New information about the recently announced Persona 5 Royal was revealed in a recent article from Japanese magazine Famitsu. It featured interviews with Daiki Ito, Kazuhisa Wada, and Shigenori Soejima, who are part of the development team as director, producer, and character designer, respectively.
“Polished and Extravagant”
According to the team, the game's “Royal” subtitle was chosen to make its name feel “polished and extravagant.” The choice seems appropriate for the game, since many decisions were made to emphasize those characteristics, which had certainly been part of its image since Persona 5 launched.
One change in this vein is the new artwork that will appear during dialogue to keep the game “fresh.” But the visual side is not the only element being refined, as more than 20 new songs have been confirmed for the game's acclaimed music library.
The game's opening itself already celebrates extravagance
As for gameplay, numerous improvements designed to enhance the experience were mentioned. It was also said that the game will allow players to accumulate XP more quickly, enabling a faster playthrough.
In addition, the length of the third semester, a new period in the game, will make it larger than Persona 4 Golden, the “special” version of Persona 4 already known for having plenty of content.
New events will be added
New Characters
The design and purpose of Kasumi Yoshizawa, the new playable character, were also discussed.
Kasumi Yoshizawa
According to the team, her design was made to be “straightforward,” conveying the feeling of a classic heroine. During the creation process, great care was taken to make her feel natural alongside the other Phantom Thieves. In contrast to Marie, the character who was the “face” of Persona 4 Golden, Kasumi was created to harmonize with the protagonist rather than contrast with him.
Marie, from Persona 4 Golden
The team tried to introduce her naturally into the story, and over the course of the game, players can discover a different side of her through her Confidant story. She not only complements the story but also brings more depth to existing characters.
As for new Confidants, more information was shared about Takuto Maruki, a new character who will take on that role. He is a staff member at Shujin Academy who serves as a “counselor” and becomes involved with Ryuji and Ann. According to the developers, he will offer a new perspective on the Phantom Thieves' conflict with adults, since Takuto will be friendly and kind.
Takuto Maruki, a new Confidant
There will be other Confidants in addition to him and Kasumi. New announcements about them will be made soon, but it is not known whether the new Confidants will be new characters or characters already present in the story of Persona 5.
Persona 5 Royal will be released in Japan on October 31 and in the West in 2020.
