![]() As an aid to Shujin’s students in the wake of the Kamoshida fallout, Maruki is a sensible addition to Persona 5’s framework. Kasumi feels better positioned as an accessory to Royal’s other new Confidant, Shujin’s new school counselor Takuto Maruki. Her Bless-based skills are much appreciated, as is her style and physical strength, but as a front-facing emblem of Royal’s identity, Kasumi’s presence underwhelms. Kasumi’s presence is occasionally a topic of conversation among the rest of the crew, but she isn’t an active party member until Royal’s exclusive content, the third term of school, starts up after the (former) conclusion of Persona 5 in late December. She shows up in Hawaii in September on the class field trip. She encounters Joker in the hallways at Shujin on a handful of dates. While I hesitate to call Kasumi a bait-and-switch, she’s not as present in the narrative or Metaverse exploration as the other Phantom Thieves. Kasumi’s integration into Persona 5’s action, however, isn’t without its strange incongruity. She hangs out for social encounters at Kichijoji, Royal’s premier new location. When Royal finally settles into a groove and starts operating day-to-day, Kasumi is revealed as a first year student and gymnast at Shujin Academy. Kasumi Yoshizawa, in full Phantom Thief attire, wields a rapier and saves Joker’s ass in a brand new sequence. It’s noticeable in the opening cinematic, where, halfway through Casino Palace escape, Joker encounters a brand new ally during the tutorial. The most present and attractive additions to Royal arrive with its two new Confidants. The remainder of this text will (I hope!) focus on Royal’s extensions and whether or not they benefit Persona 5’s operation. For a broader reading of Persona 5’s strengths and weaknesses, please look to my original review of Persona 5 from 2017. I want to make sure that it would be worth your time. The entire time I played-one hundred and two hours across sixteen days as the United States crashed into a legitimate pandemic-I was trying to figure out whether or not what I was doing was worth my time. Royal is ultimately a success, but not without a series of qualifications. By now, one should expect an enhanced rendition of every numbered Persona title and, as the first to appear on a modern console, the black-and-red of Royal has the task of creating meaningful criteria for someone to spend $60 in order to play a significant amount of the same game a second time. Persona 3 FES remixed Persona 3 and added an epilogue while Persona 4 Golden embraced its moment and dramatically enhanced Persona 4’s beloved ambience. ![]() Royal is the latest baroque adjective fixed to a Persona game. Royal’s thesis is that there can never be too much Persona 5 and its objective is to prove it is still worth your time. It’s Persona 5 with the addition of new characters, remixed systems, and more of Persona 5’s breathless storytelling and obsessive monster mashing. Persona 5 Royal was created to fill this very specific need. So too, presumably, is the appeal of making it through to the other side and still desiring more. These proper nouns only make sense if you have already been absorbed into Persona 5’s world and are prepared for its studious blend of visual novel story sequences and dungeon crawling deep dives. Traversing seven Palaces throughout the Metaverse and forging bonds with sixteen Confidants across eight months consumed an enormous amount of time. Persona 5 was not a game left wanting for content.
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