Summary
Persona 5launched Atlus’s long-running franchise into the mainstream after enjoying over a decade of success as a niche JRPG series.Persona’s ascent to a household name in the gaming world makes a lot of sense. The 2010s saw anime enter the mainstream public consciousness and Japanese media grow in influence worldwide.Persona 5features a genre-defining turn-based combat system and robust social simulator mechanics. By combining anime aesthetics, an incredible soundtrack, and social simulator mechanics that let fans live out their slice-of-life anime fantasies,Persona 5struck gold. While fans have been able to return to older entries with recent re-releases, some fans have been left wanting even more similar experiences.
One of the most looked-over JRPG franchises is Sega’sShiningfranchise. TheShining Forcespinoffs helped bring tactical JRPGs into the West, but by and large, the series has grown more obscure. One of the most recent new entries,Shining Resonance Refrain,is an enhanced port ofShining Resonancefrom the PS3. LikePersona,Shining Resonance Refraincombines anime aesthetics,dating simulatorelements, and excellent music to craft a unique experience for its players. While the game is more limited in its ambitions and scope, this entry in theShiningseries could be perfect forPersonafans looking for something to fill their time till the next game in the series releases.
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Music Is Built Into the Bones of Persona and Shining Resonance Refrain
Part ofPersona’s meteoric rise to success has been the popularity of its music. While the soundtrack isn’t integrated into the game’s world, the music of the series' recent entries is crafted for each scene and setting and is tied to the game’s events thematically. One thing that setsPersonaapart from other games is that in addition to a traditional instrumental score, it features the use of popular music styles.P4pulled on J-pop stylings, and Acid Jazz pervades every part ofP5.Music fromPersonais performed live at concertsand enjoys success on streaming platforms separate from the game. Music is also a big part ofShining Resonance Refrain’s identity.
Shining Resonance Refrain’s Mechanics are Named After Musical Terms
Music’s impact onPersonagamesis subtle, butShining Resonance Refrainhas music baked into its bones. The game has a BAND mechanic and each of the characters' weapons also acts as an instrument. Players are intended to “conduct” their party and can “tune” their weapons stats. Playing rune songs can buff the party in different ways for combat. Music is foundational to the game’s systems. Similar toPersona, the game includes vocally driven tracks that contain pop-inspired elements. For fans ofPersona’s aesthetic cohesion, the implementation of music inShining Resonance Refraincould scratch a similar itch. The game’s unique blend of pop elements and fantasy music also makes the soundtrack stand out by itself.
Persona and Shining Resonance Refrain Are Both About Relationships
LikePersona,Shining Resonance Refrainhas a social simulator mechanic that impacts the game’s combat and other gameplay systems. In modernPersonagames, players can build relationships with party members and other associates. Progressing each relationship lets the protagonist grow closer to and learn more about the character, all while leveling up theirSocial Link. As the Social Link levels up, more abilities unlock for the character, and romantic relationships can be pursued. Social Links are replaced by the bond system inShining Resonance Refrain. All characters share relationships and can be moved around on the Bond Diagram to produce different buffs.
Not unlikePersona,relationships inShining Resonanceare built up by spending time with each character completing social activities together, and these relationships can progress into romantic ones as well. While the mainlineShininggames are action RPGs more similar toTales of Ariseand the other games in its franchise than that ofPersona,Shining Resonance Refrainhas some elements that are strikingly similar to that ofP5and other games in the series. For players looking for something to do beforePersona 5 Tacticareleases later this month,Shining Resonance Refraincould be just the thing to tide them over.
Persona 5
WHERE TO PLAY
Prepare for the award-winning RPG experience in this definitive edition of Persona 5 Royal, featuring a treasure trove of downloadable content included!Forced to transfer to a high school in Tokyo, the protagonist has a strange dream. “You truly are a prisoner of fate. In the near future, ruin awaits you.” With the goal of “rehabilitation” looming overhead, he must save others from distorted desires by donning the mask of a Phantom Thief.Explore Tokyo, unlock Personas, customize your own personal Thieves Den, experience alternate endings, and moreBecome the ultimate Phantom Thief and defy conventions, discover the power within, and fight for justice in the definitive version of Persona 5 Royal
