'Persona 5' release date: plot altered by new characters; new gameplay footage revealed
New characters will be introduced in "Persona 5," all of which had their hand in the protagonist's new night job as a Phantom Thief.
The first character is an old man named Igor, whom the protagonist meets in a prison called the Velvet Room and who describes the jail as merely "the state of the mind of the contractor himself."
This means that the prison is simply a figment of the imagination of the "Persona 5" protagonist, who was arrested for attacking an adult who was harassing another person.
It is Igor who imposes "rehabilitation to freedom" to the protagonist that led him to become one of the Phantom Thieves, who are tasked to "steal the hearts of evil adults" and in turn "reform" them.
Along with Igor are two prison guards who are actually twins. Wearing a patch over one eye, the two "Persona 5" newcomers treat the protagonist with a "sharp attitude and tone."
Although "Persona 5" centers on the Phantom Thief-related antics of players, they can also live as normal high school students by using their free time on dates, video games and even part-time jobs.
Much like high school in real life, a player's knowledge increases in "Persona 5" when he studies hard. Players also get the chance to get a girlfriend or a boyfriend.
As for the episodes in "Persona 5," developer Atlus describes them as "omnibus" formats. Although each episode is independent and it depends upon the player's actions how it all ends.
An 8-minute gameplay video for "Persona 5" has recently been released by Atlus. Some notable changes in gameplay include the option to "hold up" a knocked down enemy to converse with them.
This can lead to either a bigger confrontation or the opponent joining the player as a new Persona. There's a new cover system and stealth mechanics as well. One involves using Third Eye ability before entering a room. More gameplay details are detailed by IGN.
"Persona 5" launches Sept. 15, 2016 in Japan and Feb. 14, 2017 for both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. The game will include either the Japanese voiceover option or the English one.
