According to Atlus, the long-awaitedPersona 6is in development - but so far, the company has remained rather tight-lipped. No release dates or even teaser trailers have been shown, despite the franchise’s recent 25th Anniversary celebration. While they wait forPersona 6news, many fans have looked for and played games that remind them of thePersonaseries in some way.DecaPolice,a recently announced mystery RPG coming sometime in 2023, might just scratch thePersonaitch for some fans.
Announced during the February 8 Nintendo Direct livestream event,DecaPoliceis a brand-new title from Level-5. Level-5 is best known for theProfessor Laytonseries of puzzle games, so it has significant experience with the mystery genre.DecaPolicewill focus on Harvard, an amateur detective assigned to a city with an extremely high crime rate. Although only a single trailer has been revealed so far, gameplay seems to be split between investigating and gathering clues and combat in a virtual world. The game’s focus on mysteries, split between real and virtual worlds, and combat against monsters representing the crimes and criminals all bringPersonato mind.
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The Persona Games Are Known For Their Central Mysteries
While thePersonaseries are not always classified as outright mystery games, each entry in the series has one or more mysteries at the center of its plot. The protagonist and their team must solve these mysteries in order to restore peace to their hometowns.Persona 4is the most straightforward of these, featuring a classic “whodunnit” mystery in which a killer leaves their victims hanging from telephone poles. Between battling with their Personas, the protagonists of each game must investigate by exploring the town, befriending locals, and even seeking out the otherworldlyVelvet Roomfor hints.
Based on the single trailer shown,DecaPolicelooks to focus on a series of smaller crimes rather than one large mystery. Harvard is shown investigating the theft of some jewels and ultimately arresting the perpetrator fairly quickly, giving fans an idea of how these smaller crime investigations might go. However, the presence of a mysterious “Hacker” who is altering the virtual world may indicate that the game does feature a larger mystery. It seems that the crimes will be discovered and investigated by Harvard exploring a large, crowded city that brings to mindPersona 5’sportrayal of Shibuya.
Harvard Investigates in a Virtual World
One element ofDecaPolice’sgameplay highlighted in the original trailer was the Decasim, a virtual reality program that is capable of recreating the real world in perfect detail. Harvard and his fellow detectives use the Decasim both to train their investigative skills and to help solve actual crimes. In the Decasim, Harvard can recreate crime scenes, analyze evidence more quickly, and check more thoroughly around points of interest for clues he might have previously missed. The game is described as taking place in both the real and virtual worlds, a balance thatPersonagames - especiallyPersona 3, Persona 4,andPersona 5- have also struck.
In thePersonagames, the world reshapes itself based on the unconscious desires and fears of the people. Alternately, these changes might occur due to the influence of an unfriendly, powerful monster or god. The protagonist and their team must traverse these otherworldly realms in order to track down their enemies and restore peace and order. EachPersonagame has had a different take on this “alternate world,” fromPersona’stransforming an entire city into a demon-filled labyrinth toPersona 5’sPalaces, which sprung up from the sins committed by their owners. LikePersona 3’sTartarus towerorPersona 4’sTV World,DecaPolice’sDecasim is a unique realm filled with both danger and - for players who look hard enough - the truth behind the city’s mysteries.
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The Virtual World Features Combat Against Monsters
Although the primary gameplay ofDecaPoliceseems to be centered around gathering clues, interrogating suspects, and solving mysteries, the trailer did reveal that a combat element will also be present. Harvard and his associates were shown fighting monsters inside the DecaSim virtual world. These monsters have fantastical designs and seem to be associated with the real-world crimes he is solving. The monsters featured most prominently in the trailer are based on both a jewel thief and the jewels he stole. Harvard and the other detectives must defeat these monsters before they are able to arrest the culprit in the real world.
This is very similar to how monsters and combat are handled in thePersonaseries. The alternate worlds are filled with monsters known as either demons or Shadows that represent the doubts, fears, and vices of humanity. Some take the form of creatures from various mythologies such as fairies, angels, or spirits. Boss monsters, known as Shadows inPersona 4andPalace Owners inPersona 5, are typically representations of people who are suffering or have committed some sort of sin. LikeDecaPolice,the cast of eachPersonagame must fight their way through these monsters to either help the affected person heal or expose their crimes in reality.
Fans who are waiting forPersona 6will likely be waiting quite a while long, as no information has been revealed except that a new installment in the series is in development.DecaPoliceis just one of many options thatPersonafans can check out during the long wait forPersona 6.Other options include fellow Atlus titles such asShin Megami Tensei 5or the recently releasedSoul Hackers 2.Alternately, fans can replay earlierPersonagames, asPersona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden,andPersona 5 Royalare currently being ported to new platforms, including PC and Nintendo Switch. There are plenty ofPersonaandPersona-adjacent games to fill the time beforePersona 6’srelease.DecaPolice,with its similar themes, style, and gameplay, is a great choice for any fan of thePersonaseries who might be looking to try something new.
DecaPolicewill release sometime in 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.
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