Review: Persona 5 Strikers

Beat them up, Phantom Thieves

As a studio Omega Force has carved out a nice little niche for itself. Some wouldn’t say it’s fun! ‘Repeatedly’ is the word some may use. But despite their reputation for similar beat ’em ups, hardcore Omega Force fans know they’re not afraid to innovate, even in small, gradual ways.

Persona 5 Strikers is a little clearer with its progress.

Persona 5 Strikers (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Switch)
Developer: Omega Force, P-Studio
Publisher: Atlus
Released: February 20, 2020 (JP) | February 23, 2021
MSRP: $ 59.99

As I pointed out in my ongoing review, Persona 5 Strikers really feels like one Person game in many ways first. That’s very smart for Omega Force to focus on, because even with the recent one Royal release, people are always thirsty for more of this series.

I’m actually a little surprised at how deep that thematic throughput goes. Everything from the menus to the sequences between fights, to the shops, to the music. If someone was playing you Persona 5 Strikers outside of a combat sequence, you could probably trick them into thinking you’re playing Person 5 appropriate. That’s really cool.

In part, this is what P-Studio does, as they helped Omega Force with the project (as IP owners usually do for things like Hyrule WarriorsEither way, the collaboration paid off, because Attackers exudes style, even when you’re messing around with the equipment system. Now the story is a bit ‘touch and go’ at times, but it’s about half the length of a big one Person game, which can be a huge plus for anyone who doesn’t have the schedule to plunge into seemingly massive time pillars.

But while the overarching story isn’t as thrilling as an editorial, the little moments do matter. The banter between the characters, who already have quite a strong connection at this point (in both English and Japanese audio), is authentic PersonThe cutscenes, the voice actors in general, even the side characters, it’s all there. While it is not 100% required and you can get quite a bit out of the explanatory dialogue, you really should Play Person 5 first (Royal doesn’t really have an impact here) to get the most out of it.

The real-time combat system will also help many people who are not that JRPG-prone to acclimate. Yes, it has the very famous “basic special”, “basic basic special”, “basic basic basic special” combo system, but Attackers offers you the opportunity to evolve further. When you increase the difficulty, things immediately get more interesting. The weakness, persona, gunplay, and total attack systems all return PersonWhich gives the battle a bit of an edge both stylistically and strategically. It’s nice to line up skills knowing you’ve split up an entire squad because you’ve remembered what they’re vulnerable to. Have a giant persona summoned and indicate that this is the payout.

One of the main sins of the game, and many beat ’em ups are not immune to this, is repetition of the moment. Persona 5 Strikers does a great job throwing new concepts in your path, and with the custom dungeon system, present them in unique ways. But so-called “trash” mobs (enemies) can sometimes be a chore to clean up, as you will eventually make your way to the more exciting skirmishes worth devoting your power to.

It’s nice because you don’t always have to constantly fight it out if you don’t want to. Overall, the game pushes you into dungeon settings, allowing you to move around the labyrinth at will and avoid fights if you want. It has its merits and its faults. Arenas generally don’t feel as overwhelming or epic as some maps from previous Omega Force titles (Age of Calamity did a great job), but it feels that way Person, which will be most important to many people.

The parts of Japan between fights also reign, providing you with a nice break that’s better than the transition to the previous menu choice level Musou experiences. All in all, it’s just a little bit more chilly Person 5An abbreviated story (in Person terms), reduced dungeon hopping and party improvement requirements. But it works within the confines of this new subgenre. And last but not least, Person 5 (and Royal) still exists.

Persona 5 Strikers suffers from some of the same mistakes as others Musou games, but this collaboration greatly benefits from the power of the source material. Even if you have no interest in the genre, if you like it Person Either way, this is worth picking up at some point while you wait patiently for the next big submission.

_{[This review is based on retail builds of the game provided by the publisher.]}

Persona 5 Strikers reviewed by Chris Carter