An interview with the developers of Persona 5 Scramble has revealed that the original plans for the highly anticipated Persona 5 sequel were to create a Persona Warriors-type game.
In a recent interview with Japanese publication Dengeki PlayStation, developers from Atlus and Koei Tecmo sat down and disclosed some of the information behind the creation of the upcoming game. Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers is a collaborative effort between Atlus, the developers behind the Persona series, and Koei Tecmo, the developers behind the popular Dynasty Warriors series. The interview showcased information from both parties talking about Persona 5 Scramble.
According to the interview, development on P5S began immediately after the release of Persona 5, which dropped in Japan on September 15, 2016. Kazutoshi Sekiguchi, director of Koei Tecmo, also disclosed that the original plans for the game were more in line with a traditional Warriors-style game.
"Our company has many Persona fans, at first they proposed a ‘Persona Musou (Warriors)‘," he explained, "However, in the story-filling stage, we decided to make it into something that delves deeper into the characters of Persona 5. After some twists-and-turns, it ended up becoming an action RPG that told a continuation of Persona 5.”
When the first trailer for Persona 5 Scramble dropped, many fans were worried that it would just be another glorified "beat 'em up style" game. Luckily, fans fears were quelled as more information about the game was released and it became clear that the Persona 5 sequel would be just as rich in story as its parent game.
Atlus' Mumon Usuda also offered some insight into the development, saying, "We wanted to make a fun story. The previous game, Persona 5, was more serious and we didn’t get to see many instances of the Phantom Thieves having fun. We wanted to give a different taste where the Phantom Thieves solve cases while having fun."
This sentiment answers one of the main criticisms of Persona 5, which stemmed from the late introduction of Phantom Thief Haru Okumura, who wasn't introduced until very late in the game, thus robbing her of any meaningful interactions or bonding moments with the rest of the Thieves. Though many fans of Persona 5 were critical of this fact, it appears those concerns will be addressed in the upcoming Persona 5 Scramble.
Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers will be released in Japan for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on February 20. No Western release date has been announced.
Source: SiliconEra