Summary
It’s been a long time since the last mainlinePersonagame came out.Persona 5was released in 2016 in Japan, followed by a 2017 worldwide debut. With enhanced editions, ports, and spin-offs, it doesn’t seem like it came out that long ago, but it has almost been a decade.
Persona 3 Reloadis a great remake, but it has to have fans wondering what comes after this. WillPersona 6launch ten years after the fifth installment in 2026, or will it come out before then? Also, will it feature more options fromPersona 5or will theteam at Atlususe more fromPersona 3 Reload? Let’s argue for the latter and here is why.
6Party Members Shouldn’t Be Social Links
Bring Back Link Episodes
TheSocial Links mechanic in the serieswas started inPersona 3,which was very much like a reboot of the series. Players could talk to specific NPCs and build relationships with them can in turn affect the fusion process of Persona. Most of the Social Link characters were not related to the playable party except for later romance options, but the inclusion was minimal. This changed withPersona 4moving onward.
It helped players get to know their party better, but this came with a price. It was almost like players were pressured into hanging out with their party more than the other Social Link characters because party members could affect battles more directly, especially inPersona 5. Returning toPersona 3via the remake was startling since the party was not on the Social Links tab. Instead, the remake smartly added Link Episodes to build bonds with party members in a non-pressuring way whichPersona 6should take note of.
5Do The Opposite Exclusion With The Protagonist
Bring Back A Female Main Character
Every entry in the series has featured one character as the sole protagonist, even the games beforePersona 3. There was even a female hero, Maya Amano, who was inPersona 2: Eternal Punishment. WhenPersona 3was ported to the PSP, Atlus added a female option to the main character, and this character choice was removed for the remake. It sort of makes sense sincePersona 3 Reloadchanged so much, and adding two versions of the main character would have taken more time.
That’s why Atlus should do one of two things withPersona 6. They should either make the new hero a female character and go in the opposite direction of this remake, or they should give players an option to customize their character’s looks and sex. It’s the next frontier of this long-running series. What better way to celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2026 than with this option?
4The Social Stats
Focus On Academics, Courage, And Charm
Persona 4andPersona 5have five Social Stats to level up, which are increased through random activities like eating, playing arcade games, or studying. In comparison,Persona 3only had Academics, Courage, and Charm. The remake did not adhere to the new games and kept these three core mechanics and just streamlined the process. This complements the pace of the game better, and it is less for players to worry about.
It would be nice ifPersona 6reduced the Social Stats as well, whether they go to three or even down to four. It would also be great if Atlus could finally tell players directly when Social Stats will level up. Players know when their levels will increase thanks to EXP numbers, so why not Social Stats?
Tartarus 2?
Some players likedTartarus inPersona 3and some players didn’t like it. It was the one big dungeon in the game that reused floor designs through randomization on each run like in a roguelike. It was an old-school dungeon crawler design choice. The remake adds a bit more to differentiate the sections of Tartarus, but it’s all still randomized.Persona 4had randomized dungeons too, but there were multiple renditions that all had themes.
Persona 5used dungeons called Palaces, which added puzzle-solving and platforming to the mix. It was an upgrade that deserved the praise it got, but there was nothing wrong with the randomized dungeon choices ofPersona 3andPersona 4. MaybePersona 6should dial things back a bit and find something in the middle to appease fans on both sides of the fence. After all,Persona 5did have Mementos too, which was randomized, and it was also like the opposite of Tartarus as it went underground instead of above ground.
2Monsters Should Be Different
Let’s Not Fight Persona
Persona 3andPersona 4had monsters called Shadows. These monsters took on various forms and typically had masks baked into their designs. InPersona 5, players fought Persona instead. There was no difference between Persona as allies and Persona as enemies.
This was likePersona 5’sway of borrowing more from its parent,Shin Megami Tensei, which also only had one set of demons to both fight and befriend. It was nice that Shadows differed from Persona to make things less confusing inPersona 3andPersona 4.Persona 6should also adhere to this design choice to help add variety to the demonology.
1Keep Shin Megami Tensei Out Of Persona
Shuffle Time Is Good
The mainlineShin Megami Tenseigames and thePersonaseries share a lot of common mechanics. For example, using spells to weaken enemies to get extra turns. Demons also play a big role but how they are implemented is different. In a game likeShin Megami Tensei 5, the latest iteration, players could talk to demons to have them join the party.
InPersona 3andPersona 4, players could get cards in a mini-game called Shuffle Time. InPersona 5, players had to talk to demons after battle to gain new Personas, and thus it borrowed fromShin Megami Tenseiagain. It complicated the business a bit as it was hard to tell what they wanted. Thankfully,Persona 3 Reloadkept Shuffle TimeandPersona 6should return to this process. ThePersonaandShin Megami Tenseigames should work differently.
