Persona 5 director talks combat systems, defends turn-based games
Getting personal
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Persona director Katsura Hashino has opened up about the creative process behindPersona 5in a brand new interview.
Speaking about hisPersona 5experiencesin an interview withDenfamicogamer, helpfully translated by the folks atPersonacentral, Hashino spoke at length about his thoughts on turn-based battles and character and story design.
Persona 5is a hit RPG from ATLUS, which follows the story of a Japanese high-schooler who, having been wrongly convicted of a crime, finds himself sent to live with a guardian in Tokyo while on probation. Here, he finds that he has the power to enter the psyches of villainous adults. Recruiting a band of misfits, our hero journeys into the hearts of do-badders, stealing their desires to do evil by literally beating up their demons in stylish turn-based battles. It’s a unique, high-concept adventure that offers a fulfilling coming-of-age story that doesn’t shy away from darker themes.
Hashino’s thoughts on turn-based combat were exciting. Though conceding that “turn-based battles are an element that [can] break the continuous flow of a game”, thePersona 5director uses a sports analogy to help illustrate the unique appeal of turn-based combat: “Sometimes, I like to convince myself by thinking of the difference between turn-based RPGs and action RPGs as the difference between soccer and baseball in sports.”
He continues: “while soccer is always continuous, you wouldn’t say that baseball is less immersive…Naturally, there are interruptions between plays in baseball compared to soccer, but if you have a firm grasp of the rules and the turn changes, you can feel the fun of “what kind of strategy is being planned” for both the offensive and defensive turns.”
RPGs from Japan have been moving away from turn-based mechanics in recent years. For instance: the upcoming Square Enix flagship titleFinal Fantasy 16has firmly abandoned turn-based combat in favor of anaction-orientedsystem reminiscent ofDevil May Cry 5. However, the success of Persona 5 and Hashino’s game design approach suggests that the era of turn-based battles may not be over.
Turn it up
Hashino also spoke about his approach to character design. “We need the players to empathize with the conflicts and concerns the main character faces”, said the director, keen to emphasize the “human touch”. Regarding supporting characters, too, it’s crucial that “the players feel that these friends are truly human, just like the protagonist.”
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We need the players to empathize with the conflicts and concerns the main character faces
However, Hasnino felt it essential to stress that none of these characters should exist in a vacuum. “Even if the situation the protagonist is facing seems impossible to deal with, it’s still a game, so he or she can gain wisdom from other people, or find like-minded friends with the same perspective. No matter how difficult the situation may seem, I don’t want to deny the possibility that there can be a way out of it.”
The director ofPersona 3, Persona 4,andPersona 5has since moved away from thePersona series, looking to work on a brand new title:Project Re: Fantasy, currently in development at ATLUS. Though we’ve had few updates about the project in recent years, I can’t wait to see the latest application of Hashino’s comprehensive approach to game design.
An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.
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