The recent announcements of Persona 5 Tactica and Persona 3 Reload seem to have informed much of Atlus' approach towards the future. First, the trend of Persona 5 spin-off games appear ever-present, with Tactica situating the Phantom Thieves in another world and story scenario beyond the original game's narrative conceit. Second, the remake of a cult classic among the series, Persona 3, looks to take direct aesthetic inspiration from Persona 5, weaving its visual style into the game's menu and battle HUD. The company's presentation of both titles seems to cement the fifth mainline entry as the current franchise standard, which could have reverberations on Persona 6's handling.
Persona 5's place among the series has been a notable one, as its success has helped garner massive attention towards the IP from audiences worldwide. Its acclaim has been met with little surprise, bolstered by the title's compelling SMT gameplay, rich character development, and perhaps most notably, its visual aesthetic. The game's inspirations have been made clear through Persona 3 Reload's reveal as well as the trailer for Metaphor ReFantazio, the latter being an amalgamation of Atlus greats, including director Katsura Hashino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shoji Meguro, all three of which leant their talents in the development of Persona 3 through 5.
Persona 5's Blueprint May Be the Next Mainline Title's Narrative and Aesthetic Inspiration
The visual style imbued from Persona 5 into Persona 3 Reload can be seen throughout its reveal trailer, driven through its 3D character models, battle HUD, and menu. In many cases this is a blessing, as the title works to aptly modernize the graphics and visual style of its 2006 source material. The game's pause menu has already seen much acclaim, combining Persona 3's blue motif with a gorgeous water transitionary effect and portrait of the male protagonist. In the presentation of its battle HUD, however, the game's Persona 5 influences might feel like a bit of a loss from the original's depiction, as its rotating battle menu appears to have been replaced in favor of button prompts and drop shadows.
Overall, the visual design of Persona 3 Reload available from its reveal thus far points towards the potential continuation of Persona 5's aesthetic into the company's future, which could have an effect on Persona 6's own presentation. Given the acclaim surrounding Persona 5 and the handling of its characters and story, this might imply additional inspirations beyond its art style; while there are many who hope for Persona 6 to tread different ground by way of an adult cast, similar to Persona 2: Eternal Punishment's approach, the resounding success of Persona 5 could keep the series falling in line with the high-school formula.
In addition, Persona 5's depiction of individualized palaces could pave the way for Persona 6's combat backdrops, where its dungeon design might share a similar focus on the game's antagonists. This could lead to a return to the cyclical nature of Persona's stories, where the title might deal with another manifestation of humanity's struggles/desires as its final boss encounter. Though such an approach has certainly worked in the series' past, one might wonder how Persona 6 will seek to differentiate itself from its predecessors, should it choose to go in another route.
Persona 5's success has certainly been a good thing for the series, helping to cement the IP's popularity across new and past fans alike. With that said, if Persona 6 chooses to follow closely in its predecessor's aesthetic, then it could run the risk of underdeveloping its own sense of uniqueness. Of course, there is a chance that the game might deviate from Persona 5 considerably, though it remains to be seen how the title will choose to present its story, mechanics, and visual style. As Persona 6's development continues into the years, there's hope that fans will get a glimpse into the project soon.
Persona 6 is currently in development.