Persona 5 is one of the most popular JRPGs of all time. It offers a great combination of interesting characters, detailed zones to explore, and entertaining turn-based gameplay.
It’s quite rare for games to strike such a clear balance between powerful stories and immersive combat, but luckily for Persona 5 fans, there are a few games like it.
Here are the 15 best games like Persona 5, covering a few different subgenres and styles.
15. Persona 4 Golden (Persona <5)
Let’s start things off with “Persona 5 Minus.”
You can consider this entry an honorable mention, as we encourage newcomers to the Persona franchise to go back and play through all the other amazing games.
This entry is mainly occupied by Persona 4 Golden, which is every last bit as entertaining as Persona 5. Everything you know and love about Persona 5 is present in this game.
Stunning visuals, fluid turn-based gameplay, and down-to-earth character explorations are all present and accounted for in Persona 4.
That isn’t to say that Persona 1 through 3 aren’t enjoyable by any means. However, because these games are significantly older, some of the polish found in the newer titles is missing here.
Available on the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, the narratives found in some of these older Persona titles are still gripping and we highly recommend checking them out.
14. Persona 5 Strikers
Persona 5 Strikers takes the characters you’ve grown attached to over the course of your Persona 5 adventure, and repurposes them in a Dynasty Warriors-style hack-and-slash.
Much like Nintendo’s beloved series, Hyrule Warriors, Persona 5 Strikers ditches traditional combat. It replaces this with more fast-paced and chaotic action.
The game features a brand new story set throughout various locations in Japan.
Exploring a modern-day Japanese setting is incredibly fun in Persona 5, and this is carried over effortlessly in Persona 5 Strikers.
The game is surprisingly difficult and you shouldn’t feel disheartened for having to look up a few Persona 5 Strikers guides to help with some of the more tricky challenges.
If you loved the Persona 5, are looking for a new adventure, but aren’t quite ready to part ways with the game’s loveable cast, Persona 5 Strikers is the game for you! It’s a lot of fun.
13.Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
Finishing off our group of recommendations from the Persona universe, we have Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth is a dungeon crawler game featuring miniaturized versions of the Persona 5 cast.
Progressing through a map shown on the lower screen of the 3DS, players will traverse through various areas and battle enemies on the top screen.
The game features a brand-new story and is a continuation of the first Persona Q game.
Moreover, characters from Persona 3 and 4 will periodically show up to lend a hand to Joker during his adventures.
If you want to experience a new adventure featuring the Persona 5 cast, check out this cute spinoff title! It’s one of the best games like Persona 5 to add to your library today.
12. Catherine
Coming from the same game studio, Studio Atlas, Catherine shares a lot of similarities with Persona 5.
In this game, you play as a young man, Vincent, struggling to decide between your current girlfriend, Katherine, or an incredibly attractive girl, Catherine, who comes into your life.
Eventually, it becomes apparent that Catherine is a succubus who feeds on men through their dreams. The main gameplay of Catherine involves navigating several obstacle course-like levels during Vincent’s plagued dreams.
The first thing Persona 5 players will notice about Catherine is the similarities in art styles. Catherine and Persona 5 look like they come from the same universe so, if you enjoy the aesthetic of games like Persona 5, Catherine won’t disappoint.
A deep and compelling story is also found in Catherine, much like it is in Persona 5.
However, most of the story in Catherine is told via cutscenes, as opposed to Persona’s more interactive narrative during the daytime portions of the game.
Still, Catherine is a nice change of pace if you’re in the market for a unique gameplay experience, with all the charm of any other Atlas title.
11. Tokyo Xanadu eX+
Tokyo Xanadu eX+ shares a lot of similarities with Persona 5.
This game is a real-time action RPG in which you must traverse through a modern Japanese setting, and build relationships with your peers.
Combat takes place in the Nightmare realm, or the Eclipse, where you will do battle against fiendish monsters. This style of gameplay is shared with the Persona franchise in which you socialize with peers during the day and battle monsters at night.
Arguably, Tokyo Xanadu eX+ offers a much deeper connection to its NPC cast. Each character is named, has a place in the in-game universe, and has a long-spanning story that develops over the course of the game.
For a more personalized approach to the character interactions found in Persona 5, check out Tokyo Xanadu eX+ today.
10. Octopath Traveler
In Octopath Traveler players will, you guessed it, play through a series of eight adventures. Each adventure has its own protagonist with a unique story to uncover.
Gameplay follows a typical turn-based RPG combat format, reminiscent of older games like Bravely Default or the Romancing Saga series.
While the graphics of this title cannot compare to something like Persona 5, the charming pixelated aesthetic is a nod to games of yesteryear.
Regardless, the main draw for playing Octopath Traveler is the fun turn-based JRPG action and the intricately woven stories of the characters.
If you loved the social aspect of Persona 5 and the sheer variety of characters, this game offers more of that in spades. It’s a must-play for Persona 5 fans.
9. Dragon Quest XI
Dragon Quest is one of the most beloved franchises of all time. Needless to say, you don’t get to make eleven games unless you’re consistently creating thoroughly enjoyable experiences for your fans.
Dragon Quest XI provides more turn-based RPG action.
As you can expect by now, Dragon Quest allows you to fully customize your party’s abilities, equipment, and more. The game is very intuitive, especially for newer players.
Some modern RPGs have very complex systems that require a lot of dedication to master. However, Dragon Quest XI prefers the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. Combat is as clear-cut as your typical Pokémon game, with a few extra options to keep gameplay fresh.
The story is also easy to understand but quite compelling as well. It doesn’t break boundaries in regards to character exploration like Persona 5 does, but it’s much more light-hearted and easy to digest.
Overall, Dragon Quest XI is a modern-day reimagining of turn-based RPGs of yesteryear. If you are interested in seeing one of the earliest influences of games like Persona 5, check out the Dragon Quest series of games.
8. Neo: The World Ends With You
The World Ends With You is a cult classic.
Fans had been clambering for a sequel to this DS title for years and what they got was… a sequel? Unfortunately, Neo: The World Ends With You didn’t quite live up to the hype.
That being said, the game is still incredibly fun, and those who aren’t too attached to the original will have a great time with this game.
Neo: The World Ends With You takes placed in Japan, much like the Persona games.
Primarily venturing around Shibuya, players will duke it out in action-based combat, while spending their downtime interacting with the locals, customizing their character’s appearance, and eating with their party.
By completing these tasks, your party will receive bonus effects in the heat of battle. This is a very similar style of gameplay to Persona 5, in which your day is spent socializing with friends, leaving the night for combat.
Neo: The World Ends With You is a thoroughly entertaining game. And, if you aren’t a fan, there’s always The World Ends With You Final Remix available on Switch as well.
7. Fire Emblem Three Houses
Fire Emblem Three Houses is one of the most popular Fire Emblem releases. The game incorporates almost everything that people have grown to love about the new age of Fire Emblem.
Since Fire Emblem Awakening, Fire Emblem as a whole has become a lot more story and character-focused. Building relationships with units by fighting alongside them, and engaging in dialogues between battles has become a core component of this franchise.
Furthermore, developing romances between characters is worthwhile (at least in Awakening), as two units can have a child with combined stats from each parent.
Fire Emblem Three Houses cranks this idea up to the max, giving you one of three groups of students to take under your wing as a teacher.
These students require constant mentoring and, when not battling it out in strategic tile-based gameplay, you’ll be interacting with your class and ensuring everything is running smoothly behind the scenes.
This duality of gameplay is almost identical to the mechanics of Persona. Long battles are broken up by a more social experience. It’s a wonderful game to play through.
6. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Tokyo Mirage Sessions had to appear on this list. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why.
- Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE comes from the same game company as Persona (Studio Atlas).
- The game is a crossover of the Shin Megami Tensei series (from which Persona is a spinoff) and Nintendo’s Fire Emblem.
- Both games are turn-based RPGs set in Japan.
- The “Weakness” and “Resistance” systems are almost identical in both games (as well as the ultimate attack)
- You can customize your character.
With so many similarities, its clear to see why Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is likely the closest thing Nintendo Switch owners will be getting in the way of a Persona 5 release.
The social elements in Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE are toned down substantially when compared to Persona, however. For a lot of people, this was their favorite part of Persona, or at least a big reason why that game was so enjoyable.
Still, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is criminally underrated and Persona fans will likely enjoy their time spent with it! It’s worth taking a look at.
5. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is the sequel of the widely popular JRPG of the same name. Xenoblade Chronicles takes players on a fantasy journey through the world of Alrest.
Combat in this game is fast-paced and reactive, doing away with the traditional turn-based style JRPGs are known for, in favor of more action.
Xenoblade Chronicles leans much more into the fantasy aspects of its world as opposed to Persona’s duality of realism and fantasy.
That being said, the worlds of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 are much more lively and vast. If you prefer exploring a world rife with monsters and enemies, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 might be a better fit for you.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 also has a lot more of an anime aesthetic not only with regards to its art design but the narrative and dialogue as well. Typical anime humor runs present throughout this game and “end-of-the-world” stakes are more commonplace.
Both Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Persona 5 are 100+ hour RPG adventures so feel free to try it out for a nice timesink!
4. Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0 takes players on a tour through Tokyo while playing as a member of the intimidating Yakuza.
Exploring Japan has always been one of the main draws when it comes to playing the Persona games.
Yakuza dials this fantasy up to eleven as, not only can you roam freely around set locations such as Shinjuku, Akihabara, and Shinjuku, but you can wreak havoc through them as well.
There is lots of content on offer in this game, from the main storyline to several side quests. Beating up rival gang members, uncovering hidden locations found within Tokyo’s underbelly, and meeting interesting characters are all on the agenda for a seasoned Yakuza.
Yakuza and Persona share a lot of similarities in gameplay, set pieces, and engaging narratives.
3. Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VII remake was a long-awaited release.
Now that it’s come out, we can see the love and attention the developers put into this game. Replacing the turn-based combat of the original PlayStation title with a more dynamic real-time action approach, gives new life to the game.
Traditional RPG mechanics are still present here with regards to magical abilities.
Persona 5 is all about its story and FFVII remake doesn’t disappoint in that regard either. In reality, there is too much content to explore here. The developers had to break the original game down into multiple releases just to fit everything in.
Seeing Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith, all reimagined in glorious high-definition, will play on the heartstrings of any veteran gamer.
Furthermore, characters like Jessie have a lot more to do this time around, having their own backstories, arcs, and unique cutscenes that weren’t present in the original game.
Final Fantasy VII was one of the best Playstation games of all time. Final Fantasy VII Remake is not only one of the best Japanese games on Steam and Playstation, but one of the best games of the past decade.
There’s a lot to love with the FFVII remake, and fans of games with a similar vibe to Persona 5 are sure to adore it.
2. Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc
Danganronpa is a popular murder mystery visual novel, in which a group of teenagers is forced into taking each other out by a strange talking teddy bear. As more and more people are slowly picked off, it is up to you as the player to sort fact from fiction.
As a visual novel, Danganronpa is less of a “game” and more of an interactive movie. This might turn some people off initially, but the superb writing and weight of one’s choices make Danganronpa one of the best visual novels of all time.
In Persona 5, the daytime is spent interacting with civilians, learning about them, and building strong relationships with your friends. For many, this is a core component of the Persona franchise and they really enjoy this part of the game.
If these character interactions are your favorite thing about Persona 5, why not play a whole game about character interactions! Unique characters, clever twists, and clever writing all await you in the world of Danganronpa.
1. Shin Megami Tensei V
Expectedly, Shin Megami Tensei tops the list of game recommendations targeted toward Persona fans. Persona has amassed such a huge following of fans over its lifespan, that many newcomers to the franchise do not realize that Persona is a spinoff of the Shin Megami Tensei IP.
Persona has now gone on to arguably outshine Shin Megami Tensei in popularity, but these games are still just as fun as ever and we recommend trying them out.
Shin Megami Tensei V is one of the best entries in the franchise. The gameplay is very similar to Persona in which one portion of your time is spent in the real world interacting with normal people, and the other is spent in a more spiritual plane fighting against monsters.
Shin Megami Tensei V’s unique mechanic involves collecting demons. While in battle, you will have the option to “talk” to a demon and try to convince it to join your party.
This is done by answering questions, giving them HP/MP items from your inventory, or recruiting them during their preferred moon phases.
After amassing an army of demons, you can combine them to create even more powerful allies to do battle with you.
This is a very unique mechanic and truly sets this title apart from the likes of Persona. If you enjoy a thoroughly engaging story with all the charm of a typical Persona game but are interested in a different kind of gameplay loop, you can’t go wrong with Shin Megami Tensei V.
