ThePersonaseries has really exploded in popularity over the last few years, no doubt in part to the smash hit that wasPersona 5as well as the PC release ofPersona 4 Golden. As a result,Persona 6is one of the most highly anticipated titles for JRPG fans, but there’s no telling as to when fans can expect it as there hasn’t even been so much as a teaser announcing its development. AlthoughAtlus has been relatively quiet aboutPersona 6’s development, the many cameos that characters fromPersona 5have been making in other games seem to bode well for the upcoming mainlinePersonaentry.
While not directly tied toPersona 6, the many differentPersonacameos as of late seem to indicate to fans that Atlus has definitely not forgotten about the franchise. Not only have there have been plenty of spinoff titles forPersona 5, but including its characters in things likeSuperSmash Bros. Ultimategives a pretty clear message:Personais here to stay, and it’s going to keep growing in popularity beforeP6launches sometime in the future.
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Keeping Persona Alive
There’s not really an argument to be made that Atlus isn’t making the most ofPersona 5’s popularity. With the major successes of its spinoff and sequeltitles likePersona 5 Royal,Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, andPersona 5 Strikers, it’s pretty clear thatP5is not only widely popular but that Atlus is willing to let it continue growing. While spinoffs are all well and good, they don’t always do much to help grow a series as outsiders typically look at a spinoff as something for the fans of any particular franchise and aren’t always the most likely to pick it up as a result. That’s why the cameos thatP5characters have been making are an even bigger deal.
During Gamescom Opening Night Live, it was announced thatPersona 5’s Morgana would be added toSuper Monkey Ball Banana Mania,which really cemented the series as being open to all sorts of cameo appearances and not just limited to “serious” ones. In addition toMonkey Ball,P5characters have been inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,Another Eden,Catherine: Full Body,Sonic Forces, andToyko Mirage Sessions #FEjust to name a few. With each subsequent cameo appearance/crossover, fans of the series are reminded aboutPersona, never truly letting it fall to the backs of anyone’s minds.
What’s more, the sheer number ofP5cameos also keeps the franchise alive in the minds of people who haven’t yet played aPersonagame. By seeing Morgana inSuperMonkey Ball Banana ManiaorJoker inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, people unfamiliar with the series are constantly being reminded of its existence. With each reminder and successful crossover, those people are that much more likely to givePersonaa shot.
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Showing Potential Fans a Different Side of Persona
People who aren’t particularly familiar with thePersonaseries might not have the right idea as to what it is, so when a character appears in a crossover, they have the chance to understand what the franchise is actually all about. WhilePersonamight seem like a serious high school dramamixed with an RPG-dungeon crawler, the game has a lot more humor and wit than it might appear to have on the surface.
Bringing a character likeMorgana toSuper Monkey Ballis a perfect example of this. Although Morgana is already something of a mascot for the series, those who don’t know much about him might not know just how funny he is. By putting Morgana inMonkey Ball, Atlus has allowed potential fans of the series to see the character and the franchise in a way that they might not have before. By doing that, it can bring even more fans to the series that might have heard about it in the past, but not had a good handle on what it actually is.
WhenJoker was announced to be coming toSmash, it was the first introduction some Nintendo fans had to the franchise, as there hadn’t ever been a mainlinePersonatitle on Nintendo platforms. Unfortunately, there still hasn’t been a mainlinePersonagame that’s come to the Switch, though Joker’s inclusion likely influenced some people to try outPersona 5 Strikerswhen it came to the platform. That said, although fans were excited to getStrikerson the Switch, the demand for morePersonagames to come to the console has been at an all-time high. Joker coming toSmashhas likely onlyhelped the cause.
Building Excitement for Persona 6
Based on how quicklyPersonahas expanded in popularity, it’s safe to say thatPersona 6will be the biggest entry in the serieswhen it eventually releases. However, if there are still several years before its launch, then there’s the chance that the series might fall out of mainstream gaming conversations. Thanks to thePersonacameos in other games, though, that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the case.
With each new cameo announcement,Personafever keeps getting more contagious and more new fans are being brought to the series. As newcomers eventually gravitate to all of the recently released titles, they’ll be joining the ranks of the diehard fans in their excitement forPersona 6. Although that growing excitement might be putting a lot of pressure on Atlus to deliver a truly impressive new title, the company doesn’t need to worry too much, as it’s already proven time and time again that it’s more than capable. Plus, there are plenty of satisfying ways for Atlus to change up the series so thatPersona 6won’t be as directly comparable toPersona 5as fans might think.
