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Persona 5 Scramble will continue Phantom Thieves’ story into summer vacation

Atlus rolled out a new trailer for Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers that reveals what fans should expect from the next installment in the popular JRPG franchise.

The game, which was codenamed Persona 5 S, was originally thought to be a Nintendo Switch port for Persona 5. It was later revealed in April to be a collaboration between Atlus and Koei Tecmo studio Omega Force, the developer behind the hack-and-slash Warriors games.

The trailer reveals that Persona 5 Scramble will launch for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in Japan on February 20, 2020, and that the Musou-style game will continue the Persona 5 story into the Phantom Thieves of Hearts’ summer vacation.

『ペルソナ5 スクランブル』PV#01

The story of Persona 5 Scramble takes place about half a year after the end of the Persona 5 story, with the Phantom Thieves meeting up for summer vacation. Their time for relaxation, however, is apparently cut short by the return of Palaces, which are the cognitive worlds created by twisted adults. The group finds itself on a road trip across Japan to find out what it causing the mysterious cases.

The trailer did not reveal specific details about gameplay, but it certainly looks like Persona 5 Scramble is not just a typical Warriors game with the Phantom Thieves as the characters. In addition to being able to switch between the Phantom Thieves, it appears that the Musou-style game will incorporate several elements from the JRPG, including the flashy moves and the use of Personas.

Also spotted in the trailer are a few new characters, including a round-eyed girl who joins the team with yo-yos her weapons of choice, and a colorful girl who looks like one of the game’s villains.

Atlus has also revealed that the first-print purchase bonuses are battle background music from previous Persona entries. The bonus will also be available to digital pre-orders. There will also be a limited edition version of the game named Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers Treasure Box, which will include a 48-page art book, a 45-song original soundtrack, and the making-of video of the game’s theme song, among other collectibles.

Atlus has not yet set a Western release date for Persona 5 Scramble, though it will likely arrive after the spring 2020 launch of Persona 5 Royal.

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