Persona 5 was a massive turning point for Atlus’ franchise, a moment that pushed a niche series into the mainstream, and even helped revitalize turn-based RPGs as a whole. That influence is clear to see as Atlus has developed four standalone spinoffs based on Persona 5. But the game’s influence permeates much deeper than that. Every release since Persona 5 has adopted the highly stylized aesthetic of the 2016 megahit, harnessing that same comic book-esque art style. Those choices have made everything from the Persona series feel too homogenized, especially when you consider that what used to make the series so fascinating was how wildly different each game felt. With the inevitable Persona 6, Atlus needs to break the trend and recapture the franchise’s wild ambition.
