"Persona" had only been developed as a spin-off of Shin Megami Tensei in his previous life.
But through If... and the later Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment, it established a distinctive style of its own.
It focused its stories on mysterious elements such as school ghost stories and urban legends, using psychology as its central theme to create depth.
Its plots involving friendship, romance, and more further broadened the game's audience.
Especially by the third installment, it had firmly established the thematic framework of this spin-off series.
First was the background of the Personas, with Personas representing mythological figures serving as allegories for the characters' destinies.
Yet the game as a whole was far more somber, discussing profound topics of life and death. Like an ancient Greek tragedy, every character suffered, every attachment became a sin, and no one was without grievance.
Then there was the gameplay: the progression through the months, the character development and social interaction mechanics.
These elements were carried forward and expanded upon in the sequels, and by "Persona 5," they had become the culmination of traditional RPGs.
But for more players, what the game's setting was and what its deeper core might be—
They did not really care much about that.
For a game,
It was enough as long as it was fun and moved them a little.
The friendship and bonds between Amamiya Ren, Sakamoto Ryuji, Takamae Ann, Niijima Makoto, and the other Phantom Thieves in the game.
The engaging daily development content, along with its stylish, flashy art direction.
These elements let players immerse themselves in the game and happily spend dozens of hours there. For a game, that was already a success.
While "Persona" took over major streaming and video platforms,
Production on the next-generation VR Game Pods was also proceeding