Persona has become one of the few JRPG franchises that has achieved widespread mainstream success, and so the anticipation for Atlus' Persona 5's follow-up is huge, even though Persona 6 hasn't been revealed yet. Persona 5 catapulted the series into the homes of casual gamers and faithful fans alike as its gorgeous visuals, memorable characters, and jazzy soundtrack left a lasting impression when it released in the west in 2017. Persona 5 Royal expanded the horizons of the game and a future release on Nintendo Switch for the last three Persona entries will surely provoke more fans to give the Atlus-developed property a chance. Persona 6 is a while away, but there are theories aplenty about how it will advance the formula, and where it will go.
Persona 5 differs from its predecessor greatly, refining the edges and bringing higher production value than ever before. Persona 4 Golden is one of the PS Vita's best titles, and one of the hallmarks of its success is the location in which it takes place. Inaba feels entirely different from anything the series has seen up to now, and as Persona 5 presents an artistically stunning and culturally accurate take on Tokyo, its successor should move away from the Japanese capital to make the experience feel all the more innovative and fresh.
Persona 6 Shouldn't Be Persona 5 Again
Persona 5 is a unique experience despite (confusingly) being the sixth mainline entry in the IP, and did well commercially and critically because it wields a truly different story and an instantly recognizable art style. Persona 6 is going to be compared to its predecessor simply by existing, and returning to a setting that the 2017 game crafts so beautifully would make otherwise arbitrary comparisons all the more legitimate. Tokyo is the chosen city of so many Shin Megami Tensei games as well as the most recent Persona, and Persona 3 also uses an urban setting, so opting to take Persona 6's tale elsewhere could help the game to forge its own legacy.
Even in 2022 Persona 5 is a masterpiece, and it's important to build upon what made it great from a mechanical perspective. However, on a narrative and presentation level, the next game should instead move on to something new. Returning to Tokyo would make an already tough task a near-impossible feat, as the city is so effortlessly recreated to suit Persona 5's style that it would be hard to make it better. Like Persona 5 did for Persona 4, taking the story to a different side of Japan would be the safest course of action, unless Persona 6 is a direct sequel, though this is unlikely.
Japan is So Much More than Tokyo
Tokyo may be the most recognizable city in the country, but Japan's immense diversity and gorgeous scenery stretches far beyond its boundaries. From the icy Hokkaido in the north to the historically fascinating Okinawa, Japan has so much culture embedded within its shores that could be taken advantage of in Persona 6. The franchise has yet to set a game outside the country, so it's perhaps safe to assume that Japan will be a mainstay setting for Atlus, but taking the series away from such a recognizable city could pave the way for somewhere else to shine.
This would not only provide more geographic diversity, but could also provoke a different narrative tone. Persona 5's premise only works if the game is set in a busy, populated city, but Persona 4's smaller scale works perfectly in a rural town rather than a densely packed metropolitan area. Ghost of Tsushima is a radically different experience to the Persona series, yet shines brightest because of its immense beauty that stems from an area of the Japanese archipelago that international audiences may not be familiar with. Persona 6 should adopt a similar philosophy, as it could provoke a valuable new art style and a story that bears no significant resemblance to its predecessor.
Persona 4 Proves There's Charm in Rural Settings
A quieter setting with fewer side characters and less potential for extracurricular activities may seem like an obvious drawback, but Persona 4 did so well to show that a great story doesn't need to be set in a bustling city. The small town of Inaba was unassuming at first glance, so when the intrigue begins and the murders start to occur, it makes the crimes really feel like they're upsetting the peace in an intimate, quiet place. From this angle, the narrative is arguably more substantial than the story of Persona 5, as the latter takes place in a city that has so much happening all at the same time.
This does well to differentiate Persona 4 and Persona 5, making them both must-play titles regardless of their age. For Persona 6 to follow suit it has to bring something new to the table both on a mechanical and atmospheric level. Persona 4 has an entirely different feel to what came after. The characters are more grounded and have small-town problems, the mystery is less ambitious and more personal, and the protagonist feels like a fish out of water throughout, making him easy for players to project themselves onto. Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better, and Persona 5's story suffers (albeit slightly) because Tokyo is so overused in Japanese media.
Persona has several franchise traditions, many of which should be altered to suit its ever-growing growing audience. One of the things that should remain intact, however, is Atlus' willingness to take Persona to a new setting each time, as it provokes a completely different vibe with each new release. The Tokyo that Persona 5 presented was excellent, but that's not to say that its successor should try to recapture the magic. There's so much potential in other areas of Japan that are ripe for a great story to unfold, and its capital has had its opportunity to shine, so it's time for something new.
Persona 6 is in development.