Persona 5 is a role-playing video game developed by Atlus for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. Persona 5 is chronologically the sixth installment in the Persona series, which is part of the larger Megami Tensei franchise. Published by Atlus in Japan and North America and Deep Silver in Europe, the game was released in Japan in September 2016, and will be released in North America and Europe in April 2017.
Persona 5 takes place in Tokyo and follows a silent protagonist after their transfer to the fictional Shujin High School after being put on probation for assault on a stalker. During the course of a school year, he and other students awaken to their Persona powers, become masked vigilantes dubbed the “Phantom Thieves of Hearts”, and explore the supernatural Palace realm to steal ill intent from the hearts of adults. As with previous titles in the series, the party does battle with supernatural enemies using manifestations of their psyche called Personas. The game incorporates role-playing elements and dungeon exploration alongside social simulation scenarios.
Preparatory work began around the same time as the development of Persona 4, with full development beginning after the release of Catherine in 2011. Returning prominent staff from previous games included director and producer Katsura Hashino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shoji Meguro. The game’s themes revolved around attaining freedom from the limitations of modern society; the story was strongly inspired by picaresque fiction, and the party’s initial Personas were based around the theme of outlaws. First announced in 2013, the game was delayed from its original late 2014 release date so its quality could be further improved.
