Buy Persona 5 Royal

It's extremely weird to realize that Persona 5 was never released on a Nintendo system until now. Its protagonist, Joker, was one of the very first DLC characters announced for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and its sequel, Persona 5 Strikers, come out on Nintendo's system. The original had remained exclusive to the PlayStation until now. Fortunately, Nintendo-owning fans of the franchise (or those who were introduced to Joker via Smash) will finally get to try the Phantom Thief's adventures, and they are well worth the wait.

For those unfamiliar, Persona 5 Royal is a combination JRPG and daily life sim. You play as a Japanese teenager who's been wrongly accused of a crime and sent to live with a family friend to get away from the stigma of his crime. He's barely there a day before mysterious supernatural occurrences begin, and he finds that he has gained the ability to enter the Metaverse, an alternate universe comprised of the minds of people. Corrupt people have palaces, which are dangerous dungeons that house their greatest (mental) treasure. Taking on the codename Joker, the protagonist and a group of his friends join forces to form the Phantom Thieves of the Heart, breaking into palaces to steal the treasure and force the corrupt individuals to reform and admit their crimes.

If you've only played the original Persona 5, then Royal is a significant upgrade. While the bulk of the game's really new content is at the very end of the game, there are a significant number of improvements throughout the title. You're given significantly more free time to build up your confidants, there are a shocking number of new ways to earn social points or build affinity with friends, and there are even three new confidants to befriend. (It's technically 2.5 because one is a complete reworking of an existing confidant from Persona 5.) Even the dungeons and bosses have been adjusted, including new fights and hidden areas you can visit to collect special items.

Much like Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 Royal is basically a straight upgrade from the first release. The only downside is that the amount of new options makes the game notably easier than the original release. There are harder difficulty modes for those who want them, but don't be surprised if you're clearing palaces in a day or so.

Of course, there are some differences for the Switch release of Persona 5 Royal. The most distinct feature of Royal on the Switch is the portability. For the most part, this works extremely well, and the game is well suited to being played on the go. The visuals end up a bit blurry, and certain scenes have text that can be difficult to read, but those are the bulk of the problems. It runs more smoothly than Shin Megami Tensei V, which is a surprise when you consider that the latter was made exclusively for the Switch. The ability to put down and pick up the game is a blessing, especially since there are over 100 hours of gameplay.

In terms of extra content over the existing PS4 version, there isn't a ton. You get all of Kasumi's costumes packed in, along with several powerful DLC demons and a host of starting items. The starting items aren't game-breaking, but they make the early game rather painless. You can't skip them unless you also give up the costumes because you get all of the DLC items in one batch, but they are mostly powerful healing items and a couple of single-use magic spell items. Kasumi's costumes being included instead of DLC is a big boost; otherwise, it's the full cost for a character who you can only use for a relatively short period of time, making it feel like a waste if you wanted to round out your Super Sentai Featherman team costumes.

The DLC demons are pure cheat codes because it doesn't cost any money to summon them from the compendium, and they begin at insane levels. This isn't really a new problem, as there's already a host of these "free" demons in the original version since Persona 5's DLC is included with Royal. If you avoid using the free summon, they can be summoned in the normal fashion, so they're fun extras. (All of them are relatively highly power for the level.) The only one I have a complaint about is Raoul, the "upgraded" version of the protagonist's initial persona. It felt weird to have it as DLC In the PS4 version, but it's even weirder that it's included. The rest of the cast can get their new Royal-exclusive persona via plot beats, but the protagonist's persona is a random summon in the high 80s.

It's easy to recommend the Switch port. I have no doubts the next generation versions will look smoother and be more HD, but the Switch iteration is a perfectly pleasant way to experience the game. Should I ever replay it again, the Switch is the version I'll choose for the comfort and portability. For your first time experiencing it, there's no downside to the Switch version. It's on par with the other versions I've played, and the game plays just fine and dandy.

Overall, Persona 5 Royal is effectively the same game it was on the PS3/PS4, but now it's portable. The colorful and simple graphics age extremely well, and while the frame rate and resolution won't match the new HD versions, they are more than adequate for the sort of game that Persona 5 is. The title remains an absolute master class in how style and strong art design can create a more distinctive and memorable experience than the most realistic graphics on the market, and that carries through on the Switch, even if it sometimes appears less sharp.

Score: 9.0/10