Persona 5 Strikers

Overview

Persona 5 Strikers is an Action RPG developed jointly by P-Studio and Omega Force. It brings back the characters and universe of Persona 5 in an adventure set about six months after the events of the original game.

The Phantom Thieves reunite during summer vacation with the intention of traveling across Japan together. Their trip takes a different turn when a series of Metaverse-related phenomena begins appearing in several cities.

The Palaces from Persona 5 are replaced here by Jails, supernatural spaces connected to new adversaries. Each Jail has its own environment, enemies, exploration mechanics and ruler.

This new structure accompanies a much more significant change: Strikers abandons strictly turn-based battles in favor of a real-time combat system.

Omega Force brings its experience with action games that place the player against large groups of enemies, but the system does not simply reproduce the Dynasty Warriors formula. Persona’s core principles remain central to combat.

Physical attacks, firearms and Persona skills can still be used to exploit elemental weaknesses. Activating a skill opens a menu that greatly slows the action, giving the player time to select a target before immediately returning to combat.

The 1 More and All-Out Attack mechanics are also adapted to real-time action. Correctly exploiting a weakness or breaking an opponent’s resistance creates openings and allows the party to launch coordinated offensives.

Several Phantom Thieves can be controlled directly, and the player can switch characters during battles. Each fighter has their own style, weapons and particular strengths: Joker can use multiple Personas, Ryuji favors powerful attacks, Haru fights with her axe and firearms, while other characters rely more heavily on mobility or elemental attacks.

Regularly using a character also unlocks their Master Arts, techniques that gradually expand their combos and combat options.

Two new allies play an important role in the adventure.

Sophia is a mysterious artificial intelligence who quickly joins the group and fights using yo-yos. Zenkichi Hasegawa, a Public Security investigator, accompanies the Phantom Thieves during their investigation and also becomes a playable character.

Outside combat, Strikers retains part of Persona’s RPG structure.

The cities visited during the journey can be explored, with shops, conversations, recipes and activities specific to different stages of the trip. The calendar no longer plays the same central role as in Persona 5, however: progression follows the journey more directly.

The Confidant system is also removed in favor of BOND skills. Points earned throughout the adventure can be spent on different bonuses affecting combat, resources, healing or exploration.

Joker retains his ability to use multiple Personas. They can be acquired in battle and then strengthened or fused in the Velvet Room, preserving an important part of Persona 5’s RPG customization.

The result therefore combines two approaches: Omega Force’s fast-paced action and Persona’s characteristic systems. Strikers does not simply replace turn-based combat with hordes of enemies; it seeks to translate elemental weaknesses, Personas, character switching and coordinated attacks into a fully real-time system.

What to remember

• Persona 5 Strikers takes place about six months after Persona 5 and reunites the Phantom Thieves during their summer vacation.
• The adventure takes the form of a journey through several Japanese cities rather than remaining primarily centered on Tokyo.
• Jails replace Palaces as the main supernatural areas to explore.
• Combat shifts to real time, with physical attacks, firearms and Persona skills.
• Elemental weaknesses, 1 More and All-Out Attacks remain integrated into the system despite the change in genre.
• The player can switch directly between characters during battle to make use of each Phantom Thief’s unique abilities.
• Master Arts gradually expand each character’s individual combat style.
• Joker retains the ability to wield multiple Personas and fuse them in the Velvet Room.
• The BOND system replaces Confidants and provides different bonuses for the party.
• Sophia and Zenkichi Hasegawa are two important new playable characters in this adventure.

Conclusion

Persona 5 Strikers translates the universe and systems of Persona 5 into a structure much more focused on action.

Real-time combat significantly changes the pace, but Personas, elemental weaknesses, coordinated attacks and the ability to switch characters maintain a direct connection with the principles of the original RPG.

The journey across Japan also replaces Tokyo’s daily routine with a more linear progression through several cities and Jails, while BOND skills take the place of the Confidant system.

Strikers therefore builds its own identity between Action RPG, dungeon exploration and systems inherited from Persona, while continuing the Phantom Thieves’ adventure through a new investigation.

Good to know

• Developers: P-Studio and Omega Force.
• Publisher: SEGA / ATLUS.
• The game was originally released in Japan on February 20, 2020 under the title Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers.
• Its Western release took place on February 23, 2021.
• It is available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
• It is a single-player Action RPG.
• The game was developed through a collaboration between ATLUS’s Persona team and Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force.
• The Phantom Thieves travel through several regions of Japan rather than remaining mainly in Tokyo.
• Sophia and Zenkichi Hasegawa join the playable cast alongside the Persona 5 characters.