Even though Shin Megami Tensei came out first and is the main title of the franchise, Persona is the more recognizable name in the West. Since Persona 3, the series has increased more and more in popularity. Part of that can be linked to the social aspect of the gameplay.

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Because players get to connect with in-game friends, they can engage more in the story. These stories are still dark, but less depressing than anything in the main Shin Megami Tensei games. Dramatic stories aren’t bad. They may just be for a more niche crowd. That’s only one example top. So, between Shin Megami Tensei 5 and Persona 5, which among them is king?

Talking to an npc in Persona 5

In Persona 5, Social Links are like the series' equivalent to side quests. Shin Megami Tensei 5 has plenty of side quests in the game but they don’t matter in the grand scale of things. They are simple little fetch quests that have players gather items or kill a set amount of demons.

Persona 5’s Social Links, for example, expand the story. They allow players to get to know their party more on top of offering great bonuses. They might be the best side quests RPGs have ever seen.

7 The Open-World: Shin Megami Tensei 5

Exploring the world in Shin Megami Tensei 5

One of the things that are holding Persona 5, and the rest of the series, back is the small environments. Persona 5 expanded the scope of Japan to a wide degree with tons of areas to see. The thing is, all of these areas were not seamlessly connected which made the game still feel small.

Shin Megami Tensei 5 is the first in the main series to offer a true open-world experience. Also unlike Persona 5, players can get into the action almost right away. It takes about two hours in Persona 5 before things open up and that’s too slow for an RPG.

6 The Battle System: Persona 5

Fighting enemies in Persona 5

Both battles systems are relatively close. Players will fight all sorts of demons with physical and magical powers. If the player hits an enemy with an element they are weak to, then players will get an extra turn. It’s like the Pokemon system of inflicting weaknesses but done better. They are good monster-catching systems.

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Persona 5 slightly edges out Shin Megami Tensei 5 because the main hero is accompanied by human characters. This allows players to further connect with their team instead of subbing in random demons that don’t talk. This also ties to the Social Links system.

5 Demon Fusion: Shin Megami Tensei 5

The end battle reward stance from Shin Megami Tensei 5

Another thing the Pokemon series could borrow is the fusion system. This allows players to combine two demons to create an even stronger one. Even better, this new demon can inherit skills from the other two. This is an easy way to create the ultimate ally with varying elemental traits they would not otherwise learn.

This strategy can be applied to both games which operate just as close as the battle systems. However, Shin Megami Tensei 5 is more refined. It’s quicker and easier to fuse demons in that game since the mechanic can be reached at any save point.

4 The Style: Persona 5

Makoto in battle from Persona 5

Persona 5 is the better looking of the two on multiple fronts. Graphically it is stunning. It also performs better on either of the three systems it is available on. The Switch is trying its hardest to keep up with the ambition of Shin Megami Tensei 5 but there are moments where it falters. The frame rate dips come to mind.

More so than performance or graphical prowess, Persona 5 has style from costumes to menus. That game is a drip god amongst RPGs. The open-world is, again, nice in Shin Megami Tensei 5 but it is a lot of yellow and brown deserts regions without much flair.

3 The Story: Shin Megami Tensei 5

The main character from Shin Megami Tensei 5

The characters may make for a tighter bond for players to get attached to in Persona 5. However, the story is more thought out and refined in Shin Megami Tensei 5. Persona 5 throws some new twists to the formula but it’s also a lot of the same ideas from previous entries. The same is true for Shin Megami Tensei 5.

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The reason why some players may still prefer it over Persona 5 is that it is darker. There is also a nice twist some may not see coming after the first six or eight hours. It’ll happen after the Diet Building to drop a small hint. After that things really get interesting.

2 The Music: Persona 5

Futaba online in Persona 5

The music is another reason why the style is so great in Persona 5. The soundtrack isn’t bad in Shin Megami Tensei 5. It does the job for an RPG. At the same time, it doesn’t offer up that many memorable tracks players will be thinking about outside of the game.

The opposite is true of Persona 5. The music offers up a great variety of rock, pop, and instrumental tracks both with and without vocal accompaniments. There’s also just a lot of music in general. It might be the very best this entire series has ever offered.

1 The Verdict: Persona 5

The main character and Morgana from Persona 5

Both games can be argued about day and night. Persona 5 is for players that love characters over plot. It has style to spare for days on top of one amazing soundtrack. Shin Megami Tensei 5 is for more hardcore RPG fans that prefer a darker tale but one that doesn’t get in the way of gameplay too often.

They are both amazing RPGs that blow so many modern games out of the water. At the end of the day, Persona 5 is just a tad more accessible. It also offers a lot more content with its 90 plus hour affair. Still, players can’t go wrong with either pick even if Persona 5 is an older game.

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