WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Persona 5 Strikers, releasing Feb. 23.
Players first diving into Persona 5 Strikers may find themselves at odds with the game's first area, the Shibuya Jail. The Phantom Thieves are shaking off some rust in order to learn just how the Metaverse could still be accessible.
Shibuya isn't too hard as it's primarily focused on setting up Strikers' plot and various tutorials for the characters. However, don't get too comfortable; Alice is no pushover, and the various mini-bosses she's got guarding her Castle can lay waste to careless teams in a heartbeat.
There's not a lot to do with the first infiltration except for following the prompts. This section is mostly a combat tutorial, as well as introducing some plot elements. Upon their first arrival in Shibuya Jail, a trio of Phantom Thieves -- Joker, Ryuji and Morgana -- find themselves attacked by waves of enemies. Complete the combat tutorial, and the story will advance.
Overwhelmed, the three Thieves are captured and thrown into the Underground Waterway. They're able to escape with help from Sophie, an Artificial Intelligence who joins the team. As an AI, Sophie doesn't have a Persona; instead, she approximates one called Pithos and uses simulacrums of spells. Sophie's ability to heal the team and debuff enemies is crucial, so make sure you're using them in battles.
On your way out, you'll be faced with a mini-boss: Bicorn. Fortunately, Bicorn is weak to Wind, which Morgana just so happens to specialize in. Exploit the weakness to put this foe down for the count and exit the Waterway -- and the Jail. With Sophie joining the Thieves, they regroup with their friends to return for the first proper infiltration of the Shibuya Jail to investigate Alice and learn what exactly these new Jails are.
Returning to Shibuya, you'll be able to change your party for the first time. There are several standard enemies here -- Pixie, Jack o' Lantern, Bicorn and Silky being the most common. Combat is focused on countering weaknesses, but just one character on their own can't counter everything. Sure, Joker's the Wild Card who can use multiple Personas, and he can sub out for one or two elementals you're missing, but to really stretch your SP, especially in the early game, you'll want to find a nice balance.
You're required to have Joker in your party, but the rest of the team is up to you. Most commonly, Shibuya's enemies are weak to Fire, Wind and Ice, so a party that includes Ann, Morgana and Isuke will typically be able to counter everything. However, consider swapping one of them for Sophia, whose healing magic can be vital in the game's early hours.
You'll also want to keep an eye on your gauges. HP and SP are low at first, and buying items to restore HP and SP quickly gets expensive. If anyone's SP is getting low, it may be better to swap them out for another member at a checkpoint rather than use a healing item.
The second infiltration is largely more tutorial. You'll learn a few more tricks as you enter and make your way to 705, which notably has the game's first checkpoint. You'll find several of these throughout every Jail in the game, and you should absolutely use them. There's no reason to be afraid of leaving a Jail; you can return at any checkpoint and pick up where you left off, so use this to your advantage to replenish HP or SP and restock your supplies and equipment.
Heading to the 705, you'll discover a new problem: the Castle is cut off, and spotlights will alert the enemies in the area of your presence. You'll need to find a way to sneak in and obtain the Jail's Cores to disable the spotlights. Sophia will direct you back to the Underground Waterway, a means of sneaking into the Castle from underneath. Don't forget to activate the second checkpoint on your way.
Inside the Underground Waterway, you'll find a vent that will allow you into a new area previously inaccessible. Navigate this path to reach Maruku City tower. There's no mini-boss for this one, so the Core is relatively free. However, you will have to defeat a large swathe of enemies at the base of the Tower before you can move up.
The Thieves collect the Core -- a Pop Idol Dress that is part of Alice's fashion line -- and briefly discuss the Cores. They're similar to a Palaces Treasure but instead seem to be powering a safeguard in the Jail. With this Core taken, you'll be able to make your way to Miyamae Park.
The second Core is beyond a control panel, which will introduce the game's most common mini-game sequence. In order to open the door to this Tower, Futaba must hack a nearby terminal. However, Futaba's Persona is a Support class, and she has no combat ability. You'll have to defend Futaba until she can complete the hack as waves of enemies swarm.
Make sure you're prepared for this one. You can get Futaba better Gear to allow her to withstand attacks; you can find the first of several Hacker Gear armors in a Treasure Chest in the park. Also, take note that you can heal Futaba at any time, so keep an eye on her health. Use your abilities wisely to conquer the waves; a Showtime attack will typically kill everything in one go, affording you a few moments to regroup, so utilize Baton Passes to raise your meter and don't waste Showtime on a few enemies. Once Futaba's hack reaches 100%, the enemies will dissipate and the door will open.
You'll face the Heavenly Punisher mini-boss inside the Tower. He's weak to Electric and Curse attacks, so Ryuji and Joker are ideal to dish out damage. Drop the Heavenly Punisher, and you'll obtain the second Core, UN/UN July, a magazine that features Alice on the cover.
With the second Core obtained, you'll head to Bunkamachi off Shibuya Central Street. You'll find another door locked behind a powered down terminal. Use your Third Eye to examine the area and navigate the rooftops to find and turn on the three power consoles in the vicinity. Once you've done so, return to the terminal, and Futaba will begin the hack. Survive the onslaught until Futaba's done, and you'll gain access to Bunkamachi.
Bunkamchi's Tower doesn't have easy access, but it does have a nearby Ferris wheel with streamers leading to it. Avoid or defeat Shadows to reach the Ferris wheel and the area's final mini-boss, Mokoi. Mokoi is weak to Wind, which makes Morgana a prime choice to lead the attack. Once Mokoi is down for the count, you can activate the Ferris wheel to tighten the streamer, then use it to cross to the Tower and gain the final Core, a copy of Alice's CD "Macron Cannon." From this, the Thieves conclude that the Cores are representative of what's most important to the Monarch, and offer a glimpse into their tortured psyche. For Alice, it's an overwhelming desire to be adored and beloved.
The CD is the final Core, but the main gate still poses a problem. To make matter worse, the stolen Cores have alerted Alice, who has reinforced the main gate with more Shadows. Up against a wall, the Thieves return to the real world to determine how best to storm the Castle Keep.
No point in being subtle; Alice knows you're coming now. Returning to the Jail, the Thieves go to work disabling defenses and opening the main gate to the Keep while Joker makes as much noise as possible at the entrance for a distraction. Once enough time has passed, your party will join you, and you're on to the Castle Keep.
The first room is the hardest part about the Keep. The elevator is only activated with a number of switches that have to be pressed in the right order; otherwise, Shadows attack you. Using your Third Eye, you can follow footprints on the ground to identify the correct switches and order. From there, you'll fight your way up a few levels until you reach the Keep itself.
The Castle's Keep is home to the Birdcage of Lust, which holds the Desires of the citizens of Shibuya. The Thieves are ready to fight Alice to reclaim the stolen Desires, but are faced with two problems: the Desires aren't in a solid, obtainable form, and Ryuji runs face-first into a wall of painful buzzing energy trying to charge in. It's the Thieves' first encounter with the Lock that secures each Tower, and the mystery of the lock (as well as how to make the Desires take a physical form) requires you to return to the real world to find a solution.
Making the Desires solid is easy enough with the Phantom Thieves' traditional Calling Card tactic, but the Lock is a real problem, and opening it won't be easy. However, by counting on some friends in the real world and exploring Shibuya, the Phantom Thieves can surely find a way to face Alice and change her heart.
Developed by Omega Force and P-Studio and published by Atlus, Persona 5 Strikers will be available for Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Steam on Feb. 23.
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