Persona Scramble will be out in Japan soon, but they have graced the world with a demo for the upcoming game. This game is a sequel to the hit Persona 5 and brings us back into the world of the Phantom Thieves. There are new characters to meet and old friends to see again and I’m so hyped for this game. Persona 5 is probably my all-time favorite game, so coming back in for more Persona 5 fun is a treat. I’ve also always enjoyed warriors games ever since I picked up Hyrule Warriors. While it might not be too long ago, there is something to be said for the developers. They have gone to great lengths to choose amazing series for their Warriors games. It’s a testament to the greatness of the series, with so many out there, only the ones with the flashiest of characters work. After seeing Zelda and Fire Emblem fit the Warriors mold I wasn’t too surprised to see Persona jump in.
The game might have started as a Persona Warriors game but using the characters of Persona 5 is perfect. Though I wouldn’t be against a DLC expansion that brought in the other Persona heroes. This demo is the start of a new story involving our favorite thieves. After saving the day in Persona 5, the thieves are once again under the watch of the police. A new character named Zenkichi is forced to tail the thieves and soon finds himself wrapped up in their world. As it is a warriors game players will control the thieves in wide-open battles. Taking on batches of foes and gaining levels as they do. They also end up meeting another playable character, Sophia. All of these characters are back and better than ever with their quirks in full effect. I am so happy to be able to play as each of them eventually, even though the demo only allows players to play as Joker, Sophia, and Ryuji.
The demo is short and to the point, taking place in the opening hour of the game. Players will take down a few fights and get introduced to the villain of the game, a take on Alice from Alice in Wonderland. They will also meet Zenkichi and his cop allies, as well as the AI Sophia. It’s a nice little chunk of the game that is marvelous in its way, and I’ll probably play through it again when the game comes out. Players will run around vast areas of Tokyo taking out enemies and exploring palaces. Again this demo only allows for players to do battle in the streets and an underground labyrinth below one of the palaces. It still shows off how flashy the combat in this game will be.
The combat is similar to other Warriors games yet also quite different. Players can fight with their weapons or guns but these attacks do less damage. They can also use Persona skills which cost MP but do a good amount of damage. Players will need to use the skills wisely as most enemies can be taken out with brute force. Attacking enemies is quick and flowy, and players can even jump down to attack enemies harshly. Using the right skill will knock the enemy onto their butt, with a critical doing the same thing. Players can then initiate an all-out attack that can wipe out huge swathes of enemies. Like all Persona games, players will need to level up their personas. They will collect more as the game progresses and can fuse them. Though this isn’t allowed in the demo, it does show a little bit of it in a teaser cutscene at the end. I’m looking forward to seeing all of the persona make their appearance in this wondrous game.
I love the music of Persona 5, and with this game comes a heaping helping of remixes. The new versions of these classic songs like Last Surprise are electric. While I love Last Surprise hearing, a new version is something to behold. It’s great to blast through wiping out enemies with such a rocking track playing in the background. The demo is also fully voiced like Persona 5 before it. Though this demo is only in Japanese, I’m hopeful that the game will be dubbed as well. Playing through this demo I honestly don’t know fully what is going on so I’m excited to hear it dubbed when it releases in the future.
Persona 5 Scramble might not be coming West for a while, but this demo has made me want it even more. I’m sure to play this demo again as I wait for the game, and having it makes the wait hurt a little less. With so many baddies to take down, the full game is sure to be a treat too. Joker and his friends need to take down a new evil will the player pick up the demo to start helping them out?