ThePersonafranchise has quickly become one of the biggest in the world thanks to the explosive popularity ofPersona 5andPersona 5 Royalalongside the recent PC port ofPersona 4 Golden.Much ofPersona’ssuccess is due to its most recent entries emphasizing the social link system and developing relationships with party members outside of the typical dungeon-crawling elements of a JRPG series.
Of course, social links aren’t the only thing that thePersonaseries is known for and that’s especially true for fans ofPersona 1andPersona 2.With more games taking on similar mechanics to thePersonaseries and JRPGs branching out to different genres in general, there’s plenty of options for every kind ofPersonafan. WithPersona 6likely to be in development for a while, here are some similar games thatPersonafans shouldn’t miss.
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Shin Megami Tensei
Although thePersonaseries was originally a spinoff from theShin Megami Tenseiseries, its popularity has far eclipsed all other spinoffs and even the main series itself. That being said,Shin Megami Tenseiis where it all startedand it’s a natural choice forPersonafans looking for a heavier emphasis on the dungeon-crawling elements of the franchise as opposed to the social links. The two franchises share a number of similarities in their combat mechanics and recruitment of demons/shadows.
However, the main difference is thatShin Megami Tensei’s gameplay loop mostly revolves around dungeon-crawling. Instead of the typical balance between school life and dungeon-crawling found in laterPersonagames,Shin Megami Tenseiis focused on combat. Although somePersonafans might dislike the shift away from social links,Shin Megami Tenseiis a natural fit for fans of dungeon-crawlers or anyone looking for a difficulty spike. For newcomers, the usual recommended starting points areShin Megami Tensei 4andthe recently releasedShin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster.
Trails of Cold Steel
TheTrailsseries has largely flown under the radarin the West but remains one of the best JRPG series in terms of worldbuilding, featuring an interconnected plot across all of its games. The characters and storylines that players come across in one arc will carry over to future ones as well. While it’s highly advised to start the series from theTrails in the Skyarc, theTrails of Cold Steelarc is where thePersonasimilarities become much more pronounced.
TheTrails of Cold Steelarc places an emphasis on social bondsmuch like thePersonaseries and allows players to immerse themselves in a daily school routine whenever there’s downtime.Personafans who are looking for a similar school setting with a heavy emphasis on social bonding should look no further than theTrails of Cold Steelgames. The immersive narrative and world design inTrailsgames remain some of the best in the JRPG genre.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
AlthoughFire Emblem: Three Housesdiffers from thePersonaseriesin that it’s more of a tactical RPG, they nonetheless share numerous similarities with social bonding and time management systems. Players will take on the role of Byleth, a mercenary turned professor who is in charge of leading a house of students through strategic combat as well as day-to-day school activities.
Fire Emblem: Three Housesfeatures a similar calendar systemto thePersonaseries where players must manage their time to engage in events, battle segments, and free-time activities. AlthoughPersonafans might need some time to adjust to the tactical RPG combat system found inFire Emblem: Three Houses,the social bonding and time management systems will be quite familiar.
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Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and Hacker’s Memory
On the other hand,Digimon Story: Cyber SleuthandHacker’s Memoryis a great choice forPersonafans who enjoyed the process of strengthening and fusing their Personas. BothDigimon Storygames take place in modern-day Japanand center around the mechanic of raising and breeding different Digimon.
However, there isn’t a social bonding system in theDigimon Storyduology as it puts more emphasis on the monster collecting and dungeon exploration aspects.TheDigimonfranchiseis well-known for its intricate evolution mechanics and wide range of customizable movesets. WhilePersonagames have a better-developed narrative and characters,Digimon Storyis an excellent choice for fans that enjoyed collecting and customizing different Personas.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
A crossover betweenPersona’sparent series,Shin Megami TenseiandFire Emblem,Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FEmerges together mechanics from both franchises. Similar toPersonagames, the game centers around dungeon exploration and turn-based combat. Throughout dungeons, players will encounter hostile beings called Mirages which they must fight with their allied Mirages. When not in dungeons, players have the ability to explore modern-day Tokyo and interact with NPCs.
AlthoughTokyo Mirage Sessions #FEtakes much of its gameplay from theShin Megami Tenseigames, there’s still plenty forPersonafans to enjoy. In particular, the turn-based combat should feel familiar forPersonafans as they exploit enemy weaknessesand engage in combination attacks. With the recent port to the Nintendo Switch, the game is more accessible than ever andPersonafans shouldn’t skip out on it.
Danganronpa
TheDanganronpaseries is a little different from the standard JRPGin that it’s a murder mystery visual novel but it nonetheless captures a lot of what makesPersonasuch an engaging franchise. The gameplay elements are undoubtedly lighter given that the games are visual novels but it does share similarities toPersonain regards to its narrative and character relationships.
Much likePersonagames, theDanganronpaseries uses free time eventsto allow players to interact with their fellow classmates during downtime. Spending time with other characters or giving them gifts will strengthen bonds and even grant special skills. Although the free time activities are usually a little more limited, they help improve the story greatly by giving player insight into character backstories and motivations. ForPersonafans looking for an engaging narrative with strong character development but want to shift away from the combat,Danganronpashould be right up their alley.
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