Persona Games! Get Your Persona Games Here!

It’s been a difficult few years for Persona fans, with the brilliant Persona 4 going without a true follow-up for far too long. Hints have been dropped and the news that director Katsura Hashino, artist Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shoji Meguro were hard at work on the proper sequel was promising, but without the official announcement of Persona 5 things were still agonizing.

Today, Atlus has not only announced Persona 5 but thrown open the doors on two more new projects (and a new trailer for one we know of) in development- each radically different from the others. 

Persona 5

The big one, Persona 5. The trailer tells us little other than the Japanese release date (winter 2014), the console (Playstation 3), and the trifecta of core Persona Team staff members who will be involved (see above), but there’s a heavier, creepier tone than the comparative peppiness of Persona 4. This return to the form for the franchise could make for something very interesting, but we won’t know the extent of it- or the truth of it- until details start to come out.

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, an RPG for the Nintendo 3DS, is an unexpected surprise. Starring our valiant protagonists in a style reminiscent of the Final Fantasy IV DS remake, it features a mash-up of Persona 3 and 4 heroes teaming up for some unknown purpose in what appears to be a similarly RPG-styled adventure. At least two other characters are in the mix as well, though their identities- as well as the premise as a whole- remain a mystery. Japanese players will get their hands on the game come June 5, 2014.

Persona 4: The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold

We already knew of Persona 4: The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold, the spectacularly-named sequel to the truly excellent Persona 4 Ultimate/Persona 4 Arena which was developed by Atlus and Guilty Gear makers Arc System Works. That doesn’t mean that more footage is unwelcome, however, with the demonstration of a few new characters- Adachi, a Persona 4 fan favorite, included- and a few curious images to kick off the plot (Junpei in Inaba? Persona characters crucified in the Midnight Channel? The Dark Hour returns?). This, too, is set for a 2014 release, with no Western release date announced yet.

It is safe to say that it was pretty much impossible for any of us to expect this one, however. The Persona soundtracks have always been excellent and the recent pop/rock tunes are certainly catchy, but this franchise about the dark depths within people’s hearts and weaponizing what truly resides inside of ourselves in order to fight Lovecraftian horrors never seemed like it would produce a rhythm game. That has not stopped the announcement of Persona 4: Dancing All Night, a music and rhythm game for the PS Vita featuring a handful of the game’s cast members in pop star outfits dancing for- and with- our amusement. Pop star Rise Kujikawa, hero Yu Narukami, and Kanamin, Rise’s sort-of rival mentioned in her Persona 4 social link are shown here, along with the Elite Beat Agents/Rhythm Thief style of the dance gameplay. Also listed are Yosuke, Chie, and Kanji, with an “and more!” tag making us wonder if the developers are going to make it look like Yukiko can dance.

I expect Teddie DLC.