The Ultimate Combat Evolution: Unveiling Persona 6's Revolutionary Design
Persona 3 Reload's innovative combat upgrade hints at a potential shift in Persona 6's design The game's departure from traditional mechanics could indicate a continued focus on turn-based gameplay in the highly anticipated Persona 6
Highlights
The Shift combat mechanic in Persona 3 Reload is similar to the Baton Pass from Persona 5, indicating a focus on improving turn-based combat across the franchise.
Persona 3 Reload's modifications to the combat loop suggest that Persona 6 will likely maintain its turn-based combat system, instead of conforming to the prevailing trend of action-based gameplay in the gaming industry.
The adjustments made to the combat loop in Persona 3 Reload could potentially serve as the groundwork for upcoming Persona games, granting Atlus a balanced foundation to explore innovative and experimental elements in Persona 6 and future installments.
Following its announcement, Atlus stated that Persona 3 Reload aimed to stay true to the original Persona 3. However, the developer has now disclosed several changes that the game will undergo. Notably, there will be a significant increase in voice acting, updates to the story to better showcase character arcs, and noticeable differences in the appearance of Tartarus. Additionally, recent previews of the game have highlighted a new combat mechanic called Shifting. Shifting allows players to pass turns to a teammate after successfully exploiting an enemy's weakness and triggering the One More mechanic. This new feature is clearly inspired by the Baton Pass mechanic from the Persona 5 games, which encouraged tactical gameplay and increased party members' damage over time. Despite limited information about the specifics of Shifting, it suggests that turn-based battles will continue to be a prominent feature in future installments of the Persona series, such as Persona 6 and beyond.
Persona 3 Reload's Shift May Suggest Persona 6 Will Stay Turn-Based
With the recent shift away from turn-based combat in popular JRPG franchises like Final Fantasy, fans of Persona may be wondering if Atlus is considering moving towards an action RPG style as well. We saw success with Persona 5 Strikers, a musou-style spinoff, so it's possible that Atlus could use a similar hack-and-slash formula for Persona 6 or explore other types of action RPG gameplay. However, it's worth noting that Persona 3 Reload is sticking to its turn-based roots, and Atlus seems determined to innovate within that space.
The fact that Atlus has reimagined the Baton Pass as Shift in Persona 3 Reload suggests that their focus is on improving the turn-based combat system throughout the franchise, rather than shifting towards a different genre. Additionally, Atlus is introducing important quality of life improvements to Persona 3 Reload that were absent in the original game, such as the ability to control party members. Instead of simply recreating Persona 3's combat, Persona 3 Reload appears to be an attempt by Atlus to blend the classic, relatively straightforward combat loop of Persona 3 with some of the franchise's most successful modern elements. This approach could provide Atlus with a solid foundation to build upon and innovate in Persona 6.
Using Persona 3 Reload's combat system as the foundation for Persona 6 makes sense, considering Persona 5's focus on style. While combat in Persona 5 is outstanding, it includes mechanics like gun attacks and Hold Ups that are specifically tailored to its picaresque aesthetic and may not translate effectively to Persona 6. On the other hand, Persona 3 Reload's combat appears more versatile and adaptable, not tied to the specific themes of Persona 3. By establishing a more neutral version of Persona's modern combat model in P3R, Atlus can then build upon it in Persona 6 and future installments. Consequently, Persona 3 Reload could potentially become the new standard for Persona combat, solidifying turn-based battles as a fundamental aspect and providing Atlus with a solid starting point for experimentation.
As the successor to Baton Pass, Shift may require some adjustments. The flexibility and strategic depth offered by Baton Pass arguably made Persona 5 less challenging compared to previous Persona games. Therefore, Atlus may need to impose limitations on Shift or rebalance enemies to address this. Nevertheless, it is exciting to see one of Persona 5's most innovative mechanics potentially becoming a staple in the franchise. Furthermore, it is reassuring to witness Persona's commitment to retaining turn-based combat, evident in Atlus' ceaseless efforts to enhance this style of gameplay in each mainline release.
Persona 3 Reload releases February 2, 2024 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
