New Persona 5 Story Information Released

Atlus has released story and character information, as well as dungeon details and screenshots. Gematsu has provided a translated version of this Japanese press release.

■ Story

“If I protect the woman from the man harassing her, the man will get hurt and press charges.”

Whether it was for a small sense of justice, or possibly a different reason, the truth was distorted at the self-protection and convenience of rotten adults, and the protagonist began a “criminal record.” During his probation, the protagonist who lives in an old-looking cafe in the metropolitan area one day has a strange dream.

Dressed in a prison uniform, he is apprehended in a blue prison. On the other side of the prison bars are twin guards, and enshrined in the back, an old man with a strange face always hanging his head in thought. When the hero went to sleep, he called—or invited—him to the mysterious blue prison known as the “Velvet Room.” It is a place that lies between dream and reality, and spirit and substance. It is a room in which only someone bound by some sort of contract visits.

Although the Velvet Room accommodates the hero in the form of a prison, the old man says, “the state of this room is the state of the mind of the contractor himself,” and that the young man is a “captive of fate.”

Ruin awaits this one in the near future. And nothing can be done but “rehabilitate” against it. “Rehabilitation to freedom”… that is the only way to avoid ruin.

“…are you ready to take on a distorted world?”

—The twin guards of the Velvet Room.

—Igor, an old man who imposes “rehabilitation” on the protagonist.

—The protagonist visits the Velvet Room from behind a jail cell.

■ The Start of the Phantom Thieves

The “rehabilitation to freedom” imposed by Igor on the protagonist was to become an excellent thief. And from there begins the world reforming Phantom Thieves who steal the hearts of evil adults.

—The objective: to steal the distorted desires of adults and reform the target.

—Before long the crimes of the Phantom Thieves are noticed by the police and government, and develop into a major incident.

—Mysterious spirits runs wild.

■ The Palace

The protagonist and friends use a mysterious smartphone application given to them by Igor called “Isekai Navi” (Other World Navi), and infiltrate the other world of the heart, known as “Palace,” and reform evil adults.

The other world of the heart, “Palace,” is another reality seen in evil persons with warped hearts. Within the various extreme interiors of this other world, including old castles, art museums, and pyramids, the protagonist and friends aim at its hidden desires known as “treasures.”

—The Phantom Thieves’ objective is to steal the distorted desires in the depths of Palace. Various obstacles will stand in their way.

—In the art museum-style Palace, there is a gameplay mechanic where you can freely jump into the artworks.

—See through suspicious areas with the eyes of a truth-distinguishing Phantom Thief and deceive the eyes of the enemy in disguise.

—Through stealth actions, you can hide and initiate surprise attacks.

■ Student by Day, Thief by Night

Before the protagonist and friends are Phantom Thieves, they’re high school students who attend class and after-school activities, use free time for dates and part-time jobs, study, and play games. Players can fully enjoy a year as a high school student, including events for each season like swimming, culture festivals, and social studies field trips.

—The protagonist’s room is in the attic of a cafe at which he lodges. He can also invite friends over.

—Similar to previous Persona games, taking class seriously will increase your knowledge. Something good might also come out of scoring well on tests.

—An overseas field trip…?

—Players can freely decide what to do after school. Maybe you want to take the girl on your mind to a movie in Shibuya, or possibly go home and play games. It’s up to you!

—Something similar to the favorability system we’ve seen before is alive and well in Persona 5. You can also become lovers.

—There are various types of part-time jobs. You can even provide help in an election speech.

■ Omnibus Format Episodes

The episodes of Persona 5 play out in an omnibus format. Each story is independent, and before long every incident will connect and tie together to the truth. What kind of ending awaits this story depends on the player.

The press release also contained information about the party members which had been translated back in May.

Persona 5 will be releasing in Japan on September 15 2016, and in the Americas on February 14 2017, for both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.

There seems to be quite an emphasis on your friendship with the girls, though I’m much more interested in what this election speech business is. What do you think of these new details? Let us know below.