If you are looking for the perfect list featuring all the Persona games in order, then you have landed on the right page, as that’s exactly what you’ll find below!
Only a few game franchises in the market have managed to go hard for long decades. And even fewer have had the same impact on the gaming community. One such popular franchise is Persona!
A product of Atlus and Sega, Persona is a Japanese RPG game dating back to 1996. Interestingly, this massive franchise is a spin-off series of Shin Megami Tensei games that are pretty popular in Japan. Persona 4 and 5 were the turning point for the entire franchise as both the titles brought some serious attention to the whole franchise.
A series that dates back to 1996 and still witnesses new installments becomes quite hard to keep track of. That is why we’re here making the ultimate list of all the Persona games ever released!
Persona Games In Order (2022 Edition)
In this listicle, we will talk about all the Persona games and list them in the release order. Furthermore, we’ll also order the games based on their timeline. To keep things simple, we’ll divide the games into categories such as main installments, spin-offs, and so on.
With that out of the way, let’s jump right into all the games in the Persona franchise.
Around six Persona games fall under the main installment, and then we have quite a few in the spin-offs. We’ll also talk about the remake version of the games.
Persona Games – Main Installments
1. Revelations: Persona (1996)
Released on: September 20, 1996
Available for: Windows, PlayStation
Revelations: Persona is the first game in the franchise that was released way back in 1996. The game was a result of Shin Megami Tensei’s success. The developers decided to serve this title as a spin-off RPG allowing players to experience the struggles of young adult life. Unlike most Japanese RPGs, Persona had something different going for itself.
Instead of setting up in a fantasy world, Revelations: Persona was about the modern day with some supernatural powers. A group of young adults can summon Personas, and demons start coming to their town once the word is out.
From the get-go, the game had some interesting aspects to its gameplay. One such thing was the multiple story paths. In the first story path, you fight against a giant corporation known as SEBEC, short for Saeki Electronics & Biological & Energy Corporation. On the other path, the gameplay deals with a mask with demonic powers underneath.
2. Persona 2: Innocent Sin (1999)
Released on: June 24, 1999
Available for: PlayStation
After the immense success of Persona, the developers turned the spin-off into an actual series by bringing a second installment. The wait was worth it as the title also performed well in the market.
Persona 2: Innocent Sin had the same gameplay experience with only a slight difference. Even the storyline followed a similar structure to Persona.
Of course, there were few improvements and new character designs. It was more of a fresh story baked on the same working formula. Well, the idea worked well. Coming to the storyline, once again, you play a young adult from Seven Sisters High School, and you are up against a villain called the Joker.
The game became one of the top 100 best-selling games in Japanese in the same year of release.
3. Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (2000)
Released on: June 29, 2000
Available for: PlayStation
It turned out that Persona 2 was a duology as the developers brought another installment with a similar name a year later. Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is the third main installment in the franchise. This title took place in a different timeline than the previous title.
You play as Maya Amano, who is trying to investigate the Joker Curse. In this title, you get to witness the real culprit behind the Joker namesake.
Both of the Persona 2 parts work together to a final ending, making them an absolute delight. The storyline of this installment was quite intense and better than the previous two titles.
4. Persona 3 (2006)
Released on: July 13, 2006
Available for: PlayStation 2
With the duology of Persona 2, Sega decided to take a prolonged halt to bring an improved version and something new to the market.
Persona 3 sets a new bar in the franchise and is even considered one of the best titles. The developers added a unique combat style and many new additions and improvements. It also brought social links and dating elements into the gameplay. It also added level-up mechanics where you would have to keep increasing your level to survive in the game.
In this title, you are a high school student who has joined a special task force to learn more about the Dark Hour. For those unaware, Dark Hour is a time of the day when creatures called Shadows feeds on the minds of human.
With some interesting new additions, Persona 3 built a foundation strong enough to support the forthcoming installments.
5. Persona 4 (2008)
Released on: July 10, 2008
Available for: PlayStation 2
At this point in the Persona games in order list, Sega decided not to repeat the same working formula of Persona 3. Instead, they decided to do something different.
Looking at the gameplay, you will not find any significant difference between the two titles. Even the graphics are somewhat similar. There are, of course, a few minor differences. For instance, Persona 4 gives you complete control over your team members as you can also control them.
Unlike Persona 3, the entire storyline is not that dark and sad but is more on the lighter side. Like the whole franchise, you are a high school student who recently relocates to the countryside. And as expected, you find yourself caught in a murder mystery investigation.
Persona 4 brought some nifty features, such as a weather forecast control system. Using this, you can plan your various quests, which were super awesome back in the day.
All of these new additions and a whole new different storyline made Persona 4 the most popular installment in the franchise to this date. The title made this series reach out to multiple gaming communities.
6. Persona 5 (2016)
Released on: September 15, 2016
Available for: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
Sega and Atlus once again decided to take a big break and temporarily put the pause on new main installments. After a whopping 8 years, we got ourselves the next-generation Persona 5, which became the best game so far.
The developers improved every single aspect of the game, from gameplay to graphics. That was expected, considering a lot was changed in technology within these eight years.
Many game critics and gamers consider this title a new and fresh layer in the franchise. The gameplay was now following new cel-shaped graphics and a very interactive user interface. A host of new functionality was added for a much more surreal and immersive experience.
In Persona 5, you follow a new student in your high school who was recently transferred to the premises. You team with the student to become the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. In doing so, your goal is to end the tyranny of corrupt adults.
Persona Games in Order: Spin-Off Installments
While the main installment has around six titles, the same is not the case with spin-offs. Throughout the breaks Sega and Atlus took, the developers kept bringing spin-offs to keep the community active and fulfilled.
1. Megami Ibunroklu Persona Digital Collection (1998)
Released in: 1998
Available for: Windows
The first spin-off installment in this franchise dates back to 1998 and is dubbed Megami Ibunroklu Persona Digital Collection. It is a mini-game collection that interestingly acts as a sequel to the original title. It was a Japan-exclusive title, so not many fans have played the game.
The storyline picks up from where the original title left things off. The story revolves around festival events where students participate, intending to collect tickets. The collection contains around 12 mini-games in the form of puzzles, questions, shooting targets, karaoke, and much more.
The collection delivers new insight into the storyline, but gameplay-wise, it was very different from the original. Hence, the reason behind no global launch.
2. Persona 4 Arena (2012)
Released on: March 1, 2012
Available for: Arcade, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Persona 4 Arena is the next spin-off in the series designed specifically for the Arcade experience. Hence, the gameplay followed a 2D universe. The game also brought the freedom to choose characters and had the cast from Persona 4 and Persona 3.
Once again, the story revolves around high school students investigating and finding themselves fighting demons. This time you will be investigating the P-1 Grand Prix fighting tournament.
Person 4 Arena was the first game to bring multiple gameplay modes: Arcade, Challenge, Score Attack, Training, and Versus. It also brought an online multiplayer gameplay experience.
The idea behind the game was to take it to multiple doors. Sega managed to do precisely that as those who had never explored the franchise played the arcade. As a result, Persona received a lot of positive criticism and attention that it had never witnessed earlier.
3. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (2013)
Released on: November 28, 2013
Available for: Arcade, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Switch, PC
Looking at the immense success of Persona 4 Arena, the developers decided to bring a sequel, and once again, it was in the Arcade format. The storyline followed the same approach as the investigation of the P-1 Climax. Of course, many things were improved and refined to deliver a solid gaming experience.
With Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, the franchise showed that it listens to fans’ feedback. The game improved many things suggested by none other than the loyal fans of the franchise.
4. Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (2014)
Released on: June 5, 2014
Available for: Nintendo 3DS
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth was the combination of two different Persona games and was launched as a spin-off. It was designed for Nintendo 3DS as the publishers’ wanted to capture the growing 3DS market. In this spin-off, we again witness characters from Persona 3 and Persona 4.
For the storyline, you travel through time and space to explore dungeons that look like labyrinths. The goal here is to reunite with your friends.
5. Persona 4: Dancing All Night (2015)
Released on: June 25, 2015
Available for: PS Vita, PS4
Persona 4: Dancing All Night might be the least expected spin-off that ended up released. As the name suggests, it’s a dance-off title where you control characters from Persona 4. You dance to various music tracks that have already garnered popularity thanks to the previous franchise titles.
The title brought two gameplay modes: Story and Free Dance. Free Dance is when you want to dance simply for fun. On the other hand, the story brings you several stages following an exciting storyline.
6. Persona 3: Dancing in the Moonlight (2018)
Released on: May 24, 2018
Available for: PS Vita, PS4
Now, things get a bit confusing over here. For some weird reason, Atlus ended up naming the next spin-off Persona 3: Dancing in the Moonlight.
While it is a sequel, it does sound like a prequel to the community. The developers improved the previous spin-off even further and added new features resulting in this one. Most of the experience remained the same, including the gameplay modes.
7. Persona 5: Dancing in the Starlight (2018)
Released on: May 24, 2018
Available for: PS Vita, PS4
On the same day as Dancing in the Moonlight, the developers announced a new title dubbed Persona 5: Dancing in the Starlight. It also offered a similar experience but with new music tracks. Once again, you encounter a series of rhythm-based challenges throughout the gameplay.
8. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (2018)
Released on: November 29, 2018
Available for: Nintendo 3DS
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth made a Q-series duology exclusive to Nintendo 3DS. It was designed for handheld consoles, and the game featured characters from the previous Persona 3 and Persona 4. To top things off, it also had characters from Persona 5.
The storyline focuses on the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, who wants to escape a twisted Hollywood movie nightmare.
The title followed the same gameplay experience as the previous Persona Q. It also tasted some decent success thanks to the dungeon crawler RPG experience.
9. Persona 5: Strikers (2020)
Released on: February 20, 2020
Available for: PC, PS4, Switch
Persona 5: Strikers is the latest spin-off installment in the growing franchise. The title brings a unique gameplay experience with the timeline set after Persona 5. You can think of it as a Persona 5 sequel that continues the story in a spin-off way. The story revolves around Phantom Thieves during the summer vacation.
The gameplay experience was very different and focused more on waves of enemies that kept coming one after the other. The real-time hack n’ slash combat experience made this game well-received for Nintendo Switch. So far, the title has garnered positive reviews for all the platforms.
Persona Games: Remakes and Ports
1. Persona 3 FES (2007)
Released on: April 19, 2007
Available for: PS2
Considering the immense success of Persona 3, the developers decided to bring a remake for the next-gen consoles, essentially acting as a port as well.
The devs added 30 hours of additional gameplay in this remake to attract new players. Furthermore, the game also introduces a new character named Aegis. It also brought some unique features such as more difficulty options.
2. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (2009)
Released on: April 29, 2009
Available for: PSP
The installment witnessed a new title dubbed Shin Megami Tensei: Persona to revamp the original game’s experience.
It was also an enhanced port for the PlayStation Portable console. We saw new, improved graphics, cut-scenes, soundtracks, and more. We even saw improvements in combat mechanism, which now feels much more immersive.
3. Persona 3 Portable (2009)
Released on: November 1, 2009
Available for: PSP
Looking at the success of Revelations: Persona port, the devs decided to bring a new remake and port in the same year. This time Persona 3 was treated with these new improvements for the PSP consoles. We saw two characters along with new difficulty modes. The game received mixed reviews from the community.
4. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 – Innocent Sin (2011)
Released on: April 14, 2011
Available for: PSP
Till now, PSP users were treated with two remakes – one for the original title and the other for the third-gen installment. It was time to fill the gap with the remake of Persona 2: Innocent Sin.
Of course, we saw an updated user interface, remastered soundtracks, and somewhat improved graphics. As the name suggests, the title was Japan-exclusive instead.
5. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 – Eternal Punishment (2012)
Released on: May 17, 2012
Available for: PSP
Soon after, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment was also released on PSP with improved visuals and gameplay. The company brought all its main installments to the console with this remake. The title saw a new scenario focusing on Tatsuya’s activities before joining the party.
6. Persona 4 Golden (2012)
Released on: June 14, 2012
Available for: PS Vita, Windows
As mentioned earlier, Persona 4 was the game that revamped the entire franchise. It was a crucial time to remaster the title for the new devices. Finally, Sega brought the much-awaited title to PlayStation Vita and Windows.
We saw numerous additions and improvements to the game to keep things fresh. The developers also customized the user experience to be more in touch with PSP Vita, and we saw the game leveraging the wireless networking features of the Vita.
7. Persona 5 Royal (2019)
Released on: October 31, 2019
Available for: PS4, PS5
Persona 5 Royal is the company’s latest remake and a port that makes the game available for current-gen PlayStations, namely PS4 and PS5. We saw the same tactics of adding more content to attract more gamers. We saw the addition of new characters such as Kasumi, Takuto, Jose, and more. As a bonus, there was a third-semester storyline.
This remake acted as a breath of fresh air and, as a result, received a lot of popularity among the gaming community.
Persona Games in Fan Recommended Order
After looking at so many titles, you might now already be confused about where to start the game. The Persona community has already created a gameplay order you can follow. This order keeps things fresh and exciting for you and also makes the entire series a whole lot of fun.
With that said, let’s talk about the recommended order to play Persona games.
- Persona 5 Royal – a remake available for PS4 and PS4
- Persona 4 Golden – a remake available for PS2, PSV, PC
- Persona 3 – available for PS2, PSP
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin – available for PS and PSP
- Persona 2: Eternal Punishment – available for PS and PSP
- Revelations: Persona – available for PS, PC, and PSP
This gameplay order promises to deliver the latest gaming experience without missing any key storyline details of the franchise. Apart from the games mentioned above, you can then try to explore the spin-offs title if you’re able to find them in stores.
Conclusion
In this comprehensive listicle, we have discussed all the Persona titles, from main installments to spin-offs to the remakes, in a concise manner.
Since the franchise dates back to 1996, we have witnessed the release of many titles. While the main installment is relatively concise, the same is not the case with spin-offs. To top things off, the remakes, which come with an entirely different title, make things very confusing.
Hopefully, after reading this listicle, you get a clear idea of all the Persona games ever released and the recommended order to dive into this franchise. Sadly, the latest titles are more focused on the PlayStation platform than other devices or consoles.
But now that you know all about the Persona games in order, it’s now time to dive into the series and start playing the game one by one!
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