Can you play Persona 5 Strikers without playing the original game?

Hey, Gamers! So this week we’re tackling this question because I know a lot of not-JRPG fans like the look of Strikers. The combat is a lot more mainstream and they think it looks better overall. So, as a Persona 5 expert, I’m here to dive into this and answer honestly.

DISCLAIMER: Although I have been called a ‘persona 5 expert’, please remember that this is just my opinion. It might be a good idea to read the full post before diving straight into the game. I have held off on posting this because I wanted to finish the game first just in case, so yeah.

Spoiler warning: Okay so I tried to be as not-spoilery as possible, but there is a very vague spoiler about the end game boss. For this, if you haven’t played the original games then you’ll be fine but if you have played Persona 5/ Persona 5 Royal then you’ll probably click on to who I’m talking about. Again, I know it’s complicated but I’m sure it’ll make sense.

So, surprising to myself and probably all of my regular readers, my answer is yes. But just hold on, because like most things in life, this is a bit complicated and I want you to know what you’re in for if you choose to do this. I’ve tried to be as unbiased as possible here, but it’s a Persona game so obviously nothing is easy to explain.

Fans that have played Persona 5 and/ or Persona 5 Royal (regardless of which one you play it does not matter, as long as you know if it is the latter game then some characters are missing) have spent over 100 hours (on average for one playthrough) with these characters. Persona 5 is heavily story based, which means that there is a whole lot of character development in that game, especially with the Phantom Thieves as a whole. Those guys were basically complete strangers in April and by December they are family. So if you skip straight to Strikers, you’re not going to completely understand the bond of the group, which I personally think is a huge part of Strikers. As many reviewers have stated, this is a game for the fans. But it’s such a good game, so this might help you become a fan!

Another thing you might not understand is the little jokes and references to the first game. This obviously isn’t a huge thing, but it’s nice. I can’t help you with that but if you do decide to play Strikers and you like it, maybe try the original and then go back to Strikers and see how much more fun it is.

Yet another thing (because apparently I do not know another way to start a paragraph) I think some people who haven’t played the original game is just who the characters are. To put this into perspective, a character from the original game shows up over half way through without having much of a mention before. Obviously you will know their name and their relation to the group, but you won’t know much about the background.

So, what can you do? Well I have some tips for you. Listen, I understand that Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal are both long games that can be confusing for some. What you’re not going to do is watch the animation. That does not do the game justice at all. And I’m someone who likes the animation.

Instead, you’re going to read my ‘Persona 5 for Dummies’ post just to get a good understanding of everything that’s going on. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them there. My DMs on Instagram are always open to talking about this game and if you tell me why you’re messaging I will try my best not to gush about it. The link for the post is here:

Persona 5 for Dummies

Then you’re going to click on this link which will take you to the right fandom Wikipedia. Use the previously mentioned blog post to try to navigate the site. My recommendation is to look at the pages for the following characters (at least):

https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Megami_Tensei_Wiki

Protagonist (Joker)
https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Protagonist_(Persona_5)

Ryuji Sakamoto (Skull)
https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Ryuji_Sakamoto

Ann Takamaki (Panther)
https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Ann_Takamaki

Yusuke Kitagawa (Fox)
https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Yusuke_Kitagawa

Makoto Niijima (Queen)- which will help you get to Sae Niijima, which is someone else you should look at
https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Makoto_Niijima

Futaba Sakura (Oracle)
https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Futaba_Sakura

Haru Okumura (Noir)
https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Haru_Okumura

Morgana (Mona)
https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Morgana

Sojiro Sakura
https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Sojiro_Sakura

Doing some background reading on these characters will help you understand the story, as well as understanding their motivation and determination to right the wrongs in the world. I genuinely think that reading about it is the best thing you can do (other than playing the game). After playing the game the full way through, I strongly believe that you need to know about the original game to understand why they’re so passionate etc.

And for those who only want to do the bare minimum… Joker, Morgana – it’s hard because they all go through stuff but – Futaba and Makoto. Maybe Haru if you’re up for that too, but you should have a good understanding of the plot and what they did and what happened to Haru’s father if you read the ones I’ve mentioned. I’m making you read Morgana so that you understand… Morgana. I cannot explain that properly.

Something I want to say is that the Phantom Thieves have technically… fought the last boss of the game before… technically. I mean, they’re different but- it’s so hard to explain but I can’t link the boss I wanted to link for comparison because they have the same page. I want you to know that they’ve been through this, have fought a very similar boss, and that they have saved so many people previously. I hope this makes sense. I know that this is all very complicated and vague but when you get to the last boss, you’ll probably know.

I really hope this helps. I know that this community isn’t the best, but I would love if someone got to experience these characters, even if it’s not from their original game. If anyone wants to talk about something, whether you’re confused about what’s happening or are excited or anything, my DMs are always open on Instagram (which is linked on my ‘contact me’ page). More Persona 5 fans – again, even if it’s not the original game – the better.

SIDENOTE: I just remembered about this as I’m uploading this but Igor isn’t in this game. If you’ve seen memes or at least something about Persona 5, you probably know about the Velvet Room twins, Justine and Caroline. They are in the game as Lavenza. That’s all I’m going to say.

So, that’s it for this post, Gamers. I hope someone got something out of this post. If I can help stop the gatekeeping in this community, that would make me happy. Don’t forget to like this post if you liked it, follow my blog, check out my social medias and my partner and I stream almost every day on Twitch @2nerds_1game. See you next post!