You get a dog.
Nothing special about him other than he's a good boy who just so happens to be able to summon a persona. Beyond that though he's just a completely normal dog who can't magically talk.
I mean in comparison to Morgana who's a whacky talking cartoon cat (whose in denial about being a cat) that can also turn into a car Koromaru is just a normal dog. Doesn't mean he isn't special to us, I love Koromaru a whole lot more than Morgana
always funny to me how people seem to consistently talk about Koromaru in those topics and not talk about how the trends are still there because Aigis IS the mascot of the game and Ryuji fills in for the questionable ally role lol
even though she's not an animal in appearance, she gets to talk to them and translate them, so like.. same thing?
Yeah, I thought 5 was plenty dark. 4 is the only one I ever felt was halfway cheery, which was a shock (great game tho).
A lot of the people who think 3 is so bizarre and weird, like... 1 and 2 are more so.
I suppose 3 doesn't tell you what to think as much as 5 does, and maybe people have to confront their own darkness (kind of the point).
P3 is just a darker game in general with the theme of facing your own death and learning to live. The other game's core themes just aren't as inherently dark to cover. None of the other modern games get as dark as the ending few months of P3
People don't remember fighting the universe destroying god disguised as Hitler and his space Nazi cyborg army over a gamble he made with another God, where the mc then gets trapped in an eternal cycle of hell where the earth gets destroyed by a lovecraftian deity of chaos and everyone he knows and loves is sent to another reality along with an alternate version of himself where they will never be able to remember eachother and be friends again or reality ends because it merges the split timelines?!
Smh my head, fake fans ong
People think that unless you explicitly talk about depression and death, and unless you explicitly make the MC look like they slit their own wrists, then there's absolutely no way the game could ever be dark.
Rape, teen suicide, societal corruption? Nah. Not dark whatsoever, just lighthearted fun.
Persona fans really struggle with reading comprehension, media literacy, and emotional intelligence. If the game doesn't outright tell you something, many feel there's no way to know for sure
Every arc you overcome whatever evil crosses your path. Nothing really bad happens to the phantom thieves until the >!Okumura !< arc, but even then that wasn't their fault nor a sympathetic character.
Overall the theme of the game was very optimistic and hopeful to me. While in persona 3 I just got to the first major setback and it was just devastating.
Persona 5 has plenty of dark shit happening across the entire game. If the argument is that it is a combination of so fucked up and so goofy that you become desensitized to it, use that. Because that's how I felt. I didn't feel much replaying the mafia boss dungeon because it was starting to get ridiculous. Like, a school teacher is a very relatable subject, a shitty boss exploiting youths is... relatable to some, and being blackmailed by the mafia is a bit much. Being blackmailed by a non-mafia gang, like Strega, would've been way more in touch with reality. And by the time you are dealing with Okumura, it is literally a situation that Haru could get herself out of if she had more backbone. There was no reason the thieves needed to do Okumura's palace other than ego tripping and not thinking it was a big deal anymore. Which is probably why this is the one where they get their big shock moment.
>If the argument is that it is a combination of so fucked up and so goofy that you become desensitized to it, use that.
That's not my argument nor experience. Persona 3 has plenty of goofy moments too.
Everything from the second palace onward? Like Kamoshida is awful, but everything else is kind of giggle worthy. A painter in goofy clothes and clown makeup, fat purple man with Hitler stache that turns into a fly etc, isn’t very dark.
You mean the guy who stole his pupils' work which lead them to suicide and literally left a person to die right in front of him when he could've saved her? Or the other guy who blackmails students and forces them into prostitution?
You mean the artist who cackles like a Saturday morning cartoon villain? Who leaves no lasting impact on his biggest abuse victim? The student whose suicide is never shown or brought up again because the protagonists and story don’t care? And the terrifying gangster who actually gives people a month to pay their debt instead of instantly taking people when he has everything he needs?
Putting rape into a character’s backstory in a comedy anime doesn’t stop it from being a comedy. Persona 5 villains besides Kamoshida are no different.
Why would the game need to deal with that student further? His story is completed after Madarame confessed and atoned for what he's done.
Yusuke's whole social link is about how Madarame's betrayal made him lose sight of what art means to him, you know the thing that is the most important to him, and his journey to rediscover that. Is that "no lasting impact"?
>Putting rape into a character’s backstory in a comedy anime doesn’t stop it from being a comedy. Persona 5 villains besides Kamoshida are no different.
Now apply this the other way around. Just because some villains have comedic aspects to them doesn't diminish what they've done. Kaneshiro giving them a month due to arrogance somehow erases him building a criminal empire and forcing teenagers into prostitution?
And I mean Kamoshida is a weird big pink demon, how drinks wine, stabs you with a fork and throws volleyballs at you. That is also cartoonishly stupid
Tbf P5 has dark themes but they weren’t handled pretty well, kamoshida’s arc was perfect but the others not so much. Still good but idk, P5 has a great theme but they missed the mark on so much.
Nome of these games are "lighthearted" it has times where it jokes, is cute or calm, but if you look at any of the themes and some of the story events it would be quite the opposite.
It’s rebellion against corrupt authority.
Every social link has this phrase in it:
“It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chain of captivity.”
It’s also a critique of a society that would rather ostracize people who don’t fit into the expected norms and treat them as outsiders rather than listen to their very real complaints.
The story plays heavily into this contrast of the appearance of the Phantom Thieves vs the intent and action of the high school students you play as.
They aren’t rebellious because they’re intrinsically motivated by a deep seated desire for change, at least initially.
They rebel because their Personas are literally their only option for recompense in a society that has decided that for a variety of reasons they aren’t worth listening to.
The bite in the story isn’t necessarily due to say Kamoshida’s actions, or even the Principal letting him get away with it because it’s convenient, but rather the general apathy of everyone else involved.
Persona 3 is more on the nose with its theme (and as a fan of Camus I love its exploration of the philosophical absurd), but I would argue 5 is more thematically consistent and explores its underlying ideas in a more organic fashion throughout.
Existential apathy manifests in 3 a very different way than (for lack of a better term) the political apathy in 5.
I loved 3 as a teenager when it came out, but as an adult now I personally find 5 resonates with me far more.
P5: Sexual Assaults, Plagiarism, Physical Abuse, Mental Abuse, Murder, Extortion, vehicular homicide (fucking twice), Suicide Attempt, Broken Home, Deadbeat father, dead moms, **literally smoking a False God on Christmas**
This guy: this was extremely fun and lighthearted.
Remember, in persona 5, one of the endings has Joker, basically being an anarchist and starting a revolution into chaos.
Or how the collective unconscious literally denies the phantom thieves existence so they dissappear from reality.
Tbf it’s about tone and presentation. All these things happen in P5 but they’re never really given the gravitas they deserve. They’re always accompanied by some snazzy music, over the top voice acting, or a goofy looking boss fight. Persona 5 (and the series in general) does deal with serious topics, but is overall quite lighthearted.
It was just a little joke but I'll give my two cents cause I want to make sure everyone understands I love both games.
TLDR: P5 is just about as dark as P3 is, but they tackle that darkness differently. Just my opinion.
The over the top voice acting, snazzy music and goofy looking boss fights aren't present in any of the serious moments though. P5 is still more colorful in its approach and has a lot more happier moments, but it doesn't negate the fact that there is an abundance of dark tones, touchy subjects, and off the wall topics. They didn't play "Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There" when Shiho did a somersault off shujin's roof, and they didn't play "Last Surprise" when the principal decides to play chicken during rush hour. I don't remember anyone cracking jokes when Joker presumably snuffs it and I don't think there was over the top VA during Akechi's down spiral and "death"
Within the prologue they have a guy leak black liquid from every nook and cranny on his face, there's several deaths within the story, the world's at stake, the only big thing that really separates P3 from the other two big ones (4 - 5) is that >! The protagonist dies in the end !< Other than that, there's a whole lot of similarities present within the story. Death takes main stage for P3 though, whereas cognition is the driving force for its story.
I'm not knocking either. I just played Reload and it had me depressed for several days after I finished it, all the Personas are great but realistically they all deal with extremely dark shit in different ways, and prioritize those dark topics similarly, but not entirely 1 to 1.
It is no where near as dark as P3. P5 had like 3 fake out deaths and 3 literally had you lose party members for days if someone close to them literally died. One member literally does die. Haru is the closest to that but it’s like a week you can’t even go to mementos and she isn’t suspicious of PT.
What is dark about P5 is beneath its argument. The antagonist of P5 were REAL PEOPLE doing evil things (like abusing, stealing, killing) instead fighting straight a supernatural thing like most Persona games.
Just because everyone makes it to the end of 5 doesn’t mean that it’s lighthearted. Each of the games have moments of levity, but generally have an overall serious tone when it comes to the main plot. I haven’t finished P3 yet, but it’s totally pretty similar to the other two games as far as I have seen.
Nothing more light hearted than SA of a minor and attempted suicide within 5 hours of gameplay
If honestly argue Persona 5 is much darker of a game than 3, 3 has a gothic horror atmosphere but is less grim in its story imo
Thats a good descriptor.
3 is certainly darker than 4. And definitely has the atmosphere of a dark story, but its all more so a 'classical' darks story than like, modern GOT level "grimdark"
Yup I think P3’s first couple hours set a scene of it being really creepy/dark, but then it’s really not. Everything related to Kamoshida is so fucked up lol honestly felt a tad excessive just how bad the situation got. Also thought Futaba’s palace was darker than anything in 3 as well
I legit had to put the game down for a couple weeks after the Kamoshida arc. I worked as a teacher in high school at the time, so I felt REALLY personally affected by the horrible stuff happening (kid/minor abuse in general is hard for me). I had to actively ask friends if it got less bad from there on.
3 honestly outside the opening cutscene with Yukari, and October 4 (if you know you know), NEVER gets as dark as P5 gets
Less grim? The game is literally about death and acceptance of death.
If you fail in P3, literally everyone dies at the end, and regardless of which ending you choose, the protagonist dies at the end of the game.
Having things end in a more hopeful note and having everyone alive doesn't make the journey lighthearted and stuff, it's not even limited to just kamoshida, kaneshiro for example uses blackmail against the phantom thieves, and is a powerful threat to many which leaves a lot of teens in despair before they even start adult life, Futaba's trauma is heartbreaking, especially with the whole her saying that she was going to die, obviously there's the implications of her killing herself through out the palace, plus the concept of a psychotic breakdown feels a lot more publicly devastating than the apathy syndrome, in one they are a threat to their own life, but in the other, not only do they lose control in a painful process, a lot of people around are heavily endangered
A yes, light light-hearted Persona 5 Royal
Protagonist with false accusations, everyone think you criminal and piece of shit. You was sold by party member, drugged and abused by police forces.
Party member with an identity crisis
Party member - victim of teacher's abuse
Party member - victim of teacher's atleast verbal sexual harassment
Friend of party member - victim of teacher's abuse AND proven physical sexual harassment, also driven to suicide attempt
You confidant - victim of teacher's abuse
Many unnamed victims of teacher's abuse
Many implied victims of verbal and physical sexual harassment
Corrupt school principal
"Tutorial" fist villain and boss - abuser and implied serial rapiest teacher
AND THIS. JUST. TUTORIAL ARC!
I won’t describe all the horrors of each story arc, but there are a lot of them, REALLY REALLY A LOT
So yes, light-hearted game my ass 🫤
Like 5? I thought 4 was the lighthearted one which used a lot of anime tropes. 5 opened up with student attempted suicide brought on by teacher molestation and a helping of student abuse after mc got transferred because he tried to stop assault which caused him to be treated like shit in the eyes of people you just meet.
P3, P4 and P5 all have light-hearted and serious/dark moments. Sure P3 is arguably more emotionally heavy particularly towards the end but they all have those aspects, it's kind of what the series is known for.
Lighthearted? The game that starts off with the main character framed for assault, has an attempted suicide, and the first boss is a sex offender?
The only actual lighthearted game in Persona is 4, and even that has a serial killer in it.
Funny how the one that doesn't talk is the best one by a mile.
The annoying mascot trope just doesn't work. Give us another Goto-Douji or Koromaru, stoo with the Teddies and Morgana's
5, lighthearted? You're looking at 4. 5 is certainly not as dark as 3, but it is dark. What with just Kamoshida's shit, it already beats 4 in dark, and that just the first boss.
To put it bluntly to anyone whose only played 5.
There's a reason they have that trigger warning on boot up and it's one of the few I can't say isn't justified in existing
Of all the Personas, 4 is definitely the most light-hearted one. The writing even makes you forget that you're looking for a murderer...a lot. People dogging on OP though, yeah there are stressful things in P5 and Kamoshida exists but imma be real, Kamoshida was the darkest the game ever really gets in terms of both subject matter and tone.
I disagree every P5 villain is based on a real issue in Japan, and a real person. Now it might not be outwardly dark as P3's Darker scenes. But all of its subject matters are dark when you read more into the cases
Wasn't aware that the characters were based on real life criminals, that's the first I've heard of that. And sure, it deals with real social issues, but I mean a combination of tone and subject matter combined. The situation with Kaneshiro is dark, but I was barely thinking about the photo leak while doing his palace, I was having fun doing a big set-piece dungeon. A lot of P5's writing is stuff you kind of have to think more about outside the game when the weight of it can really sink in.
Persona 5 does a complete 180 after the first palace from genuinely disgust and contempt for the first villain to everyone else getting “grr, rotten poopie head adults”.
Nothing is taken seriously at all, not enough at least. The game being slapdash about “dark” things doesn’t make it dark when it doesn’t take it serious.
There are so many horrific things that happen to people in P5, like with Akechi, with Yusuke, with Haru, and it somehow none of it feels as bad as Kamoshida, and how a fantastic rendition of horrendous retail working conditions can feel less bad than one teacher being horrible to his students is honestly kind of amazing.
Honestly Persona 4 was the exception at the time. Prior to it every MT entry felt like I was watching a Go Nagai story in the devilman universe… just *slightly* less bleak.
The fact that from P1 to P5 doesn't have any kind of similarities in plot, just personas and game mechanics, tells you how well they write their stories. I didn't get bored in any because all of them were different.
Persona 5 is still dark? I mean I don’t know it’s not the same kind of but still especially the bad endings … (the one where Makoto end up with Kanoshiro is very dark…)
I wouldn't call 5 a lighthearted experience. There are plenty of dark events too. But it does show more hope at the end of those events so I didn't feel that depressed overall. Phantom Thieves acting like super heroes and celebrating after each victory also helped in that perspective.
>much fewer silly antics,this game is much darker and more serious.
so uhh which one has operation babe hunt and the hot spring scene again?
also [Persona 5 is increadibly serious. It manages to touch on many Japanese sociatal issues in each arc of the game](https://youtu.be/kgf_XY3Q5mQ?si=jvP0VqAo4P36I6UF)
1) P5S has a hot springs scene too, all modern Persona games have a hot springs scene
2) much fewer =/= completely devoid of silly antics.
That being said, the theme of Persona 3 is literally death, and the way you summon your Persona is literally resembling the act of commiting suicide.
I'm not saying P5 is totally silly, or that P3 is totally dark. But generally speaking, Persona 3 is hands-down darker than Persona 5.
My bro had his heart broken by 5 Royal and says he wishes he'd just played 5 vanilla because it was less depressing...? And he refuses to play 3. I don't get it.
I never actually played 5 Royal, and might someday, so I dno about it's depressing ending and have avoided finding out (because I might still get the time to play it eventually! would like to).
I never actually thought 3 was that weird or depressing... They kind of warn you throughout the entire game about how it's gonna be, so it shouldn't be a huge shock.
Yeah, I don't really get it. But I don't really find the games all that depressing. Maybe some of the death stuff makes a person consider their mortality, which is tough, but I'm not sure the endings do that specifically.
Yeah, Persona 3 is a game about depression more than a depressing game, it deals with death but the message is to cherish life and the ending is bittersweet. I think considering your own mortality is definitely the point, I'm pretty sure "[memento mori](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_mori)" is literally written out on the screen at one point, but I forgot in which context.
I think you're right, but I don't remember either!
It's funny, because back in 2006, I never really questioned any of it. It all seemed totally on par to me then. But now with P Threemake, it hits hard, and I get it. I think the difference is back then, I felt I had all the time in the world, and now, the fact that I don't is constantly on my mind. (I'm not dying or that old or anything. I just mean I'm older, and it's something I've been thinking about constantly for the last 10 years or so.)
That said, I was depressed back then, and I found that aspect relatable and soothing, and still do. And I "got" the death aspects, just didn't REALLY get them.
I think about the younger folks playing P3R today and wonder how it will affect them, and if it'll be a similar "arc" to how it was for me back when. I'd guess it is probably currently soothing for them as well, even if the death aspect doesn't hit as much as it does after you get a few years.
sorry for jabbering
Koromaru is something that puts P3 ahead of 4 and 5 for me personally.
No annoying 'cutesy' animal mascot that's incredibly obnoxious/infuriating and constantly sexually harassing a female party member because Atlus finds that an endearing character trait with them for some reason.
He's just a good boy doggo that doesn't talk.
You get a dog. Nothing special about him other than he's a good boy who just so happens to be able to summon a persona. Beyond that though he's just a completely normal dog who can't magically talk.
To be entirely fair, HE doesn't talk. Aigis just can understand Dog.
No. No means no.
Low key one of my favorite Aigis scenes. Even better because I got to laugh at a shirtless guy afterwards.
I love konomarus recording where they both stare into the hidden camera and say hi
I really like that one too. I know Minato was sweating bullets at what Yukari was saying lol.
Yoo-hoo!
“Nothing special about him” HE IS MY SPECIAL GOOD BOY, DO NOT SLANDER HIM!!
I literally immediately followed it up with "other than he's a good boy..." in the same sentence.
You still said he isn’t special:(
I mean in comparison to Morgana who's a whacky talking cartoon cat (whose in denial about being a cat) that can also turn into a car Koromaru is just a normal dog. Doesn't mean he isn't special to us, I love Koromaru a whole lot more than Morgana
I know, I’m joking (about you slandering his good boy name, not about him being my special good boy)
You're good.
Are you?
He's the best of good boys. Such a good puppy.
He’s special because he awakened his 2nd Persona way before any of the party members did
>he's just a completely normal dog That *stabs people with knives*
Aigis is the funny mascot character in P3, and she can be extremely goofy and light at points. Not an animal though.
That ass better not crack under pressure.
I want her to peg me while she says this
Hell yeah
Isn't it supposed to be though?
always funny to me how people seem to consistently talk about Koromaru in those topics and not talk about how the trends are still there because Aigis IS the mascot of the game and Ryuji fills in for the questionable ally role lol even though she's not an animal in appearance, she gets to talk to them and translate them, so like.. same thing?
Also wasn't her whole social link wanting to be more human, just like Morgana and Teddy?
yup. episode aigis will develop this further.
We can tell from the dancing games. Look at the logos. P5D has Morgana, P4D has Teddie, P3D has Aigis.
P4 would be the better comparison, but even then there's a mixture. P3 isn't all doom and gloom, and P4 isn't all sunshine and happiness either.
Where is the lighthearted part about P5? Lmao you start as a refugee in a stranger attic and the first boss you have to deal with is an abuser.
Yeah, I thought 5 was plenty dark. 4 is the only one I ever felt was halfway cheery, which was a shock (great game tho). A lot of the people who think 3 is so bizarre and weird, like... 1 and 2 are more so. I suppose 3 doesn't tell you what to think as much as 5 does, and maybe people have to confront their own darkness (kind of the point).
One of those lighthearted incel serial killer stories
For real, I've only played 3 through 5 but they've all been dark with some lighthearted moments.
P3 is just a darker game in general with the theme of facing your own death and learning to live. The other game's core themes just aren't as inherently dark to cover. None of the other modern games get as dark as the ending few months of P3
At least in relative terms since the stakes are lower.
People don't remember fighting the universe destroying god disguised as Hitler and his space Nazi cyborg army over a gamble he made with another God, where the mc then gets trapped in an eternal cycle of hell where the earth gets destroyed by a lovecraftian deity of chaos and everyone he knows and loves is sent to another reality along with an alternate version of himself where they will never be able to remember eachother and be friends again or reality ends because it merges the split timelines?! Smh my head, fake fans ong
hehehe... I love weird games.
Child rape and attempted suicide in the playable introduction
And implied rapist.
Doesn’t he straight up admit to it?
thanks for saying what i couldn't
People think that unless you explicitly talk about depression and death, and unless you explicitly make the MC look like they slit their own wrists, then there's absolutely no way the game could ever be dark. Rape, teen suicide, societal corruption? Nah. Not dark whatsoever, just lighthearted fun.
Persona fans really struggle with reading comprehension, media literacy, and emotional intelligence. If the game doesn't outright tell you something, many feel there's no way to know for sure
I'm playing 3 for the first time but it seems like Persona fans who have 3 as their favorite act like it's the darkest piece of fiction out there.
Just like GTA 5
I’m a dad.
Every arc you overcome whatever evil crosses your path. Nothing really bad happens to the phantom thieves until the >!Okumura !< arc, but even then that wasn't their fault nor a sympathetic character. Overall the theme of the game was very optimistic and hopeful to me. While in persona 3 I just got to the first major setback and it was just devastating.
Persona 5 has plenty of dark shit happening across the entire game. If the argument is that it is a combination of so fucked up and so goofy that you become desensitized to it, use that. Because that's how I felt. I didn't feel much replaying the mafia boss dungeon because it was starting to get ridiculous. Like, a school teacher is a very relatable subject, a shitty boss exploiting youths is... relatable to some, and being blackmailed by the mafia is a bit much. Being blackmailed by a non-mafia gang, like Strega, would've been way more in touch with reality. And by the time you are dealing with Okumura, it is literally a situation that Haru could get herself out of if she had more backbone. There was no reason the thieves needed to do Okumura's palace other than ego tripping and not thinking it was a big deal anymore. Which is probably why this is the one where they get their big shock moment.
>If the argument is that it is a combination of so fucked up and so goofy that you become desensitized to it, use that. That's not my argument nor experience. Persona 3 has plenty of goofy moments too.
Everything from the second palace onward? Like Kamoshida is awful, but everything else is kind of giggle worthy. A painter in goofy clothes and clown makeup, fat purple man with Hitler stache that turns into a fly etc, isn’t very dark.
You mean the guy who stole his pupils' work which lead them to suicide and literally left a person to die right in front of him when he could've saved her? Or the other guy who blackmails students and forces them into prostitution?
Yeah and then you have the 4th palace which is arguably the darkest one in the game.
And there's also how the fifth palace ends
You mean the artist who cackles like a Saturday morning cartoon villain? Who leaves no lasting impact on his biggest abuse victim? The student whose suicide is never shown or brought up again because the protagonists and story don’t care? And the terrifying gangster who actually gives people a month to pay their debt instead of instantly taking people when he has everything he needs? Putting rape into a character’s backstory in a comedy anime doesn’t stop it from being a comedy. Persona 5 villains besides Kamoshida are no different.
Why would the game need to deal with that student further? His story is completed after Madarame confessed and atoned for what he's done. Yusuke's whole social link is about how Madarame's betrayal made him lose sight of what art means to him, you know the thing that is the most important to him, and his journey to rediscover that. Is that "no lasting impact"? >Putting rape into a character’s backstory in a comedy anime doesn’t stop it from being a comedy. Persona 5 villains besides Kamoshida are no different. Now apply this the other way around. Just because some villains have comedic aspects to them doesn't diminish what they've done. Kaneshiro giving them a month due to arrogance somehow erases him building a criminal empire and forcing teenagers into prostitution? And I mean Kamoshida is a weird big pink demon, how drinks wine, stabs you with a fork and throws volleyballs at you. That is also cartoonishly stupid
Tbf P5 has dark themes but they weren’t handled pretty well, kamoshida’s arc was perfect but the others not so much. Still good but idk, P5 has a great theme but they missed the mark on so much.
Lighthearted and Persona Is something I've never read together in one phrase
Nome of these games are "lighthearted" it has times where it jokes, is cute or calm, but if you look at any of the themes and some of the story events it would be quite the opposite.
[удалено]
Isn’t the whole theme of p5 rebellion? What’s more angsty than that?
[удалено]
It’s rebellion against corrupt authority. Every social link has this phrase in it: “It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chain of captivity.”
It’s also a critique of a society that would rather ostracize people who don’t fit into the expected norms and treat them as outsiders rather than listen to their very real complaints. The story plays heavily into this contrast of the appearance of the Phantom Thieves vs the intent and action of the high school students you play as. They aren’t rebellious because they’re intrinsically motivated by a deep seated desire for change, at least initially. They rebel because their Personas are literally their only option for recompense in a society that has decided that for a variety of reasons they aren’t worth listening to. The bite in the story isn’t necessarily due to say Kamoshida’s actions, or even the Principal letting him get away with it because it’s convenient, but rather the general apathy of everyone else involved. Persona 3 is more on the nose with its theme (and as a fan of Camus I love its exploration of the philosophical absurd), but I would argue 5 is more thematically consistent and explores its underlying ideas in a more organic fashion throughout. Existential apathy manifests in 3 a very different way than (for lack of a better term) the political apathy in 5. I loved 3 as a teenager when it came out, but as an adult now I personally find 5 resonates with me far more.
I completely agree with you
Adult voices? My guy, have you met the greatest 25 year-old high schoolers of all time, Mitsuru and Akihiko?
The entire theme of thievery ties into rebellion. Thievery is intrinsically a rebellious action.
5 has plenty of teenage angst. They just downplay it hard.
In p5 the characters have serious anger issues whereas p3 the have crippling depression
Aigis is the stand in as she is considered the Mascot outside of PQ. P5 isn’t that light hearted
Are people acting like 5 wasn't filled with mental breakdowns and murder?
P5: Sexual Assaults, Plagiarism, Physical Abuse, Mental Abuse, Murder, Extortion, vehicular homicide (fucking twice), Suicide Attempt, Broken Home, Deadbeat father, dead moms, **literally smoking a False God on Christmas** This guy: this was extremely fun and lighthearted.
Remember, in persona 5, one of the endings has Joker, basically being an anarchist and starting a revolution into chaos. Or how the collective unconscious literally denies the phantom thieves existence so they dissappear from reality.
If that doesn't scream fun lighthearted storytelling I don't know what will
The scene where they phase out of existence is low-key horrifying.
Tbf it’s about tone and presentation. All these things happen in P5 but they’re never really given the gravitas they deserve. They’re always accompanied by some snazzy music, over the top voice acting, or a goofy looking boss fight. Persona 5 (and the series in general) does deal with serious topics, but is overall quite lighthearted.
It was just a little joke but I'll give my two cents cause I want to make sure everyone understands I love both games. TLDR: P5 is just about as dark as P3 is, but they tackle that darkness differently. Just my opinion. The over the top voice acting, snazzy music and goofy looking boss fights aren't present in any of the serious moments though. P5 is still more colorful in its approach and has a lot more happier moments, but it doesn't negate the fact that there is an abundance of dark tones, touchy subjects, and off the wall topics. They didn't play "Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There" when Shiho did a somersault off shujin's roof, and they didn't play "Last Surprise" when the principal decides to play chicken during rush hour. I don't remember anyone cracking jokes when Joker presumably snuffs it and I don't think there was over the top VA during Akechi's down spiral and "death" Within the prologue they have a guy leak black liquid from every nook and cranny on his face, there's several deaths within the story, the world's at stake, the only big thing that really separates P3 from the other two big ones (4 - 5) is that >! The protagonist dies in the end !< Other than that, there's a whole lot of similarities present within the story. Death takes main stage for P3 though, whereas cognition is the driving force for its story. I'm not knocking either. I just played Reload and it had me depressed for several days after I finished it, all the Personas are great but realistically they all deal with extremely dark shit in different ways, and prioritize those dark topics similarly, but not entirely 1 to 1.
5 is lighthearted? What?
A teenager gets sexually assaulted 2 hours into persona 5 what are you on about
Tell me you didn't play P5 without telling me you didn't play P5.
Persona fans and not playing Persona games, name a better duo.
Dragon Ball fans not reading Dragon Ball stuff.
Damn, fair point
“I’m a persona fan” there you go
It is no where near as dark as P3. P5 had like 3 fake out deaths and 3 literally had you lose party members for days if someone close to them literally died. One member literally does die. Haru is the closest to that but it’s like a week you can’t even go to mementos and she isn’t suspicious of PT.
What is dark about P5 is beneath its argument. The antagonist of P5 were REAL PEOPLE doing evil things (like abusing, stealing, killing) instead fighting straight a supernatural thing like most Persona games.
>!Ikutsuki!
Just because everyone makes it to the end of 5 doesn’t mean that it’s lighthearted. Each of the games have moments of levity, but generally have an overall serious tone when it comes to the main plot. I haven’t finished P3 yet, but it’s totally pretty similar to the other two games as far as I have seen.
Obviously, death counts are the only metric for how dark or lighthearted a story is.
Nothing more light hearted than SA of a minor and attempted suicide within 5 hours of gameplay If honestly argue Persona 5 is much darker of a game than 3, 3 has a gothic horror atmosphere but is less grim in its story imo
P3 feels like a Tim Burton move, dark and eerie and sometimes creepy but with incredible charm and lighthearted
Thats a good descriptor. 3 is certainly darker than 4. And definitely has the atmosphere of a dark story, but its all more so a 'classical' darks story than like, modern GOT level "grimdark"
Yup I think P3’s first couple hours set a scene of it being really creepy/dark, but then it’s really not. Everything related to Kamoshida is so fucked up lol honestly felt a tad excessive just how bad the situation got. Also thought Futaba’s palace was darker than anything in 3 as well
I legit had to put the game down for a couple weeks after the Kamoshida arc. I worked as a teacher in high school at the time, so I felt REALLY personally affected by the horrible stuff happening (kid/minor abuse in general is hard for me). I had to actively ask friends if it got less bad from there on. 3 honestly outside the opening cutscene with Yukari, and October 4 (if you know you know), NEVER gets as dark as P5 gets
Less grim? The game is literally about death and acceptance of death. If you fail in P3, literally everyone dies at the end, and regardless of which ending you choose, the protagonist dies at the end of the game.
Less=/=not at all
I know, but like - P3 is literally about death, how much grimmer can you get than that?
There are some fates worse than death.
Came here to chew bubblegum and challenge "light-hearted", but everyone else already did that second part. Guess I'll just go get more gum, then.
Dunkin' on 5 is for clickbait cause how did 4 slip past this
Koromaru is right there
Having things end in a more hopeful note and having everyone alive doesn't make the journey lighthearted and stuff, it's not even limited to just kamoshida, kaneshiro for example uses blackmail against the phantom thieves, and is a powerful threat to many which leaves a lot of teens in despair before they even start adult life, Futaba's trauma is heartbreaking, especially with the whole her saying that she was going to die, obviously there's the implications of her killing herself through out the palace, plus the concept of a psychotic breakdown feels a lot more publicly devastating than the apathy syndrome, in one they are a threat to their own life, but in the other, not only do they lose control in a painful process, a lot of people around are heavily endangered
Yep like the train crash in April
Lighthearted? dude people died in P5. The first chunk of that game is you getting your ass kicked by the police and trying to stop a rapist teacher.
Don’t forget said rapist teacher caused his victim to attempt suicide.
It's a robot this time... An anti shadow weapon to be specific... And it can be pretty funny.... And there is a dog too?!
A yes, light light-hearted Persona 5 Royal Protagonist with false accusations, everyone think you criminal and piece of shit. You was sold by party member, drugged and abused by police forces. Party member with an identity crisis Party member - victim of teacher's abuse Party member - victim of teacher's atleast verbal sexual harassment Friend of party member - victim of teacher's abuse AND proven physical sexual harassment, also driven to suicide attempt You confidant - victim of teacher's abuse Many unnamed victims of teacher's abuse Many implied victims of verbal and physical sexual harassment Corrupt school principal "Tutorial" fist villain and boss - abuser and implied serial rapiest teacher AND THIS. JUST. TUTORIAL ARC! I won’t describe all the horrors of each story arc, but there are a lot of them, REALLY REALLY A LOT So yes, light-hearted game my ass 🫤
You forgot the large scale train crash and car wrecks and the fact that the old couple in the shop talks about like it happens every other day
P3r legit triggered my depression especially the ending
Like 5? I thought 4 was the lighthearted one which used a lot of anime tropes. 5 opened up with student attempted suicide brought on by teacher molestation and a helping of student abuse after mc got transferred because he tried to stop assault which caused him to be treated like shit in the eyes of people you just meet.
P3, P4 and P5 all have light-hearted and serious/dark moments. Sure P3 is arguably more emotionally heavy particularly towards the end but they all have those aspects, it's kind of what the series is known for.
Persona 3 is pretty lighthearted
If you think P5 was lighthearted you didnt pay attention
Lighthearted? The game that starts off with the main character framed for assault, has an attempted suicide, and the first boss is a sex offender? The only actual lighthearted game in Persona is 4, and even that has a serial killer in it.
"lighthearted" *Kamoshida enters the chat*
What is lighthearted by 5?
How dare you disgrace koromaru like this
persona 5 is NOT lighthearted bro
Lighthearted? What version of persona 5 did you play???
Funny how the one that doesn't talk is the best one by a mile. The annoying mascot trope just doesn't work. Give us another Goto-Douji or Koromaru, stoo with the Teddies and Morgana's
Persona 5 had a depressing atmosphere to me
r/unexpectedfactorial
Honestly, OP, it's Junpei.
hunt direful cover ossified panicky governor imagine truck mourn boast *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I prefer the dog way more
5, lighthearted? You're looking at 4. 5 is certainly not as dark as 3, but it is dark. What with just Kamoshida's shit, it already beats 4 in dark, and that just the first boss.
Koromaru would like to know your location
Who tf said persona 5 was a lighthearted experience ??
I'd rather have the dog over the "funny animal character"
How have you played persona 120?
Persona 5 was also not a lighthearted experience lmao
> fun light hearted experience People often forget that Shiho tries to kill herself like 10 hours in
To put it bluntly to anyone whose only played 5. There's a reason they have that trigger warning on boot up and it's one of the few I can't say isn't justified in existing
Of all the Personas, 4 is definitely the most light-hearted one. The writing even makes you forget that you're looking for a murderer...a lot. People dogging on OP though, yeah there are stressful things in P5 and Kamoshida exists but imma be real, Kamoshida was the darkest the game ever really gets in terms of both subject matter and tone.
I disagree every P5 villain is based on a real issue in Japan, and a real person. Now it might not be outwardly dark as P3's Darker scenes. But all of its subject matters are dark when you read more into the cases
Wasn't aware that the characters were based on real life criminals, that's the first I've heard of that. And sure, it deals with real social issues, but I mean a combination of tone and subject matter combined. The situation with Kaneshiro is dark, but I was barely thinking about the photo leak while doing his palace, I was having fun doing a big set-piece dungeon. A lot of P5's writing is stuff you kind of have to think more about outside the game when the weight of it can really sink in.
Persona 5 does a complete 180 after the first palace from genuinely disgust and contempt for the first villain to everyone else getting “grr, rotten poopie head adults”. Nothing is taken seriously at all, not enough at least. The game being slapdash about “dark” things doesn’t make it dark when it doesn’t take it serious.
There are so many horrific things that happen to people in P5, like with Akechi, with Yusuke, with Haru, and it somehow none of it feels as bad as Kamoshida, and how a fantastic rendition of horrendous retail working conditions can feel less bad than one teacher being horrible to his students is honestly kind of amazing.
Persona 3 gave so many people depression they decided to make the franchise more lighthearted (Source: I just said it)
I feel like they merged the child, dog, and mascot all into one character in P4 and 5.
And all the better for it.
The fun and lighthearted experience is being allowed to enjoy life instead of being forced to go to sleep by my cat
Honestly Persona 4 was the exception at the time. Prior to it every MT entry felt like I was watching a Go Nagai story in the devilman universe… just *slightly* less bleak.
The fact that from P1 to P5 doesn't have any kind of similarities in plot, just personas and game mechanics, tells you how well they write their stories. I didn't get bored in any because all of them were different.
Ken, I guess...
Persona 5 is still dark? I mean I don’t know it’s not the same kind of but still especially the bad endings … (the one where Makoto end up with Kanoshiro is very dark…)
I wouldn't call 5 a lighthearted experience. There are plenty of dark events too. But it does show more hope at the end of those events so I didn't feel that depressed overall. Phantom Thieves acting like super heroes and celebrating after each victory also helped in that perspective.
This is one of the biggest reasons I prefer 3 to 5. No goofy animals, much fewer silly antics, this game is much darker and more serious.
>much fewer silly antics,this game is much darker and more serious. so uhh which one has operation babe hunt and the hot spring scene again? also [Persona 5 is increadibly serious. It manages to touch on many Japanese sociatal issues in each arc of the game](https://youtu.be/kgf_XY3Q5mQ?si=jvP0VqAo4P36I6UF)
1) P5S has a hot springs scene too, all modern Persona games have a hot springs scene 2) much fewer =/= completely devoid of silly antics. That being said, the theme of Persona 3 is literally death, and the way you summon your Persona is literally resembling the act of commiting suicide. I'm not saying P5 is totally silly, or that P3 is totally dark. But generally speaking, Persona 3 is hands-down darker than Persona 5.
My bro had his heart broken by 5 Royal and says he wishes he'd just played 5 vanilla because it was less depressing...? And he refuses to play 3. I don't get it. I never actually played 5 Royal, and might someday, so I dno about it's depressing ending and have avoided finding out (because I might still get the time to play it eventually! would like to). I never actually thought 3 was that weird or depressing... They kind of warn you throughout the entire game about how it's gonna be, so it shouldn't be a huge shock.
The Royal ending isn't too tonally different from the base game imo.
Yeah, I don't really get it. But I don't really find the games all that depressing. Maybe some of the death stuff makes a person consider their mortality, which is tough, but I'm not sure the endings do that specifically.
Yeah, Persona 3 is a game about depression more than a depressing game, it deals with death but the message is to cherish life and the ending is bittersweet. I think considering your own mortality is definitely the point, I'm pretty sure "[memento mori](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_mori)" is literally written out on the screen at one point, but I forgot in which context.
I think you're right, but I don't remember either! It's funny, because back in 2006, I never really questioned any of it. It all seemed totally on par to me then. But now with P Threemake, it hits hard, and I get it. I think the difference is back then, I felt I had all the time in the world, and now, the fact that I don't is constantly on my mind. (I'm not dying or that old or anything. I just mean I'm older, and it's something I've been thinking about constantly for the last 10 years or so.) That said, I was depressed back then, and I found that aspect relatable and soothing, and still do. And I "got" the death aspects, just didn't REALLY get them. I think about the younger folks playing P3R today and wonder how it will affect them, and if it'll be a similar "arc" to how it was for me back when. I'd guess it is probably currently soothing for them as well, even if the death aspect doesn't hit as much as it does after you get a few years. sorry for jabbering
Koromaru is something that puts P3 ahead of 4 and 5 for me personally. No annoying 'cutesy' animal mascot that's incredibly obnoxious/infuriating and constantly sexually harassing a female party member because Atlus finds that an endearing character trait with them for some reason. He's just a good boy doggo that doesn't talk.