I chose the game Persona 5 once again. Persona 5 is a JRPG/Social Simulator developed by Atlus and released in 2016. The game takes place in Tokyo Japan and is split into two segments, the Overworld and the Metaverse. In Persona 5 you play as an average looking high school student who leads a double life. In the real world he is a typical teenager. However in the “shadow dimension” or Metaverse he is the leader of the Phantom Thieves, a group of vigilantes who target the minds of corrupt adults and get them to have a change of heart by defeating their shadow versions in the Metaverse. In the mornings the player goes to school and in the afternoons they have two choices, hang out in the overworld or travel to the metaverse. The player must balance these two segments to excel in the game.
School:
In the mornings the protagonist usually goes to class. During the classroom segments the teacher will ask the player various questions that they must answer. Answer correctly and the player is rewarded with Knowledge points but guess wrong and they will be mocked by the other students and miss out on obtaining points for their Social Stats (Charm, Guts, Proficiency, Knowledge, and Kindness.)
Overworld:
All the Social Simulator aspects of the game can be found in the Overworld. Here the player is allowed to explore different locations throughout the city like parks, shopping districts, and landmarks. The player can participate in everyday student activities like studying, spending time with friends, watching movies, shopping, working out, etc. Completing tasks in the Overworld can greatly aid the player in the Metaverse. For example going to the gym will expand the player’s Health and Special Points. Certain activities here also reward Social Points which are required to unlock certain characters and skills.
Metaverse:
This is where the main JRPG action happens. The Metaverse is shown as a corrupt version of certain real world locations from the game. Here the player and their team traverse through different palaces/dungeons, fight enemies in a turn based style, and defeat each palace ruler to progress through the story.
