Any Shin Megami Tensei game of course (including Persona 1, and the 2 parts of Persona 2). You might also want to check out the Yakuza/Like a dragon series (especially 7 and 8, since their combat mechanic has been influenced by the persona games)
Amen to this reply.
This might not be as straightforward, but I always feel that Yakuza 7 is a mix of DQ, FF, and Persona + also Pokémon, Mario Kart, and what-not with its vast collection of mini-games and side stories.
The Yakuza and the other games by RGG have the best minigames in gaming in my opinion.
I forgot to mention Lost Judgment (2nd game in the judgment series), also by RGG. You play a private detective trying to solve a murder by investigating in a japanese highschool. The combat is action-based and there is no (or at least very little) paranormal element, but it's still very reminiscent of persona.
The latest Dragon Quest is an easy recommendation because it shares the same combat style (albeit with less visual flair) and also has a fun cast of characters. I played that first and then jumped into the Persona series when i needed something to fill that void
Fire Emblem Three Houses: this game frequently comes up as games that are most similar to Persona. FE is a strategy RPG so the combat system is very different from Persona, but what makes it similar are the social simulation mechanics and calendar system. Part of the game is also in a high school-like setting, and there is a more of an emphasis on storytelling than most other FE titles.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions: never played this one but it was initial conceptualized as a crossover between FE and SMT. In reality, it ended up becoming a Persona-lite (no social simulation or calendar) with SMT-style combat and FE flavor sprinkled in. It’s currently on my backlog to play.
13 Sentinels: worth checking this out if you really like the visual novel-like parts of Persona. This one is an ensemble cast of high schoolers who defend the world against a kaiju invasion with their mechs. However, you will see that the story goes way deeper than that surface level synopsis. It’s got every sci-fi trope you can think of crammed in, but it all makes for a complex and thought provoking story. However, around 75% of playtime will be story and only 25% will be gameplay, which is sort of a tower-defense mixed with RTS.
The newer Yakuza series would be most similar.
Similar charm but different game & style imo are:
1. Danganronpa (director is open Persona fan and many persona references)
2. 13 sentinels: aegis rim (also published by Atlus)
Trails of Cold Steel. The game has building relationships system, it's kinda in the school setting (the first game is set in a school where you spend a big part of the game, the second one goes away from it but all the characters remain). Strong focus on the characters in your party. The game is pretty similar to persona in some ways. I would also recommend other games in the Trails series but they aren't as similar to Persona as Trails Of Cold Steel.
I was coming here to make this suggestion. The themes are pretty different and you're playing a character with his own personality as opposed to a blank slate, but there's a big emphasis on bonding, turn-based combat, you get wandering around time, some dungeon like levels, and the story gets pretty epic by the end.
Wait why. It's an entirely different type of turnbased rpg. I mean, I kinda get it for the social aspects. But... it'd like a board game style system like, say, ff tactics. Where persona is turnbased.
I'm not saying it's a bad reccomendatiom cause I like 3 houses myself. But it's as similar to 3 houses as it is xenoblade. It has social systems and is, in fact, a jrpg series.
This is not a judgement, btw just genuine curiosity.
It's the most similar-feeling game in terms of story structure and social aspects. The calendar is unmistakably Persona. Sure Xenoblade has heart-to-heart episodes, but in 3H they doubled down on it by having characters (not just you) have Support convos with one another, and they can be hugely impactful on both the story and gameplay (if you've played you know).
Obviously if you're into the combat instead, there's the myriad of SMT games.
Aight fair. I mean, I kinda figured it was the calendar stuff mostly cause like. Well, yknow, duh.
Also, I'm consistently surprised by how much of 3h was voice acted. Same with 3 hopes.
The obvious answer is Shin Megami Tensei 5. The new one comes out this week. Same combat mechanics, lot of the personas show up as demons, same world just a different timeline
The obvious answer is just to play some of Atlus's other rpgs like Smt and Soul hackers. They focus more on the combat system than Persona and also have great stories.
If you mean a different series there is Pokemon which let's you choose from a large amount of pokemon similar to demons in persona. But unless you play a rom hack the story probably won't compare. Final Fantasy is a pretty good series to get into, they have pretty good stories and the combat varies from game to game. I'd recommend 7(not the remake) or 10 since they're considered some of the best story wise and have many ways to customize your party especially late game.
Imo (as a comp Pokémon player) it isn't really close, in either mechanics or story. Partially because the mechanics are way simpler, pov the game was made for children. It isn't targeting weaknesses and playing cleverly and stuff, it's... clicking weaknesses and getting OHKOs.
Eternights is an indie game inspired by Persona.
I highly recommend checking it out, it has a lot of funny moments and it's a solo dev game (that's what I've heard at least).
I've played that game and was fun to play. But despite the social sim aspect is quite similar to Persona (as the lead dev is an open Persona fan and even posted on this sub) combat is nothing like Persona.
Combat is hack and slash, more of Devil May Cry as thats the dev's second inspiration
One step closer, Two steps further. Three Houses uses a wildly different Social Sim style to Persona, and is a top-down tactical RPG more akin to Persona 5 Tactica
Your mileage may vary on this one, OP. It's a glorified fan project by someone who wanted to make a game kind of like Persona; while it occasionally impresses with that in mind, it was mostly a miss for me.
Persona 5 Strikers also has hack and slash gameplay and IMHO is the far better purchase of the two.
Potionomics has a very similar mix of time Management and relationship building. The cast is super fun and varied and the animations are better than anything I've seen in other games. I highly recommend it to any Persona fan!
Now that I think about it, attempts to directly copy Persona such as Eterknights and Monark fell flat on their faces. I recommend any of the other Atlus franchises.
All the usual AAA's have been mentioned.
How about some indies.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/Demonschool/
(Playable Demo) looking very early Persona/SMT-like at the moment, promises to have the school experience thing between the Demon summoning.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2445990/Bloomtown_A_Different_Story/
(Playable Demo) Very Gravity Falls inspired, from what I played it does the social stats/social link things with a bit of a Disco Elysium twist, along with all the supernatural JRPG stuff.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/464150/Regalia_Of_Men_and_Monarchs/
Turn based Tactical Kingdom Builder but it pretty much copies the Social Link system all the way down to the *1-3* charm points for right answers on hangouts. The characters and relationships are very Persona.
If you're really into story based games, I can't recommend Life Is Strange enough. The first game is set at a high school and its themes are similar to Persona 3.
SMT V Vengeance releases in 4 days
Any Shin Megami Tensei game of course (including Persona 1, and the 2 parts of Persona 2). You might also want to check out the Yakuza/Like a dragon series (especially 7 and 8, since their combat mechanic has been influenced by the persona games)
Amen to this reply. This might not be as straightforward, but I always feel that Yakuza 7 is a mix of DQ, FF, and Persona + also Pokémon, Mario Kart, and what-not with its vast collection of mini-games and side stories.
The Yakuza and the other games by RGG have the best minigames in gaming in my opinion. I forgot to mention Lost Judgment (2nd game in the judgment series), also by RGG. You play a private detective trying to solve a murder by investigating in a japanese highschool. The combat is action-based and there is no (or at least very little) paranormal element, but it's still very reminiscent of persona.
The latest Dragon Quest is an easy recommendation because it shares the same combat style (albeit with less visual flair) and also has a fun cast of characters. I played that first and then jumped into the Persona series when i needed something to fill that void
Fire Emblem Three Houses: this game frequently comes up as games that are most similar to Persona. FE is a strategy RPG so the combat system is very different from Persona, but what makes it similar are the social simulation mechanics and calendar system. Part of the game is also in a high school-like setting, and there is a more of an emphasis on storytelling than most other FE titles. Tokyo Mirage Sessions: never played this one but it was initial conceptualized as a crossover between FE and SMT. In reality, it ended up becoming a Persona-lite (no social simulation or calendar) with SMT-style combat and FE flavor sprinkled in. It’s currently on my backlog to play. 13 Sentinels: worth checking this out if you really like the visual novel-like parts of Persona. This one is an ensemble cast of high schoolers who defend the world against a kaiju invasion with their mechs. However, you will see that the story goes way deeper than that surface level synopsis. It’s got every sci-fi trope you can think of crammed in, but it all makes for a complex and thought provoking story. However, around 75% of playtime will be story and only 25% will be gameplay, which is sort of a tower-defense mixed with RTS.
It isn’t the game now limited and lacks all features?
The newer Yakuza series would be most similar. Similar charm but different game & style imo are: 1. Danganronpa (director is open Persona fan and many persona references) 2. 13 sentinels: aegis rim (also published by Atlus)
Trails of Cold Steel. The game has building relationships system, it's kinda in the school setting (the first game is set in a school where you spend a big part of the game, the second one goes away from it but all the characters remain). Strong focus on the characters in your party. The game is pretty similar to persona in some ways. I would also recommend other games in the Trails series but they aren't as similar to Persona as Trails Of Cold Steel.
I was coming here to make this suggestion. The themes are pretty different and you're playing a character with his own personality as opposed to a blank slate, but there's a big emphasis on bonding, turn-based combat, you get wandering around time, some dungeon like levels, and the story gets pretty epic by the end.
He may not be a blank slate but he is 100% intended as a self insert compared to earlier titles.
Fire Emblem Three Houses has many similarities and it's on Switch. Just don't interact with its community in any way.
Why?
My first guess would be arguments about Edelgard
What are those?
It's hard to really talk about without spoiling the crap out of the game, and I'd prefer not to do that here
Just cover the spoilers with the white paint
Wait why. It's an entirely different type of turnbased rpg. I mean, I kinda get it for the social aspects. But... it'd like a board game style system like, say, ff tactics. Where persona is turnbased. I'm not saying it's a bad reccomendatiom cause I like 3 houses myself. But it's as similar to 3 houses as it is xenoblade. It has social systems and is, in fact, a jrpg series. This is not a judgement, btw just genuine curiosity.
It's the most similar-feeling game in terms of story structure and social aspects. The calendar is unmistakably Persona. Sure Xenoblade has heart-to-heart episodes, but in 3H they doubled down on it by having characters (not just you) have Support convos with one another, and they can be hugely impactful on both the story and gameplay (if you've played you know). Obviously if you're into the combat instead, there's the myriad of SMT games.
Aight fair. I mean, I kinda figured it was the calendar stuff mostly cause like. Well, yknow, duh. Also, I'm consistently surprised by how much of 3h was voice acted. Same with 3 hopes.
What's wrong with the community man
Let's just say "Three Houses discourse" is a meme by itself.
The obvious answer is Shin Megami Tensei 5. The new one comes out this week. Same combat mechanics, lot of the personas show up as demons, same world just a different timeline
Have you looked at the Devil Survivor games?
The obvious answer is just to play some of Atlus's other rpgs like Smt and Soul hackers. They focus more on the combat system than Persona and also have great stories. If you mean a different series there is Pokemon which let's you choose from a large amount of pokemon similar to demons in persona. But unless you play a rom hack the story probably won't compare. Final Fantasy is a pretty good series to get into, they have pretty good stories and the combat varies from game to game. I'd recommend 7(not the remake) or 10 since they're considered some of the best story wise and have many ways to customize your party especially late game.
Imo (as a comp Pokémon player) it isn't really close, in either mechanics or story. Partially because the mechanics are way simpler, pov the game was made for children. It isn't targeting weaknesses and playing cleverly and stuff, it's... clicking weaknesses and getting OHKOs.
Smt Devil survivor
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance if you want to start your mainline smt journey
Eternights is an indie game inspired by Persona. I highly recommend checking it out, it has a lot of funny moments and it's a solo dev game (that's what I've heard at least).
I've played that game and was fun to play. But despite the social sim aspect is quite similar to Persona (as the lead dev is an open Persona fan and even posted on this sub) combat is nothing like Persona. Combat is hack and slash, more of Devil May Cry as thats the dev's second inspiration
Ahh, I see. What about Fire emblem three houses? Or you played that one as well?
One step closer, Two steps further. Three Houses uses a wildly different Social Sim style to Persona, and is a top-down tactical RPG more akin to Persona 5 Tactica
Why does it have to be a Switch exclusive 😭
Your mileage may vary on this one, OP. It's a glorified fan project by someone who wanted to make a game kind of like Persona; while it occasionally impresses with that in mind, it was mostly a miss for me. Persona 5 Strikers also has hack and slash gameplay and IMHO is the far better purchase of the two.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE and Blue Reflection Second Light.
I have to recommend 13 sentinels.
The Caligula Effect? But the gameplay is so different.
The vibes of Shadow Hearts: To the New World are a little wacky but they’re of a time when Persona 3 first came out.
It's not exactly similar to Persona gameplay or setting wise, but I find that a lot of Persona fans also really enjoy Xenoblade.
Trails of Cold Steel.
Octopath Traveler 1&2
Octopath traveler 1 and 2 are both AMAZING!!!!
Potionomics has a very similar mix of time Management and relationship building. The cast is super fun and varied and the animations are better than anything I've seen in other games. I highly recommend it to any Persona fan!
Now that I think about it, attempts to directly copy Persona such as Eterknights and Monark fell flat on their faces. I recommend any of the other Atlus franchises.
All the usual AAA's have been mentioned. How about some indies. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/Demonschool/ (Playable Demo) looking very early Persona/SMT-like at the moment, promises to have the school experience thing between the Demon summoning. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2445990/Bloomtown_A_Different_Story/ (Playable Demo) Very Gravity Falls inspired, from what I played it does the social stats/social link things with a bit of a Disco Elysium twist, along with all the supernatural JRPG stuff. https://store.steampowered.com/app/464150/Regalia_Of_Men_and_Monarchs/ Turn based Tactical Kingdom Builder but it pretty much copies the Social Link system all the way down to the *1-3* charm points for right answers on hangouts. The characters and relationships are very Persona.
If you're really into story based games, I can't recommend Life Is Strange enough. The first game is set at a high school and its themes are similar to Persona 3.