Persona 5 Scramblehas been available in Japan for several months, leaving fans to wonder when it would get released to the rest of the world. The game continues the story of the beloved Phantom Thieves with Joker as their leader. Thanks toa rogue leakinitially, the Western release of the game was finally confirmed, however, brandishing the title ofPersona 5 Strikers.
It’s clear that Atlus wasn’t quite ready to announce the upcomingPersona 5sequel, tweeting out “communications have been intercepted by the Phantom Thieves,” which was followed by a short delay beforePersona 5 Strikerswas officially announced. To clear up confusion, here’s whatPersonafans need to know about the newPersona 5spinoff localization.
RELATED:How Persona 5 Royal Subverted Expectations, and Why Persona 6 Should Do the Same
Persona 5 Scramble and Persona 5 Strikers
Many fans were anticipating the announcement ofPersona 5 Scramblecoming to international audiences and were surprised to seePersona 5 Strikersinstead. They needn’t be worried, though, becauseStrikersandScrambleare the same game. The name ofPersona 5 Strikerschanged fromScrambledue to its localization and is based onScramble’s full name as it’s known in Japan:Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers. It was seemingly shortened for international audiences, but rest assured, this is the news that internationalPersonafans have been waiting for.
Persona 5 Strikerstakes place 6 months after the events ofPersona, but keep in mind, this doesn’t necessarilyconclude the events ofRoyalas canon. Without giving any spoilers revealed fromScramble’s Japan release back in February away, some fans believe it can be considered a follow-up to either game, meaning that Kasumi won’t appear inStrikers. But fortunately for those who thought of the underclassmen gymnast as best girl, there are multiple other new romance options that appear inStrikers.
Persona 5 Strikers on the Switch
Some trailers ofPersona 5 Strikershave been previously uploaded and then promptly deleted, leading to some confusion over which consoles the game will be available on.Persona 5 Strikersis releasing for PC, PS4, and Switch. It looks like Atlus is continuing the trend of bringing its games to the PC followingPersona 4 Golden’s success on Steam. Additionally, this is the firstPersonagame to be released for the Switch following fan expectations thatPersona 5orPersona 5 Royalwould come to the Switch at some point, though pastPersonaspinoffs were released for the 3DS.
Now thatStrikersis confirmed to get a release for the Nintendo Switch, fans aren’t sure if this points to doubt thatPersona 5will ever see a Switch release, or if it means an announcement is yet to come, sinceStrikersessentially functions as a direct sequel to the game. Earlier this year,Catherine: Full Bodywas ported to the Switch and the upcomingShin Megami Tensei 5andremaster ofShin Megami Tensei 3will also get released for the Switch in 2021. But it’s looking more and more unlikely thatP5will ever come to Switch, despite the addition of Joker toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
RELATED:Why Persona 5’s Joker Wears Fake Glasses, Explained
What’s New With Persona 5 Strikers?
As a direct sequel toPersona 5,Persona 5 Strikerswill look and feel largely the same as the original installment while innovating and changing some aspects of the game to feel more modernized, including the art style and cleaner positioning of the in-game HUD, but with the same overall cohesive design inspired byPersona 5. This also includes brand-new anime cutscenes.
Also, thegameplay is pulled from theDynasty Warriorseries, so rather than using the same turn-based combat system, Joker and his allies will have real-time hack and slash combat instead. Elements like Persona skills and All-Out Attacks will still be there, however, and using these menus will simply pause battle to allow time for the player to strategize.
One major difference betweenStrikersand the originalPersona 5will be the lack of a confidant system. The befriending and increasing relationship levels with other characters is a big part ofPersona’s social simulator side, but instead,Strikerswill implement side-quests called Requests and the BAND system which is increased by interacting with party members, winning battles, and hitting milestones in the game.
Persona 5 Strikersis set to release worldwide on February 23rd, 2021 for the PC, PS4, and Switch.
MORE:Persona 6 Should Break a Franchise Staple for the Phantom Thieves
