Summary
Persona 6would do well to take inspiration fromPersona 3, but Shinjiro Aragaki andPersona 5’s Goro Akechi share a painful flaw. While Shinji was a compelling character, repeating his design philosophy could lead to more headaches forPersona 6than necessary. Designing the party and the story are going to be two of the most crucial aspects of the game, so it only seems natural to look at past games in the series due to their success. In the process, the developers shouldn’t bring back one of the biggest design flaws thatPersona 3andPersona 5had.
If there’s one thing thatPersona 6can learn fromPersona 3’s party, it’s that a varied group of personalities can mesh together wonderfully. While most members of S.E.E.S. had a similar aesthetic clothing-wise due to most of them wearing school uniforms, they all still felt unique. Junpei was the joker, accentuated by his swinging his sword like a baseball bat, while Mitsuru was the clear leader, backed by her overachieving nature and intimidating air. The contrast between the S.E.E.S. members help them feel like more realized characters. They feel like a group of individuals, rather than a single autonomous unit of a party.
Shinjiro and Akechi’s Short Lifespans Seriously Hurt Them in Persona 3 and 5
Shinji is a cool character, but he presents a problem forendgame planning inPersona 3 Reload. Shinji joins the party in early September, and he’s a huge asset while he’s around. He has the highest Strength in the party, and his Persona, Castor, has no weaknesses. While he only has access to Strike and Slash skills, that also helps him find a niche as a purely physical fighter among the party. He’s an incredibly effective tank and performs well in combat. Unfortunately, all of his perks come with a major caveat: Shinjiro will unavoidably die a month after his recruitment in the story.
Shinji’s Early Death Made Him Practically Unusable in Persona 3
Losing Shinjiro so soon after the player gets him forms one of thebiggest problems withPersona 3’s party. Because Shinji is with the party for such a brief period of time, it makes him not worth investing in at all.Persona 5’s traitorous Goro Akechi presented a similar problem. Every time the player uses Shinji or Goro in battle, they are giving experience and levels to a character that is not going to be around in the long haul. Using Shinji at all effectively wastes a party slot, so players in the know will probably end up leaving him on the bench.
Persona 6 Can’t Deprive Players of Party Members So Easily
IfPersona 6wants a character similar to Shinji, then it will require some notable changes. For example, aplot twist inPersona 6could lead to a character that dies like Shinji or betrays them like Akechi, but this time, the character could be saved or reedeemed according to the player’s actions. Another way would be for players to have two mutually exclusive party members, with players determining who stays. While that would present a similar problem, it would add drama and the player would keep one no matter what. That would be a better solution than a character who is always guaranteed to leave.
Losing Shinjiro so soon after the player gets him forms one of the biggest problems withPersona 3’s party.
Shinji as a character is perfectly fine, but his role in the game could have used some work. However, if the developers are willing toexperiment with tropes inPersona 6, a character like him could still succeed. The biggest problem with Shinji is his brief time in the party and unavoidable death. Party members should always be an asset, and Shinji’s leaving the party so soon instead feels like a remarkable disappointment.Persona 6should learn a lesson from Shinji’s role inPersona 3and avoid the associated pitfalls.
