Winner – Persona 5
Persona 5 is a real visual treat, right from the very get go at the main menu. Just like its predecessors, Persona 5 is about a group of teenagers who awaken to the power of Persona, and the game sports a sleek anime art style. Love and care have clearly been put into every aspect of Persona 5’s presentation, starting with the gorgeous anime opening that makes good use of contrasting colors. Much like Gravity Rush 2, the game feels like playing an anime, with characters sporting exaggerated expressions at times and visual tricks being added in for more flair, like dust popping up when running.
Persona 5 ups its presentation to ridiculous levels when looking at the game’s menus or battle completion screen. The game displays dazzling menus that all play with some impressive animation instead of just giving you static screens. Everything is strengthened even more by the game’s harsh use of the red against contrasting colors, as well as the phenomenal soundtrack. Previous Persona games already had impressive visual styles, but Persona 5’s aesthetic is unlike anything else we’ve seen, easily showing off the best direction of the year.
