Persona 5 vs. Mass Effect: Andromeda: Which Should You Buy?

Persona 5 vs Mass Effect: Andromeda

The overwhelmingly crowded release schedule of the first quarter of 2017 is pretty much over and the last couple of weeks has seen the release of two huge RPGs, each marking an established series’ debut on current generation hardware. Atlus’ Persona 5 mixes turn based combat and complex social interactions in a story about a silent protagonist who attempts to settle in a new school and deal with weird supernatural happenings. While it is a new story, with an all-new cast of characters, Persona 5 is mostly in the same structure as Persona 4. Mass Effect: Andromeda is also a new story, moving away from Commander Shepard and the events of the original trilogy, to tell the story of a Pathfinder attempting to find a new settlement for a group of travelers.

Both series have a huge following and many fans had been looking forward to these games for years. Although review scores are not a sure-fire way of determining whether you’ll enjoy a game or not, only one of these two games has been received as well as most people expected. Persona 5 currently stands at 94 out of 100 on Metacritic, whereas Andromeda stands at somewhere between 70 and 77, depending on the platform you play on. However, considering that seeing all that these two games have to offer will require hundreds of hours, there is much more to consider before you choose which to spend your hard earned dollars on.

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.

Gameplay
Persona 5 vs Mass Effect: Andromeda

Gameplay is where Mass Effect: Andromeda and Persona 5 differ the most. Both feature a character progression system that sees the protagonist level up and get stronger over the course of the game, just as you’d see in most RPGs, but the moment to moment gameplay couldn’t be much more different.

Andromeda sees you explore the Tempest (a space ship that acts as your main base), accepting quests from people, and travelling to unexplored planets. Once you reach the planets you will undoubtedly be faced by a huge number of foes that are trying to protect, or rival you for, space on the planet. The combat in Andromeda is similar to that seen in the original trilogy – it is third-person shooter combat with added abilities that keep it from becoming stale. Alongside gunplay, you can use powers such as singularities, electricity, teleporting, and your trusty jetpack to get the upper hand against the enemy. You choose what fighting style suits you best, you choose your loadout, and utilize the world and the streamlined cover system to protect yourself. The gunplay feels good and each weapon feels unique and has its own strengths and weaknesses. It may not be the most typical third-person shooter gameplay, but it is one of the best aspects of Andromeda. Since most of the planets are relatively open, you will be given freedom to explore on foot or via the Nomad, a four-wheel-drive dune buggy-type vehicle. Exploration introduces more characters and can lead to more quests being discovered.

Persona 5’s combat is entirely different. In palaces you will be faced by enemies with a variety of personas and you will use your own team of personas to defeat them. The combat is typical turn based fighting that sees each characters attack in turn. While there are additions such as Hold-Ups and nuances such as the weaknesses of each persona, the basic combat structure is easy to understand. For those that haven’t played a Persona game before, the combat is similar to what you’d see in an older Final Fantasy game, only with more freedom to choose how to attack. When you aren’t fighting your way through dungeons, the gameplay is slower paced. You can explore, hang out with Confidants, read, or study for class, the choice is up to you. It is a great chance to get ready for upcoming fights or to get to know the friends you spend time with.

Which you’ll prefer comes down to which combat style you enjoy. If you enjoy the slower, more tactical turn based combat then Persona would be the best choice but if you enjoy the engaging, third-person shooter combat you saw in the first three Mass Effect games then Andromeda is more likely to suit you.

Platform
Persona 5 vs Mass Effect: Andromeda

Unfortunately, having limited free-time is not the only reason some people can’t play both Persona 5 and Mass Effect: Andromeda. The two games have not been released on the same consoles. Andromeda has been released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC just as many AAA games are. However, Persona 5 is limited to the last two PlayStation home consoles. You can play Atlus’ game on either PS3 or PS4 but no release is planned on any other platforms.

Therefore, if you only own a PC or Xbox One, the choice is made for you. Or, if you are yet to upgrade to the latest PlayStation console, you can still play Persona 5. The choice isn’t so straightforward for PlayStation 4 owners. They’ll have to look at each game in more detail to decide which one they should play.

So Which One Should I Buy?
Persona 5 vs Mass Effect: Andromeda

The time has come to weigh up all the factors and decide which hugely anticipated RPG is the one for you. In terms is overall quality, critics largely agree that Persona 5 is a special game that will offer upwards of 100 hours of play time whereas Andromeda is a step in the wrong direction for the Mass Effect series. However, either game might have something in particular that appeals to you more than anything else.

Story is vital in both games so both have characters and plot lines to get invested in, although Persona 5’s is deeper and more complex. Both games allow you to form relationships with characters, with those relationships being more physical in Mass Effect.

Gameplay preference is where the choice will likely be made. Andromeda’s third-person shooter combat is drastically different from the turn-based combat in Persona 5. There’s more of an element of speed to Andromeda, while Persona takes things a little slower (but not too slow to where it feels boring). Fans of either series will know what to expect but it might be good to look deeper into each game’s combat before you decide which one to pick up.

If you have a PlayStation 4, you could always pick up both but since you could realistically spend close to 100 hours in each one, it might take the rest of the years to finish them both. Whichever you choose, there will undoubtedly be something there for you to enjoy.