The Persona franchise is currently one of the top names in JRPGs, eclipsing other franchises including the Shin Megami Tensei series that it spun off from. Persona is turning 25 this year, and to celebrate, Atlus has teased that seven new announcements related to the series will be made between this September and Fall 2022.
While it's likely not all of these will be huge game reveals, this still has fans excited to see what's in store for this incredible franchise. From new games to ports to spin-offs to non-gaming adaptations, there is plenty that Atlus could have in the works. Here's what we'd like to see from Persona's 25th anniversary celebrations.
A Port of Remake of the Persona 2 Duology
Perhaps the most esoteric entry in the series is the Persona 2 duology. The original game, Innocent Sin, is the only game in the series to receive a direct mainline sequel. It was also notable for not being released originally in the West, likely due to its allusions to Nazis and Adolf Hitler. Innocent Sin was followed a year later after its release by Eternal Punishment, which directly picks up after the first game's events.
The Persona 2 games are much different in scope and tone than later games, with their darker nature and slightly older protagonists putting them much closer to the mainline Shin Megami Tensei games than the high school settings and (comparatively) lighter tones that Persona has since become known for. The fact that these games have become harder to access even as the series grows in popularity makes them perfect candidates for updated ports or full remakes. After all, the PSP remake of Innocent Sin released in 2011, and Eternal Punishment's port never even launched in the West despite being announced.
Persona 6's Reveal
Perhaps the most likely and widely desired announcement is for Persona 6 to finally be revealed. Though Persona 5 is still fresh in the public consciousness, knowing the the next main series game is in production or coming soon would be incredibly exciting. It could also help assuage fears of a repeat of Persona 5's beleaguered production timeline. Though that game was announced for PlayStation 3 after Persona 4's success on PS2, it ultimately didn't launch until after the PlayStation 4 was out. Keeping the franchise hot while the spotlight is on it will be a key factor in maintaining its current dominance.
A New Persona Q Game
Another Persona Q spinoff should be one of the announced projects, and it would be great to see the subseries go backwards. The first Persona Q was a canon sequel to both Persona 3 and Persona 4, combining the casts of both games. Persona Q2 did the same, adding Persona 5 characters into the mix.
Given that the 25th Anniversary image showed images of the protagonists of Revelations: Persona and both Persona 2 games, it would be great to see these darker games finally in the spotlight -- possibly alongside rereleases of those games. In fact, the juxtaposition of these darker characters with the cute art style of Persona Q would be a perfect way to introduce them to fans of the later games. Given that the previous Persona Q games were released on the Nintendo 3DS, a Persona Q3 would make a great addition to the Nintendo Switch.
A Revelations: Persona Anime
A great way to celebrate the Persona series' 25th anniversary would be to go back to where the series started -- and the original Revelations: Persona game absolutely deserves more attention. One great way to give this overlooked game the spotlight would be through an anime adaptation.
The original Persona game's cast also has more of a thematic resemblance to the teens in later games, making it possibly a better source for a story than Persona 2. Persona 3, 4 and 5 have all received anime adaptations and even manga, so why not do the same thing for the game that they owe their existence to?