With Persona 5 Strikers releasing in the West, players can enjoy a worthy sequel to Persona 5. The Phantom Thieves reunite for a road trip that spans the country on their summer vacation. With hearts changing across Japan, they’ll have plenty of mysteries to keep them occupied on their summer getaway.
While Persona 5 Strikers is an excellent sequel, it removes several key activities that players could enjoy in the original release. Here are the pastimes that Joker and his team miss out on in their follow-up outing.
12 Explore Mementos
After the events of Persona 5, Mementos is destroyed. With the final palace in Japan gone, the team loses their ability to enter the Metaverse and change hearts as a consequence. Several months after Mementos collapses, Jails start to appear across Japan.
When the team enters these new facilities, their powers return, with several distinctions between them and Palaces. Where Palaces housed a single person’s distorted desires, Jails allow a Monarch to distort others’ desires en masse.
11 Social Links
One of the most popular activities from Persona 5 was the pursuit of Social Links. These allowed Joker to spend time with his teammates, friends, and vendors as he learns more about them. Unfortunately, Joker loses the ability to spend one-on-one time with his companions in the sequel. Each Phantom Thief has a few moments with their leader, but none compares to the previous Social Link System.
10 Awaken Party Personas
One reward players received for reaching max rank in a party member’s social link was an evolved Persona with enhanced abilities. Each member of the Phantom Thieves that bonds with Joker could awaken to a new power once they hit rank 10. In Persona 5 Strikers, they only have their base personas available.
9 Go To The Movies
Many of the activities in Persona 5 give Joker increased stats for participating. One of those pastimes was a trip to the movies. The game had several movie options available depending on the day that Joker and Morgana could view.
There are even times that Joker could invite friends out with him, boosting his bond with them while receiving stat points. Several of the game’s characters make references to the movies currently playing in Persona 5 Strikers, but this is one summer activity the team misses out on.
8 Work Out
With no training facility on the road, Joker loses access to the gym and the benefits of working out. Heading to the gym or working out in his room could lead to enhanced HP values in Persona 5, a feature that is not an option in Strikers. Without this, Joker will have to rely on HP Incense to raise his health in the sequel.
7 Part-Time Jobs
Having cash ready is integral to the Phantom Thieves’ success on missions. They use these funds to purchase new weapons, firearms, and armor on their journey. One way Joker makes his money in Persona 5 is by taking on a part-time job. He’s able to work at one of several facilities, each giving him some money and stats boosts for some of his time.
While there are plenty of ways to Make money in Persona 5 Strikers, this option is absent.
6 Batting Cages
Those who enjoyed hitting home-runs in Persona 5 are in for a shock, as the batting cages are closed in Strikers. With the team driving from town to town, they often miss out on some fun activities, and baseball is one of them. Those who want to hit one out of the park will need to head back to Persona 5 and swing for the fences.
5 Fishing
Persona 5 houses a variety of activities for Joker and his friends to enjoy. While not all of them are as exciting as the batting cages, some can be quite relaxing.
One peaceful minigame players can participate in involves Joker heading to a pond to wrangle up some fish. He gets points for each he catches and can trade those points in for prizes. In Strikers, Joker will have to make do with spotting fish on the beach, which is another unavailable activity.
4 Read or Study
Because Persona 5 takes place during the school year, Joker and his team focus on their grades when they’re not hunting down Palace rulers. The Phantom Thieves often hold study sessions before a big exam, and Joker can study on his own almost every day.
The more Joker studies, the smarter he gets, and the better his exam scores are. Thankfully, the team gets a break from hard work on their month off.
3 Play Video Games
For those looking to test their button-mashing prowess, there are several video games available to Joker in Persona 5. Once he owns a TV and the Retro Game Console, he can purchase several different games with references to popular gaming franchises.
If he beats the games, Joker’s stats see a boost. With such a busy summer ahead of him, it’s understandable that Joker doesn’t have time to pick up a controller.
2 Gardening With Haru
Once players unlock Haru as a team member in Persona 5, they can visit her on the school roof to see how her gardening is going. If Joker pitches in by bringing supplies, they can grow vegetables that can restore SP in Palaces.
It’s a worthwhile pastime that often yields substantial items for the party. With her garden at home, Haru won’t be cultivating any plants this summer, but the team can enjoy Joker’s cooking instead on their road trip.
1 See The Twins
Two of Persona 5’s most memorable characters, Caroline and Justine, are absent from Persona 5 Strikers. Not only do these two guide Joker in his journey, but they’re also one of the game’s toughest boss fights in New Game +.
Those who played Persona 5 through to the end will understand why Lavenza replaces the twins in the sequel. Lavenza may be an excellent character in her own right, but seeing these two Velvet Room attendants is something that series veterans are sure to miss.
