social elements, and Velvet Room features than ever before, so it’s even richer with inspiring material than the originalPersona 5. My Palace in particular deserves to return one day, especially if Atlus gives players some more freedom when using it.
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Persona 5 Royal’s My Palace is Fun but Inflexible
My Palace lets players spend coins earned from achievements to unlock concept art, cutscenes, and music; that’s a fun element, but galleries like this aren’t new toPersona. Where it really shines is its emphasis on interactions betweenPersona 5characters. When Joker places statues of bosses or replicas of important locations and objects from the game on designated My Palace podiums,Persona 5’s Confidants appear and talk about the decoration. It’s a great way to seePersona 5characters interact without Joker’s interference, especially characters who otherwise never cross paths. The fast-paced Tycoon card game is also a fun way to seethe Phantom Thievesinteract at leisure.
However, as great as these elements are, they all come with restrictions.Persona 5 Royalis relatively generous with achievements on a first playthrough, but the requirements get more and more obscure, meaning players have to grind a little to unlock all the bonus content, whether by playing Tycoon or hunting achievements. The decoration system is also extremely restricted; each piece can only be placed on one of three or four podiums with matching colors, so players have little control over their orientation. It’s also something of a shame that Tycoon only features the Phantom Thieves as opponents, given how many memorableConfidantsPersona 5Royalhas.
My Palace Could Be a Staple in Persona 6 and Beyond
Ideally, futurePersonagames will have a My Palace-like feature that gives players a little more flexibility. For instance, a future version could borrow a bit ofAnimal Crossinggameplay, giving players a simpler space where they can finely arrange furniture and decorations to their hearts content. This wouldn’t necessarily prevent large-scale background decor like the various Palace themes and Yaldabaoth leaning in through the ceiling; the wall and floor decor would just need to be a bit less intricate. Decoration would also be improved if players don’t have to spend coins on concept art or cutscenes, but rather unlock those from achievements or story progression, letting players focus their resources on the more interactive purchasable items.
A new version of My Palace should double down on character interactions too. A minigame should feature more than just thePersonagame’s party members, letting players mix in Confidants for a more unlikely and refreshing set of characters. The My Palace transformation mechanic, while a less important detail, is also good fun and worth improving. Players ought to drop the transformation when they hit a certain button, rather than just when they interact with things; letting the transformation last as long as the player wants makes it all the more fun, especially if it lets fans play as someone other than the protagonist in a minigame.
There’s no word ofPersona 6’s releaseyet, so it’s impossible to say if My Palace will make the cut as a feature. If it does, hopefully it gives players more room to be creative while doubling down in the areas where My Palace succeeded.
Persona 5 Royalis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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