There's an interesting trap that games in the Stylish JRPG space tend to fall into. Persona 5 Royal mostly avoids it, but the way it avoids it is more interesting than the genre itself.
I bounced off Persona 5 Royal the first time I tried it. The second attempt — about three months later, after a long flight, on a recommendation from a friend — was when the design clicked. This is a review of the second attempt.
Gameplay
Combat in Persona 5 Royal rewards reading more than reflexes. Atlus clearly built around the idea that you should always have time to think — but the consequences for thinking wrong are real. The result is the rare action game that respects deliberate play.
There's no fluff in Persona 5 Royal's systems. Every menu is one click deeper than you expect; every tooltip says what it means; every system interacts with at least one other system. It's the kind of design that's invisible while you play and obvious when you stop.
Story & Setting
The story is told mostly through environment and incidental dialogue, which is the right choice for the kind of game this is. There are no twenty-minute cutscenes. There are no NPCs who follow you around explaining lore. What there is, instead, is a world that responds to attention.
The writing in Persona 5 Royal is the best argument for taking dialogue trees seriously again. Every choice feels weighted. Every NPC has a recognizable voice. It's not subtle work — but it's the kind of unsubtle work that takes years to get right.
Visuals & Performance
Performance is solid on the platforms we tested. Frame rate stays in target ranges, load times are short, and we didn't encounter game-stopping bugs across roughly 47 hours of play. Visual fidelity is competitive — not industry-leading, but competitive — and the optimisation work shows.
Verdict
Atlus has earned the benefit of the doubt with Persona 5 Royal. It's not their best work — that's probably still Slay the Spire — but it's a stronger argument for taking small studios seriously than any pitch deck.
Buy it now if you played Hollow Knight and wanted more like it. Wait for a sale if you're new to the Stylish JRPG space — the learning curve is real and the discount usually arrives within six months.
Verdict
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Gameplay | 8/10 |
| Story | 8/10 |
| Visuals | 6/10 |
| Replayability | 7/10 |
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to finish Persona 5 Royal?
Main story runs around 80-100 hours depending on how thoroughly you explore. Completionists can spend 2-3× that.
Is Persona 5 Royal good for newcomers to Stylish JRPG?
Yes — Persona 5 Royal is a great entry point. The early hours teach the systems gradually and the difficulty curve is reasonable.
Which platform should I play Persona 5 Royal on?
Steam Deck handles this title well — verified compatibility on most recent patches.
Was Persona 5 Royal worth the launch-day price?
Released in 2019, and as of writing it holds up. Wait for a sale if you're price-sensitive — major discounts arrive within 6 months.
Are there DLCs or expansions worth picking up?
Wait for the Game of the Year edition — it bundles everything at a fair discount.
What did Atlus get right (and what could be better)?
The systems are confident and the combat is satisfying. The story handoffs and load times are the rough spots.
Comments
Comments are moderated. Be civil — disagreement is fine, abuse isn't.
Bookmarked for when it drops to half price. Cheers for the honest writeup.
The pacing in the second act is exactly the issue that gets glossed over in most reviews.
Multiplayer mode adds 30+ hours of replay value. Underrated section.
Bought it on sale last week — already 18 hours in. Highly recommend.
Best take I've read on this one. The Stylish JRPG space needs more critical depth.
Score feels about right. The opening drags a bit but it grows on you.