The “Persona” series of role-playing games from Japanese developer Atlus has been one of the most successful cross-cultural video game successes in the history of the industry. Its western mainstream popularity bloomed with the release of “Persona 3” on the PS2 in 2008.
This was thanks to the localization team’s decision to carry over as much of the Japanese cultural styling as sensible, including the use of honorifics (“-san” etc.) in dialogue. The pattern remained and was loved by players and fans, across the next two sequels and their numerous spin-off titles.
“Persona 4” of 2011 was notorious for its multitude of added tie-in games, but now the fifth and third games are getting on the action themselves.
Dancing thieves
While many fans of the Atlus series thought the “milking” of “Persona 4” would never quite end, they should be relieved and excited to know that the next game “Persona 5” will finally get its due. Anime adaptation aside, it will also have a sequel from the rhythm game spin-off “Dancing All Night,” to be entitled “Persona 5: Dancing Star Night.” A teaser trailer has been released showing early visuals of the game, which looks virtually identical in style with “P4D,” but with “P5” characters.
The “Dancing All Night” tie-in from “P4” was originally co-conceptualized in 2013 by a tandem of Atlus and rhythm game developer Dingo (“Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA”).
With Dingo’s departure following a company reshuffle, Atlus completed the game solo, releasing it to a strong reception from both Eastern and Western audiences.
The same team appears now to be working on the sequel “Dancing Star Night,” the trailer of which features four “Persona 5” characters – the P5 Hero, Ryuji, Ann and Makoto – dancing in various locales of their home game, from the streets of Shibuya to the interior of one of the “P5” enemy dungeons.
Even more dancing
That is not the only surprise Atlus has in store for their steadfast followers. The company has returned to the previous decade in order to announce a similar rhythm spin-off this time for “Persona 3.” It is appropriately subtitled “Dancing Moon Night.” The accompanying first trailer depicts the P3 Hero and three of his friends – Junpei, Yukari, and Aigis – dancing away in some familiar “P3” locations, to the familiar voices of Yumi Kawamura and Lotus Juice, who contributed to the original soundtrack.
And while it had no trailer of its own, Atlus also teased an upcoming sequel to the 2014 Nintendo 3DS title “Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth.” The two “Dancing All Night” sequels in the meantime will be available on both the PS4 and the Vita, to be released in Japan in the Spring of 2018.
