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As per usual with Persona, the story also presents genuine human connection as a source of strength, and by the end of the journey, both those themes come into clearer focus. I felt somewhat detached from the stakes at times.Īlthough it's not deliberately explored in depth, Persona 5 Strikers does have a surprisingly poignant message about the role of technology in our lives-the perks, the pitfalls, the power it affords certain people, and how it can be abused. Many of the villains also boil down to being an avatar for a certain type of character flaw in a very matter-of-fact way. Dialogue sometimes relies on surface-level exposition and cliches, or talking in circles to belabor the point. However, the story doesn't always hit these topics with particular nuance, leaving some of its messaging feeling either a bit shallow or hamfisted. It shows how much our fellow Phantom Thieves have matured since the events of Persona 5-they've been able to conquer their traumas, and Strikers gives them the opportunity to impart their wisdom onto others. Through each story beat, the main cast relates to these tragic situations because they were once in similar positions in the original game. The broader message isn't to excuse behavior or to say that trauma will surely corrupt its victims-rather, that our circumstances and the people around us (or lack thereof) have significant influence over how we internalize and process pain, and eventually who we become. You begin to unveil that tragic pasts have led them down a dark path of exploiting the Metaverse. Your first few targets have been manipulating people's desires in order to feed their ambitions for fame and fortune, but there's a bigger mystery as to how and why there's strange behavior en masse.
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Although you follow similar patterns established in Persona 5-fighting through surreal dungeons and living life in the real world-the context is quite different both narratively and gameplay-wise.
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This time, the phenomenon is happening all across Japan. With Joker being back in town, why not enjoy the break? Before they can even make plans, they're caught in another round of beating down the metaphysical evils of the Metaverse and changing hearts. It's the summer after the events of the original game, and the Phantom Thieves have a little free time. Now Playing: Persona 5 Strikers Video Review By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
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