Persona 5 Strikers preview: A new way to play with the Phantom Thieves

Another Iconic Soundtrack

Persona 5’s soundtrack is iconic and remembered as one of, if not, the best soundtracks in all of gaming. Great song after great song that is funky, inspiring, and exciting all at the same time.

“Last Surprise” “Whims of Fate” “Rivers in the Desert” “Life will Change” and “Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There” are not just some of the best video game songs, they are some of the best songs ever. We are not even talking about the additions in Persona 5 Royal like “Throw Away your Mask” or the amazing and infallible “I Believe.” Then there is “Tokyo Emergency” “New Beginning” “Awakening” “Tension” “Will Power” “Blooming Villain” “Endless Days” “My Homie” “Have A Short Rest” “Sunset Bridge” “Treading on Scorched Sands” “When Mother Was There” “Life Goes On” “Sweet” “So Boring” “Our Beginning” (I unironically play this song when I am feeling low and need a good pick me and a reminder that I can handle it) and the amazingly great and unforgettable “Hymn of the Soul” and “Swear To My Bones.” The Persona series is known for its great soundtracks, but nothing stands even close to the P5 and P5R soundtracks.

Persona 5 Strikers soundtrack is just as strong as its predecessors, thanks in large part to the return of the people responsible for making the prior two. Lyn is an extremely talented artist who has been working closely with Atlus and the Persona team since the development of P5, and it is no surprise that she shines throughout this soundtrack. She wrote just as many original songs for Persona 5 Strikers as she did for P5R which is crazy, especially when considering that she also recorded a few songs for their Remix versions.  Every song she wrote for the album is a banger from the funk-rock “Daredevil” to the soulful pop OP “You are Stronger” to the, and I kid you not, organ-led funk track “Axe to Grind.”

Then there are the remix songs, which are songs from the original P5 soundtrack redone and performed in a much heavier, and tonally fitting, fashion. Not only do these tracks rock and make the player feel even more powerful, but they also just give off the impression that the band is having a ton of fun making them, which always makes music more enjoyable. This becomes especially apparent in the “Rivers in the Desert” remix, which now has three separate guitar solos and sounds more like a bunch of musicians showing off then a recorded song.

There is not a bad track on this soundtrack, which is crazy for just how many songs are in this game, and even if everything else in the game were not nearly perfect, it would almost be worth playing the game for the music.

Should You Play Persona 5 Strikers?

Yes. If you like the Persona series, especially P5, then this game is for you. It is more time with the Phantom Thieves and the Metaverse, with more wonderful music like the base game provided.

Even if you did not like P5, or do not have an opinion on it, this game is still probably for you. It is a perfect marriage between two genres of gaming that are growing quickly in popularity and probably will have a huge impact on modern gaming moving forward. There is a reason that not many developers have tried turned based combat since P5 and this game is probably going to do the same to action RPGs and “warriors” style games. This game will have an impact on your Final Fantasy VII Remakes and Kingdom Hearts moving forward.

If all else fails to convince you, play it because it is an amazing game that will blow you away at almost every level possible.

Persona 5 Strikers releases for PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC on February 20, which will be around the same time that we release our full review.