Persona 5 Strikers is an action role-playing game developed by Omega Force and P-Studio. It is the eighth installment in the popular Persona franchise and is a direct follow-up to 2016's Persona 5. The game introduces a different gameplay mechanic this time around, which mixes turn-based and hack-and-slash elements. A canon in the Persona 5 universe, it sees the return of Joker and the Phantom Thieves as they investigate mysterious events happening to people across Japan.

Is Persona 5 Strikers the same as Persona 5?

The answer is both yes, and no. As mentioned, Strikers is canon, with a new story that is set six months after the events of Persona 5. One of the notable key differences between the two has to do with the gameplay. You can think of it as a crossover between the polished turn-based system of the original and the “Musou-style” real-time combat popularized by the Dynasty Warriors game franchise.

The result is a fun and action-packed experience that feels new while still retaining the hyper-stylized presentation that made the original game great. The slick art and visual novel style of storytelling are still very much present and intact here, along with new high-energy music tracks. You control a team of four, with Joker as your constant main character. You can team him up with any other three members of the Phantom Thieves as you wish, though.

Any Persona adventure game will always be great news for any fan of the franchise. There are some notable changes in Persona 5 Strikers that do stand out, though. For one, some of the Personas featured in the original game are ostensibly missing here. Additionally, the yearly calendar system has been replaced in favor of a more condensed and shorter time system. What's more, crashes happen rather frequently, making progression in the game very difficult.

The Phantom Thieves strike again

All in all, Persona 5 Strikers is a great addition to the franchise. Atlus has made efforts to streamline the experience for newcomers while still retaining the core elements that fans love. However, to get a better grasp of what's going on, storywise, it is advised to play the Persona 4 Golden and the first Persona 5 game. The developers should also address the frequent crashes that hinder gameplay as soon as possible.