Persona 5 Strikers

Persona 5 Strikers is an action spin-off that moves the Phantom Thieves crew from turn-based battles into real-time combat. It was developed by Omega Force, the creators of the Dynasty Warriors series, in collaboration with P-Studio, the team behind the main Persona series. The result is a game that combines typical hack-and-slash action with elements Persona fans are used to – social interactions between characters, planning out the day, building relationships, and fighting Shadows in surreal dungeons called Jails, which here replace the classic Palace and Tartarus.

The story picks up after the events of Persona 5 and takes place during summer vacation, as the crew sets off on a road trip across Japan. In each city they gradually uncover a network of so-called Jails that control people's minds through an app called EMMA, and must face a new threat behind the whole conspiracy. The combat system runs in real time, but it retains an emphasis on enemy weaknesses, elemental battles, and using Personas, so the game stays more strategic than typical hack-and-slash titles. The player can also switch between party members on the fly, combine their abilities into flashy combos, and still rest at the base between battles, cook, or shop for gear just like in the main game. Conversations in the van between cities, meanwhile, deepen the characters the same way social links did in the original game, just in a much shorter and lighter form suited to the pace of a road trip. The game also retains the visual style and user interface of the main series, so despite the shift to an action RPG genre it feels like a natural continuation rather than a detached spin-off.

Why play: Strikers will appeal to Persona 5 fans who want to experience another chapter of the Phantom Thieves' story in a faster, more action-oriented package without losing the charm of the social bonds and stylized presentation the series is known for, and they'll also appreciate the long, full-fledged playtime comparable to a smaller RPG.