Story and World
Persona 5 vs Mass Effect: Andromeda
One thing we learned from the previous games in these franchises is that plot, characters, and relationships are vital in both of them. Whether that be the characters you romanced in the three Mass Effect games or how you felt about the ending of Mass Effect 3, or who you got close to and spent time with in the Persona games, the stories keep you compelled from start to finish.
Mass Effect: Andromeda starts after a crew has taken a 600-year journey to the Andromeda galaxy to find humanity a new home. You play as the Pathfinder, who is tasked with finding a planet that is suitable, but you quickly realize that not everyone in the Andromeda galaxy is as welcoming as you might have hoped. With the help of some companions, your aim is to complete quests and find the next home for humanity, defeating any enemy that stands in your way.
As fans of the series would expect, Persona 5’s plot is a little more complex. You play as a silent protagonist, with a name of your choosing, who is forced to move to a new school in Tokyo. As he settles into school life in a new city, he accidentally gets involved in a mystery involving a creepy teacher. Having become a Persona-user, it is your quest to save people from harm. Your time will be split between being a phantom thief who takes on shadows in mysterious palaces, and being a student who spends time hanging out with class mates.
While Andromeda’s story is certainly key, Persona 5’s is important to every aspect of the game. From battling in dungeons to eating at a restaurant, who you spend time with in the JRPG is something you have to think about. Relationships blossom in such interesting ways that you begin to see these characters as your own friends. That isn’t to say that there aren’t interesting or likable characters in Mass Effect, but plot and character development is a much more significant factor in Persona 5.
