As fans of the Atlus JRPG series await a Persona 6, most of the existing entries within the franchise have been receiving new content regularly. P5's success has extended into several different spin-off titles, while the recent success of Persona 3 Reload has proven its mass appeal beyond just historical value. With rumors of more remakes set to come in the future, this trend could continue for years to come as Atlus goes through each title. While it's most likely that Persona 6 will arrive before another one of these, there may still be an opportunity to connect the series' next entry to its beginning through these adjacent releases.

Arguably, the first two Persona titles that started it all would realistically benefit far more from being enhanced or completely remade. A known leaker stated remakes of the old Persona games are already in production, leading to speculation concerning how Atlus will handle updating these visibly dated titles. Most players would probably be more excited if these games could be brought up to the standard of Reload's style despite the changes this might require, and this could even make it easier to tie P6 into these releases.

Mitsuru, Chie, Ann, and Yukari with the Lovers card from the Persona series
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Remakes of Older Persona Titles Would Need to Navigate the Franchise's Evolution Since

The Franchise Reset Under Soejima

While many gamers who have even casually seen art from Persona 5 are certain to be familiar with the distinct art style of Shigenori Soejima, his direction wasn't always what formed the character of the series. Kazuma Kaneko, the artist who defined SMT's aesthetic over several years and helped to establish Atlus as it is known, was responsible for the first two Persona entries. These featured a noticeably darker look which more closely resembled their parent franchise at the time, and this entire style has been technically replaced at the company for years now.

Persona 2 is a Rarity in Terms of Mature Subject Matter

Not only did the earlier Persona games have different visuals, but the second one explored topics that the more recent games haven't touched. Persona 2 was a duology that saw one half never released outside of Japan until 2011, and the title that did make it to other countries remains the biggest outlier in the series. Innocent Sin featured a familiar high school setting despite grappling with an edgy serial killer cult-related plot that might explain its lack of localization, while Eternal Punishment put players in the shoes of the franchise's only adult protagonist.

Why Persona 6 Tying into New Remakes Makes Sense

Reviving Abandoned Concepts Originating Before Persona 3

It could be said that Reload updated P3 into the sleek style that Persona 5 perfected, but these games were naturally connected under a similar art and narrative direction from the start. While the series' current state feels like it was built off of Persona 3, the first two games feature concepts and lore that haven't been seen or referenced since.

Philemon used to be a key Persona character who represented the titular concept itself and helped the player along their journey, but he's only been seen in cameos of a blue butterfly ever since his last appearance as a secret boss in EP. Persona 6 is likely to tread new ground as it establishes its own identity, but revisiting elements like Philemon could serve to bring it full circle while priming players for newly relevant remakes.

The First Persona is a Logical Next Step

There's not only a challenge associated with handling the Persona 2 duology's structure in a remake but also making Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment 's divergence from the other titles fit naturally.

While some have speculated that a more mature vision for Persona 6 could be coming, the controversial nature of several different characters, such as the forms of Nyarlathotep and Joker, are difficult to imagine in the modern climate of gaming. The first Persona is a far safer bet apart from its unrelated nature to the current series, and introducing it to a new generation might just be the perfect follow-up if it's referenced in P6 or if its lore can somehow be connected and made relevant.