Unleashing the Majestic Brilliance of Persona 5 Royal's My Palace Feature

Highlights

Persona 5 Royal presents the exciting feature of My Palace, an exclusive zone that grants players access to bonus content, an engaging minigame, and the opportunity to gather an enchanting array of decorations. This exceptional addition brings a distinct and pleasurable element to the game.

My Palace provides an opportunity for Persona 5 characters to interact in an enjoyable manner, free from any influence from the main character, Joker.

However, despite its entertainment value, My Palace in Persona 5 Royal does have its limitations. These restrictions encompass the ability to decorate and the need for extensive effort in order to achieve certain accomplishments. Enhancements in these areas could potentially offer players greater freedom and command in future game versions.

The Persona franchise is no stranger to enhanced re-releases that enhance gameplay and extend the story. However, Persona 5 Royal takes it to a whole new level with its multiple new interactive Confidants, fresh mechanics, quality-of-life improvements, a new final dungeon, and much more. One of the most peculiar yet unique additions is My Palace, also known as the Thieves Den. This special zone allows Joker to access bonus content, partake in mini-games, and collect decorations. While My Palace offers a refreshing change from the usual Persona gameplay loop, there is still plenty of room for improvement in future iterations.

With Persona 5 already leaving a significant impact on the franchise, evident in the updated art for Persona 3 Reload, there is a strong case for Persona 5 Royal to serve as the foundation for future titles. Persona 5 Royal truly is the definitive version of the game, providing players with even more combat options, social interactions, and enhanced features in the Velvet Room. As such, it offers a wealth of inspiring material and sets a high standard for future Persona games. My Palace, in particular, deserves to be revisited in future installments, potentially with added freedom for players to fully utilize its features.

Persona 5 Royal's My Palace is Fun but Inflexible

My Palace offers players the opportunity to use earned coins from achievements in order to unlock concept art, cutscenes, and music. While this is an enjoyable feature, similar galleries have been seen in Persona before. However, what truly sets My Palace apart is its focus on the interactions between the characters from Persona 5. By placing statues of bosses or replicas of important locations and objects from the game on designated podiums, Joker is able to prompt discussions among the game's Confidants about these decorations. This provides a unique chance to see the characters interact without Joker's involvement, particularly those who would not typically cross paths. Additionally, the fast-paced Tycoon card game offers an entertaining way to observe casual interactions among the Phantom Thieves.

Despite the positive aspects, it is worth mentioning that these elements come with certain limitations. While Persona 5 Royal is relatively generous with achievements in a first playthrough, the requirements become increasingly obscure, necessitating some grinding in order to unlock all the bonus content, whether through playing Tycoon or pursuing achievements. Furthermore, the decoration system is quite restrictive, as each piece can only be placed on one of a few specific podiums with matching colors, leaving players with limited control over their arrangement. It is also somewhat disappointing that Tycoon only features the Phantom Thieves as opponents, given the diverse and memorable Confidants present in Persona 5 Royal.

My Palace Could Be a Staple in Persona 6 and Beyond

In an ideal scenario, future Persona games would incorporate a feature similar to My Palace, providing players with enhanced flexibility. One potential improvement could involve incorporating elements from the gameplay of Animal Crossing, creating a simpler space where players can arrange furniture and decorations to their liking. This updated version could still allow for elaborate background decor, such as various Palace themes and Yaldabaoth making an appearance through the ceiling, while making the wall and floor decor less intricate. Additionally, enhancing the decoration aspect would involve unlocking concept art or cutscenes through achievements or story progression rather than spending coins, allowing players to dedicate their resources to more interactive items.

Furthermore, a new iteration of My Palace should focus on strengthening character interactions. The inclusion of Confidants, in addition to the Persona game's party members, in an expanded minigame would introduce a diverse and refreshing group of characters for players to engage with. The transformation mechanic in My Palace, though a minor detail, could be enhanced for a more enjoyable experience. Allowing players to initiate the transformation with a specific button press, rather than solely through interacting with objects, would make it more customizable and entertaining. This could enable fans to play as various characters, not just the protagonist, further adding to the enjoyment of the minigame.

The release date for Persona 6 has not been announced, so it is uncertain if My Palace will be included as a feature. If it does make the cut, hopefully it will provide players with increased creative freedom while building upon the successful aspects of My Palace. Persona 5 Royal is currently accessible on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S platforms.