ThePersonafranchise is a JRPG with lots of elements, as it features school life, palace dungeons, relationships, calendar days, and a story that revolves around mementos and personas connected to people’s hearts. The series is unique due to how much it juggles at once, though there are comparable games likeTokyo XanaduandTokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore.
However, there are not many similar indie games toPersona, and those that are similar tend to focus on specific gameplay elements fromPersonarather than juggle them all at once. Indie games can be defined in multiple ways. They can be created by a small development team, created with a small budget, created by an individual, created by an independent publisher, created by a studio with no publisher influence, or is built with indie logic that strays away from the AAA game standards. Many of these definitions are used by the following titles.
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CrossCode
Originally released on Windows in 2018 and most recently on the PS5 in 2021,CrossCodeis an action RPGthat takes place in a fictional MMORPG with a protagonist player that has amnesia and cannot speak. It was created by Radical Fish Games and was actually crowdfunded. The game has been compared toChrono TriggerandSecret of Mana.
The combat is more fast-paced thanPersonaandits genre is sci-fi. What it has in common with thePersonaseries is its many enemy types, narrative-driven nature, and interesting characters. Steam reviews claim the characters are easy to get emotionally attached to and that the dense is dense likePersona. In other words, it also juggles a lot with various tasks to do and places to explore.
To The Moon
Made by Freebird Games and designed by Kan Gao usingRPG Maker XP, this psychological drama is about two doctors that attempt to make the wish of a dying man come true. The way they do it is actually veryPersona-like, as they try to accomplish this by giving him artificial memories.
Like the characters ofPersona,To The Moonhas its characters explore the inner heart of someone, and it does so via “mementos.” Story-wise, it has a clear similarity, but other than that the game is pretty different fromPersona, as there is no combat or school life.
Legrand Legacy
Developed by Semisoft and published by Another Indie,Legrand Legacyis an JRPG available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4,Xbox One, and PC. It is basically a nostalgic love letter to JRPGs, and likePersona, it has turn-based battles. NPCs can be recruited, which offer benefits much likePersona’ssocial aspects.
The story is about Finn, who is the leader of a group of a travelers. LikeCrossCode, the protagonist also have amnesia. UnlikePersona, this JRPG takes place during a civil war in a fantasy setting. Legrand Legacy took inspiration from games likeFinal FantasyandThe Legend of Dragoon.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valleyis among the most famous of indie games, and while it can seem incredibly different fromPersonaon the surface, it has similar elements thatPersonafans may enjoy. Like thePersonagames, the game is built around a day-by-day calendar year mechanic with different days offering different things to do.
There is also a social aspect to the game. Theplayer can give gifts to the many NPCs to increase their relationship statand be awarded with cutscenes and more information about the characters. The game is definitely worth checking out for those that lovedPersona’s day-to-day runs in Tokyo more than the combat areas (thoughStardew Valleyalso has combat in the mines).
Genshin Impact
Genshin Impactis another famous game, and known by most gamers. What a lot of people don’t know, though, it thatGenshin Impactis technically an indie game.Genshin Impactis a game made with no publisher influence by an indie studio called miHoYo. As a result, the studio has a lot of creative freedom.
While the game is unlikePersonain its fantasy open world, it still has commonalities. Players get to have a party with interchangeable characters, the game has an anime art style, and there is great emphasis on character introductions.Genshin Impactalso has hangout quests that are similar to howPersona’sstrengthens its character relationships.
