Though it's been nearly a decade since Skyrim, a release for The Elder Scrolls 6 is still very far off. To this day, many gamers still actively play Skyrim, despite how long ago it released, and many have been long awaiting news for another installment to the Elder Scrolls franchise. But there's one big issue with creating a game that follows a critical success such as Skyrim that can be observed with Elder Scrolls Online, especially during its early days: it's not easy to live up to the reputation that smash hits establish.
Similarly, Persona 5 saw great reception among the gaming industry, but Persona 6 is also likely a long ways away. As for news, fans are hoping for word from Atlus sometime soon. Back in 2019, before Persona 5 Royal's release, Atlus confirmed that it was already planning out new numbered entries in the series. Though this could mean anything such as a Persona 5 sequel to reprise the beloved Phantom Thieves or making a sixth Persona installment with a completely new cast of vigilante teens, with the latter being the most likely, the developer will have a lot to consider in order to make sure the next addition hits the same sales landmark as its predecessor.
Story and Characters
While Skyrim featured many elements that fans still love to this day, players loved the variety of faction-driven questlines and the return of dragons to the province of Skyrim. Likewise, Persona 5 also sees upwards of one hundred hours of engaging storytelling with twists and turns, and similar to Skyrim, the player has full control over how they choose to spend their time, albeit in a different fashion. And with the updated endings seen in Persona 5 Royal, the direction that the game took could be difficult for the following installment to top.
And behind the main plot of Joker living through a 'rehabilitation' by cleansing the hearts of corrupted adults, Persona 5 introduces an emotional story, partially due to encompassing a charming cast of characters. Behind each of them is their own customized story, some being deep and meaningful and others simply being fun. While rich characters may be a weak comparison for Skyrim (since Bethesda hadn't yet discovered how to get players attached to companions until its release of Fallout 4), the variety and personality found within Persona 5 confidants is a big draw for the game. Whether it's befriending Ryuji, getting past Sojiro's hard exterior, or deciding who's best girl, Atlus has a knack for writing alluring characters to complement its story.
Combat & Skill Trees
Persona 5 revolutionized its classic style of turn-based combat. While Skyrim's melee combat may be a bit clunky, it made many changes to its mechanics, specifically, its skill trees, which is where it really shined. But the Elder Scrolls 6 may have quite a bit of room to improve these mechanics, for example, allowing for a magic-only character to be utilized from the start without having to rely on any weaponry. But Persona 5 Royal already made many adjustments needed from the vanilla version of the game.
Royal turns down the stress dial by making leveling up skills, personas, and confidants all the easier, and it all ties back to combat. Combat is far more balanced, though some boss fights are still inherently difficult, and it makes for a more enjoyable version of the game. But reusing a tried-and-true formula can sometimes be a hit or miss with the gaming community because players are always looking for ways to innovate, even on top of titles that are nearly flawless. So Atlus will need to consider if and what combat mechanics it wants to change for Persona 6, as it will have a big impact on player enjoyment.
Bethesda's priority is currently working on Starfield, an upcoming open-world action-adventure set in space, and even that only has a teaser trailer with no release window, meaning that an Elder Scrolls 6 installment is likely still years away, unfortunately. Similarly, Persona 5 Royal released earlier this year, and though Atlus has confirmed that future installments are in development, a sixth installment into the Japanese franchise will need a hefty amount of time dedicated to development if it wants a chance at living up to its predecessor.
Persona 6 is reportedly in development.