Video Game Review: “Persona 5 Strikers”

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Credit: Elizabeth Zhong

Join WSPN’s Izzy Poole-Evans as she reviews the best video games to play during quarantine.

I’m not lying when I say that Persona fans, myself included, have been waiting months and months for the release of Persona 5 Strikers, the much anticipated sequel of Persona 5.

Persona 5 is about school boy by day, crime fighter by night Akira Kurusu. Kurusu is sent to Tokyo for one year after being wrongly accused of assault. While at school, Kurusu and his new friends, the Phantom Thieves fight to save Tokyo from those determined to corrupt the city. Persona 5 Strikers takes place one year after the events of Persona 5. In Persona 5 Strikers, it’s now summer, and Kurusu and his friends are road tripping around Japan when their trip is hijacked. After a certain police officer asks for the Phantom Thieves’ assistance in saving Japan, Persona 5 Strikers becomes your typical dungeon crawling, monster fighting, day saving save type of game.

Needless to say, I adored this game. The music, the smooth graphics, the new battle mechanics and even the questionable plot were fantastic. Maybe I am still reveling in all of the excitement on social media, but I wholeheartedly believe that this game deserves all of the praise it’s receiving. Well, for the most part. This is the first Persona game to be released on the Nintendo Switch, much to its fans enjoyment. However, this innovation is not without its difficulties. I find the start up load time to be painfully slow, and the lag during cutscenes is awful. Since PS4 players have not been complaining, this must be a Switch problem. The wait time can ruin the immersion, but it’s barely worth griping about.

I could also go on about the loud cut scene music, but I think I’d rather listen to “Daredevil” by Lyn than sit through a tutorial because the soundtrack is amazing. It is so good that I was listening to it before the game was even announced for release in the West. I really like the new songs “Daredevil,” “You Are Stronger” and “Axe to Grind.” I am also enjoying the remixes of Persona 5 songs. I wasn’t expecting them to return on the new game soundtrack, so hearing them for the first time caught me off guard in the best way possible.

Overall, I am giving this game a 9/10. I am not sure if I should tell you all to go out and buy it—the game is a sequel after all—but don’t let me stop you. Persona 5 Strikers is definitely worth the money.