Atlus’ long-awaited Persona 6 is nowhere to be found as the company is still setting its sights on the Persona 4 remake, Persona 4 Revival.
In the meantime, speculation about its gameplay and new features is already filling its forums on Reddit. Known wishlists like multiple protagonists, green color schemes, and more Persona management are some of the things people want when Persona 6 finally drops. It’s realistic and something the sequel can add, but what if, hypothetically, Persona 6 goes open-world?
The Possibility of an Open World in Persona 6
There’s no indication whether the next Persona game is going for an open-world approach, but there is an ambitious aspect to it, considering it’s one of the biggest JRPG franchises next to Square Enix’s Final Fantasy series. And look where Final Fantasy is now with its sprawling open worlds and real-time combat.
An open-world Persona game would pave the way for new gameplay and exploration. Activities like strolling around a bustling city filled with NPCs and your favorite romance options would become dynamic as ever. Engaging in a variety of slice-of-life activities, such as fishing, eating ramen, and hanging out with Social Links, could benefit from this shift in gameplay scale.
Dungeons would also expand in an open-world format, potentially offering an endless and emergent experience for its turn-based JRPG combat.
The earlier blueprints of an open-world dungeon approach were already possible in Atlus’ latest Metaphor: ReFantazio. Players were able to roam around its semi-open spaces, like the Tradia Desert, and grind endlessly from monsters that constantly spawn every few minutes.
An open-world dungeon would add extra flavor to Persona’s limited exploration. This encourages players not to just head straight into the main objective and explore places not normally tread upon. That being said, it is also a great opportunity to introduce secret boss encounters or superbosses that players would return to once they’ve become stronger.
Persona 6 Open World Might Not Impress Long-time Fans
A major downside to a Persona open-world is potential aversion from its longtime fans. Possible reasons could mainly be about how this open-world approach bloats the gameplay and the pacing of its otherwise good story.
Older Persona fans are familiar with the series’ hallway-style level design, quickly navigating levels with minimal obstructions while listening to its catchy soundtrack. Atlus’ introduction of one large map could overwhelm players who simply want to get things done immediately.
If an open-world Persona game is just too much for Atlus and its fans, an overworld approach to exploration doesn’t hurt its natural evolution. Imagine your new gang of Persona buddies exploring a semi-open world filled with explorable areas. It could resemble Metaphor’s dungeon design, with long, winding paths and surprise monster ambushes, while remaining expansive and packed with optional side activities.
It won’t be as overwhelming as a full open-world design, and it leaves plenty of extra content for players to return to once they’ve had their fill with the main story. That way, it also adds extra grinding time for players who quickly finish a dungeon in a single day, encouraging them to hop back in and complete any unfinished business.
If Atlus does turn the next Persona game into an open-world game, it could be a double-edged sword that can split the community. Half of its playerbase might enjoy this ambitious evolution, while the other half would be annoyed with its overwhelming scale, something the series isn’t known for.
As sad as this may sound, we may have to wait a couple more months (or years) before we get our hands on this elusive JRPG that could reinvent the genre once again.
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