Persona 5 rocked the world when it premiered on the scene and received proper accolades to make it one of the best JRPGs of 2017. Now, Atlus is about to take over the world once again with their release of the expanded story. This is trademark behavior for Atlus, as we saw with previous games Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 FES. It's typical of them to release an initial plot only to add more before the decade is over and, like groupies, we're here for it every time.
The difference between this and prior Persona game additions is that Atlus got it all right: From the story to the characters, and every detail in between. Even the gameplay and attacks are flawlessly in their execution, and it was a game that made it easy to invest 100+ hours into. With so much content that seems to be packed into the new version of the game, we can't help but speculate about what the extended story could be.
At the root of our own intuition lies the facts: What's in the game and what's not. Here are five things we're pretty certain of, and five that we're just daydreaming about... Or are we?
10 What We Know: The Semester Is Lengthened For More Story
One of the first things to be confirmed is, of course, the lengthened story. Atlus had to do this somehow and it seems that they've figured it out by adding a third school semester. Judging by all the trailers that have been released thus far, this is where we'll get our first good look at new character Yoshizawa Kasumi.
It's also been presumed that this is when players will have additional time to increase their stats and social links, providing plenty of opportunities in between additional story content.
9 Is It Likely? Penguin Sniper, The New Hideout?
It's been confirmed via a trailer that the Phantom Thieves have a new hangout spot, and it's called Penguin Sniper. The team can be seen playing pool together, and we can't help but wonder if this will soon become the new hideout.
It's much more fitting for the new game to include a new meetup location; it's interesting to think about whether or not this will allow players to increase social ranks as a group, or still one-on-one. Regardless, it looks like there's plenty to explore (perhaps a new mini-game?) in this locale.
8 What We Know: Futaba's All-Out Attack And Partner Attacks
Another tidbit we've observed from the trailers is the addition of Futaba's new all-out attack. This implies that she will officially be a playable character, rather than just a support NPC as in the original game.
This is quite an offensive move compared to her previous role in the party, and we now know that she even has a title card if she's the one to end the battle. The other party members have also been blessed with new partner attacks, pairing them up accordingly for even more powerful combat.
7 Is It Likely? Romancing Kasumi, The New Playable Character
Surprisingly, we've seen quite a bit of Kasumi - obviously because she's the focal point of the additional story content. While it's still unclear who she is, exactly, it seems that she will be a member of the Phantom Thieves at some point in time.
She's been seen during battle gameplay as well as throughout the story, which makes us wonder if she'll be romance-able just like the rest of the female party members are. If nothing else, she'll have her own social rank, and that should be interesting as well.
6 What We Know: Kasumi Will Be A Main Point In The Plot
Her persona is Cendrillon and she brings with her a specialization in Bless elemental magic, which is intriguing in itself. We also know that she's some type of rhythmic genius, having a significant talent for some kind of dance or gymnastics (or perhaps both).
We also know that she's seen pictured with both the protag and Goro Akechi, seemingly caught between being on the side of the Phantom Thieves, but also wanting to err on the side of caution around them. Either way, she's an undeniably important part of Royal.
5 Is It Likely? A New, Unforeseen Palace
Glimpses have been short, but there's talk of a new palace being introduced in the new game. It's completely unclear which it could be or how it's related, but speculation accounts have guessed that it's a ruined palace - one that has already been raided.
There's also talk of a second palace, related or not is unclear, which centers around Kasumi. This palace is said to be an opera house, which would be fitting of both her backstory and her talents.
4 What We Know: Takuto Maruki, The New School Counselor
There's a new teacher in town - well, something like one, anyway. Takuto Maruki is the new school counselor, and many have speculated that he's bound to be similar to Takemi. He is a confirmed confidant, lending social stat advantages that help during combat.
Based on the trailers, his job is to help provide emotional support after the incidents started by Kamoshida. This makes Ann a focal point in their interactions, since she was closest to it all.
3 Is It Likely? Futaba's Mom, Wakaba Isshiki, Back From Beyond
We've seen trailer shots that seem to insinuate that Futaba's mom, Wakaba, has come back somehow. It's unclear at this point whether or not this is the case, as the context is still uncertain. However, we have seen Futaba sitting across the table from Sojiro with a hauntingly familiar body next to her, likely that of her mother as seen in flashbacks and her palace.
In this same shot, we see the protag walk in, clearly puzzled, so it could be that the mysterious figure is simply a stranger with the same likeness of Wakaba.
2 What We Know: Joker's New Move
A grappling hook is now confirmed to be part of Joker's arsenal, which will lead to some new locations. This will allow players to swing around from time to time (quite literally) in order to reach new heights (again, quite literally).
A move such as this is likely to further the plot as well, as we may be able to access new locations in palaces that were previously off-limits or non-existent prior to the new game release.
1 Is It Likely: Human Morgana?!
One of the biggest question marks in the game right now, for most of us, is the existence of a human form of Morgana. We have seen Morgana in his cat-form during partner attacks with Haru, but is it possible that his wish will eventually come true in Royal?
Or perhaps Morgana has been right all along, and his true form is actually human. Regardless of who the dark-haired, adorable human is who has been revealed in the new trailers, we vow to protect him at all costs.