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In 1986, Japanese author Aya Nishitani created a serialized piece for the Oh!PC magazine inspired by his time at an electronic manufacturing company. This was later expanded into a full novel title ''{{s|wikipedia|Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei}}''. A blend of science fiction and horror, the novel became a commercial success and spawned a trilogy. An anime OVA based on the plot of these novels was created a year later by animation studio ANIMATE. [[Namco]] acquired the rights to create a game based on the OVA, and hired the then up and coming studio [[Atlus]] to develop. The game also released in 1987 for Famicom and was successful enough to create a sequel ''{{s|wikipedia|Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II}}'' in 1990. Atlus also fully acquired the rights to the game franchise from Namco around this time and self published titles going forward, starting with ''{{iw|wikipedia|Shin Megami Tensei|video game}}'' in 1992. The Shin Megami Tensei brand in particular would spawn a franchise of its own, with new installments being made to this day, and ''{{s|wikipedia|Shin Megami Tensei V}}'' being its latest mainline title released in 2021 on [[Nintendo Switch]]. | In 1986, Japanese author Aya Nishitani created a serialized piece for the Oh!PC magazine inspired by his time at an electronic manufacturing company. This was later expanded into a full novel title ''{{s|wikipedia|Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei}}''. A blend of science fiction and horror, the novel became a commercial success and spawned a trilogy. An anime OVA based on the plot of these novels was created a year later by animation studio ANIMATE. [[Namco]] acquired the rights to create a game based on the OVA, and hired the then up and coming studio [[Atlus]] to develop. The game also released in 1987 for Famicom and was successful enough to create a sequel ''{{s|wikipedia|Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II}}'' in 1990. Atlus also fully acquired the rights to the game franchise from Namco around this time and self published titles going forward, starting with ''{{iw|wikipedia|Shin Megami Tensei|video game}}'' in 1992. The Shin Megami Tensei brand in particular would spawn a franchise of its own, with new installments being made to this day, and ''{{s|wikipedia|Shin Megami Tensei V}}'' being its latest mainline title released in 2021 on [[Nintendo Switch]]. | ||
Following the positive reception of ''{{s|wikipedia|Shin Megami Tensei If...}}'' in 1994, a spin-off of the ''Megami Tensei'' series which saw the series' traditional post-apocalyptic setting replaced with a high-school setting, Atlus commissioned an experimental spinoff with a dedicated focus on the inner struggles of young adults. The first game in what would become the long-running franchise, ''{{s|wikipedia|Revelations: Persona}}'', was released in 1996. Departing from the traditional first-person gameplay and post-apocalyptic setting of its parent series, ''Persona'' games take place in a modern metropolis and focus on a party of high school students, each wielding the power of "Personas". Personas are described as "masks to wear through everyday life", and bestow the user with a guardian entity which takes the form of a mythological figure and is capable of magic and other supernatural abilities. The games take heavy symbolism from {{s|wikipedia|Jungian psychology}}, as well as the {{s|wikipedia|tarot}} cards. Each game takes place in a separate locale and makes few direct references to its predecessor, though various Personas recur from game to game, as does the series' mainstay location "The Velvet Room" and its mysterious master Igor. Inevitably, the protagonists end up confronting the supernatural being responsible for the game's central conflict, and defeat them in combat in order to resolve it. Starting with ''{{s|wikipedia|Persona 3}}'', the series placed additional emphasis on "Social Links", a visual novel-like system where the player character converses with various NPCs, including their party members, and forges bonds by helping them through their struggles and fulfill their individual character arcs. In turn, the strengthened bonds of the Social Links grant the main character additional perks, such as new Personas to wield or added inventory to shops. | Following the positive reception of ''{{s|wikipedia|Shin Megami Tensei If...}}'' in 1994, a spin-off of the ''Megami Tensei'' series which saw the series' traditional post-apocalyptic setting replaced with a high-school setting, Atlus commissioned an experimental spinoff with a dedicated focus on the inner struggles of young adults. The first game in what would become the long-running franchise, ''{{s|wikipedia|Revelations: Persona}}'', was released in 1996. Departing from the traditional first-person gameplay and post-apocalyptic setting of its parent series, ''Persona'' games take place in a modern metropolis and focus on a party of high school students, each wielding the power of "Personas". Personas are described as "masks to wear through everyday life", and bestow the user with a guardian entity which takes the form of a mythological figure and is capable of magic and other supernatural abilities. The games take heavy symbolism from {{s|wikipedia|Jungian psychology}}, as well as the {{s|wikipedia|tarot}} cards. Each game takes place in a separate locale and makes few direct references to its predecessor; key characters such as Tamaki from ''Shin Megami Tensei If...'' appear in ''Revelations'', ''{{s|wikipedia|Persona 2: Innocent Sin}}'', and its sequel ''{{s|wikipedia|Persona 2: Eternal Punishment}}'', and the Kuzunoha Detective Agency from another spin-off series of ''Shin Megami Tensei'', ''{{s|wikipedia|Devil Summoner}}'', though various Personas recur from game to game, as does the series' mainstay location "The Velvet Room" and its mysterious master Igor. Inevitably, the protagonists end up confronting the supernatural being responsible for the game's central conflict, and defeat them in combat in order to resolve it. Starting with ''{{s|wikipedia|Persona 3}}'', the series placed additional emphasis on "Social Links", a visual novel-like system where the player character converses with various NPCs, including their party members, and forges bonds by helping them through their struggles and fulfill their individual character arcs. In turn, the strengthened bonds of the Social Links grant the main character additional perks, such as new Personas to wield or added inventory to shops. | ||
Planning for ''{{s|wikipedia|Persona 5}}'' began after the release of ''{{s|wikipedia|Persona 4}}'', though full development did not officially begin until after the release of the puzzle game ''Catherine'' in 2011. The game's development was handled by P-Studio, an internal team within Atlus who were responsible for the core ''Persona'' series and ''Catherine''. One early concept for the game was to incorporate an action battle system with real time elements. However, doing this would have meant throwing out everything the studio had cultivated over the course of the series, so the idea was scrapped on the spot. Rather, the team would refine what they already have built on, such as the Persona fusion system, as well as bringing back concepts from earlier ''Persona'' titles such as guns and the Negotiation system. | Planning for ''{{s|wikipedia|Persona 5}}'' began after the release of ''{{s|wikipedia|Persona 4}}'', though full development did not officially begin until after the release of the puzzle game ''{{iw|wikipedia|Catherine|video game}}'' in 2011. The game's development was handled by P-Studio, an internal team within Atlus who were responsible for the core ''Persona'' series and ''Catherine''. One early concept for the game was to incorporate an action battle system with real time elements. However, doing this would have meant throwing out everything the studio had cultivated over the course of the series, so the idea was scrapped on the spot. Rather, the team would refine what they already have built on, such as the Persona fusion system, as well as bringing back concepts from earlier ''Persona'' titles such as guns and the Negotiation system. | ||
The original scenario for the game was to emulate a backpacking journey around the world with a storyline that diverged from the established paths of ''Persona 3'' and ''Persona 4'', with "self-discovery" and "journey", being its keywords. However, just as the team began solidifying this direction, the catastrophic {{s|wikipedia|2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami}} struck Japan. The aftermath of the disaster deeply affected director Katsura Hashino, who then decided to refocus the game's scenario on Japan. More specifically, it has been noted that the Japanese government's actions in response to the earthquake and tsunami's fallout, along with Japanese citizens' reactions to how the government acted during that time, may have served as partial influences on the game's themes. From that point on, the scenario would instead focus on the "freedom and how the characters attain it", as Hashino put it, through the lens of the Japanese. To achieve this, the scenario adopted a more picaresque tone where the main characters were lovable misfits and rebelled against the conventions of society armed only with their wits. This became the basis for the Phantom Thieves of Hearts and "Social Links" were renamed to "Confidants". The party's starting Personas also reflect this change, as most of them are named after famous outlaws and criminals such as Arsène Lupin, Zorro, William Kidd, Carmen, and Pope Joan. The choice for the more stylistic user interface for ''Persona 5'' came from the picaresque direction to reflect the rebellious nature of the Phantom Thieves. This did not come easy, as the team had to continuously test and adjust the UI until it achieved a good balance between style and clarity. Many critics and fans took note of and praised this UI, saying it complemented the themes of rebellion well and calling the game "effortlessly stylish" because of it. | The original scenario for the game was to emulate a backpacking journey around the world with a storyline that diverged from the established paths of ''Persona 3'' and ''Persona 4'', with "self-discovery" and "journey", being its keywords. However, just as the team began solidifying this direction, the catastrophic {{s|wikipedia|2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami}} struck Japan. The aftermath of the disaster deeply affected director Katsura Hashino, who then decided to refocus the game's scenario on Japan. More specifically, it has been noted that the Japanese government's actions in response to the earthquake and tsunami's fallout, along with Japanese citizens' reactions to how the government acted during that time, may have served as partial influences on the game's themes. From that point on, the scenario would instead focus on the "freedom and how the characters attain it", as Hashino put it, through the lens of the Japanese. To achieve this, the scenario adopted a more picaresque tone where the main characters were lovable misfits and rebelled against the conventions of society armed only with their wits. This became the basis for the Phantom Thieves of Hearts and "Social Links" were renamed to "Confidants". The party's starting Personas also reflect this change, as most of them are named after famous outlaws and criminals such as Arsène Lupin, Zorro, William Kidd, Carmen, and Pope Joan. The choice for the more stylistic user interface for ''Persona 5'' came from the picaresque direction to reflect the rebellious nature of the Phantom Thieves. This did not come easy, as the team had to continuously test and adjust the UI until it achieved a good balance between style and clarity. Many critics and fans took note of and praised this UI, saying it complemented the themes of rebellion well and calling the game "effortlessly stylish" because of it. | ||