There are some video games that transcend the reaches of a game and morph into something much more than that.

For me. Personal 5 Royal was that.

I heard the hype going into this game and was excited to play it. That hype did not prepare me for what I experienced during my nearly 200 hours of playtime.

I have had few games in my life that have risen to these levels. Persona 5 Royal is the first one in a while that has felt this way. I call it an experience because I didn’t simply play this game. Rather, it felt like I lived it.

There is so much that works about this game. The gameplay is fantastic, particularly finding a way to make turn-based combat exciting, snappy, and smooth. The story is on another level with characters that feel real and relatable.

As a writer, I stand in awe at what the game writers accomplished in their ability to craft a world and character that feels alive and strong.

Another way this game felt like an experience was the way I looked forward to playing it each day. I found myself staying up to unhealthy hours of the night to work my way through the palaces and collect the personas.

Everything was positioned in a way that allows the player to live in this supernatural world, not just play through it. The immersive nature of the life simulations, character confidants, and calendar system all add to this living experience.

Furthermore, it’s absolutely rare for a game of this length to feel not as long as its hour count. As mentioned, I dropped about 200 hours into the game, but it never felt that long.

I think the last time that felt like a true experience to me was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It was the awe of an open-world Hyrule and the ability to do as I pleased that really added to that experience. Persona 5 Royal invokes similar feelings with different mechanics.

All of this culminated in making me a fan of Persona games, and just in time too as the remake of Persona 4 is on the horizon.

Lastly, I’ve found myself having withdrawals since ending the game. This is unique since I don’t have this with many games. Sure, I find myself in a bit of slump after finishing a game, but not longing to return to the one I just finished.

In order to combat this, I find myself listening to the Persona 5 Royal soundtrack to remind myself of this experience. It’s really getting unhealthy at this point.

Personal 5 seemed universal praise upon its release with the Royal rerelease improving on the original significantly. This helps me to see that I am not in the minority on this opinion.

Still, we all have those games that feel like an experience to us and stick with us long after the credits roll. That’s, in part, what makes video games so fun and memorable. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What about you? What game did you consider more of an experience that simply a video game? What are your thoughts on Persona 5 Royal? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.

Featured Image: Atlus (via CBR)

Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games

The Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games – is the flagship show of the Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, hosts⁠ Corey Dirrig and LeRon Dawkins⁠ are joined by friends, fellow creators, indie developers, and industry veterans to discuss the latest in the world of video games, including news, rumors, new releases, and what they’ve been playing. They also answer listener questions, debate important industry topics and Boss Rush Banter discussion points, and feature a rotating weekly segment. New episodes post every Monday.

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