Atlus' confirmation that Persona 6 is in development is exciting because it means fans can start speculating about its central themes. Every main installment in the Persona franchise leans into its own setting and aesthetic, from Persona 4's emphasis on small town friendships to Persona 5's rebellious picaresque themes. Persona 6 could go with a simpler take on the lives of Persona users, or it could go all-out with a concept even more flashy and dramatic than Persona 5. The latter seems likely, as Atlus says it wants Persona 6 to surpass Persona 5's success, which means it might take risks and come up with a really unique adventure.
If that's the case, the Persona franchise might actually leave Japan. Traditionally the series focuses on Japanese high schoolers in a variety of contexts, which means Persona 6 could defy these conventions by taking place in another country - or even many countries. The original concept for Persona 5 involved traveling around the world, so maybe it's time for Atlus to revisit that concept. There's ample evidence that the world of Shadows doesn't only affect Japan, so maybe Atlus is finally ready to take a team of Persona users on a globetrotting adventure.
Revisiting Persona 5's Original Concept
The original Persona 5 concept could see use in Persona 6. Persona 5 director Katsura Hashino explained in 2016 that while he was working on Persona 4 Golden, he explored the idea of taking Persona 5 abroad as a backpacking journey. Hashino was interested in exploring Persona's core theme of self discovery through an international journey that takes the main characters to all kinds of new places. However, after a devastating earthquake struck Japan in 2011, Hashino decided to keep Persona 5 inside Japan and focus on a story of self-discovery and rebellion within Japanese society.
Atlus has already reused Persona 5's backpacking concept in a sense. Its action RPG spin-off Persona 5 Strikers takes the Phantom Thieves all throughout Japan on a summer road trip. As they travel around the country and encounter all kinds of fun and meaningful things, they return to the Metaverse from various points to uncover a sinister plot and clear their names. Persona 5 Strikers made the most out of sending Persona users on the road, but it never took the characters abroad, meaning the older concept is still untapped.
That makes it seem likely that Persona 5 will pass its international travel concept on to Persona 6. Atlus could have used up the backpacking concept on the Phantom Thieves, but since they never left Japan, there's a lot of potential international storylines that Atlus hasn't used. Persona 6 could surpass Persona 5 with an international journey, giving the protagonists a huge global objective to complete while featuring a ton of overworlds based on notable cities. Ambition will serve Persona 6 well, and Hashino's larger-scale game concept is certainly ambitious.
The Persona World Reaches Far
An international adventure would open a lot of doors for Persona 6. The characters could make friends around the world and encounter cultures very different from that of Japan, resulting in valuable character growth that most Persona games don't have access to. However, it's not just the mortal side of the world that would be unique in Persona 6. The world of Shadows represented by the Metaverse, the Midnight Channel, and so on would look totally different in an international game. Atlus could easily see the value in making a Shadow world that spans the entire globe rather than one or more sections of Japan.
In most Persona games, humanity's perception of the world shapes the way that the world of Personas and Shadows look. This is where Palaces come from in Persona 5, for instance; they're microcosms of the Shadow world formed by one human's twisted beliefs and desires. A successor to the Metaverse that impacts the whole world would look totally different across the planet. Atlus could introduce all kinds of new Shadows and Personas in Persona 6 thanks to the different mythical and literary beings in international cultures. A tide of new characters would freshen up Persona 6 and help it stand out from its predecessors.
There's no doubt an international Persona adventure is possible. Yaldabaoth's plan to dominate the planet, revealed at the end of Persona 5, makes it clear that the cognitive world affects all of humanity, not just Japan. In that case, Persona 6 could reveal new sides of the cognitive world, filled with Shadows created by the unique thoughts and cultures. Even the playable team of Persona users could come from different parts of the world, spurred to explore the cognitive world by various international events.
Persona 6 Should Blend the Old and New
As a company that only slowly changes the Persona formula, it's possible Atlus isn't sure about the backpacking game concept. It shouldn't be afraid to make such a drastic change, though. Persona 5 made a ton of fundamental changes to the franchise, from turning Social Links into Confidants to developing a totally new take on dungeons. Those changes paid off. Persona 5 is the most successful game in the series to date, in-part thanks to the experimental changes that made Persona richer than ever before.
Persona 6 has ample opportunity to establish a unique identity by taking Persona users around the world. There's still so many implications for Hashino's original Persona 5 concept that Strikers didn't touch on; Persona 6 could get a lot of mileage out of a story centered around travel. It's great to know Atlus is getting started on Persona 6, but it also sounds like Persona fans shouldn't hold their breath for a proper reveal anytime soon. If Atlus does go with a concept as ambitious as a Persona game that travels all around the world, it's probably for the best that Persona 6 takes its time.
Persona 6 is in development.