Persona 5 rocked Japan when it came out back in 2016, and then became a global phenomenon when it released globally in April of 2017. Atlus was quick to pick up on the hype, introducing a slew of Persona 5 spin-offs and adaptations that kept eager fans satisfied. From a lengthy anime adaptation to rhythm games and even an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, there’s been plenty of Persona 5 to go around. Now, Atlus is entirely re-releasing the game as Persona 5 Royal, an expanded PlayStation 4 exclusive version of the game that has a suite of new content and characters in it. The game launched in Japan on October 31 this year, but overseas fans have been eager to know when they can get their hands on it. The wait is almost over, because Atlus has finally confirmed that Persona 5 Royal will be launching worldwide on March 31 of 2020.
After teasing news relating to Persona 5 Royal earlier this week, the official PlayStation Twitter account revealed that they had received a calling card from none other than the Phantom Thieves themselves, revealing that the highly anticipated re-release will be dropping on March 31.
Uh… we found this card waiting for us this morning. Anybody know what it means? pic.twitter.com/oMOJ6g17xk
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) December 3, 2019
If you’re especially excited about the game, you can grab a special launch edition of it at participating retailers. The launch edition of Persona 5 Royal comes in a gorgeous SteelBook case and even comes with a free download code for a special dynamic theme.
For the fans with a little more money to spend, there is also going to be a special Phantom Thieves edition of the game. It includes the SteelBook case and dynamic theme, as well as a slew of other awesome exclusives. You’ll get a replica Joker mask that comes with a display stand, a soundtrack CD for the game, an art book full of brand new art, and a gorgeous collector’s box to hold all of it in. The Phantom Thieves edition of the game will run you $89.99.
If you’d rather grab the game digitally and don’t care for any of the physical bonuses, there are various digital Persona 5 Royal bundles available on the PlayStation Network store. For $69.99 you can get the Persona 5 Royal Deluxe Edition, which includes the base game and the “Persona 5 Royal Kasumi Costume Bundle.” Standalone DLC bundles include the Kasumi Costume Bundle for $14.99, the Battle Bundle for $9.99, the Persona Bundle for $9.99, and the DLC Bundle for a whopping $59.99. That last bundle likely includes all of the DLC for the original version of Persona 5, as Atlus has decided not to include any of that content on disc for Persona 5 Royal. If you want to grab all of this stuff together, you can shell out $99.99 for the Persona 5 Royal Ultimate Edition, which includes the base game, all DLC bundles, and 6 additional costume packs.
Persona 5 Royal includes a slew of new content, as well as a variety of quality of life changes to the game. There are plenty of new characters, including Kasumi Yoshizawa, an accomplished young gymnast who enrolled in the first semester of Shujin around the same time the protagonist did. She’s a recruitable party member, and a big focus of the new story. There’s also Takuto Maruki, a new social link confidant in the game. He’s a part-time school counselor who gets hired at Shujin Academy following the arrest of Kamoshida. Finally, there’s José, a mysterious young character who provides help to the Phantom Thieves inside the world of Mementos.
Personal 5 Royal also introduces a breadth of new content involving the existing characters. Goro Akechi, for example, has an expanded social link story and a variety of new scenes that change the course of his story compared to the original game. There’s also an entire third school semester added to the game, which includes a huge variety of new story scenes, trips, and changes to the endings that each character experiences. There are new holiday events such as White Day, where the protagonist can go on a new date with any of his romantic partners.
There are plenty of new activities to engage in alongside the friends and team-mates of Joker in Persona 5 Royal, as well. A brand new area called Kichijoji has been added, letting players visit a popular Tokyo tourism spot that mixes various cultures and personalities. You can also play pool with your friends, or play darts on one of the Darts Live boards that have been faithfully recreated from the real-life versions thanks to a collaboration with the company Darts Live. You and your fellow Phantom Thieves can even take selfies and share them with each other on the in-game smartphone.
There are plenty of gameplay changes hitting Persona 5 Royal, too. On top of the addition of the new playable party member, Kasumi Yoshizawa, Phantom Thief Futaba now gets to use her own All-Out Attack. There are also simultaneous attacks called Showtime that let two members of the party team up for a unique, All-Out style massive attack. Goro Akechi also gets some new abilities and appearance changes, depending on your progress in the story. Palaces themselves are changed up significantly as well, with bosses using brand new attacks and patterns that are sure to keep you guessing. There are a variety of brand new enemies, as well as a slew of new Personas appearing as enemies that were previously only available as fusions in the original version of the game. This is all on top of many, many, many more changes and additions that fans are sure to enjoy.
