Personagames can generally be split into two parts. The first part has players control a protagonist amid their everyday life as a Japanese high school student. This involves doing activities like studying, hanging out with friends, and taking on the occasional odd request from strangers. The second part is more fantastical, and sees players take on supernatural beings called Shadows to make the world (or at least the city they live in) a better place. No matter which part of thePersonaformula that players love, both are integral components.
The everyday life segments ofPersonagamesmay seem boring compared to the action-filled Shadow fights, but they provide players a chance to learn more about the game’s world and those who inhabit it. This leads them to gain an attachment to said world, which further strengthens their resolve to fight the otherworldly Shadows. But seeing as being a high school student isn’t all fun and games, one of the worst aspects of thePersonagames has to be the quizzes and exams players are forced to take.
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Social Stats in Persona
Persona 3,4, and5all have social stat meters that measure the protagonists' characteristics. This includes qualities like Courage, Understanding, Diligence, and Proficiency - all of which have levels that provide the protagonist certain boons.A high Proficiency stat inPersona 5, for instance, will allow Joker to craft more lockpicks to use inside hostile Palaces. Social stats can be leveled up by doing activities that correspond to them. Working at a flower shop after school inPersona 5gives Joker a chance to interact with customers for example, thereby increasing his Kindness stat.
The social stat system feeds into itself when one stat allows players to unlock activities corresponding to other stats. Using the same flower shop example,Persona 5players can only unlock the part-time jobif they have a Charm stat of 2 or higher. This means to experience as much content as possible,Personaplayers have to spend time doing activities that raise different social stats. Those who likePersonagames for their combat shouldn’t skip out on raising their social stats either, as certain levels are required to progress allies' Confidant levels, which in-turn allows them to create better persona fusions and unlock new skills.
Quizzes Don’t Teach Persona Players Anything
Knowledge is one of the few social stats that has been present in allPersonagames with the system. It governs how well-off the protagonists are academically, and as suchthe most common ways to increase Knowledge(or Academics inPersona 3) are studying or getting the correct answer in quizzes and exams. When players choose to study, a cutscene triggers and the protagonist begins their schoolwork. Sometimes the protagonist will be with one or more of their friends, allowing them to deepen their relationship at the same time. Once the cutscene ends, a text prompt and a small chirp signify that the Knowledge stat has been increased.
Quizzes and exams are different. They present players with random questions to answer, most of which are multiple choice. Choosing the correct answer increases a social stat, while getting it wrong grants players nothing. “Random” is the key word here, as the questions asked rarely have anything to do with the game.One classroom question inPersona 4asks players what the first economic bubble in the world was called. Unless players have that information already in their minds, the only way they can get the answer right is by looking it up online.
Persona 5increased the number of scenarios that ask random questions. Crossword puzzles and game shows give players more opportunities to improve their social stats, but the questions continue having nothing to do with the game itself.This question/answer system inPersonagamespractically requires players to look up a guide to maximize their limited time.Personatitles pride themselves on being time-management games, and players might prefer to spend their time on other activities that don’t involve studying.
Moving forward, it would be best ifPersonagames had better questionsfor their quizzes and exams. These could be questions that require general knowledge or are related to the game. Some questions inPersona 5delve deeper into the main characters' personas - something players will likely be more interested in.Personagames do a great job of immersing players in their world, so asking them questions related to it instead of making players default to a search engine would keep with the immersion.
Persona 5 Royalis available now on PlayStation 4. It will release for PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on Jun 03, 2025.
