Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

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

By

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.

Recommended Videos

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.

Related

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Aaron Mamiit
Aaron Mamiit
Contributor
Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with…
After years of wishing, Persona games are coming to Nintendo Switch
Joker from Persona 5 Royal.

In today's June Nintendo Direct Mini, Atlus revealed that Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 3 Portable are coming to Nintendo Switch.

Persona 5 Royal will be the first one to be released on October 21. Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable will arrive later. Earlier this month during the Xbox & Bethesda showcase, Atlus previously revealed that the three games would be released on Xbox and appear on Xbox Game Pass as well.

Read more
These three Persona classics are headed to Xbox and PC
Joker from Persona 5 Royal.

The Persona series is finally headed to Xbox for the first time ever, as announced during the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase 2022. The games include Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal -- all of which will be available on Xbox Game Pass for consoles and PC.

You'll be able to play Persona 5 Royal on Xbox starting on October 21. The rest of the games will come at a later date. Check out the announcement trailer from Microsoft's big show.

Read more
Soul Hackers 2 splits the difference between Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensei V
Ringo, Arrow, and other party members stare at something in the distance in Soul Hackers 2.

Atlus has perfected the JRPG and is now reveling in it. Persona 5 is one of the best games of the 2010s, thanks to its endearing cast of characters and impeccably stylish presentation. Meanwhile, Shin Megami Tensei V was no slouch in 2021 as it provided a dark and hardcore demon-driven RPG experience. After demoing the game at Summer Game Fest Play Days, t’s clear that Atlus has found a clear sci-fi middle ground with Soul Hackers 2.
Souls Hackers 2 is a tried-and-true Atlus JRPG with dungeon crawling, casual friend hangouts and conversations, and polished weakness-driven JRPG combat. It hits many of the same notes as Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensei V, so it won’t change what you think about the genre. Still, if Persona 5 or Shin Megami Tensei V had won you over to this new era of Atlus JRPGs, then Souls Hackers 2 will give you dozens of more hours of JRPG enjoyment.

What’s here for Persona fans?
My demo of Soul Hackers 2 began in the Hangout, where protagonist Ringo and her party can hang out and heal between dungeon-crawling escapades. Then, I proceeded to go into the futuristic sci-fi city, buy some weapons, gear, and healing items from eccentric shopkeepers, and get a drink with my party members named Arrow.
After Ringo and Arrow got to know each other better by discussing what they liked to drink, they gained Soul Levels to make them stronger. Right off the bat, this was all very reminiscent of Persona with the expectation of the futuristic sci-fi setting. The UI in and out of battles takes a cue from Persona 5 by trying to look very stylish, though Soul Hackers 2 leans more into a digitized style than Persona 5’s luscious anime-style menus.
I didn’t spend enough time with this part of the game or the small character moments within it to get a feeling of whether or not its narrative will come together as well as Persona 5. Still, that game got me to fall in love with an eccentric cast of high-school cliche characters, so Soul Hackers 2 has the potential to do the same with a cast that leans into sci-fi stereotypes.

Read more