When an internal studio within Atlus, P-Studio, began developing Persona 5 after the release of Catherine approximately nine years ago, it didn’t anticipate the success and attention the game would garner over time. The sixth installment in the Persona franchise quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the greatest roleplaying titles of all time. With over five million copies sold worldwide, Persona 5 successfully stole fans’ hearts, leaving behind an itch that can only be scratched by playing games of a similar nature.
As a part of the extended Megami Tensei series, Persona 5 excels at delivering a captivating story covering the not-so-ordinary lives of several high school students. The game’s sprawling dungeons and eye-catching overworld, coupled with a well-rounded and thought-provoking narrative, are hard to match, making its overall design all the more appealing and memorable. While the vast majority of JRPG entries typically take a different approach to handling the heroics of their teenage protagonists, the following are five titles that are reminiscent of Persona 5‘s setting and gameplay mechanics.
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Embodies a Strategic Approach to Its Narrative
Part visual novel and part real-time strategy, Vanillaware’s 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim tackles the perils of an apocalyptic future by having 13 tech-savvy high school students journey through multiple timelines. Though the game addresses story progression in a non-linear fashion, players are unable to cherry-pick the events they’d like to see or experience, as this could lock the plot from further progression.
Unlike the combat system in Persona 5, 13 Sentinels relies on real-time strategy. During its battle mode, players fight off waves of enemies known as Kaiju, while devising a defensive plan for six protagonists piloting robot Sentinels. Alternating between narrative (Remembrance) and combat (Destruction) sequences allows players to advance the plot and gradually unlock more content, including different playable characters. Keeping up to date with the Analysis section is also required since its contents often hold the key to progressing further.
The third mainline installment in the Danganronpa franchise offers the most holistic experience in the series’ library. Adhering to the same gameplay principles of its predecessors, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony introduces numerous action-packed side activities to its narrative-driven gameplay, structured around School Life, Deadly Life and the game-changing Class Trials.
Similar to Persona 5, Killing Harmony follows the story of 16 high school students with special talents. As they find themselves trapped in an experimental killing game, the juvenile prodigies are tasked with finding the culprit behind the series of homicides that take a turn for the worse. Players interact with other characters, investigate school murders, and take part in trials consisting of logical puzzles and shooter segments. Despite being a visual novel, Danganronpa V3 has many features that Persona 5 fans will find near and dear to their hearts.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses Balances Work With Free Time
Best known for its tactical roleplaying elements, the 16th installment of Nintendo‘s long-running Fire Emblem franchise stands out from the rest. Aside from being the first Fire Emblem game available on a home console since Radiant Dawn, Three Houses‘ narrative design ensures that characters’ personalities shine through whenever they’re engaged in conversation.
During the opening portion of the game, players take on the role of a professor at a prestigious academy, which acts as a hub for various activities. While story-related battles have a more prominent appearance in the game’s second half, the overall setting encourages players to interact with students, manage their activities and plan training sessions. The game’s turn-based combat system and dynamic social-sim elements are reminiscent of Persona 5, making it a viable option to explore after parting ways with The Phantom Thieves.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Leaves Room for Exploration
A turn-based JRPG that belongs to the larger The Legend of Heroes universe, Trails of Cold Steel takes place concurrently with Trails to Azure and Trails from Zero and after the events of the Trails in the Sky trilogy. While all entries in the series take advantage of marginally similar gameplay mechanics and narrative techniques, Trails of Cold Steel debuts several new additions, including a revamped battle system.
Set in the Erebonian Empire, the game tells the story of a high school student and his classmates at an elite military academy. The gameplay is structured around engaging in academic and social activities, promoting relationship-building among in-game peers. Players are rewarded for their efforts with access to new combat abilities that help them progress further in the story. Like Persona 5, Trails of Cold Steel approaches character development through a masterful narrative execution.
Tokyo Xanadu (eX+) Explores the Concept of a Fleeting Coincidence
Though not a Persona clone, Nihon Falcom’s Tokyo Xanadu bears an uncanny resemblance to Atlus’ critically acclaimed franchise. From the day-to-day activities and social-sim aspects to the general premise and dungeon-like design, the game almost feels like an extension of the Persona universe. Taking on the role of a high school student who accidentally gets sucked into an interdimensional vortex and emerges in the nightmare realm, players engage in party-based real-time combat that hinges on dungeon exploration.
Outside of battle sequences, Tokyo Xanadu has dedicated chapters for each supporting character, allowing players to bond with them through narrative-driven opportunities. The enhanced version of the game, eX+, expands upon the original story by introducing new playable characters, story content, gameplay refinements and more. While Tokyo Xanadu‘s overarching elements may not be as in-depth as Persona 5‘s, fans will undoubtedly enjoy its unusual setting.
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2022-05-01 17:01:17
