We normally give you our opinion on the games we review, but from now on, at least for major releases, it's going to go both ways. Today, we publish the result of our first DualShockers Survey, that gave you, our readers, a chance to tell us (and everyone else) what you think about Persona 5.
The survey was conducted between April 23rd and April 29th, asking a variety of questions on Atlus' recently released JRPG, from the overall scores to favorite characters and much more.
769 of you responded, giving you some really interesting insight on how the game was received by our readers.
Below, you can find the full results, and if you responded, you can compare your answers with those of your fellow readers.
Before you check the results out, you can also enjoy our full review in case you missed it. And if you enjoyed this survey, fear not, because more will come soon.
What platform did You play Persona 5 on?
(769 responses)
- PS4 - 715 votes (93%)
- PS3 - 37 votes (4.8%)
- Both PS4 and PS3 - 17 votes (2.2%)
No surprises here, most played the game on PS4, as the PS3 user base dwindles.
Did you finish Persona 5?
(759 responses)
- Yes - 409 votes (53.9%)
- No - 350 votes (46.1%)
How long did you play Persona 5?
(767 responses)
- Under 5 hours - 12 votes (1.6%)
- Between 6 and 10 hours - 15 votes (2%)
- Between 11 and 25 hours - 47 votes (6.1%)
- Between 26 and 50 hours - 110 votes (14.3%)
- Between 51 and 75 hours - 113 votes (14.7%)
- Between 76 and 100 hours - 162 votes (21.1%)
- Over 100 hours - 308 votes (40.2%)
Persona 5 is a very long game. It took our reviewer over 150 hours to finally be ready to write on it, and apparently our readers are enjoying the game for a long time as well, with almost half still enjoying their high school life before the end.
Were you satisfied by the game's volume and length?
(763 responses)
- Very satisfied - 641 votes (84%)
- Satisfied - 88 votes (11.5%)
- Neutral - 27 votes (3.5%)
- Not satisfied - 4 votes (0.5%)
- Very unsatisfied - 3 votes (0.4%)
Considering the length of the game, it isn't very surprising that a large majority of our readers is very satisfied with the volume of content offered.
Give a score to Persona 5 from 0 to 10
(762 responses)
Average score: 9.414698163
While we gave Persona 5 a 9.0, the average of the scores given by our readers finds the game closer to a 9.5, with the majority of the survey's respondents awarding it a full 10.
How does Persona 5 compare with the rest of the Persona series for you?
(754 responses)
- The best - 382 votes (50.6%)
- One of the best - 340 votes (45%)
- Average - 25 votes (3.3%)
- One of the worst - 5 votes (0.7%)
- The worst - votes - 2 (0.3%)
How does Persona 5 compare with the rest of the games released so far in 2017?
(765 responses)
- The best - 344 votes (45%)
- One of the best - 399 votes (52.2%)
- Average - 16 votes (2.1%)
- One of the worst - 6 votes (0.8%)
- The worst - 0 votes (0%)
Over 50% of the respondents finds the game to be the best among the Persona series, while 45% thinks there is at least one better Persona game, but this one is still close.
On the other hand, 45% of the respondents finds that Persona 5 is the best game of 2017 so far, while 52% thinks it's one of the best.
Are you usually a JRPG player?
(764 responses)
- JRPGs are my favorite kind of games - 386 votes (50.5%)
- JRPGs are one of my favorite kinds of games, but not my favorite - 288 votes (37.7%)
- I'm neutral towards JRPGs - 61 votes (8%)
- I normally don't like JRPGs - 27 votes (3.5%)
- I normally hate JRPGs - 2 votes (0.3%)
Slightly over half of our respondents holds JRPGs as their favorite genre, while just south of 37% has at least one genre they like more, but they still enjoy JRPGs more than most.
What language did you use for voices?
(765 responses)
- Japanese - 229 votes (29.9%)
- English - 416 votes (53.6%)
- Both - 126 votes (16.5%)
The majority of our respondents played the game with English voice overs, but 30% preferred to switch to Japanese using the free DLC.
Did you like Persona 5's story?
(764 responses)
- I loved it - 547 votes (71.6%)
- I liked it - 179 votes (23.4%)
- It was decent - 32 votes (4.1%)
- I didn't like it - 6 votes (0.8%)
- I hated it - 0 votes (0%)
Our readers were overwhelmingly in favor of the story, with a negligible percentage thinking that it was decent or less.
Did you like Persona 5's graphics and art style?
(765 responses)
- I loved them - 701 votes (91.6%)
- I liked them - 50 votes (6.5%)
- They were decent - 9 votes (1.2%)
- I didn't like them - 3 votes (0.4%)
- I hated them - 2 votes (0.3%)
Persona 5's art style and graphics were the most successful among our readers, with 91.6% awarding them with the most positive rating.
Did you like Persona 5's music?
(761 responses)
- I loved it - 634 votes (83.3%)
- I liked it - 104 votes (13.7%)
- It was decent - 17 votes (2.2%)
- I didn't like it - 5 votes (0.7%)
- I hated it - 0 votes (0%)
Shoji Meguro's music was also welcomed by very positive ratings, with over 80% of our respondents awarding the score with the highest results. Absolutely no one voted the most negative option.
Did you like Persona 5's characters?
(764 responses)
- I loved them - votes 529 (69.2%)
- I liked them - votes 198 (25.9%)
- they were decent - 23 votes (3%)
- I didn't like them - 12 votes (1.6%)
- I hated them - 2 votes (0.3%)
The vast majority of our readers loved the characters of the game, but the result was slightly less positive than other aspects of the game.
Did you like Persona 5's gameplay?
(762 responses)
- I loved it - 614 votes (80.6%)
- I liked it - 124 votes (16.3%)
- It was decent - 20 votes (2.6%)
- I didn't like it - 4 votes (0.5%)
- I hated it - 0 votes (0%)
Gameplay was also received very warmly, with 80% of our readers who responded to the survey awarding it with the best result. Absolutely no one voted the worst option.
Did you like Persona 5's English localization?
(761 responses)
- I loved it - 333 votes (43.8%)
- I liked it - 287 votes (37.7%)
- It was decent - 120 votes (15.8%)
- I didn't like it - 18 votes (2.4%)
- I hated it - 3 votes (0.4%)
While most enjoyed the localization, results here are a bit less overwhelming, with a sizable percentage that found it just decent.
Did you like Persona 5's Japanese voice overs?
(738 responses)
- I loved them - 418 votes (56.6%)
- I liked them - 224 votes (30.4%)
- they were decent - 81 votes (11%)
- I didn't like them - 13 votes (1.8%)
- I hated them - 2 votes (0.3%)
Did you like Persona 5's English voice overs?
(761 responses)
- I loved them - 297 votes (39%)
- I liked them - 254 votes (33.4%)
- they were decent - 150 votes (19.7%)
- I didn't like them - 44 votes (5.8%)
- I hated them - 16 votes (2.1%)
While most enjoyed both the Japanese and English voice overs, results were definitely more positive for the Japanese voices, that received over 56% "I loved them" votes, while English voice overs settle at 39%.
How important is the presence of Japanese voice overs for you in a game like this?
(764 responses)
- Indispensible, I won't buy it without Japanese voice overs - 80 votes (10.5%)
- Very important - 245 votes (32.1%)
- Quite important - 115 votes (15.1%)
- Neutral - 180 votes (23.6%)
- Meh, I really don't care - 129 votes (16.9%)
- Useless, publishers shouldn't waste their resources on Japanese voice overs - 15 votes (2%)
How important is the presence of English voice overs for you in a game like this?
(761 responses)
- Indispensible, I won't buy it without English voice overs - 77 votes (10.1%)
- Very important - 230 votes (30.2%)
- Quite important - 120 votes (15.8%)
- Neutral - 184 votes (24.2%)
- Meh, I really don't care - 102 votes (13.4%)
- Useless, publishers shouldn't waste their resources on English voice overs - 48 votes (6.3%)
Interestingly, results on the importance of the inclusion of Japanese or English voice overs are very similar, with a slight edge for Japanese voice acting. The most relevant difference is that 6.3% of respondents deems English voice overs a waster of resources, while only 2% feels the same about Japanese voice overs.
Who is your favorite female character?
(755 responses)
- Makoto Nijima - 248 votes (32.8%)
- Haru Okumura - 35 votes (4.6%)
- Ann Takamaki - 117 votes (15.5%)
- Futaba Sakura - 146 votes (19.3%)
- Chihaya Mifune - 4 votes (0.5%)
- Caroline - 8 votes (1.1%)
- Justine - 5 votes (0.7%)
- Tae Takemi - 75 votes (9.9%)
- Sadayo Kawakami - 79 votes (10.5%)
- Ichiko Ohya - 3 votes (0.4%)
- Hifumi Togo - 26 votes (3.4%)
- Sae Nijima - 9 votes (1.2%)
Makoto takes the stage as best girl with a landslide win, followed at a distance by Futaba. Among the ladies outside the party, Sadayo Kawakami takes the crown. It'd be interesting to know if that's due to a teacher's charms, or the undeniable advantages she offers.
Who is your most disliked female character?
(711 responses)
- Makoto Nijima - 16 votes (2.3%)
- Haru Okumura - 69 votes (9.7%)
- Ann Takamaki - 55 votes (7,7%)
- Futaba Sakura - 31 votes (4.4%)
- Chihaya Mifune - 66 votes (9.3%)
- Caroline - 88 votes (12.4%)
- Justine - 56 votes (7.9%)
- Tae Takemi - 11 votes (1.5%)
- Sadayo Kawakami - 27 votes (3.8%)
- Ichiko Ohya - 203 votes (28.6%)
- Hifumi Togo - 22 votes (3.1%)
- Sae Nijima - 67 votes (9.4%)
Journalist Ichiko Ohya confirms her position as the most disliked among the ladies, having also received the least votes as favorite. Among party members, Haru is the one our readers found less appealing. Punk doctor Tae Takemi appears to be the least hated among the ladies.
Who is your favorite male character?
(750 responses)
- Hero - 233 votes (31.1%)
- Yusuke Kitagawa - 136 votes (18.1%)
- Morgana - 83 votes (11.1%)
- Ryuji Sakamoto - 116 votes (15.5%)
- Sojiro Sakura - 82 votes (10.9%)
- Igor - 19 votes (2.5%)
- Toranosuke Yoshida - 16 votes (2.1%)
- Munehisa Iwai - 17 votes (2.3%)
- Shinya Oda - 4 votes (0.5%)
- Goro Akechi - 37 votes (4.9%)
- Yuuki Mishima - 7 votes (0.9%)
Unsurprisingly, our nameless hero takes the top spot among male characters, with stoic artist Yosuke Kitagawa following at a distance. Among non-playable confidants, Sojiro's gruff mannerism was the most liked by our readers.
Who is your most disliked male character?
(721 responses)
- Hero - 12 votes (1.7%)
- Yusuke Kitagawa - 32 votes (4.4%)
- Morgana - 76 votes (10.5%)
- Ryuji Sakamoto - 115 votes (16%)
- Sojiro Sakura - 21 votes (2.9%)
- Igor - 47 votes (6.5%)
- Toranosuke Yoshida - 46 votes (6.4%)
- Munehisa Iwai - 23 votes (3.2%)
- Shinya Oda - 66 votes (9.2%)
- Goro Akechi - 173 votes (24%)
- Yuuki Mishima - 110 votes (15.3%)
Goro Akechi is the most hate among male characters. Few like a pretty boy who seems too perfect. Among party members, Ryuji is the most disliked, unsurprisingly, since his overly instinctive attitude could be considered unpleasant by many. Morgana also received a sizable number of negative votes, you'll read why below.
Are you eager to hear about Persona 6?
(748 responses)
- I can't wait! I love the series - 531 votes (71%)
- I'm curious, but I don't mind waiting - 197 votes (26.3%)
- I'm neutral - 14 votes (1.9%)
- I'm not interested - 4 votes (0.5%)
- I don't care at all. I hate the Persona series now - 2 votes (0.3%)
Would you buy a Persona 5 spin-off like Persona 5 Arena Ultimax or Persona 5: Dancing All Night?
(747 responses)
- YES! - 316 votes (42.3%)
- Probably - 173 votes (23.2%)
- Possibly - 139 votes (18.6%)
- Probably not - 78 votes (10.4%)
- I'm not interested at all - 41 votes (5.1%)
Unsurprisingly, most of our readers can't wait to know what the Persona series has in store for the future, even if the percentage of those interested in spin-off games are significantly lower.
If Atlus considered expanding Persona 5 to another platform, which one would you choose?
(756 responses)
- None. It's good enough on PS4 andPS3 - 269 votes (35.6%)
- PC - 198 votes (26.2%)
- Nintendo Switch - 134 votes (17.7%)
- Xbox One - 9 votes (1.2%)
- PS Vita - 146 votes (19.3%)
A sizable number of respondents would like to see the game on PC, with PS Vita following. Nintendo Switch also received a solid number of votes.
What is your favorite persona that you can summon in Persona 5?
This was our first open question, just because there are too many personas to list them all. Arsene was by far the most popular answer, followed by Satanael, Yoshitune, Mara and Jack Frost.
What is the Persona 5's best aspect according to you?
It would be impossible to list all the answers to this question, but you can read a selection below:
"I find many aspects of Persona 5 amazing, but it's sense of style and the soundtrack are utterly superb."
"Amazing art direction,combat,characters. Lots of things to do, hard to put down the game. Played 70ish hours in a week."
"The culture of rebellion. Japan is a country that's currently overworked and under appreciates those it drives into the ground with its rigorous lifestyle demands, especially on its youth. Persona 5 accepts that, and drives forward with the idea that you can only change if you fight for it. Despite the gap in cultures, the portrayal of rebellion and the desire to drive forward and shake things up was communicated in a way that resonated with me, making it easy to understand an entirely different world by starting from one point of similarity. Short version: The game appeals to anyone with a desire to break free of societal pressure and bondage."
"It has a cool art style that most other modern games don't have."
"Its flamboyant, in-your-face attitude in everything"
"It has a certain charm that always gives me the urge to play it again and again, the improved gameplay is truly amazing. The battle system is quite amazing and fast-paced, the story and plot-twists which is unpredictable."
"The amazing dichotomy between the day to day life of a Japanese high schooler alongside the day to day life of a magic crime fighting phantom ninja."
"The feeling of playing through several seasons of a great anime show where the combat is deeply entangled with the plot and narrative."
"The sheer number of small, quality of life changes from previous games. They all add up in ways I'd never know needed changed to make an amazing experience."
"P5 is one of those special games that is so intertwined with my own personal narrative that I can't really boil down why I like it into one aspect. I've always been a big fan of the balance of Social elements and JRPG that Persona manages to strike so well, but if I had to place my favorite change or improvement in P5 it has to be the storyline Palaces. Goodbye randomly generated story dungeons, I won't be missing you. "
"The tone and pacing. The game gets you right in the action and the deep enthralling dark story takes you to unexpected places, all with the perfect tone."
What is the Persona 5's worst flaw according to you?
Same as the previous question, this one had a very common element coming up again and again, many really hated Morgana's obsession for sending the player to sleep early.
As for the rest, you can check out a selection of the answers below:
"Certain plot-lines being slightly rushed instead of fulfilling their full potential."
"Its tedium, I have no issues with the length or the pacing, but palaces can overstay their welcome. The save system is still extremely archaic as well. "
"I felt the main cast lacked chemistry, like there weren't many events that allowed them to really bond. There are about one or two key scenes I can recall that have them banter and truly bond. Because of this I feel the cast suffered and was less memorable. Also, the characters who joined later than others were considerably less involved and developed (Haru in particular). I don't know if it was the texting feature that contributed to this, but I would have liked more events outside of the main meat of the story with the cast interacting."
"The lead-up to the culprit reveal was sub-par (the game was almost screaming to you who it is), and not done nearly as well as P4's culprit, whom you would've never guessed (and was a lot more messed up in the head)."
"I wish there was more time to do stuff, because you are given only two periods (afternoon and evening) to pursue social links or side-quests. Most of the dates are occupied by story-driven missions and then you've got Morgana going 'LET'S NOT DO THAT RIGHT NOW'. "
"The PS4 native share features blocked even after launch."
"As much as I enjoyed the story and plot of the game, I really, really wish there was more chill time. The main cast are always talking as Phantom Thieves, and not as friends. Comparing to Persona 4 (because it is the previous main entry), there is a huge lack in comedy and downtime between story progression. Moments such as the Amagi Inn sleepover and Skiing trip are what make Persona 4/Golden unforgettable for me, yet I felt that Persona 5 failed to capture any moments like the ones mentioned above. I just wish that the Thieves would take a break and chill out sometimes. "
"One gripe I had with the game was the effort put into holiday events. From my past experience with the games, I felt that this time around they were quite lacking. I can see them not being focused on as much, given the overall tone of the game. but they would offer a change a pace. Having more challenges such as an extra dungeon post-game as well as the optional bosses mechanics being as strict as their past counterparts would be welcome as well. A lot of the confidant abilities seemed kind of pointless."
"The predictability of story plot twists and structure of confidant stories: almost all of the confidants are outcasts that are bullied by someone who is EVIL and most of the time, you have to do a memento mission for them. Yoshida is great because he deals with his past and only receives encouragement from the protagonist."
"The fact that you get a game over if you the MC dies in combat, even if you have other characters still alive. In a game when you issue direct commands to your characters, there is no reason to include this as you can have one of your other characters bring you back with an item."