Persona 5 Scramble (Switch) Demo Impressions

Persona 5 first released in 2017 to critical and commercial acclaim. It has led to a boost in popularity for the long running JRPG franchise as well. The Persona series is no stranger to spinoff titles such as rhythm games (Persona 4 Dancing All Night), fighting games (Persona 4 Arena Ultimax) and even first-person dungeon crawlers like the Persona Q series. That doesn’t even mention the crossovers this franchise has experienced. From Super Smash Brothers Ultimate to Catherine, Joker and the Phantom Thieves have been everywhere and for good reason too.

This brings us to the newest release for the series, Persona 5 Scramble which was first teased as Persona 5S. It was later revealed to be a Dynasty Warriors type game where you fight hundreds of enemies at once, and Atlus has released a demo on the Nintendo eShop with one caveat; it is only on the Japanese eShop. I have been so excited for this release that I immediately went and created a Japanese account so I could download the demo, and I am ecstatic that I have done so.

I have a very basic understanding of the Japanese language so playing something a little more advanced was a challenge to understand the story. The story seems to be a direct sequel to Persona 5, and playing the game however was a much easier task than understanding the plot.

The gameplay is extremely straight forward, as you are thrust back into the metaverse with Ryuji and are pitted against hundreds of shadows. As Joker you will be fighting with his staple knife and gun in the same flashy combat fans are now expecting from Persona 5. The basic attacks are simple enough with easy combos that will see you stringing together knife and gun attacks. Just like in the main Persona games you will be using your inner power to summon magic attacks to target specific enemy weaknesses.

It is here where Persona 5 Scramble stands out from other Musou style games like Hyrule Warriors or Dynasty Warriors. Using the right bumper you will freeze time and select an attack and then move the camera to see the area you are targeting. Simply hit the A button to select and voila! You have instantly defeated 30 or more shadows and it’s extremely satisfying to watch them all disappear.

Joker will also be able to use team up attacks with fellow members of the Phantom Thieves, like Ryuji and a newcomer named Sophia. There is a level system that will unlock stronger and more powerful abilities, and in case you were wondering; Yes, Joker can pick up and cycle through multiple personas, so its safe to assume that persona fusion will make it back into the game at some point.

Persona 5 is well known for its stellar soundtrack, and the remixes in Persona 5 Scramble are no different. I heard remixes of “Last Surprise” with hard rock and roll sounds mixed with the now iconic “Acid Jazz” for example. These remixes are top notch and once again, long-time series composer Shoji Meguro has outdone himself. New tracks like “Ambush” and the new opening “you are stronger” all mesh well with the existing Persona 5 soundtrack and will make worthy editions to anyone’s playlist.

Persona 5 Scramble is due to release on February 20th, 2020 in Japan with a vague 2020 release date for the west. If you are dying to play Persona 5, however, on March 31st an enhanced version of Persona 5. Persona 5 Royal is releasing. That will get you caught up with the story before the release of Scramble.