Summary
Now that the usual wave of spin-offs and re-releases has come and gone, all eyes have turned toPersona 6. The game certainly carries a heavy burden, with anticipation mounting to see how the next chapter in the series may make or break several longstanding traditions. Though few things are certain about the game so far, there’s one trope in particular thatPersona 6would be better off without.
Even before the game has been officially unveiled,franchise tradition makes aPersona 6re-release seem like a sure bet. Every single mainline entry has had a re-release or remake of some kind, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing either. More often than not, these re-releases are much more than a fresh coat of paint. However, they often introduce new characters to the picture, and this would only drag down future versions ofPersona 6.
Persona 6 Should Leave the ‘Re-Release Girl’ Trope Out of a Potential Re-Release
Shin Megami Tensei 5 Brings Series Tradition Back with a Vengeance
AlthoughPersonais the series most tied down to this trope, it’s by no means alone.Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeancefollowed this formulaas well, and has received a mostly warm reception for it. Yoko Hiromine is a new character introduced inVengeance, and she certainly spins a new dynamic in much of the game.
Yoko Hiromine is simply the latest example of a longstanding trend in Atlus' titles. EvenCatherine: Full Bodyhad its very own version of this trope, with the addition of a third titular love interest. Yoko’s inclusion inVengeancemay signal that the “re-release” girl trope is here to stay, butPersona 6would be better off avoiding it altogether.
Persona 5 Royal Featured a Fan Favorite Character
The most sound counterargument against dropping this trope is the sheer popularity of some of the characters it has spawned. There’s perhaps no better example thanKasumi Yoshizawa inPersona 5 Royal. Kasumi had a very compelling story, and quickly became a fan favorite.Persona 5 Royalfeatured another new character, Takuto Maruki, who was similarly well-received. As much asRoyalhighlighted the benefits of this age-old approach, it also revealed the most persistent downsides.
Personagames are infamous for their long run times, which should theoretically be more than enough room to lend every character proper development. However, the very same titles tend to spread themselves thin across a very large party.Persona 5’s vanilla release was especially criticized for this. Characters like Haru Okumura simply joined too late to create a sufficiently dramatic impact, and many fans hoped this would be properly resolved with the game’s inevitable re-release.
Persona 5 Royalcertainly made improvementsin this regard. Haru is introduced earlier, and each member of the party gets some additional time to shine. However, Kasumi is also introduced at the very beginning of the game, and re-release characters always run the risk of overshadowing their counterparts.
Persona 6 Should Stick to its Guns
Persona 6is likely to have a similarly large party, and that cast is no doubt brimming with potential. It is of the utmost importance that each character gets enough development to really make the most of their potential. It’s worth mentioning that, despite how popular Kasumi and Maruki are, they weren’t the most compelling part ofRoyalfor everyone.
Some ofPersona 5 Royal’s returning characters lost out on potential screen time thanks to its new characters. However, this wasn’t the case for everyone. Goro Akechi receives additional development than he did in the first place, and the improvements to his arc are often cited as one of the game’s best features.
While many would miss most re-release characters now, they obviously wouldn’t miss a character they don’t know exists. On the other hand,Akechi’s arc inPersona 5 Royalproved that Atlus is more than capable of focusing its attention on returning characters. In fact, if other members of the Phantom Thieves had gotten the same treatment, it’s possible these changes would’ve been just as celebrated.
Personagames receiving re-releases is an unbreakable tradition, but that doesn’t meanPersona 6should carry all the baggage that comes with it. ThePersonaseries is known for the depth of its characters, andPersona 6is more than capable of delivering on that front.Persona 6shouldn’t give its favor to a brand-new addition, and should instead solidify the returning cast that will no doubt be the backbone of the game.
