Summary
Personais pretty much a household name at this point, thanks in no small part to the numerous social mechanics that distinguish the series from its peers in the RPG genre. Although these features have only become more prevalent over time, developers have never slacked on traditional battle mechanics either. With that in mind,Persona 6has the opportunity to officially introduce a long-awaited improvement.
Almost any turn-based RPG is going to define itself by a colorful cast of characters that fight alongside the player. WhilePersonadoes include more traditional party members, battle is made distinct thanks to the series' titular Personas. Players are able to bring a collection of Personas into battle and fuse them out of battle to create stronger ones. While this creates a very satisfying gameplay loop, one quality-of-lifeimprovement would takePersona 6to the next level.
Persona 6 Should Finally Introduce Major Improvements to Fusion
Persona Owes its Best Mechanics to Shin Megami Tensei
Personabegan as aShin Megami Tenseispin-off, and the two share plenty of DNA to this day.Personahas a much larger focus on school life and socializing, but still owes many of its ingenious battle mechanics toSMT. For example,Persona 5features the ability to convince enemies to join your stock of Personas, which is a mechanic that hails directly fromShin Megami Tensei. These hand-me-down features have always brought the series further acclaim.
Despite this lengthy history,PersonaandSMTalike rarely ever feel dated.Personahas been hailed as one of the best RPG seriesfor quite some time. Its blend of social simulation and RPG combat has always been unique, and has only been improved upon over the years. Despite this, one ofPersona’s best mechanics has remained a thorn in players' sides for quite some time now.
Persona Fusion Defines the Series
Fusion is no doubt one ofPersona’s best mechanics. One can easily imagine other games utilizing a similar system of strengths and weaknesses, and in fact many do. Even the ability to press turns with the One More mechanic is a feature that many newer RPGs are beginning to take inspiration from. However, fusing Personas is wholly unique, and something the series is named after for good reason.
With that in mind, getting Fusion right is of the utmost importance, and the series does for the most part. Fusion is a very satisfying system that players can sink several hours into at a time if they so choose. Likewise, it tremendously improves the replay value of each game, allowing each players' party to evolve in a wholly unique way. Even so, there is always room for improvement, andPersona 6has the perfect opportunityto capitalize on this.
Persona 6 Should Officially Introduce a Fusion Calculator
Fusion isn’t always the most convenient process, and players know this. More than anything,Personaneeds a complete guidethat allows players to understand which Personas fuse into what. These comprehensive lists are often referred to as “Fusion Calculators,” and many fan-made renditions already exist online. Demand for a Fusion Calculator is there, but there are plenty of reasons to include one aside from its existing popularity.
First and foremost, any developer should want to avoid players needing to look elsewhere for something they should be able to access in-game. Furthermore,Persona’s current Fusion system largely relies on players spending hours toying with potential combinations. In defense of the current mechanics, this type of experimentation is both a blessing and a curse.
Experimentation is a key aspect of Fusion, and some believe a Fusion Calculator would overlook that. However,Personahas seen a wave of newcomers thanks toPersona 5and its successors. Many of these players likely do not want to deal with anything that could be seen as dated, and developers know that. A huge reason for the success of recentPersonagames is their stunning dedication to quality of life.
Persona Fusion is far from the worst thing in the world, and some may be satisfied with its current state. For those that aren’t, having to go out of their way to access their preferred Personas is why. Giving players the ability to find these answers in-game would make a world of difference, and prove thatPersona 6is committed to creating the most satisfying experience possible.
