Atlus' highly anticipated JRPG Persona 5 of the Persona spinoff series of Shin Megami Tensei will be releasing in the Americas on Valentine's Day 2017. For those of you like me who don't keep track of that date, it's February 14th and it actually matters a bit, because the game's collectors edition has been themed after the holiday.
Set to arrive on both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, Persona 5 will have a couple of special editions for the PlayStation 4 release in North America. The PlayStation 3 version will be coming to the Americas, halting a trend of only Japan receiving a PlayStation 3 release in addition to the PlayStation 4 version. However, the PlayStation 3 version will not have either of the special editions available. The first special edition is for a pre-order/day-one run called the SteelBook Launch Edition, which will bring with it a just a special SteelBook Case in addition to the game on PlayStation 4 for the normal $59.99 USD ($79.99 CAD).
However, you can also get that same SteelBook by upping your order to the premium Take Your Heart edition, which Atlus are touting as them going all out for their most anticipated game. In this $89.99 USD ($109.99 CAD) edition you get:
- SteelBook with Persona 5 art emblazoned on it
- 64 page hardcover Art book full of concept sketches, character art and more by character designer Shingenori Soejima
- 4" Morgana Plush as the group's cat (who changes to a cat-like woman persona wielder by night) that comes to join you as the groups mascot at home
- Shujin Academy School Bag designed in the mold of traditional Japanese school bags
- Soundtrack CD with a selection (read: not all) of music by series composer Shoji Meguro in a CD Wallet
- Collectible Outer Box to store this all and remember in the future how you spent your money when you were younger
The PlayStation 3 version won't have any of that stuff and likely won't look as nice. However, to help make up for that you will be only having to pay $49.99 USD ($59.99 CAD) for it which means you can store the rest of the money for getting that eventual hardware upgrade.
If you don't know it, the Persona series is a spin-off of Atlus' Shin Megami Tensei series (which is a continuation/spinoff of the Megami Tensei series) that broke out starting with Persona 3 and its switch to more of a character focus along with some dating sim elements to complement the JRPG play. Persona is the lightest of the franchises overall and has outgrown most of the rest but retains many of the same elements, such as the turn-based combat, demons to battle and fuse to make new ones, and a focus on thought-provoking themes often of a philosophical bend. The Persona series philosophical underpinning is of Jungian Philosophy, especially on the concept of self and who we are.
While there's no new Trailer, here's the trailer from last year's E3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjSHjAoQty4
Are you looking forward to Persona 5? Do the special editions interest you? What is your thought on the Shin Megami Tensei franchise? Share your thoughts in the comments below!