As a personal note: To this day, playing Persona 4 Golden blind as someone with no experience in the franchise and just going for it was one of the most enjoyable experiences i had with videogames in my entire life so far
I love video essays and I love video essays on games I adore. I fixated on the persona series this summer and binged it all and I'm glad I found you when I did. I have to work through 12 hour work shifts and bluetooth listening makes it a blast. I really hope you continue making content like this since it was so well paced and thought out. Your thoughts are candid and upon rewatching your editing was also great! I know this isn't a compliment people expect to hear often but as an audio only listener most of the time I really appreciate how non-essential visuals were for your video. If this keeps up in future essays, I will notice. Thank you :D
I'm glad you enjoyed! Yeah it's definitely a bit of a double-edged sword about how non-visual the format is, especially as the visuals take the most time😅but I think that's common across the whole video essay genre. I do try to make my visuals engaging though as they help with explaining a point and I enjoy putting small memes and jokes in. But thank you for rewatching to see the visuals though, that actually means a lot haha
As someone with a completionistic brain, this video hit hard because I used to be someone who pretty much HAD to do everything that there was in a game. I've since sort of got rid of that mentality and experienced games pretty much how I wanted really rather than forcing myself to 100% it.
Yeah it's been something I've been really trying to change, I've been playing FF6 and sometimes it's so hard not to just double check something lmao. Glad you enjoyed the video and super happy it's reaching people who've played games like me! :)
I’m happy I watched this. I always struggle with doing it “the right way” & not missing anything or winging it & doing what I feel is right at that moment. I usually don’t look up guides but I wonder the entire time. Now I’m not going to question it. Perfect timing since I’m about halfway through Trials Of Cold Steel 1
As a completionist, I always check if the game has some sort of new game plus so I don't feel too guilty missing stuff. In terms of P5R, I didn't complete fubaba & the hanged man on my first run, but bet your arse I did on my 2nd run.
I love this video. Your story was fascinating, and really just kinda shows how personal of an experience a video game can be when you sit down to appreciate it. I had a similar spoiler experience with the “boat” palace scene and a specific character I really enjoy, so you’re not alone 🫡 (And as someone who’s 100%ed it, it wasn’t all it’s hyped up to be)
Thank you! It was an interesting experience making a video be more "personal" than a more objective view of the topic but it's worth it knowing the video reached people who can relate!
Interesting perspective, tight editing, well-spoken. I'm glad I watched this. I was a guide-user myself for Twilight Princess and Final Fantasy 13 (that one was useless, obviously). Didn't particularly ruin my experience, but then, I also enjoyed having and reading through those massive, colorful guides on their own. If I was consulting a spoiler log for an ultra-detailed JRPG like these ones, it might have been a different story. "Persona only has three," indeed, Atlus.
Thank you for the compliments! I'm definitely not condemning the use of guides, they are useful, I just think there's a balance to be found and it's different for different people. ...had to throw the Atlus shade somewhere in the video 🤣
For what it's worth, my friend played blind and felt it ruined his experience. Funnily enough, he was also interested in Kasumi...but when "the reveal" game, he felt utterly betrayed and wished he had romanced Futaba or Haru instead. He was particularly angry at me for not warning him in advance. ^^;
I adore your style of narration, it's articulate and precise! Your story was genuinely captivating to hear. Your essay made me wish P5 had a bit of meta-commentary on progression, completion, and... taking your time. The game just throws this slogan enough at you to get desensitized to its actual insightfulness. Especially, as you said, in today's world, where there's no free time and even games are 'ought' to be perfected first-run; where time is told to be managed, whereas it's supposed to be cherished; when you are made to hustle, consume, do something non-stop, and are not allowed any time to breath, or the right to be bored. Especially with the game being a social sim where its protagonist has to self-develop in order to prosper socially and as a person -- ringing any bells? Hint: soulless, capitalistic standartification of self-help/development, fantastic fields that are getting more and more coldly logical, heartlessly pragmatic, devoid of humanity; like you said it when you realized your perfectionism turned you into some program executing an algorithm rather than a living, breathing person playing a game. At least Joker does it healthily under the guidance of Morgana, who happens to be an unironically awesome life coach somehow lol Just in case, I'm not criticizing the game -- it focused on different message and was developed a decade ago basically, a lot changed since then.. It could be an interesting theme for another installment in the franchise, though. Or any story-driven time-management/life sim game. Awesome essay!
@@phoenyck Thank you for such kind words🥺 Most of the things about P5 have already been said (I've watched plenty of videos on it, they kind of start to mesh together after the first dozen), tbh I was surprised to find an essay with actually fresh thoughts such as yours! Maybe if I ever stumble upon some undiscovered ideas... Until then I'll just keep checking out shrewd essayists and writing overly long comments :)
The dread that comes from messing up and not knowing if you're making the right choice was game ruining for me, too. I had to stop playing Persona 5 because I was so anxious all the time. I get you :,)
Mix of both really; like Shinya's skills were definitely very useful albeit I used them very little. And his confidant made me feel like Joker was a people-pleaser, as that kind of hammered home a narrative that Joker changes his personality for the people he's with to say things they like (I did do Shinya without a guide but figured out what he liked). I'd say the tierlist was personality>storyline>skills in terms of how I valued
Guides are good, they are a tool to assist the player. But when the guide uses the player to play in it terms is when something is wrong. I love persona, and most RPGs but I only use specific Guides when I really think is necessary like, in persona 5 royal and his fusion material. In xenoblade where to find specific objects, or what is the best farming method. But after finishing any game.
I actually have a very recent experience with assuming a spoiler is true, then being surprised when it wasn't and it Heightening my experience. I recently finished The Wheel of Time, a large book series. At some point around book 5 or 6, I listened.to a song about the story that was about one of the characters final battle in the last book, and from what I got without looking at the lyrics I assumed that they died, and I'd prepared myself for that inevitability ever since. Come that conflict, everything played our as I expected, the chapter ended with the character seemingly dead, the MC was having a whole relevation about the nature of his role in the world.... and then the mother fucker I thought was dead stood back up, he still fought, and I fucking freaked out and that was one of my best experiences with a story. Best part is, I went back to the song and actually read the lyrics this rime,.and it straight up said that he stood back up, I just missed that lyric every time.
Yeah it kind of opened my eyes not to assume something just because I've heard/read something about it. Since then, it's actually led to me just immediately disregarding a lot of stuff I see so I don't even remember it when I get around to what it's referencing. Hasn't worked for everything obviously but it's been a helpful mindset I've learned.
Without giving any spoilers to anyone who might be reading the comments (as futile as that may be), I have one question for you: Given how much you enjoyed Kasumi's company, what did you think of the direction they took with her character once you get into the "Royal" part of P5R? (Or, did you play only the original Persona 5?) For me, I didn't like Kasumi's character much in the original part of the game. I can see after watching your video that she was meant to be endearing to Joker, but to me, she often came across as needy and clingy. In the Royal section of the game, while I thought what Atlus chose to do with her character made her more interesting than before, I also think it might have been the most incredibly weird choice to make for a character. I could see how the tragic incident prompted her character to behave the way she behaved, but I could not fathom the idea that every single person around her in her life would just simply go along with it. I just kept thinking, "you mean to tell me not ONE person said ANYTHING?" ...anyways, terrific video. As someone who historically has not gravitated toward turn-based RPGs, I decided to give P5R a try after my younger brother requested it for a birthday present after it became available on PC/Switch. I followed the game's advice and took my time, but my brother took the approach you described of busting out wikis and other references to find out what would be "the optimal way" to play. To me, if one is going to read a strategy guide, walkthrough, wiki, or crazy long spreadsheet detailing what every little thing is in a video game...then why play the game? I can see how all that stuff is necessary for completionists out there - and yes, it kind of intrigues me what would be "the optimal way" to max out the stuff you want to max out in this game - but if one's goal is not to 100% the game, then the heck with all that.
I know some people didn't like what they did with Kasumi in the Royal section but honestly I didn't mind it. If anything, I think they didn't do enough to explore it as I think her confidant ranks from then on got a bit too bland. I actually agree with the neediness and clinginess, I played New Game + for footage for this video (up to the end of the second palace) and liked Kasumi a lot less the second time around funnily enough. Contradictions definitely pop up with what happened but a lot of them (not all) I feel can get hand-waved away by *how it was done* and I won't go any further into it because of spoilers. Thank you for enjoying the video! I think the main reason the whole "completionist" mindset comes about in me and maybe your brother is FOMO, just missing out something important. And for me it's definitely how I was sold into the game. If I went in blind I may have been more relaxed but I went in with "There's barely enough time I've got manage everything ohmygod" which definitely didn't help 🤣
Joker is not the protagonist, Morgana is. The story is about Morgana, not Joker. Morgana decides your schedule in what amounts to over 1 month worth of time. Morgana's story drags on until the last palace. Morgana hijacks Haru's story after he used her for his own gain. Once Makoto joins, she becomes the defacto leader/strategist. Joker is the muscle for Morgana & the fun loathing Makoto. I love the game, buy Joker is the worst protagonist between P3 to P5. He rakes a backseat to a garbage mascot so poorly written that there are tons of videos explaining why Morgana sucks. 😅 Can you tell I hate the worst character in Persona history? Teddy was a better character/Mascot by a long mile.
As a personal note:
To this day, playing Persona 4 Golden blind as someone with no experience in the franchise and just going for it was one of the most enjoyable experiences i had with videogames in my entire life so far
Being able to play Golden without spoilers must be an incredible experience.
my experience too, literally made me fall in love with this franchise
I love video essays and I love video essays on games I adore. I fixated on the persona series this summer and binged it all and I'm glad I found you when I did. I have to work through 12 hour work shifts and bluetooth listening makes it a blast. I really hope you continue making content like this since it was so well paced and thought out. Your thoughts are candid and upon rewatching your editing was also great!
I know this isn't a compliment people expect to hear often but as an audio only listener most of the time I really appreciate how non-essential visuals were for your video. If this keeps up in future essays, I will notice. Thank you :D
I'm glad you enjoyed! Yeah it's definitely a bit of a double-edged sword about how non-visual the format is, especially as the visuals take the most time😅but I think that's common across the whole video essay genre. I do try to make my visuals engaging though as they help with explaining a point and I enjoy putting small memes and jokes in. But thank you for rewatching to see the visuals though, that actually means a lot haha
As someone with a completionistic brain, this video hit hard because I used to be someone who pretty much HAD to do everything that there was in a game. I've since sort of got rid of that mentality and experienced games pretty much how I wanted really rather than forcing myself to 100% it.
Yeah it's been something I've been really trying to change, I've been playing FF6 and sometimes it's so hard not to just double check something lmao.
Glad you enjoyed the video and super happy it's reaching people who've played games like me! :)
I’m happy I watched this. I always struggle with doing it “the right way” & not missing anything or winging it & doing what I feel is right at that moment. I usually don’t look up guides but I wonder the entire time. Now I’m not going to question it. Perfect timing since I’m about halfway through Trials Of Cold Steel 1
I'm glad this reached you at the perfect time! Enjoy Trails of Cold Steel! That's on my ever-growing to-play list 😅
As a completionist, I always check if the game has some sort of new game plus so I don't feel too guilty missing stuff. In terms of P5R, I didn't complete fubaba & the hanged man on my first run, but bet your arse I did on my 2nd run.
I love this video. Your story was fascinating, and really just kinda shows how personal of an experience a video game can be when you sit down to appreciate it. I had a similar spoiler experience with the “boat” palace scene and a specific character I really enjoy, so you’re not alone 🫡 (And as someone who’s 100%ed it, it wasn’t all it’s hyped up to be)
Thank you! It was an interesting experience making a video be more "personal" than a more objective view of the topic but it's worth it knowing the video reached people who can relate!
Interesting perspective, tight editing, well-spoken. I'm glad I watched this. I was a guide-user myself for Twilight Princess and Final Fantasy 13 (that one was useless, obviously). Didn't particularly ruin my experience, but then, I also enjoyed having and reading through those massive, colorful guides on their own. If I was consulting a spoiler log for an ultra-detailed JRPG like these ones, it might have been a different story.
"Persona only has three," indeed, Atlus.
Thank you for the compliments! I'm definitely not condemning the use of guides, they are useful, I just think there's a balance to be found and it's different for different people.
...had to throw the Atlus shade somewhere in the video 🤣
For what it's worth, my friend played blind and felt it ruined his experience. Funnily enough, he was also interested in Kasumi...but when "the reveal" game, he felt utterly betrayed and wished he had romanced Futaba or Haru instead. He was particularly angry at me for not warning him in advance. ^^;
That's actually fascinating. I feel like one of the few people who think it didn't do much to change my opinion lmao
I adore your style of narration, it's articulate and precise! Your story was genuinely captivating to hear. Your essay made me wish P5 had a bit of meta-commentary on progression, completion, and... taking your time. The game just throws this slogan enough at you to get desensitized to its actual insightfulness. Especially, as you said, in today's world, where there's no free time and even games are 'ought' to be perfected first-run; where time is told to be managed, whereas it's supposed to be cherished; when you are made to hustle, consume, do something non-stop, and are not allowed any time to breath, or the right to be bored.
Especially with the game being a social sim where its protagonist has to self-develop in order to prosper socially and as a person -- ringing any bells? Hint: soulless, capitalistic standartification of self-help/development, fantastic fields that are getting more and more coldly logical, heartlessly pragmatic, devoid of humanity; like you said it when you realized your perfectionism turned you into some program executing an algorithm rather than a living, breathing person playing a game. At least Joker does it healthily under the guidance of Morgana, who happens to be an unironically awesome life coach somehow lol
Just in case, I'm not criticizing the game -- it focused on different message and was developed a decade ago basically, a lot changed since then.. It could be an interesting theme for another installment in the franchise, though. Or any story-driven time-management/life sim game.
Awesome essay!
Omg I wrote such a lengthy rant haha, my bad
No worries on the "rant", haha, it was a good read! Glad you liked the video and you make great points, maybe YOU should make a video on P5 as well! 😁
@@phoenyck Thank you for such kind words🥺 Most of the things about P5 have already been said (I've watched plenty of videos on it, they kind of start to mesh together after the first dozen), tbh I was surprised to find an essay with actually fresh thoughts such as yours! Maybe if I ever stumble upon some undiscovered ideas... Until then I'll just keep checking out shrewd essayists and writing overly long comments :)
Amazing video
Aww thank you very much!
Kasumi really is the best. It’s why I got her and joker tattooed on my arm. Akechi is next tho!
Wow that's super cool. Bet they look sick!
@@phoenyck out of all my tattoos they’re honestly my favorite.
I had the guide issue with Tales of Vesperia. The game kinda got ruined cause I was just constantly following step by step instructions.
It's definitely intimidating! Hope you've been able to find a good balance!
The dread that comes from messing up and not knowing if you're making the right choice was game ruining for me, too. I had to stop playing Persona 5 because I was so anxious all the time. I get you :,)
Hope you can go back to it without worry!
Was your confidants tierlist by the personality of the characters or the usefullness of their skills?
Mix of both really; like Shinya's skills were definitely very useful albeit I used them very little. And his confidant made me feel like Joker was a people-pleaser, as that kind of hammered home a narrative that Joker changes his personality for the people he's with to say things they like (I did do Shinya without a guide but figured out what he liked).
I'd say the tierlist was personality>storyline>skills in terms of how I valued
Guides are good, they are a tool to assist the player. But when the guide uses the player to play in it terms is when something is wrong.
I love persona, and most RPGs but I only use specific Guides when I really think is necessary like, in persona 5 royal and his fusion material.
In xenoblade where to find specific objects, or what is the best farming method.
But after finishing any game.
I actually have a very recent experience with assuming a spoiler is true, then being surprised when it wasn't and it Heightening my experience.
I recently finished The Wheel of Time, a large book series. At some point around book 5 or 6, I listened.to a song about the story that was about one of the characters final battle in the last book, and from what I got without looking at the lyrics I assumed that they died, and I'd prepared myself for that inevitability ever since. Come that conflict, everything played our as I expected, the chapter ended with the character seemingly dead, the MC was having a whole relevation about the nature of his role in the world.... and then the mother fucker I thought was dead stood back up, he still fought, and I fucking freaked out and that was one of my best experiences with a story. Best part is, I went back to the song and actually read the lyrics this rime,.and it straight up said that he stood back up, I just missed that lyric every time.
Yeah it kind of opened my eyes not to assume something just because I've heard/read something about it. Since then, it's actually led to me just immediately disregarding a lot of stuff I see so I don't even remember it when I get around to what it's referencing. Hasn't worked for everything obviously but it's been a helpful mindset I've learned.
Without giving any spoilers to anyone who might be reading the comments (as futile as that may be), I have one question for you:
Given how much you enjoyed Kasumi's company, what did you think of the direction they took with her character once you get into the "Royal" part of P5R? (Or, did you play only the original Persona 5?)
For me, I didn't like Kasumi's character much in the original part of the game. I can see after watching your video that she was meant to be endearing to Joker, but to me, she often came across as needy and clingy. In the Royal section of the game, while I thought what Atlus chose to do with her character made her more interesting than before, I also think it might have been the most incredibly weird choice to make for a character. I could see how the tragic incident prompted her character to behave the way she behaved, but I could not fathom the idea that every single person around her in her life would just simply go along with it. I just kept thinking, "you mean to tell me not ONE person said ANYTHING?"
...anyways, terrific video. As someone who historically has not gravitated toward turn-based RPGs, I decided to give P5R a try after my younger brother requested it for a birthday present after it became available on PC/Switch. I followed the game's advice and took my time, but my brother took the approach you described of busting out wikis and other references to find out what would be "the optimal way" to play. To me, if one is going to read a strategy guide, walkthrough, wiki, or crazy long spreadsheet detailing what every little thing is in a video game...then why play the game? I can see how all that stuff is necessary for completionists out there - and yes, it kind of intrigues me what would be "the optimal way" to max out the stuff you want to max out in this game - but if one's goal is not to 100% the game, then the heck with all that.
I know some people didn't like what they did with Kasumi in the Royal section but honestly I didn't mind it. If anything, I think they didn't do enough to explore it as I think her confidant ranks from then on got a bit too bland. I actually agree with the neediness and clinginess, I played New Game + for footage for this video (up to the end of the second palace) and liked Kasumi a lot less the second time around funnily enough. Contradictions definitely pop up with what happened but a lot of them (not all) I feel can get hand-waved away by *how it was done* and I won't go any further into it because of spoilers.
Thank you for enjoying the video! I think the main reason the whole "completionist" mindset comes about in me and maybe your brother is FOMO, just missing out something important. And for me it's definitely how I was sold into the game. If I went in blind I may have been more relaxed but I went in with "There's barely enough time I've got manage everything ohmygod" which definitely didn't help 🤣
Bro the start of this video trigers me so much
Do you mind clarifying on this? Like is it what I said or the editing?
@@phoenyck nah i just hate playing with guide. Sry for cofusing comment.
Haha no worries!
Joker is not the protagonist, Morgana is. The story is about Morgana, not Joker. Morgana decides your schedule in what amounts to over 1 month worth of time. Morgana's story drags on until the last palace. Morgana hijacks Haru's story after he used her for his own gain. Once Makoto joins, she becomes the defacto leader/strategist. Joker is the muscle for Morgana & the fun loathing Makoto. I love the game, buy Joker is the worst protagonist between P3 to P5. He rakes a backseat to a garbage mascot so poorly written that there are tons of videos explaining why Morgana sucks. 😅 Can you tell I hate the worst character in Persona history? Teddy was a better character/Mascot by a long mile.