Audra Bowling
Persona 5 Royal is the most complete version of a well-done adventure. Do I think it could’ve been better? Yes, but I also acknowledge that my opinion of the urban fantasy-based RPG is somewhat skewed.
Regarding dungeon design, Persona 5 is one of the most creative and entertaining Persona games with puzzle and platform elements, plus the ability to set up stealth ambushes against foes. However, this element is tempered by the randomness of Mementos. The calendar schedule mirrors reality in a way, but also segments the game into repeatable chunks, especially if you happen to complete dungeons as early as possible. These chunks can feel as though they’re dragging on far too long.
The story can reach thought-provoking highs at times, but it also struggles with fully exploring its narrative themes, shoving repeated mantras that lose impact over time down your throat. I lost count of how many times a variation of “crappy adults” was woven into the dialogue! The characters all have hidden depth, but the time management/investment system often means having to choose when and how you advance their individual stories in a way that doesn’t seem as naturally woven into the plot as it could’ve been.
The music is incredible and the stylized UI is so eye-catching and unique that several games since have since tried emulating it for good reason! The QoL improvements that P5 Royal brings to the table at least make advancing easier-if-still-tedious, though the added content is a double-edged sword. I appreciate the Kasumi and Maruki storylines and what they bring to the table, as well as the revamped Confidant link for Akechi since his later plot developments are a surprising narrative highlight. Yet P5 Royal also adds even more padding to a game that’s already stuffed to the brim.
As it stands, I’m glad I finally managed to play a version of P5 through to its completion even if I wasn’t quite as enamored with it as others. P5 Royal is the version to play if you’re curious and haven’t yet played the vanilla version, but maybe not trying to cram over a hundred hours of game time into a segment of only a couple of weeks is the best approach. As it stands, while I feel there were ways it could be an even stronger game in regards to some of its gameplay and story elements, P5 Royal‘s still a fairly solid RPG experience and one I’m glad I finally managed to complete. I’m very curious to see the direction the sixth Persona game goes from here!
Zach Wilkerson
I can’t believe I’m about to write this, but Persona 5 is a mediocre video game.
I know, I know. It sounds like I’m just trying to have a hot take, but after this second playthrough, it’s a hard one for me to recommend. And I know I’m in the minority; go check out one of our glowing reviews.
But I just can’t get there. What Persona 5 oozes in style, it lacks in substance. For every great needle drop there are dozens of excessive, unneeded text conversations that make absolutely certain you know what’s going on in the plot. This might work well if the vast majority of the cast, or the other social links, went beyond basic tropes without anything interesting happening in their stories, but they don’t.
The biggest problem is that the game doesn’t really have anything to say, and somehow the characters loudly shout what sounds like thematic statements at us, but they never congeal, and the Royal content, for all its added joy (looking at you, Akechi) does nothing to ameliorate this problem.
I hoped coming back to Persona 5 might make me understand why it gets so much love. Instead, I resented the 110 hours of my life it sucked away, and my opinion of it dropped dramatically. I could maybe forgive that if the game was 40 hours shorter, but it isn’t, so I don’t.
Michael Sollosi
My memory of Persona 5 from 2017 is that of a slick, dramatic RPG with great dungeons, music, and menus, with a convoluted plot that is fun in the moment but maybe not as good as those in other Persona games. My 2026 playthrough of Persona 5 Royal reinforces those ideas, but also draws attention to major pacing issues.
Persona 5 Royal is so long I can under no circumstances recommend playing it with a real-life deadline on top of the in-game ones. The dialog, while often entertaining, is so dense and repetitive that I found myself responding to messages on my own phone while Persona 5‘s protagonist was doing the same. Even though I enjoy most of Persona 5’s cast (Dr. Takemi is great, Makoto is a ride or die, and Akechi is a [redacted for spoilers].), after 110+ hours I was ready to leave their company forever.
I understand why Persona 5 is considered a signature RPG of its era, but revisiting it with nine years of perspective felt more exhausting than satisfying. Persona 5 Royal encourages players to “Take Your Time,” but Persona 5 takes its sweet time to an extreme.
