LogFAQs > #969737250

If they do a P5 Arena, I fully expect them to bullshit Akechi into the game somehow, like they did with Adachi in P4 Arena Ultimax. Idk why he's in there since I haven't played yet. My friend thinks that last scene is just spinoff bait.

There's really no excuse for Haru being so bland, yeah. Naoto comes similarly late in the plot as a party member, but they have development before joining the party and has depth as a character after as well.

Narrative wise? I feel like 5 hits really high highs but some really low lows too. Okumura arc and Mementos arc specifically are the lows. Nijiima's palace is one of the greatest highs I've seen an RPG story taken. Maruki's palace was just okay, but at least it regrabbed the threads the original ending cast aside. You're right about Joker feeling alone most of the time. When it's just the original 4, you feel a lot closer because Ann and Ryuji playing off of each other hard. The beach arc was good for that too. Other than that? Yeah.

4 did a lot better at making you feel like close friends. Even when Teddie jumped in to ruin things half the time. I also felt the plot flowed a lot better than 5's even though I think the overall premise of 5's and execution of the biggest twist (the traitor) was better. Though getting the true ending is hell for no reason.

I wouldn't say 5 is magnitudes better, just that the things that make it better are millions of tiny things that add up a LOT:

• Quality of life
• Presentation and UI
• More complex battle system
• Detailed dungeons (as opposed to 4's awful generated dungeons that just get progressively longer and more tedious to navigate because it doesn't have a sprint button like 5)
• 4 had better social links imo, but the benefits and quality of life in 5 (you can more easily tell if you are going to rank up with someone, and see who is active in a given day) make them feel more rewarding to do
• Being able to swap between backline party members much easier and giving them equal experience eventually means I'm not using the same 3 party members all game
• More activities to do in 5