On Atlus’s official YouTube channel this morning, Persona 5 Royal held a major livestream that covered a lot of new information about everything Persona 5, from gameplay updates to the upcoming stage play based on the game. The livestream aired a new Morgana Report that revealed an entirely new character, a trailer for Goro Akechi which we broke down here, and a stylish new trailer for the full game that features heavy spoilers, so if you haven’t played Persona 5, watch at your own risk.
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Now it’s time to break down all the new information, and there is a lot. Most notable is the addition of a brand-new character and a reworking of the way Mementos works, as fully demonstrated in Morgana Report #4, which you can check out for yourself below (though it is in Japanese).
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Persona 5 Royal’s newest face is a mysterious young boy named Jose. Jose has the appearance of a child, but clearly has some sort of power and is connected to Mementos in some way. There are new “Stamp Pads” throughout Mementos, and if you collect the stamps and bring them to Jose, he can change the perception of Mementos to provide different effects. Using Jose, Mementos can provide extra experience, money, or items after battle. Jose is also likely tied to the new white version of Mementos featured in previous trailers.
New enemy mechanics and new mission structures are also coming to Mementos. Pitch-black areas and spaces with stronger enemies will now randomly appear in Mementos, and missions given to you by the Phansite will now also require enemy negotiation instead of basic battle. Jose is also tied to the new items featured in each of the palaces; collecting these unique items and bringing them to Jose will net you a powerful accessory.
Outside of Mementos and Jose, information was supplied about the newest explorable location, Kichijoji. Kichijoji is going to be the largest explorable location outside of the game’s palaces, featuring a number of new shops and stops. Shown in the livestream, Kichijoji will feature a dumpling stall, clothing store, incense shop, shrine, bar, and a jazz club. The bar has games you can pay to play with friends, including billiards and darts. It was revealed during the stream that the darts will require motion controls with the Dualshock 4, and it was not shown whether or not this is optional. We hope it’s optional.
Ryuji’s confidant ability, which allows players to instantly kill enemies, has been reworked. Now it only activates if you approach an enemy with a dash; the ability will also now grant players experience and money upon insta-kill.
The DLC for Persona 5 is where things get a little complicated. The livestream confirmed that the DLC from Persona 5 is returning to Persona 5 Royal, but will have to be purchased again. Whether it will have to be re-purchased through the PSN Store or in-game at the new clothing shop is still unclear.
Clearly, a lot of new stuff is coming to Persona 5 Royal, and much of it addresses fan concerns. For more on Persona 5 Royal, check out its incoming music updates and some new trailers. Persona 5 Royal still has no set Western release date outside the 2020 window.
[Source: Atlustube via PushSquare]
Source: Game Informer Persona 5 Royal Gets New Trailer, New Character, And A Lot Of Mementos Updates