10 Best JRPGs To Play Before Trying Persona 5

Persona 5 has made a big impact on the JRPG genre with its stylish gameplay and visuals along with a memorable story and characters. It’s no surprise that Persona 5 Golden is still one of the best Playstation RPGs to play in 2022, as the series continues to garner more fans.

For players who haven’t yet experienced the series, trying it for the first time might be slightly daunting considering the game’s length and scale. Luckily, there are plenty of other RPGs to help get anyone into the mood for enjoying Persona 5.

Persona 4 Golden

Though the Persona games are independent and can definitely be enjoyed on their own, Persona 4 is nevertheless one of the best JRPGs to play before Persona 5. The games are connected in some ways, sharing a universe as well as a lot of elements, and Persona 4 is the most similar in style to Persona 5.

Persona 4 is also an amazing RPG in its own right, with a well-realized world, interesting characters, and plenty of Persona-summoning action to get anyone in the mood for its sequel. Ultimately, there’s no better way to get ready for Persona 5 than experiencing the game that came directly before.

Tales Of Arise

The Persona games are generally split between a relatively ordinary modern world and a mysterious alternative dimension, blending normality and fantasy elements. Similarly, Tales of Arise blends science fiction and fantasy elements to create a fascinating world for the player to experience.

Tales of Arise may not be as stylish as Atlus’ blockbuster series, but it features beautiful visuals as well as a story that constantly leaves the player wanting to see more. It was also one of the best RPGs of 2021, so there is good reason to experience it now before trying Persona 5.

Revelations: Persona

Also known as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, Revelations: Persona is the first title in the Persona series that began as a spin-off from Atlus’ flagship JRPG series, Shin Megami Tensei. Whilst the series has changed a lot since the game was released in 1996, playing the first Persona game provides fascinating context for how the series got to where it is today.

Revelations: Persona is also perhaps the oddest title in the Persona series. The best reason to play it before trying Persona 5 is that it may be difficult to look past some of the clunky gameplay and strange story elements after experiencing the best of what the series has to offer.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

There aren’t many JRPGs that could claim to have had as much influence over the genre as the Final Fantasy series, and that includes the seventh game in the series that was initially released for the Playstation in 1997. The game was almost revolutionary in how it explored its world and characters, whilst the remake modernizes its gameplay and goes all out with incredible visuals.

Though only part 1 is available to play, there is more than enough content to enjoy until part 2 arrives. It is definitely worth visiting one of the only titles that can match Persona in ambition.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Tactics and battle strategy play a big part in the combat of Persona 5, but those elements gain even more importance in tactical RPGs like Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Available for the Nintendo Switch, Fire Emblem turns the battlefield into a board game and the player is tasked with manoeuvering their warriors as units to secure victory.

Like Persona 5, though, the game isn’t all about fighting. Social interaction and building relationships with other characters play an important part, and getting to know the characters better makes their role in the story all the more impactful. Though they are significantly different, the balance of combat and social simulation make it a great lead-in to Persona.

Shin Megami Tensei V

Whilst the Persona games have become popular and iconic games in their own right, it’s also interesting that the series that it emerged from continues to develop in its own way. Receiving a Switch release late last year, the latest Shin Megami Tensei title blends elements of previous games and also shares plenty of features with the Persona series.

The player similarly takes control of a high-school student unexpectedly involved in apparent demon activity. Raising and fusing weird demons is one of the returning mechanics in Shin Megami Tensei V, with the chance to create strange Slimes, as well. The game is enjoyable in its own right, but also fun to play to compare it with the latest Persona game.

Trials Of Mana

The Mana series of JRPGs has some parallels with the Persona series, as it also began as a spin-off from an already successful franchise in the form of Final Fantasy. Trials of Mana is the 2020 3D remake of a Mana series game for the Super Famicom that didn’t receive a release outside of Japan until relatively recently, and the game does manage to feel modern in its execution.

The game has some extremely cool features that it inherited from the original, including the player having to choose three characters from the available six and then experiencing the story from the perspective of those three, with the rest becoming background characters. Similar to Persona 5, one of the best parts of the game is seeing the characters develop and realize their true potential.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

A recent expanded remaster of the original Xenoblade Chronicles from 2010, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a great game from another prestigious JRPG franchise. The combat is unique and, like Persona, manages to put its own spin on the JRPG turn-based combat formula that has long felt outdated, with the player able to manually move their character in real-time.

The game keeps the elements most important to a good JRPG however, with a rich world and characters that make for a story more than worth experiencing for any RPG fan or casual player.

Shin Megami Tensei (1992)

If a player truly wanted to go back to the roots of the franchise, they couldn’t do much better than playing the original Shin Megami Tensei game first released on the Super Famicom in 1992. Not just significant for the themes and mechanics it introduced, the game also helped launched Atlus as a developer.

In the game, the player navigates dungeons from a first-person perspective and fights against demons, establishing the appearance of some of the demons that continue to feature in Shin Megami Tensei and Persona games now. For a player wanting to experience it before trying Persona 5, the game has been ported to multiple systems, including iOS and Android.

NieR:Automata

The sequel to NieR and a spin-off from the popular Drakengard series, NieR:Automata is one of the best RPGs of the Xbox One generation. With inventive storytelling and a fascinating plot played from the perspective of two androids, it’s also one of the most unique entries in the JRPG genre.

The game also utilizes hack-and-slash real-time action, which makes it a nice break from the turn-based combat or traditional action combat that is most common in JRPGs. Like with Persona 5, players can expect an interesting experience and a story that gets unexpectedly deep, making it a great one to play before trying the game.