The much-anticipated Persona 6 hasn't been officially confirmed; although, given the success of Persona 5 and its multiple spin-offs, it's only a matter of time until Atlus pulls the curtains aside for this next mainline entry. Persona 6 could happen sooner rather than later, and given the series' newfound global appeal, could also turn out to be the Skyrim of JRPGs on PS5 if it can reach similar heights as Persona 5's popularity.
Persona 5's unique art style and extensive RPG systems pushed the franchise to an unprecedented level, and fans are excited to see where Persona 6 takes the series next. Given the abundance of fan expectations, it's no doubt that Persona 6 will likely shake things up and presumably feel quite different from its predecessors. While it's too early to predict what would change, one thing that is most likely to change is its portrayal of the high school setting.
How Things Have Changed Since Persona 5
Persona games have always focused on the human psyche, as young high school students struggle to explore and eventually find their true identities. Through its diverse cast of characters, the Persona franchise has explored various social issues that plague modern Japanese societies. As such, every subsequent entry feels progressive in terms of how it represents the game's story and characters.
Persona 5 was a thematically different game before the horrendous Tohoku earthquake that occurred in 2011. The game's producer, Katsura Hashino, revealed how the game's development took a drastic turn post-Tohoku disaster. Unlike Persona 3 and Persona 4, Persona 5 is more grounded in reality when it comes to the subjects it touches upon and the malicious agendas its many antagonists portray. Persona 5 explored issues such as plagiarism, labor exploitation, cybercrime, bullying, sexual assault, political corruption, and more through its 100 hours long campaign, and was praised for its grounded portrayal.
With the ongoing pandemic, the world is a different place than it was five years ago, and every aspect of civilization has been affected by it. In some cases, continues to be affected by it. Famous developer Hideo Kojima at Summer Game Fest talked about the drastic change in his creative process since the pandemic hit, discussing how creators such as him are now examining things inwardly rather than outwardly.
The development of Persona 6 could be influenced by the pandemic as well. It's hard to imagine that it won't, given the grounded direction of Persona 5. The social simulation is one of the vital aspects of Persona games ever since Persona 3, and is most likely to be affected and influenced by the current world scenario.
High School Online
Attending high school as a regular student, hanging out with friends, and having a part-time job, are all crucial aspects of the recent Persona titles and ultimately tie into the game's progression. Persona 5 has some of the most extensive social simulation systems as the game continues to introduce new activities even in the late game. It's quite likely that Persona 6 would continue the tradition of thrusting players into the shoes of a high schooler and allow them to live their high school fantasies through the lens of these characters. However, this may be quite different than that of Persona 5 or Persona 4.
Since the Covid outbreak, schools, universities, and even offices, to some extent, have shut down indefinitely to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Work from home and school from home norms are implemented globally, and would likely be the new normal, given how things are. The pandemic drastically changed how social interactions worked, leaving people to only rely on the digital world to interact with each other.
Persona 5 takes place in a timeline where people actually attend high schools, universities, and offices normally. The only digital interaction that players can do is through mobile phones though that is also restricted to automated conversations with the other characters. Persona 6 would be radically different given society's over-reliance on the internet and the digital world in the last couple of years.
The over-reliance on the internet and the digital world is both a boon and bane, especially for high-schoolers. Japan is famous for "hikikomori," a term used for socially withdrawn people who spend their lives inside their houses in complete isolation. While the internet and technology are supposedly the cause for the rise in hikikomori culture, ironically, it is what is sustaining social interactions and everyday mundane facets of life in a pandemic-ridden world.
One of Persona 5's main characters, Futaba Sakura, was also a hikikomori and had a palace of her own that players get to explore. Given how the whole world is seemingly forced to be shut-ins, it would be interesting to see how Persona 6 distinguishes such unusual characters from regular people, and how society's impression changes since the world has changed. Representing such aspects of everyday Japanese society in a new light could differentiate Persona 6 from not just Persona 5, but high school anime in general.
What Persona 6 Could Look Like
If Persona 6 ends up impersonating the current world scenario, it could look very different from the past Persona titles. It also means that Persona 6 would finally avoid major anime tropes that Persona 5 heavily relies on. For instance, the main characters won't likely be able to roam around in school uniforms. It would also affect how school festivals, exams, and other social activities function. Player characters could spend more time at home, which could sprout deeper connections with their parents and siblings, something that high school kids are not usually accustomed to.
Persona 6 could also introduce more activities centered around the player's home. Persona 5 did add a bunch of such activities, like the option to brew coffee or play video games. While soothing, there are plenty of other exciting activities and interactions players can have outside of the house. Persona 6 could seemingly change that. It could also add something where players have the option to skip school, as it's online, though with added consequences. In Persona 4, players could indulge in gardening. Mundane introspective activities such as this could make their way to Persona 6 as players spend more time at home.
While Atlus isn't ready to talk about Persona 6 yet, this highly anticipated sequel should be on its way. Persona 6 could be majorly overhauled, given the series' interest in depicting everyday issues. In this regard, Persona 6 is similar to Grand Theft Auto 6. Some may recall how players had to attend internet cafe's in Grand Theft Auto 4 to use the internet, whereas, in Grand Theft Auto 5, the internet wasn't just easily accessible via the player's phone but also had plenty of attributes attached to it. Persona 6 could have a similar drastic transition from Persona 5, at least, as far as its high school depiction is concerned.
Persona 6 is rumored to be in development.