Atlus's long-running JRPG franchise Persona has become known for releasing expanded editions of the majority of its main series games. The trend started with Persona 3, which received both Persona 3 FES, which added a playable epilogue, and Persona 3 Portable, which added a female protagonist. Persona 4 Golden was an even beefier new version, adding new Social Links, new events throughout the year, and a new dungeon. However, 2019 re-release Persona 5 Royal tops its predecessors with quality of life upgrades, entirely new characters, and a playable third semester of school. For completionists, Persona 5 Royal's play time may exceed that of Persona 4 Golden by approximately 20 hours.
Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal take place in the same universe, but are stand-alone titles, and either can be played without prior knowledge of the other. Both center around a group of high school students investigating bizarre occurrences related to the human subconscious. The characters travel into other worlds created by the hidden desires and fears of those around them and defeat enemy demons using Personas, manifestations of their own inner strength. Persona 4 first released for the PlayStation 2 in 2008; Golden followed for the PlayStation Vita in 2012. After multiple delays, Persona 5 debuted in 2016 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, with Royal arriving in in 2019 for the PlayStation 4 only.
Persona 4 Golden: 80-90 Hours
Most players report that Persona 4 Golden takes between 80 and 90 hours to beat. This is approximately 10-20 hours longer than the standard version of Persona 4, which usually clocks in at around 70 hours for main story completion. The majority of the additional time is reportedly spent in the new dungeon added for Golden, although cutscene-heavy sections such as the students' new Halloween hangout and summer vacation beach trip can also add several hours onto the game.
As with other games in the Persona sub-series and broader Shin Megami Tensei series, Persona 4 Golden can take longer for players who wish to complete every objective. A completionist play-through of Persona 4 Golden could include completing every Social Link, successfully fusing every Persona, and beating the "Midnight Trivia Miracle Quiz" mini-game. There is also a high difficulty optional boss fight against Margaret, the game's Velvet Room assistant. Some players have reported spending up to 100 hours completing and unlocking all content in Persona 4 Golden.
Persona 4 Golden's Added Content
The additional content in Persona 4 Golden primarily centers around Marie, a mysterious new character who assists Igor and Margaret in the Velvet Room. Protagonist Yu can form a bond with Marie - the Aeon Social Link - and has the option to choose her as a romantic partner. If the player successfully completes Marie's Social Link, they will be able to access a new dungeon called the Hollow Forest. Exploring the Hollow Forest reveals more about Marie's true nature and why she has come to the town of Inaba. A new epilogue for Persona 4 that heavily features Marie is also unlocked after beating the Hollow Forest.
The second new Social Link added in Persona 4 Golden is the Jester Social Link. It belongs to Tohru Adachi, a local detective and the mastermind behind the murders the protagonists are trying to solve. Unlike other characters, Adachi's Social Link ranks up partly through choosing to spend time with him and partly through witnessing specific plot events related to the murder investigation and his capture. Players can also unlock an alternate ending, commonly known as the "Accomplice Ending," in which Yu chooses to aid Adachi rather than reporting his crimes. This ending is fairly brief and does not add much to the game's total playtime, but does include new cutscenes.
Persona 5 Royal: 120 Hours Or More
Inspired by the success of Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 Royal added even more brand-new content to the already lengthy Persona 5. Most gamers report Persona 5 Royal takes at least 100 hours to complete, with some reporting as many as 120. This is in contrast to the original Persona 5, which generally takes between 90 and 95 hours to complete. As with Golden, a combination of new animated cutscenes and new dungeons are the primary contributors to the game's added length.
Some completionist play-throughs of Persona 5 Royal have reported far longer times - with 150 hours being the average and some reports saying 175 or even as many as 200 hours. In addition to completing Confidants - Persona 5's reworked version of Social Links - and fusing Personas, these longer times included clearing the entirety of the bonus dungeon Mementos, completing secondary objectives such as winning the fishing and batting mini-games, and unlocking awards, which allow players to decorate the Thieves' Den, a bonus gallery-style room added in Royal. Even more objectives can be added by purchasing the Battle Bundle DLC, which unlocks challenging battles against fearsome opponents including the protagonists of Persona 3 and Persona 4.
Persona 5 Royal's Added Content
Persona 5 Royal adds two new characters, Takuto Maruki and Kasumi Yoshizawa. Kasumi is a potential love interest for protagonist Joker and, if her Faith Confidant can be completed on time, may join the Phantom Thieves as a playable character during the events of the third semester. Dr. Maruki is introduced as the school's counselor and, fittingly, has a Confidant belonging to the Counselor Arcana. He becomes an antagonist during the events of the game's third semester, and is ultimately the final antagonist players must face in Persona 5 Royal. The third semester includes both a new Palace for Maruki and additional floors added to the secondary dungeon Mementos.
In addition, the character of Goro Akechi plays a much larger role in Persona 5 Royal, as he is given a full Confidant rather than one which ranks up automatically. More scenes are added between Goro and Joker, and Goro is an integral part of the events of the third semester. Each character was given a third tier Persona that could be unlocked late in the story, and characters can team up with powerful Showtime attacks. A new location, Kichijoji, is available to visit; it features a darts and billiards club, a jazz bar, a temple, and several shops. Finally, Mementos grinding is made more interesting via the addition of new character Jose, who hosts a "Stamp Rally" event in the lengthy dungeon.
Players interested in experiencing either Persona 4 Golden or Persona 5 Royal will soon be able to do so on a much larger variety of platforms. Both games will be making their way to PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox consoles , while Persona 5 Royal will also be coming to the PlayStation 5. Royal will release for other consoles in late October, while the release dates for ports of Golden as well as Persona 3 Portable have not yet been announced. Persona 5 Royal is also expected to be available via Xbox Game Pass following its port.
Persona 5 Royal is currently available for PlayStation 4 and will release on October 21, 2022 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Persona 4 Golden is currently available for PC via Steam and PlayStation Vita, and will release for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S at a currently unrevealed date.