Reeling in Success: Why Persona 6 Should Embrace Persona 4 Golden's Fishing Minigame

The Persona series is known for providing players with a plethora of activities to engage with, to the point where it can be difficult to fully experience everything in one playthrough. Persona 4 Golden, for example, boasts an extensive selection of Social Links, numerous job opportunities, a lengthy quest list, and even a fishing mini-game. While the process of unlocking fishing in Persona 4 Golden may be convoluted, the rewards make it well worth the effort. As such, if Persona 6 decides to include a fishing mini-game, it should follow in the footsteps of its predecessor.

Fishing mini-games are a common feature in RPGs, whether they be Western-style action RPGs or turn-based JRPGs. The Persona series is no exception, having included it in its last two mainline entries, as well as in the mobile spinoff Persona 5: The Phantom X. However, Persona 5 took a different approach to fishing than Persona 4, one that many argue was less rewarding for the player. In contrast, Persona 4 Golden not only made fishing a valuable activity, but it also provided opportunities for players to engage with the world around them, resulting in a more fleshed-out and immersive experience in the town of Inaba.

Persona 4 Golden's Fishing Minigame Offers More Than The Catch of the Day

Persona 4 Golden's fishing minigame stands out due to its multifaceted nature. Not only did catching fish restore a significant amount of HP and SP in the dungeons, but it also served a crucial purpose in the game's world. Players were required to catch fish to assist certain NPCs, particularly an elderly man who provided a quest relevant to the Fox Social Link. Additionally, fishing encouraged players to explore bug-catching, which led to its own set of NPC interactions, minigame practice, and resource management.

On the other hand, Persona 5's fishing minigame in Ichigaya felt self-contained. The protagonist, Joker, would catch fish in a small pond and immediately trade them in for prizes, most of which were fishing-related. Although Persona 5 Royal introduced some valuable accessories for Joker to earn, fishing had little impact on the game's characters, setting, and mechanics, aside from the occasional Confidant event. Although the minigame was enjoyable, it lacked the extensive utility and interactivity that Persona 4 Golden's version provided.

Ideally, Persona 6 should adopt Persona 4 Golden's style rather than Persona 5's. While fishing may not be the most popular activity in the game, it can provide supplies that aid in dungeon exploration and NPC interactions, making it a great option when Confidants or Social Links are unavailable. Taking it a step further, Persona 6 could offer rare accessories or even weapons that can only be obtained through fishing, providing players with more incentives to engage in the activity. By expanding the range of items that can be caught, Atlus can also create more opportunities for players to progress through storylines with the help of fishing.

In Persona 6, Atlus could also increase the number of quest interactions in the fishing system, following Persona 4 Golden's example. Unlike Persona 5, which focused primarily on the world of Shadows in its side quests, Persona 6 could bring back overworld quests as a way to improve upon the success of Persona 5. While not all of Persona 4 Golden's side quests were worth the effort, some of them cleverly incorporated fishing, encouraging players to give the mini-game a try in order to earn quest rewards and advance their Social Links. While fishing may not be the most original mini-game that Persona 6 could offer, if it follows the blueprint set by Persona 4 Golden, it could be implemented in a way that captures the true essence of the Persona series.