Persona 5 Royal

Artifact #1: Dengeki PlayStation Magazine Cover

Translation1

RIGHT SIDE:

Thirteen Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Check out the full scope of the game from actual gameplay!!

DEATH STRANDING
Confirm the storyline, keywords, and system before playing!

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Featuring a basic play guide & campaign guide!

Visual Gallery
New Sakura Wars

Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition

Special interview with Sega Games’ Toshihiro Nagoshi

Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout

HEADLINE:

A major feature exploring the “deepening” of the Phantom Thieves!
PERSONA 5 THE ROYAL

A full breakdown of “P5R” from every angle just before release!
Includes a commemorative launch interview!!

LEFT SIDE:

BONUS

(1) Romancing SaGa 3 – Prologue & Memories
Reviving the “Romancing SaGa 3” in the Japanese era. Check it out from a unique perspective only in Dengeki PS!

The digital edition does not include comic
(2) Dengeki Comic #35

Dengeki PlayStation Vol. 681 was published by Kadokawa during December 2019 for ¥950 (around $9 in 2019) with Persona 5 Royal as the main image and the big subject of the issue. According to the caption underneath the headline, this issue was released just before Persona 5 Royal’s initial release in Japan. In the foreground, Joker holds newcomer Kasumi Yoshizawa in one arm as he handles a grappling hook in the other as they swing high over the city. The cover uses a high-angled perspective, most likely to emphasize the character-to-landscape size relationship. Based on the previous game, the audience can most likely assume the background is Shibuya or somewhere else close by in Japan. The bright yellows and gentle blues of the city lights provide vivid contrast to the light reds and deep blacks on the subjects; this primary color scheme not only allows Joker and Kasumi to stand out against the city, but to also let the cover pop-out among the competition and garner interest/excitement from the audience for the upcoming release of Persona 5 Royal. The duo look out of the page with a confident smirk and Kasumi holds an antique rifle toward the viewer. Joker is presented in his iconic phantom thief attire, an all dark outfit including gray pants, a black vest, a long black trench coat, and red gloves. This suggests that Kasumi’s current outfit is what she will be wearing in the Metaverse when exploring with the party. Kasumi’s attire is rather similar to Joker’s outfit, donning long black boots, a black leotard, a short black coat, and red gloves. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail secured by a black ribbon, and dressed in a leotard, the audience may interpret her personality to be closely tied to ballet or gymnastics.
This artifact illuminates the changes to the narrative element of Persona 5 Royal. By utilizing the high-angled perspective, the illustrator conveys that Persona 5 Royal will still have the same fundamental conflict, character vs society, of Persona 5; however, the choice of introducing bright yellows, soft golds, and gentle blues to the usual red, black, and white color palette allows the audience to understand that the new story will leave them more fulfilled than the original story. In addition, the primary color scheme paints a livelier, more optimistic tone than the original game. The inclusion of Kasumi with Joker as the main subject rather than just Joker implies that though she is a new character, her involvement in the game will have a great impact on the new main story. Similarly, including the antique rifle and grappling hook in the foreground help showcase new weapons and tools to be used by the player in game, which were not present in Persona 5. Another detail to notice is that Joker is wearing his iconic phantom thief attire, letting the fans know that this new narrative is not a complete rework of the original story. Likewise, the setting continuity achieves the nostalgic approach by maintaining the primary location of the story: Tokyo, Japan. The choice to keep Joker’s Metaverse design and make Kasumi’s costume reminiscent of Joker’s allows the audience to feel nostalgic, which then evoke positive thoughts to those who have played the game. Ultimately, this magazine cover reveals that Persona 5 Royal’s developers pursued a continuity-based narrative redesign, keeping the core elements behind the original story for nostalgic appeal while introducing new characters and brighter, positive tones to create a more optimistic and satisfying narrative experience for modern audiences.

Artifact #2: Mementos Original Soundtrack

Mementos (Left):

Path of Qimranut & Path of Aiyatsbus
“Mementos”

Path of Chemdah & Path of Kaitul
“Mementos -Upper Layer-“

Path of Akzeriyyuth & Path of Adyeschach
“Mementos -Middle Layer-“

Path of Sheriruth & Path of Iweleth &
The Hall of the Grail
“Mementos -Under Layer-“

Mementos Third Semester (Right):

Path of Da’at
“Mementos -New Layer-“

In Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal, Morgana describes Mementos to you as the general public’s “one gigantic shared palace” and the core of the Metaverse. For context, the Metaverse is the bridge between the conscious and subconscious where human desires and thoughts take on a tangible form. When desires become so overwhelming such as the desire for control, to harm, for power, etc., the desire becomes distorted and a palace forms, unknown to the desire’s owner. With that said, the common man does not harbor such desires, so they share one gigantic palace. Mementos is found under Shibuya’s subway system and the party navigates a labyrinth to progress deeper into the heart of Mementos. These paths are riddled with Shadows, black humanoid creatures donning a plethora of masks around their body, and use chains, bars, and veins as decor while train tracks guide the player through the numerous dead ends and loops. As the player first enters Mementos, they are welcomed with the track “Mementos”. This track is slow-paced, repetitive, and lacks intensity, perfect for those just starting to explore the labyrinth. The electric piano helps simulate the sound of a train while also developing the idea of distortion into the player’s mind. Trains are an essential medium of transportation in Japanese life, shared by everyone, so the motif of trains in the Mementos soundtrack helps solidify the idea of Mementos as “one gigantic shared palace”. After having toppled the second palace in the game, the player is rewarded with a new Mementos layers and the track “Mementos -Upper Layer-“. The Upper Layer is slightly faster and more intense than “Mementos” and continues the train motif by trying to copy the sounds of a train accelerating and chugging along from the station with the use of the constant drum and tambourine. Additionally, the repetitiveness is less present by incorporating ominous, spooky sounds from the piano. Upon completing the fourth palace, the Path of Akzeriyyuth is unlocked and the player hears “Mementos -Middle Layer-” for the first time. The Middle Layer begins to incorporate the electric guitar for the regular beat and breaks up the repetitiveness even more, though still present, with string instruments and an unsettling “gong” effect. The intensity and speed are about the same as “Mementos -Upper Layer-” along with the consistent chugging of the train motif. After the sixth palace, players are greeted with many more layers and “Mementos -Under Layer-“. The Under Layer is the fastest paced and most intense of the Mementos soundtracks and utilizes all the elements of the middle layer but faster and with more piano to further break the repetitive cycle. The train motif is still present and is chugging vigorously to its destination with the haunting gong echoing in the background. After decimating the final boss of Persona 5, Royal integrates an entire new semester after the original ending with a surprise antagonist. As a part of the story, the party must travel all the way down Mementos again to find an operating room and retract cables powering the new antagonist’s palace so they can proceed onward. While the party makes their way to the control room, “Mementos -New Layer-” can be heard. The New Layer has slowed down compared to the Under Layer and is strikingly reminiscent of the Middle Layer; however, the New Layer is more eerie and synthetic to reflect the new antagonist’s personality. Unlike Middle Layer, the New Layer is more chaotic by using more spooky gong sounds while also utilizing a trumpet to help decrease the repetitiveness of the Mementos soundtrack, in addition to giving this track a more authoritative tone.
This artifact demonstrates the modification to the music element of Persona 5 Royal. Persona 5 had only the “Mementos” track to cover all the different layers of Mementos, excluding the Path of Da’at. Since Mementos is supposed to be the place where the player completes side quests and grinds for personas, money, items, etc., having monotonous music makes the player feel annoyed with the game. As a result of traversing Mementos, the player develops listener fatigue and may become frustrated, likely to rarely interact with Mementos again or quit the game entirely. Unfortunately, the player must navigate to the end of Mementos to progress the story, which those already frustrated with Mementos might find the final straw. In order to combat the player listening to “Mementos” non-stop, there are silent rest stops throughout Mementos which the player can teleport to rather than start from the entrance every time. With so many fans upset with the composition of Mementos, something had to change in the development of Persona 5 Royal. One approach was to alter the music. Luckily, “Mementos” already met the conditions for a good welcoming track: slow, introduces the ominous tones, and has a low intensity; so, it did not need to be scrapped. The train motif helps each music piece feel more unique and is reflected in the player’s journey through the game. “Mementos” is the train slowing to a halt; the player tries to understand what Mementos is and their current situation. “Mementos -Upper Layer-” is the train speeding up; the player has now successfully changed two hearts and is beginning to feel the rhythm of the game’s playstyle. “Mementos -Middle Layer-” is the train at a comfortable cruising speed; the player has now developed a strategy on how to approach palaces, daily life, and social interactions in the game and are comfortable staying in this pattern. “Mementos -Under Layer-” is the train speeding up from a comfortable speed; the player now feels anxious and excitement as they are about to take on a very strong, intimidating boss as well as the task of venturing into the depths of Mementos where something unknown resides. “Mementos -New Layer-” is a new train at a new safe cruising speed; the player knows what is expected of them in Mementos, but the environment and shadows are alien to the rest of Mementos. The idea of “alien” is reflected in the New Layer’s music with the use of eerie sounds from the synthesizer. In addition to the train motif, the developers expanded upon the unsettling sounds in Mementos with gong sounds, piano, strings, and a synthesizer, along with the initial electric piano, to help negate listener fatigue while retaining the idea of repetitive music since exploring Mementos is supposed to be somewhat tense and anxiety inducing. All in all, the expansion to the Mementos repertoire reveals that the composers behind Persona 5 Royal’s soundtrack wished to eliminate listener fatigue and create a more immersive experience for the player while incorporating the startling and repetitive elements that made Mementos initially charming.

Side by side, the Dengeki PlayStation magazine cover and Mementos soundtrack showcase that Persona 5 Royal was designed with its core identity in mind while reworking the weak or lacking elements that limited immersion. Through an optimistic narrative and reimagined musical approach, Royal deepens the player experience without discarding the soul of Persona 5.

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Works Cited

Artifact #1: Dengeki PlayStation Magazine Cover

Artifact #2: Mementos Original Soundtrack

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