Summary

• Persona 6 could learn from Persona 2's worldbuilding and dungeon exploration for a more cohesive experience.
• The procedural dungeon design introduced in Persona 3 may be holding back the series, hindering immersion.
• Balancing social links and time-sensitive missions in Persona 6 could create a more engaging and dynamic gameplay experience.

A clear dividing line exists within the Persona series, as the first three games adhere to the old school rubric of Atlus’ RPGs, while games from Persona 3 on have had their own distinct vibe (and impeccable style), but I still feel like Persona 6 could take a lesson from Persona 2 to outdo its direct predecessor. While the template pioneered in Persona 3 and refined in Persona 4 is largely excellent, it is not without its flaws. I recently (finally) beat Persona 2: Innocent Sin, and it was an eye-opening reminder of what the Persona franchise has been missing.

Persona 3 is actually the fourth game in the franchise, since Persona 2 was split into two games: Persona 2: Innocent Sin, and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment.

There are, perhaps, Persona 5 elements P6 should avoid, in of mechanics, but a structural design that has been present since Persona 3 also needs to go. Persona 3 introduced the gameplay loop of Tartarus, a sprawling dungeon with numerous, procedurally generated floors, that served as the game’s primary battleground. Persona 4 had the world of the Midnight Channel, and Persona 5 delved into Mind Palaces. When playing Innocent Sin, I was surprised at how refreshing it was to just go places in the world, blending the worldbuilding of Sumaru City with the JRPG genre’s most iconic gameplay mode, dungeon exploration.

Varied, Bespoke Dungeons Would Improve Persona 6

The Procedurally Generated Dungeons Introduced In Persona 3 Hold The Series Back

The player-driven pacing of conquering the many floors and bosses of Tartarus in Persona 3 is similar to a tabletop RPG campaign that centers around a single “mega-dungeon,” like D&D’s Ptolus, or Dungeon of the Mad Mage. The individual “channels” explored in Persona 4’s Midnight Channel, or the Mind Palaces of Persona 5, are distinct from one another in their themes but are still a largely homogenous way to engage with the world. Persona 2: Innocent Sin, plays closer to an urban adventure, like Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, where the battles take place in and around a fully fleshed-out city.

When you have a month to complete a dungeon, it makes sense to spare an evening to bond with a party member who struggles to meet their parents’ approval, but it’s less organic when cultists have hostages at the Aerospace Museum, like Persona 2: Innocent Sin.

While Persona 3: Reload improves on P3 in almost every way, it still reminds veteran fans of Persona about the break from tradition and the onset of singular dungeon types that are separate from the external reality of the games’ settings. The original Persona trilogy followed the template of games like the first Shin Megami Tensei: Soul Hackers title and other Atlus games where the dungeons take place in the real world, with demons unleashed in an urban environment. The focus on singular dungeon locales, like the sinister shadow of Gekkoukan High, Tartarus, made dungeon crawling feel separated from reality.

Players seeking to max social links in Persona 5 organically experience worldbuilding for the game’s rendition of Tokyo alongside character development. The same can be said of after-school activities in Persona 3 and 4. Still, the separation of the dungeon crawling element from the external world of the games’ settings makes conceptual spaces like The Midnight Channel and Mind Palaces feel more imaginary and less like an authentic part of the world. In Innocent Sin, demons were loosed in the Mu casino, where I had played the slots, and the protagonist’s high school, making dungeons part of the world.

Persona's Social Link System Has Drawbacks

The Languid Pacing Of Social Links Is At Odds With Narrative Urgency

The post-Persona 3 structure is at odds with in-world dungeons to a degree. If I was pursuing all Persona 4: Golden social links, I would be engaging with the relationship management sim, which is half of the gameplay of modern Persona titles. That format requires less time-sensitive missions, or it would break immersion. When you have a month to complete a dungeon, it makes sense to spare an evening to bond with a party member who struggles to meet their parents’ approval, but it’s less organic when cultists have hostages at the Aerospace Museum, like Persona 2: Innocent Sin.

I don’t want the Persona games to lose their focus on social links and time management to be clear. That depth of characterization has let the franchise rise above its JRPG peers, and the more relatable stakes of coming-of-age stories make it more approachable than the bleak and apocalyptic tone of the mainline Shin Megami Tensei games. The Persona 2 structure is essentially just that of a conventional JRPG, where the heroes travel to places in the real world and fight monsters there in areas defined as dungeons. With tweaks, the old and new Persona styles could be combined, however.

The original Persona featured an eclectic blend of gameplay formats and presentation, including some 3D first-person segments alongside traditional overhead JRPG movement. Later Persona games abandoned this mix of interfaces for a more consistent aesthetic.

Players could have a central hub dungeon, like how the Midnight Channel lets players learn Persona 4’s combat system, alongside story-based events where supernatural threats bleed over into the real world as they did in the early Persona titles. Instead of a broad goal, like confronting the shadow self of a serial killer’s prospective victim before the murderer strikes again, as in Persona 4, Persona 6 could have a time-based warning to prepare for a supernatural incursion at the end of each month. This allows time for social links, as well as something like a local arcade becoming a dungeon.

Persona 6 Could Be The Best Of Both Worlds

Paying Homage To Persona's Origins Alongside Its Current Format Is Ideal

Adding this element to the modern Persona style could really highlight the best of both worlds. I know I, for one, would find it compelling if the local hangout spot where I spent time developing bonds with party turned into a nightmarish dungeon. A wider awareness of the reality of supernatural threats could change the tone of the game, but this did not harm the early Persona titles, or any of the Shin Megami Tensei series games that followed that formula. It could also avoid the tedious nature of exploring the same dungeon type in modern Persona games.

Some rumors suggest Persona 6 could be releasing soon, but there is little doubt Atlus is working to carefully polish what has become its flagship RPG series internationally. Given the uptick in popularity and visibility after the Persona 3 format change, there may be little motive to rock the boat or tinker with a winning formula. Returning to any element of the relatively more obscure early Persona games might hold little appeal to Atlus. I would love to see bespoke dungeon maps that take place within the city itself, as this would also help Persona 6 stand out as unique.