Summary
Persona 6is likely to follow in a number of new additions that were found in the series' fifth mainline entry. Given the success ofPersona 5andP5 Royal’s palaces, namely in their use of environmental puzzles and thoughtfully designed layouts, one exploration mechanic could be among this list. The use of the Third Eye ability, helping to pinpoint interactable terrain and enemy levels among other points of interests, could help to supplementPersona 6’s own approach to combat exploration.
Persona 5shook up its level design with pre-designed Palaces, skewing from the use of procedurally generated dungeons in favor of a more structured experience. In turn, this allowed the game and itsRoyalcounterpart to make proper use of puzzles and points of intrigue. With a high level of detail coming from its environmental art direction, the games sought to make these features more approachable for the player with the Third Eye ability; rather than having them scour every inch of a Palace in search of notable interactions, the mechanic let Joker tap into his sixth sense to reveal what should be hidden.
RELATED:Persona 5 Royal Points to an Important Story Pattern Ahead of Persona 6
The Third Eye Mechanic Could Upgrade the Environment in Persona 6
The Third Eye ability had quality-of-life effects on combat, exploration, and even the player’s obtainable inventory. One of its most valuable attributes was in lettingJoker see how Shadow levels compared to the team’s own strength, where the colored outlines of enemies would indicate how formidable the foe was. This helped players make decisions on whether to tackle a difficult enemy while keeping an eye on HP and SP resources. Similarly, the ability to pick up recovery items or treasures, which could later be sold to Iwai for extra spending money, was made easier through the mechanic’s unveiling of searchable objects.
In the case ofPersona 5’s traversal, the Third Eye ability could help players to quickly distinguish places to gain higher ground, which was helpful in both progression and bypassing enemy patrols. The mechanic also helped to highlight cover points for Joker, aiding in the game’s use of stealth and ambushes. There were points along Palace exploration that relied heavily on this, like Sae’s House of Darkness maze, which emphasized the mechanic by obscuring the player’s vision.
The Third Eye ability could be a great feature to continue into the next mainline entry, given that it doesn’t necessarily have to be tied down to theme. Though it coincided well with the heist mechanics ofPersona 5’s Palace infiltrations, its versatility could be explained as a special skill granted to the wild-card user ofPersona 6. With this, Atlus wouldn’t have to contend with making areas of interest in the environment overly obvious to the player. This could allow for similar freedom in art direction, where notable objects and progress points could be well-integrated into the game’s settings without having to stick out.
IfPersona 6chooses to include more involved puzzles and platforming sequences in its combat exploration, then Third Eye could be a boon to players seeking out more hidden points of interest. Similarly, given its occasional use throughout thelife-sim portion ofPersona 5 Royalin areas like the batting cages, the mechanic could see enhanced versatility in both sides ofPersona 6’s gameplay. On the other end, the optional nature of the mechanic would allow players who prefer to seek out their own routes or engage in combat without knowing an enemy’s strength beforehand, limiting their use of the mechanic to only when it is necessary.
Persona 6is currently in development.
MORE:Persona 6 Needs to Preserve One Combat and Dungeon Upgrade in Persona 5 Royal
