Persona 5

Unreleased

Persona 5 is an upcoming role-playing game developed by Atlus' P-Studio.

Development
The game was first mentioned to be under development in August 2011 in an interview between Katsura Hashino, the producer of the Persona series and Famitsu, the Japanese gaming magazine with the most circulation, even though he only called it "the next numbered title". Hashino confirmed that the basic preparations for the development were finished and announced the return of Shigenori Soejima and Shoji Meguro as character designer and music composer, respectively. Both Soejima and Meguro previously worked together with Hashino on Persona 3, Persona 4 and Catherine.

Unlike Catherine, which used the Gamebryo engine, Persona 5 will be made with a new engine. Before it was decided that the game would be released exclusively for the PlayStation 3, it was also discussed internally to move the series to mobile gaming devices like the PlayStation Vita or smartphones. Eventually, Hashino and his team chose the PlayStation 3 as they felt that fans would love to see another game for home consoles.

The story of Persona 5 will discuss the hardships of modern-day society and feature characters that are restrained by the rules set by this society. As a result, players will be confronted with trials and chains that they will have to overcome. Much like the previous installments of the series the game is set in a high school - however, the mood and tone will be different. Hashino explains that Persona 5 is about a kind of freedom that is different from the other games in the series. This freedom is meant to liberate those who "are bored and discontent with their lives". Despite this, Atlus expects and wants players of Persona 3 and Persona 4 to feel at home with this game. Persona 5 is meant to be an emotional experience that stirs up its audience and finally lets them go with a strong message of catharsis after everything is said and done.

Persona 5 was officially revealed on November 24, 2013 following a 72-hour countdown that eventually resulted in a series of announcements that included Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth and Persona 4: Dancing All Night. A Persona 5 website domain was previously registered on June 25th, 2013 by Index Corporation, the former parent company of Atlus. An American release was confirmed on February 25, 2014 with an estimated release in 2015. A PlayStation 4 version of the game was announced on September 1, 2014 during Sony's Tokyo Game Show conference with a new trailer that gave a first look on the setting and the game's protagonist.

Atlus has announced the contents of the Persona 5 Special Movie Blu-ray included with early copies of Persona 4: Dancing All Night. It was released in June 25, 2015.

The Blu-ray includes:
 * The second trailer for Persona 5
 * The first trailer for Persona 5
 * The Persona Super Live 2015 announcement video
 * The SCE Conference announcement video
 * The News Flash! Persona Channel announcement video

Gameplay
Players engage in combat with demons of unknown origin using both melee and ranged weapons, instead of only one weapon type.

The primary dungeons are not randomly generated, consisting mainly of places a phantom thief would want to infiltrate, and will feature elements of real-time gameplay such as platforming, stealth, and traps.

The Cooperation system will be similar to the Social Links of Persona 3 and Persona 4 and will involve building relationships with helpers around the city for various benefits in battle.

Characters

 * Protagonist / The Phantom: The player character and also a delinquent moonlighting as a gentleman thief. He wears a bird mask and uses knives and pistols in combat.
 * Ryuji Sakamoto: A yellow-haired boy who attends the Protagonist's school and joins him in his heists. He wears a skull mask and wields bludgeons and shotguns as weapons.
 * Anne Takamaki: A blonde/light brunette girl in the Protagonist's homeroom, who joins him in his heists. She wears a cat mask and uses whips and sub-machine guns.
 * Morgana: A shape-shifting cat-like creature that meets the protagonist at the start of the game and joins him in his heists; she has some sort of connection to the Seven Deadly Sins and will play a key role in the story. She wields swords and slingshots.
 * Igor
 * Twin Assistants: Two young assistants to Igor in the Velvet Room. They both wear an eyepatch over one of their eyes and a blue prison guard outfit. One has a long braid, the other hair buns.
 * Iwai Munehisa: Owner of the Military Shop Untouchable.
 * Tae Takemi: Owner of the Takemi Medical Clinic.
 * Mysterious Male: A blue haired boy dressed in a white uniform, painting in the trailer that comes with Dancing All Night.

Trivia

 * Unlike previous Persona titles, which were set in fictional locations, Persona 5 takes place in Tokyo.
 * The dates shown in the gameplay trailer coincide with the 2016 calendar, suggesting the game may take place in that year.