Fans' histories with the Persona series are oftentimes spread across the entire franchise thanks to its now 25-year history. Some fans started with the Shin Megami Tensei series back in the 90s, introduced to the franchise through the first entry, which was originally a SMT spin-off. Many others started with Persona 3, the modern reinvention of the series that made it distinct from Shin Megami Tensei. Others started with the massively popular Persona 4 and Persona 5, each growing beyond its origins and emphasizing that Persona has become its own franchise. Persona 5 Strikers is an outlier here as one of many Persona spin-offs, but it's still very unique.

While the game's developer Omega Force is known for designing musou-style (Dynasty Warriors) spin-offs for known franchises, Persona 5 Strikers was an ambitious step forward for both Atlus and Omega Force. Rather than serve as a standalone title in the Persona 5 universe, Strikers was basically a sequel story to the original Persona 5 that simultaneously made a genre shift, as well as innovated on Omega Force's design philosophy significantly. While Persona 5 Strikers coming to PS Plus may be strange, especially considering the necessity to complete Persona 5 to truly appreciate it, veterans from P5 should absolutely give Strikers a try.

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Warriors-Esque Combat Mixed With Persona RPG Tactics

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What's most fascinating about Persona 5 Strikers is its real-time combat design. At face value, Strikers resembles Omega Force's previous musou spin-offs like Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors. However, Persona 5 Strikers actually makes a few significant departures from traditional Warriors mechanics, trading larger scale battles for smaller scale arenas filled with enemies. Combat very much implements much mores strategy and precision compared to Warriors games, forcing players to manage Persona-adjacent resources like SP, targeting weaknesses, managing Personas and magic, all in service to taking down all sorts of iconic Persona enemies.

The end result is less Dynasty Warriors and more action RPG, perhaps best compared to the gameplay of Kingdom Hearts. Players can very much rely on the expected button mashing combos that are efficient for crowd control and lower-level enemies. However, stronger enemies and bosses require a much more methodical playstyle, quick-swapping between various members of the Phantom Thieves and targeting weaknesses with powerful spells to wither away longer health bars. It's an interesting mix that's very satisfying to play, especially when chaining together high-damage combos and Showtime overdrives between four playable party members.

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A Thrilling And Sympathetic Send Off For The Phantom Thieves

Persona 5 Strikers Characters

Obviously the main thing that makes Persona 5 Strikers a strange pick for a free PS Plus game is its premise, serving as a sequel to Persona 5 proper. There hasn't really been a PS Plus game before it that's generally expected players to have played a precursor game, especially in the case of Persona 5, where knowledge of the base game is almost necessary for the experience. However, even if an attempt was made to separate Strikers from Persona 5 proper's narrative, the game is an excellent and comparatively light-hearted sequel to the Phantom Thieves' story.

Players see a new side of the iconic group; close friends who are as comfortable with each other as they are with their Persona and combat skills. The stakes steadily rise as the story goes on, and reaches some genuine emotional highs, but also emphasizes a much more confident group of Phantom Thieves that isn't quite reflected in Persona 5 proper. Even the new Thieves in Persona 5 Strikers, the bubbly AI Sophia and Inspector Zenkichi, all add to the team's dynamic in a unique way that doesn't interrupt the group's chemistry. Persona 5 fans will find a lot of in this game for sure, but it's also a compelling evolution for the Phantom Thieves as well.

For those who've been hesitant to jump into Persona 5 Strikers, PS Plus does present a unique opportunity for PlayStation players. Persona 5 Strikers isn't necessary for anyone who played and enjoyed Persona 5, even if they're not Persona fans in general, but it's still worth the try.

Combat genuinely plays out a lot like a battle in Persona 5, even if it's not turn-based, incorporating elements of strategy into an action framework that works surprisingly well. The narrative gives the Phantom Thieves one last ride, and acts as a reverent and appreciative send-off to the characters many fans came to know and love over the course of Persona 5. Granted hardcore Persona fans are likely aware of this, but for any who skipped out on this spin-off/sequel, Persona 5 Strikers is worth the time.

Persona 5 Strikers is available now for PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.

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