Persona 5 suffers the most of any video game I’ve played from what I like to call “pure objectivism” in video game discussions. It CAN’T be your favourite game in the series because the characters in 4 are better. It CAN’T be your favourite because the story in 2 duo/3 is (cont.)

far superior. For god’s sakes, when did we abandon any form of subjectivity or nuance when it comes to people’s experiences with games? When did the emotional value a game has to a person become infinitely less valuable than a supposedly “objective” viewpoint? To put this (cont.)

in perspective, I’ll give a few examples. Mario Galaxy 1 is my favourite video game of all time. I could make an hour-long video on why that game has so many issues. If you ask anyone what their favourite game is, chances are they can list off flaw after flaw, but does (cont.)

that lessen the emotional value that game has to them? When it comes to contentious games like P5, or SMTIV:A, why is saying “Well I liked ___” suddenly not a good enough argument? I understand if the person isn’t acknowledging an obvious and unquestionably flawed part (cont.)

of the game to be flawed, but if they say “well I personally preferred P5’s characters to P4’s”, why feel the need to combat that opinion in an attempt to “change their mind” when their experience with the game is so different to yours? Why not just accept that they think (cont.)

that? Another example, Kyuyakuu Megami Tensei is a dated, clunky and at parts painful RPG to play. Yet, because I played it in December 2019 when everything was going well for me, this 6/10 becomes an 8/10 because of the circumstances surrounding when I played it. Is the (cont.)

really an 8/10? Of course not. But to me, personally, I can’t say it is otherwise. And I’d say that for so many people, the same rings true for Persona 5.

ADDENDUM: Yes, I like Persona 5. Love it, even. Those first two statements about the story and characters were sarcastic. Of course, you’d understand this if you read this far.