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This is a popular role-playing video game series developed by Atlus, which combines elements of social simulation with turn-based combat mechanics.
The franchise focuses on a group of young people who, when faced with their own problems and inner conflicts, discover the ability to summon ‘Personas’, manifestations of their psyche that grant them special abilities in combat.
The series began as a spin-off of the ‘Shin Megami Tensei’ series in 1996, but quickly gained popularity for its unique approach to storytelling and character development.
The game takes elements from analytical psychology and various elements of archetypal pedagogy.
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Each game in the series uses a different method of summoning Personas such as guns in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, tarot cards in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 or masks in Persona 5.
Each installment of ‘Persona’ features a rich and complex story, where the protagonists must grapple with themes such as identity, friendship, love and the struggle against the shadows that represent their repressed fears and desires.
One of the highlights is its gameplay system, which combines dungeon exploration with time management.
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Players must balance their daily lives, attending classes, socialising with friends and participating in extracurricular activities, while preparing to face threats in the shadow world.
This focus on everyday life allows players to develop deeper relationships with the characters, which in turn strengthens their combat skills.
Titles such as ‘Persona 3’, ‘Persona 4’ and ‘Persona 5’ have left a significant mark on video game culture, attracting a loyal fan base and spawning multiple adaptations, including anime, manga and dramas.
The game has been released for the platforms: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Arcade, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch.
I have tried and tried and tried to understand what is the allure of this game series but it just never really appealed to me. I even bought a hard copy of the latest Persona game on PS4 and got a little bit through it. It's probably because I lose interest in games that have massive stories in them pretty quickly. I came to game, not to watch a movie... haha.