Persona 5 Mc

Despite the fact that Persona 4 was a game about mysterious and brutal murders in a small Japanese town, many veteran fans of Shin Megami Tensei — Persona's parent franchise — thought that it was a little too cheery in comparison to previous titles, including Persona 3, which was, in many ways, a lot more moody and brooding. Things might be looking up for enthusiasts of darker tones, though, as producer Katsura Hashino's recent interview with Weekly Famitsu details.

Kindly translated by Gematsu, Hashino talks about how modern life has had an effect on Persona 5's development and its overall tone. "I don't think it's a stretch to say in this day and age that there are a lot of people out there who feel like they aren't moving forward, that they have no future, and carry a lot of weight on their shoulders every day," he begins. "They're stuck between a rock and a hard place, emotionally speaking; on the one hand, they might not be keen on living by the same rules and values that defined previous generations, while still lacking the will to go out and actually break those barriers down themselves," he continues, before adding: "That dark side of society is a central pillar to the game we want to make with Persona 5."

It's certainly interesting to gain insight into the kind of social commentary that the release will try to bring across, and with that, the producer then goes on to speak about the title's characters, who seem to be breaking the law. "You got these high school punks who are trying to bite back at a world that's trying to pin them down," he says, before admitting that charismatic criminals are hard to come across in gaming: "There have been a lot of books and films over the years that explored the sorts of lives that thieves live and how they're able to shake up the world with what many would perceive to be sheer brazenness, but that's not ground that's very well covered in games and we intend to rectify that." Given what we saw in the role-playing game's first gameplay trailer, we're definitely starting to get a sense of what the studio's trying to accomplish, especially since the cast in question already appear to be full of personality.

We don't think much can deter us from being excited for Persona 5, but what do you make of Hashino's words? Are you anticipating a darker adventure? Show us your shadow self in the comments section below.

[source famitsu.com, via gematsu.com]