Persona 5 recently released in the West just last month and it instantly became one of the highly rated commercial success titles. Both the Fans and Critics praised the game and called it the best ever JPRG of the time. As to thank all the NA and EU fans, the game’s director Katsura Hashino released beautiful “Thank You” message.
Hashino recently took to the PlayStation Blog and thanked all the fans in the west. He stated that;
“It’s very hard for the development team to see the messages of fans sometimes, due to the distance. And equally hard for them to imagine how western fans would react to the game.”
Katsura Hashino also stated that;
“Persona 5 is a very “Japanese” story with some political aspects to it. So, I couldn’t imagine how Western players would react to it. I did know, however, that Persona5 was highly anticipated by gamers overseas even back when we were developing the game. So, I was curious to see how its story would be received.
While speaking, Hashino compared the traditional Japanese Superhero games with the western ones and he stated that the difference between the western and Japanese games is that the Japanese Superheroes in the game mainly fight using the forces off the outside societies.
However, all the Western Superheroes in the games fight with forces that originate within them. He also said that he hopes that the Persona 5 offers a change to all the Western fans. It keeps the norms of the west within itself as well. This means that some part of Persona 5 allows the players to enjoy a Western side type gameplay.
While stressing out on the point of why he loves to make games, Hashino said that;
“Since the game just launched in the West, I’d like to look back on it at a later time. Once I receive feedback from the Western audience—how their gameplay experiences were, what kind of things they felt, etc. I hope that the tale of Persona 5 will leave a lasting impression on everyone who plays it. No matter what kind of project I take on going forward. I love creating RPGs that are both moving and relatable regardless of cultural differences. In fact, strengthening those aspects right now that actually make me happy.”
In his special message to the fans, Hashino said more than one times that he is enormously thankful to all the fans in the west for their unimaginable support. He wants to keep on developing more games for the western fans that are meaningful, thoughtful and engaging at the same time. During his talks, Hashino also revealed that he is currently planning to move on to another project that is completely separate from the Persona 5.
As Hashino stated;
“Last year, with the milestone of the Persona series’ 20th anniversary. I handed off the series development to my successors and announced the start of my new RPG project that takes place in a fantasy world. Be its a game set in modern day, like the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series, or a game set in a new fantasy world. I aim to create games that provide an invaluable experience of reflecting on oneself through a journey while roleplaying as characters that players can deeply relate to.”
This means that the fans of JRPGs will soon be having another great game from the developers of Persona 5. As Hashino hinted it out, the new game will be offering a fantasy-based gameplay and setting. This is a great news for all the fans of Persona 5 and other remarkable JRPGs. Hopefully, the upcoming JRPG by Hashino will be equally as entertaining as the Person 5.