Persona Creator Described the Essence of the Series in One Word and Explained What an Ideal RPG Should Be Like

The developers of Persona 3, 4, and 5 discussed what defines the individuality of the series during the festival.

At a discussion on September 22 as part of The Tenth Mosaic festival, Hashino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shoji Meguro discussed the features of the series.

Hashino explained that Persona reflects adolescence with all its contradictory emotions, changes, mistakes, and failures. Instead of reducing everything to a single concept, the games combine many elements that create a peculiar chaos.

Soejima added that the setting and plot of each installment change with the era, allowing the series to remain relevant to a modern audience. Meguro, in turn, said that he does not specifically try to create music in the Persona style: he discusses the themes of a particular game with Hashino and adjusts the soundtrack accordingly.

Speaking about the ideal RPG, Hashino noted that a game should leave a mark on a person's life, rather than become a fleeting entertainment that can be easily replaced by a movie or TV series. According to his vision, the impressions should stay with the player after the finale and help them move forward. The director admitted that the team has not yet achieved this ideal and intends to continue searching.