With the worldwide release ofPersona 5in 2017, the franchise has seen more success than ever before.TheShin Megami Tenseispin-off has become more popular than the series it spawned from, and the stylish, engaging experience ofPersona 5is a key reason why. Its eventual follow-up,Persona 6, is already highly anticipated, and fans are theorizing about where it will go next, but the recent influx of players outside of Japan means it should take cues from other properties that have evolved to suit the audiences they now satisfy.
Whereas the JRPG landscape used to be led by three major franchises, it’s safe to assume there is now a fourth that sits atop the genre.Tales, Dragon Quest, andFinal Fantasyhave so much history, and while all originate from Japan, they have found a sizable fanbase in the west, and have continued to develop and change to appeal to people everywhere. From a shift in combat design to presentation alterations,Persona 6could, and should look to imitate this. It’s become clear that so many new eyes are on Atlus as it continues to take significant strides in makingPersonaa globally-loved entity.
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Persona’s Western Expansion
While the first in thePersonaseries,Revelations: Persona,released in North America just a few months after it hit shelves in Japan, its follow-upPersona 2: Innocent Sinwasn’t localized due to time and resource restraints. At that time the property was far more niche in comparison to other JRPG giants, especially as the originalPlayStation was packed with many memorable role-playing games. It was a flooded market, so whenPersona 3released on the PlayStation 2, Atlus had enough history to learn from, leading it to produce something more competitive.
Persona 3is where the franchise as many know it today truly began, with many presentation flourishes and gameplay quirks carrying over to its successors. The experience was heightened even more with the release ofPersona 3 FES, and the game gained portability when it arrived on the PlayStation Portable, making thePersonaseries more travel-friendly.Persona 4: Goldencontinues this trend on thethoroughly mishandled PS Vita, and as suchPersonafinally managed to gather a small, but significant following in the West. Because of this,Persona 5had a foothold in North America, so when its announcement trailer arrived showcasing a gorgeous art style, anticipation began to rise.Persona 5released to universal critical acclaim, and soPersona 6has a lot to live up to.
How Other Franchises Adapted to the West
LikePersona,other JRPG franchises have gained traction outside their native Japan, which has been a source of so much success for the likes ofFinal FantasyandTales. While the latter is known for its action-based combat, the former has used a number of different designs for its skirmishes with enemies. From theActive Time Battles (ATB) that were relied on for so longto the glitzy, fast-paced action ofFinal Fantasy 15,Square Enix' crowning JRPG series has shifted significantly to suit fans' desires globally.Final Fantasy 7 Remakestrikes the perfect balance between leaning into the past while looking to the future to create something far more modern and almost universally loved.
It’s clear thatFinal Fantasy 16is looking to capitalize on the hole thatGame of Thronesleft, sporting a war-torn, high fantasy setting subjected to so much political turmoil. This wasn’t always the case, though, as the originalFinal Fantasywas far less inclined to appeal to Western audiences.Tales of Arisehas adapted to the West greatly, but primarily through refining the formula and seeking influence from the likes of Bethesda and CD Projekt Red with its open-ended locations and character models. Furthermore, it is the first in the Bandai Namco-developed franchise to use Unreal Engine, which games likeHellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Days Gone,andGears 5use to maximum effect.
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How Persona 6 Should Go Global
Personamay be known for its slow-paced, turn-based battle system, but that’s not to say it can’t be refined and altered slightly to fit new audiences.Persona 5is oozing with style, but while the combat upholds the same visual flair, the mechanics feel boring in comparison. The franchise needs to implement a method of making it feel more fluid, and while imitating the frantic action of theTalesgames may be a step too far, a little change could go a long way. It’s clear from the wayFinal Fantasyhas adapted that action-based skirmishes are preferable to Western audiences, soPersonashould make adjustments to ensure it doesn’t feel too outdated.
Also, it’s evident from the design ofFinal Fantasy 15and spots ofTales of Arisethat open-ended levels are welcomed by North American and European fans of the JRPG genre. Allowing more room for exploration and discovery keeps the latter more in line withwestern RPGs likeThe WitcherandThe Elder Scrolls, despite there being a clear difference in overall presentation.Persona 5is far from open-world, andPersona 6shouldn’t be, but allowing more freedom of movement would surely be a welcome change.
Persona 6 is in Prime Position to Succeed
Persona 6needs to improve upon its predecessorsin a number of ways if the series wants to continue its upwards trajectory.Persona 5will be a hard act to follow, but with outdated combat and frustrating randomly-generated dungeon layout in Mementos, it’s not impossible to do so.Persona 6would do well to lean further into Western game design not only to please fans in North America and Europe, but also to streamline the experience and make it something that truly stands the test of time for the future rather than being too influenced by the past.
The franchise traditions ofPersonaare undoubtedly one of the reasons fans love it, and there’s no need to completely overhaul the fundamentals of the series. It works great, but pulling more influence from Western RPGs likeTales of Arisedid, andFinal Fantasy 16looks to be doing, would be a smart way to make the next entry feel even more complete. It worked forFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, so there’s no reason it can’t work forPersona 6.
