The Ultimate Persona 6 Experience: Breaking Free from Franchise's DLC Mold

Highlights

Persona 6 is highly anticipated and expected to be released in the future, following the success of Persona 5 that elevated the franchise to new heights.

The DLC in Persona 5 did not provide significant content and had disruptive elements that affected the game's balance. Persona 6 should enhance its DLC strategy by offering new quests, characters, and stories to enable the game to have a broader range of narratives. Persona 3 Reload could be a potential platform to test this new approach.

Persona 6 is undeniably on the horizon. While the Persona franchise has flourished over the years, with older titles aging gracefully, Persona 5 took the series to new heights. It expertly combined its edgy aesthetic with heartwarming character interactions and enjoyable extracurricular activities. However, despite Persona 5's genre-defining status, certain aspects felt outdated, with the DLC being the prime culprit. As Persona 6 looms, it is crucial for the game to improve its approach to downloadable content.

Despite its overall excellence, Persona 5's DLC was a slight blemish on an otherwise stellar title. The base game offered more than 20 DLC options, falling into a few distinct categories. The majority focused on cosmetic costumes for characters and additional background music, sourced from both past Persona games and other Atlus titles. Another significant portion of the DLC featured Personas from previous games in the series, with some severely unbalancing the gameplay. Notably, Persona 5 Royal also had its fair share of DLC when it launched on the PS4, with the PC version boasting over 40 DLC packs.

Persona's Approach to DLC is Archaic

Persona 5's DLC approach is outdated in multiple aspects. Unlike many other developers who utilize DLC to enhance gameplay or expand the storyline, Atlus has yet to fully embrace it. The majority of Persona 5's DLC feels reminiscent of the infamous horse armor in Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. It primarily consists of fan service, aiming to evoke nostalgia among fans. The DLC mainly offers one costume per character and a song or two. This approach extends to the inclusion of add-on Personas from previous games, which are often summoned at high levels. As a result, they either become overpowered for most of the game or require players to wait until late game to use them, thereby disrupting the intended experience.

Persona 6 needs to adopt a better approach to DLC. Cosmetic packs, similar to those in Persona 5, should include additional music or extra Easter egg content from the referenced game. Furthermore, the implementation of add-on Personas should not hinder the intended experience. Ideally, Persona 6 should offer more substantial DLC that goes beyond mere fan service and caters to dedicated fans. Although leaks suggest that Persona 6 is still a few years away, other Atlus titles, including Persona's numerous spin-off games, have received and continue to receive similar DLC.

More Substantial DLC Could Allow Persona To Tell More Stories

The Persona franchise not only requires a better approach to DLC, but it truly deserves it. By introducing more substantial DLC, Atlus can expand the game with fresh quests, characters, and stories. Although the DLC may not reach the magnitude of Persona 5 Royal's additional content, it can still provide opportunities for smaller stories to be added. Take the example of Takuto Maruki, one of Persona's finest confidants, who was exclusively included in Persona 5 Royal. Atlus has proven its ability to enhance a title with strong content after its initial release, and DLC can serve as a means to continue this trend, offering bite-sized additions.

Persona 3 Reload might serve as a valuable testing ground for Atlus. Being a remake of Persona 3, it presents an intriguing opportunity to gauge the inclusion of DLC packs from later Persona games. Additionally, the absence of The Answer, a campaign added in FES, and the absence of Persona 3 Portable's female protagonist in Persona 3 Reload provide a potential chance for Atlus to showcase their dedication to more substantial DLC for the series, setting the stage for Persona 6.

Persona 6 is in development.