Following last week’s Famitsu excerpt, the full Persona 5 interview with producer and director Katsura Hashino—as well as character designer Shigenori Soejima—has been translated by Gematsu and Siliconera.
New information from the interview includes:
Protagonist
- The protagonist is a second year high school student who has recently moved to the big city, and lives with his parents’ friends at a coffee shop.
- The protagonist’s unique Persona is called “Arsene”, presumably after the fictional gentleman thief “Arsène Lupin.”
Story
- “Unlike the heroes of Persona 3 and Persona 4, the protagonist of Persona 5 has a problem of some sort that, if not faced down, could spell big trouble in the future.”
- The protagonist meets the characters featured in the preview trailer at the beginning of the game.
- There are reasons behind why Personas appear as the enemies the cast are facing, however Hashino is remaining silent on that point, as well as where the protagonist’s fights take place.
Theme
- “In previous titles, the Persona summoning scene had the Japanese onomatopoeia of “カッ” (kka) which is something often used to depict a flash or clicking sound. In Persona 5, it’s “ブチッ” (buchi) which is a snapping sound (either physically or mentally).”
Animation Studio
- The animation studio that is handling Persona 5‘s anime scenes is Production I.G, and that studio’s anime director is the one who suggested the character figure skating scenes in the trailer.
Production
- Because it is the first time Personas are being made for high-definition platforms, the development process was particularly arduous on that front.
Combat and Exploration
- The game starts in Shibuya, but takes place in various parts of Tokyo as well.
- The battle system will be turn-based, with improvements to previous Persona games.
- There will be randomly generated elements in the game, however major places in the story will be structured to emphasize the burglary theme.
- Each character has their own distinct firearm for long distance weapons, however they aren’t actual guns, yet are still effective in combat.
Social Links
- A “cooperation” aspect of the game will involve helping sympathizers around the town, which will somehow be beneficial in battles.
- Social Links—or a mechanic like them—will have new twists, while also pertaining to their traditional elements of increasing various strengths/abilities.
Shigenori Soejima (Character Designer)
- “The protagonist’s seemingly docile nature is a profound ruse.”
- Persona 5‘s logo is meant to emphasize the youthful nature of the plot and characters; “conveying a sense of speed and dynamism.”
- The protagonist’s Persona, “Arsene”, is designed with a more old-school penchant.