The rumored setting of Persona 6 has the potential to place the party in an awkward situation if not handled effectively. Of course, a rumor that has not been confirmed should not immediately give fans reason to worry. Admittedly, when it comes to Persona 6, there is little news aside from swirling rumors surrounding the game, which can make it easier for certain theories to stick. In particular, there is one rumor that, if true, could have major repercussions regarding the game's playable party and would require a deft touch from the developers to avoid a pitfall.
So far, the features that Persona 6 could have are largely a mystery, from its themes to its release date. While Atlus has not put out a proper trailer for the game yet, it remains a hot topic among fans, and for good reason. The Persona games are the highest-profile entries to come out of the Shin Megami Tensei series, to the point that they have their own line of spin-offs, especially in recent years. This is especially true after Persona 5, which received widespread acclaim. Even before it has been officially announced, Persona 6 already has an astronomical bar to clear.
One Aspect of Persona 6 is Already Clear After Persona 3 Reload, Persona 5 Royal
Persona 6 could build on the things that made Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Royal good for new fans in a few key departments.
Persona 6's Rumored Art School Setting Would Warrant Several Skills From its Party
One Persona 6 Rumor Sets the Game in an Art School
Among the many theories floating around is a rumor about Persona 6's protagonists and the game's setting. The Persona games have primarily taken place in high schools, with the party members being students, with only Persona 2: Eternal Punishment breaking the trend. According to the rumor, Persona 6 will take place in an art school. While this could theoretically be either a high school or college, it would almost certainly keep the recurring element of the party members being students. An art school would be a new flavor for the series, while still following in the same vein as games before it.
Persona 6 Can't Make All of its Party Members into the Same Archetype
An art school setting could lead to a potential problem for the party of Persona 6. One thing that makes the parties of past Persona games work so well is that most of them incorporate a variety of different archetypes and personalities. If all of Persona 6's party members are in art school, then the developers would need to avoid putting them all into the same archetype. If every character is an eccentric artist similar to Persona 5's Yusuke, then the lack of variety could hurt the party. Persona 5's party can share common traits, but they still need several important distinctions.
Persona 6's Party Members Could Be Artists of Many Talents
Thankfully, if this rumor is true, that by no means makes it impossible for Persona 6 to have a healthy party dynamic. An art school can include several different disciplines, and each party member could be involved in a different field. The potential options could include:
- Writing
- Painting
- Acting
- Sculpting
- Poetry
- Dance
If every character is engaged in a different art, that would be one step towards ensuring that all of them are distinct. Of course, character design and writing personalities will be equally important in that endeavor. Persona 6 can make a set of art students as varied as any other party in the series.
Persona 6 taking place at an art school would have some definite advantages. It could lead to some interesting Social Links in Persona 6, and it could provide a chance to shake up the school-themed mechanics from past games. However, the developers would have to make sure that they don't double-dip character gimmicks when creating the party. The party members would have to be all types of artists rather than a small set of archetypes. This particular Persona 6 rumor could be interesting if true, but only if it's handled well.
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
